Michael Moore: Fomenting Revolution?

This morning, I stumbled to the coffee pot, waited for the coffee to brew (seemed like forever), and turned on my local morning news, only to be "greeted" by a tirade by Michael Moore, promoting his new film Capitalism: A Love Story.

No, I haven't seen the film, nor do I plan to, but I might watch it when the DVD comes to NetFlix. Know thy enemy.
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I admit that I wasn't fully awake when regaled by Michael Moore. But what he said did sound as if he's fomenting revolution. Will anyone hold him accountable if he's doing so?

From this article in Variety:

Just minutes after the Los Angeles premiere screening of Michael Moore's "Capitalism, A Love Story" ended, the filmmaker posted this message to his Twitter feed: "The packed house gets up to grab their torches and pitchforks..."

The article next states that Moore was just kidding, but goes on later to state the following:

His latest movie tries to tap into populist outrage from the left, at a time when that anger has been channeled much more visibly by the right. The outrage that we have seen, the town halls and the tea parties and the birthers, have been over the fear of big government, not that there won't be a safety net. "They are very good at it," he told me, adding that conservatives' ability to "own the bailout" is for "entirely different reasons from me." It is also one of the reasons he was so anxious to get his movie out.

[...]

Moore's most compelling "get" also acts as a rallying point to counter the right's ability to stir populist emotion. It is footage, long thought lost until Moore's production staff found it, of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 presenting what he called the "Second Bill of Rights," guaranteeing economic security via jobs with a living wage, medical care and a home. Roosevelt said: "Unless there is security here at home, there cannot be lasting peace in the world." It's a well-timed, stirring moment, and as "Capitalism" is released Moore no doubt will be one of the message's most formidable champions.

Read the entire article.

Below is the YouTube audio excerpt from FDR's Fireside Chat of January 11, 1944:



Until BHO took office, FDR was the reddest President America has ever had. No wonder that Michael Moore is taking his talking points from that source! Furthermore, Moore apparently doesn't hesitate to advocate violence to achieve both publicity for his new film and his goal of changing America into Amerika.

Most of us on the right sneer at Michael Moore and his blatant propaganda. Young people in high school and college, however, drink up the ideology he promotes, sucking down the Kool-aid in huge gulps.

Note to readers and family: Updates on Mr. AOW's progress are HERE.

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Living Alone

With all that's been going on with Mr. AOW's illness (See here and here), I've barely had time to think.

While driving home from the hospital last night, I suddenly realized that, for the first time in my life, I'm living alone. Well, not quite alone as I do share living quarters with three cats.

During the thirty-seven years of our marriage, Mr. AOW and I have never been apart all night long except for occasional work schedules for a couple of nights and a week-long emergency trip he made to California some two decades ago.
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Growing up as an only child of older parents, I can't say that I'm lonely. I truly don't mind spending lots of time alone. Nevertheless, this solitude is a new experience and compounded by concerns as to what the future will be like.

Around Thanksgiving 2007, Cubed, one of the founders of the blog site Sixth Column Against Jihad, suddenly and unexpectedly lost her husband "George Mason." A short time afterward, she sent me an email with following advice: "Cherish your beloveds."

Cubed's advice, in essence a warning, should be taken to heart.

Note to family and friends: Updates on Mr. AOW's condition will continue to be posted HERE until further notice.

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Pressed For Time

Note added on October 6: Updates on Mr. AOW are now being added to this post.

As regular readers here already know, my husband Mr. AOW had a hemorrhagic stroke on September 15. See this previous post.

Recent information, including updates, below the fold. Click "Turn the page."

I want to thank The Merry Widow for posting the announcement on September 15. I also want to thank all the supportive commenters for their concern and their encouragement. Nearly a week after the event, I've finally had time to read each and every comment.

I am not putting this blog on official hiatus. Of course, I may have to do so at some point. But not yet! This blog is one of my support systems!

For now, I will occasionally post Twitter updates. See the top of the right sidebar.

The last update to the previous post about Mr. AOW's medical condition was on September 20 @ 10:20 PM.

TMW or I will update this post after I speak to Mr. AOW's night nurse and at least once a day for an indefinite period. Mr. AOW's recovery will be a long haul, and I simply won't usually have enough time to blog as usual.

Update from AOW (September 21 @ 5:30 AM):
Mr. AOW doesn't sleep much at night. Instead, he sleeps all day. In other words, he has his days and nights turned around.
He remains in ICU but very alert. In fact, he now wants the nurse to phone me at all hours so that he can talk to me. Two things concern him at the moment: (1) what I'm doing with his "nest" in the shed, and (2) how much he wants ice and ice water. Right now, he has restrictions as to how much he can receive by mouth, the concern being aspiration into the lungs. His begging is disconcerting for me as meeting his requests is medically unwise.
Mr. AOW's blood pressure is finally stabilizing. Once stabilization occurs, he'll be moved to a regular room. The sooner he begins physical therapy and occupational therapy, the better!


Update from AOW (September 22 @ 6:28 AM):
Mr. AOW passed his swallowing and memory tests yesterday as he wants milk to drink. He's a big milk-drinker. He got milk and a pureed meal yesterday.
I was present for the memory test. In some ways, his memory is better than mine right now. LOL. In fact, the other day I asked him for the combination to the safe because I cannot ever remember those numbers in order. He knew the combination!
Once the medical team can get him off the pain medications for his headache, Mr. AOW should be able to stay awake better and longer so that he can begin some physical therapy and occupational therapy.
He remains in ICU and will remain there until his blood pressure in consistently where the docs want that upper number to be. The bottom number is fine.
Mr. AOW is on antibiotics, and his temperature is normal or nearly so. Overnight, the lab ran a urine culture because of the cloudiness of output. The fever of a few days ago is likely due to a urinary tract infection.
Overnight he got some sleep. Finally some sleep at night! Mr. AOW didn't sleep all night, however, and gave the nurse a rough time about the nasogastric feeding tube. He was also somewhat agitated, to the point that the nurse sedated him. Despite the agitation, he was oriented.
I learned last night that Mr. AOW repeatedly told one of the family members who saw him on Sunday afternoon that his left arm is "useless, useless, useless." Several times he picked up his paralyzed left arm with his right hand and dropped the arm over and over again, repeating "Useless!" He hasn't made any such complaint to me.
His case worker consulted with me yesterday. We went over several things: what kind of medical hardware we have at home, the layout of the house here, various health-insurance matters (private catastrophic policy went into effect on June 1), an outline of the course of recovery (residential rehab when he's ready to move to another facility if the health plan covers such a program and home care), household income, the possibility of Social Security disability, household income, and my work schedule. The case worker and others at the hospital take care of a lot of paperwork, thus relieving me of that chore!


Update from AOW (September 23 @ 6:14 AM):
Mr. AOW's blood pressure has come down, and he's now off the drip which keeps him in intensive care. If he can maintain this lower pressure - I don't know for how long - he'll be transferred to a regular room. He remains on a nasogastric feeding tube to facilitate giving medications by mouth.
Unfortunately, when I visited last night, Mr. AOW was irate about "how awful this place is." He even demanded to call an attorney to get him released. Mr. AOW was very angry with me last night because, in his words, "You are keeping me here." He said, "I want my wallet and a key to the shed. I want to go anywhere else but here." The shed has a couple of walkers in it (Mr. AOW the Packrat), so the request for the shed key actually makes sense. But, of course, he doesn't realize that he's incapable of using a walker as the left arm and left leg remain completely paralyzed.
I got Mr. AOW calmed down after a few minutes of reasoning from me, and he dozed off. He had a less hostile overnight than the night before - no Haldol required.
On the very positive side, the paralysis involving the mouth is much improved. In fact, his mouth looks nearly normal now, and his speech is not slurred much. Also, his eyes aren't rolling and turning downward nearly as much now.
Mr. AOW could be transferred to a regular room as early as today. Once he gets access to a telephone, no telling whom he'll call!

UPDATE(Sept. 23, 1:10 pm)
Just got a call from, AOW, Mr. AOW had 2 sessions with the physical therapist this morning, he fell asleep after both. But he also slept through the night.
His left arm was swollen from the sodium drip(to keep his brain from swelling so much), he has been getting massages to reduce the swelling. It's working.
His ire seems to have cooled...he MAY have thought that he was in a more permanent institution...he could use prayer to reduce his feeling of abandonment.

Update from AOW (September 24 @ 6:35 AM):
Mr. AOW wasn't angry when I visited him yesterday. I was at the hospital for hours yesterday because I had to wait a long time for him to wake up. When he finally did wake up, he made perfect sense. He stayed awake for about 45 minutes, then dozed back off.
He's been off the IV drip for blood pressure for nearly 24 hours, but his blood pressure overnight varied too much for immediate transfer to intermediate care.
The other problem yesterday: Mr. AOW's glucose was way up, at one point to 360. He is now on an insulin drip, and glucose levels are improved.
Once his blood pressure stabilizes, Mr. AOW will be transferred to intermediate care.
I spoke by phone with Mr. AOW a few minutes ago. He was too sleepy to make much sense, however. Mostly, I got snoring from the other end of the line.

UPDATE (Sept. 25, 7:25 am);
Mr. AOW is making more forward progress, his left leg has moved twice, he is starting to crack jokes instead of getting angry, he remembered what he was doing when he had the stroke AND has started noticing how wiped out AOW is. He is starting to get outside his own head.
He needs his teeth for speech therapy, but his blood pressure still creeps up at night, it needs to stay under 150, before he can be moved. Also, since he cannot have solid food yet, his glucose levels sky rocket. He also asked the nurse what time it was last night and decided it was too late to call AOW. He is going nuts without someone to talk to.
So, there are some prayer needs right there.

UPDATE(9-25, 2:36 pm)
More good news. AOW was present at Mr. AOW's PT, this morning. His stroke was in the sensory area of the brain, so his memory is intact. He still cannot feel his left hand or foot, but if he looks at his quadricep, he can move it. His eyes are centering more(focusing issue), he is cracking jokes with the nurses and PT people.
He now has an irregular heartbeat, unknown cause, but it has occurred since he's been hospitalized.
The doctor told AOW not to get rid of the SUV...hmmmmm?!?!
The PT folks say he will probably be in live in rehab for up to 6 months, but as long as he makes progress, they won't toss him out.
He did want to go to work at the VFW tonight(his regular shift)...I don't think so! LOL!
The ministry has started to step up to speed, now that the needs are more clearly known...AOW now has more saucepans than she knows what to do with. She is also working on a home made chicken pot pie...so she is eating better herself.

HALLELUJAH!
Mr. AOW's bp went down to 140/71, and he has been moved to an Intermediate Care Unit! He is in with 3 other men and 2 nurses...he can have cards, balloons, whatever. Anyone can go visit him and he is getting thickened foods. He does have a problem with silent aspirations, that is where he doesn't cough if something, "goes down the wrong chute".

Update from AOW (September 26 @ 7:30 AM):
I had to go back to the hospital for the third time last night (only two trips had been planned) as Mr. AOW got confused. He knew that he was confused, however. He wanted a couple of dollars, his little book of phone numbers (Yikes!), and some reassurance that I hadn't abandoned him. They do keep moving him around while he's dozing, so the confusion clearly isn't dementia of any sort. He remains oriented as to time and space and all other essential neurological signs. His speech continues to improve as the paralysis around the mouth is gradually resolving.
His vision is not clear as his eye muscles aren't working properly. This trouble with his vision is part of the cause of his confusion.
He nearly got out of bed on his own this morning! The nurses cannot allow him to be up and about, of course.
Mr. AOW will have more PT today. Let's hope that he cooperates.
I'll be at the hospital for much of the day but won't get there in time to observe today's PT as I want to get my flu shot at today's flu clinic at the hospital. I have some 21 essays by students to grade and will tote those essays and the corresponding grade sheets with me. Whenever I get home today, I still have some chicken pot pie to eat. I'm so grateful for the food drop-offs. I don't have time to cook anything but my own breakfast right now.

Update from AOW (September 26 @ 9:33 PM):
Mr. AOW missed his PT today as he was sedated so as to calm down his anger and relieve his headache.
That said, everything else today was good! He had several visitors from the VFW, and their presence and cards really cheered him up. A guy thing, no doubt.
Tonight, Mr. AOW ate at least half of his pureed dinner of beef, mashed potatoes, and corn. All those particular foods are among his favorites.
I will also say that this evening is the best I've seen Mr. AOW since he had the stroke on September 15. Of course, there is no way of knowing whether he'll have as good a day tomorrow. If he can have several good days in a row, he will have turned a corner!

Update from AOW (September 27 @ 7:40 AM):
Mr. AOW had a good night in that he slept straight through and showed no signs of agitation. His blood pressure went up to the 190's for the top number, but only briefly while the nurse waited for him to respond to the medication administered. His last pressure was 144/82.
He is resting comfortably and snoozing, so I won't go over to the hospital till later today.
Updates to this post will not be as frequent now that Mr. AOW is relatively stable.

Update from AOW (September 27 @ 8:13 PM):
Mr. AOW has some appetite now, but unfortunately, both lunch and dinner today involved foods he prefers not to eat. The docs are concerned that he's not getting enough caloric intake.
He did show interest today in watching television as football games were on. Using his eye muscles has obviously improved, and he is able now to distinguish fantasy from reality on a more consistent basis.
My cousin "L" and I spent two hours with Mr. AOW today, from 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM and fed him his lunch. Decent appetite, but he did complain of the taste of hospital food. His thought processes were fine during the visit, and he's actually quite chatty until he tires. Sense of humor is intact. And he's finally stopped saying, "I know, but...."
Some excellent medical news today! The blood from the brain hemorrhage is resorbing a bit earlier than expected last week! One area of the yesterday's CT scan showed that what the docs originally thought was blood is actually edema, believed more manageable. The specialist today was quite hopeful about Mr. AOW's rehabilitation and told Mr. AOW to quit referring to his left arm as "my dead arm."
So far, I haven't had to make a second trip to the hospital today.
Tomorrow I'll be going to the hospital early to confer with Mr. AOW's case-management team. The team meets at 9:30 AM. I may spend most of tomorrow at the hospital as I work a full day on Tuesday.

Update from AOW (September 29 @ 6:15 AM):
Mr. AOW continues to improve bit by bit.
The hospital is now consulting with me as to which residential acute physical rehab facility he should be discharged to when his medical condition stabilizes and he meets certain benchmarks, including being able to stay awake longer. He tires very easily: a mere 30 minutes of PT exhausts him. His appetite is excellent now, but he has some trouble feeding himself because his left arm remains paralyzed. Mr. AOW is left-handed.
Mr. AOW understands that he won't be coming home as soon as he would like. Either of the two possible acute physical rehab facilities will allow pets to visit outside in a "garden."

UPDATE(9-29) from TMW;
EGADS!
AOW thought that Mr. AOW wouldn't be moved to a residential rehab facility until next week...uh...they are moving him tomorrow!
Are they moving him to the one 10 minutes from home?
Uh...no.
He is going to the one an hour away, when the traffic to get there is a nightmare!
Poor, AOW! Her gasoline bill is going to be rather overwhelming!

Update from AOW (September 29 @ 8:50 PM):
A MIRACLE!
He's baaaack! Hard to believe that the man I saw tonight is the same man I saw yesterday!
When I went in to visit Mr. AOW tonight, he was watching television, had his reading glasses on, and was perusing a magazine. His vision isn't very good, but the eye muscles are bringing his eyeballs closer to center now. His speech is much clearer too.
The wonderful difference in 30 hours is astounding!
Please keep praying, especially that he can recover sufficient use of his left arm and left leg.
I'll learn more tomorrow. The standard for this type of residential physical rehab is two weeks, then conversion to outpatient rehab.
I'll be busy over the new few days. I need to get him some items such as shoes with velcro fasteners. I also need to do some laundry for him, then pack his bag to take to the rehab center on Saturday.

Update from AOW (October 1 @ 5:50 AM):
Yesterday Mr. AOW was transferred to another hospital for physical rehab.
The move disoriented him somewhat. The disorientation is primarily one of personality, and he has frustration and anger issues.
At this time and even though I spent all evening with him at the center, Mr. AOW sure that he's not getting enough attention from the nurses. In his own mind, he's certain that he needs to be "somewhere else." This issue, his imagination, had resolved before the transfer but has reappeared.
Also, this time Mr. AOW thinks he's "on a train that keeps moving." Whatever that means!
Today the specialists at the rehab center will do their own evaluation Mr. AOW's condition. I will try to phone his rehab-center case manager this afternoon.


Update from AOW (October 1 @ 5:00 PM):
Mr. AOW began therapy sessions today! He is much more content now that he has something to do and to work toward.
According to his nurse this evening, he is cooperating fully. Mr. AOW is also okay that I'm not visiting tonight but will see him on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. In fact, I will spend the entire day there on Monday so as to confer face to face with the appropriate hospital personnel.
Unless I have reason to, I will not be updating these posts as frequently as before.

Update from AOW (October 3 @ 6:50 PM):
I saw Mr. AOW last night. He was exhausted from the three sessions of physical therapy yesterday.
Usually on Saturdays, therapy isn't done. The unit made an exception for Mr. AOW today, however, and he had three sessions. The nurses see improvement!
I didn't go over tonight because Mr. AOW is always exhausted at the end of a day of three sessions of therapy. I will go early tomorrow; there is no therapy on Sundays, family day. I have a heart-shaped "I love you" balloon to take in.

Note added on October 6: Updates on Mr. AOW are now being added to this post.

Turn the page ....

Emergency Notification!

AOW has not started classes. Mr. AOW had a hemorrhagic stroke during the night, and was not found until this morning.

The stroke occurred on the right side of his brain, so his left side is paralysed, but he is coherent and can remember things.

Please be praying for his recovery and AOW's strength during this time...I will update as I find out more information.

Updates below the fold.

Update;
I spoke to AOW a little while ago. Mr. AOW is sleeping alot. They are running more tests. If he survives the first 48 hrs., his chances of living are good.

Update 2;
AOW told me that (aside from her being exhausted), Mr. AOW, is on a drip to keep the brain swelling down. He HAS moved his left leg and left arm, and he shows some feeling in his left fore finger.
Pray that any idiots refrain from calling her about rallies for obama, while she tries to sleep!

Update from AOW (September 16 @ 5:18 AM):
No change overnight according to the nurse in ICU; Mr. AOW is sleeping soundly but can be roused, although quite lethargic and with slurred speech.
Another CT Scan done about an hour ago, but no results in yet.

Update from AOW (September 16 @ 9:52 AM):
I'm not at the hospital much. Right now, the experts have to do their thing.
If Mr. AOW continues to have respiratory irregularities, they'll intubate and hook him up to a respirator.
But there is good news:
1. Mr. AOW alternates between lethargy and restlessness. The restlessness is a good sign that he's fighting.
2. No heart attack! A common complication.
3. Good oxygen levels.
4. The neurosurgeon was satisfied with the last CT scan early this morning.

Update from AOW (September 17 @ 1:40 AM):
I just got off the phone from Mr. AOW's nurse. Improvement noted! Mr. AOW is finally opening his eyes! He's less lethargic overall now - at the 48 hour mark.


UPDATE #6
Just got off the phone with AOW. She's heading for a nap...Mr. AOW has improved some more. He still isn't allowed to drink water, but he can have ice chips. He is able to carry on a conversation and answer questions, AOW helped him into a sitting position. He now wants the tv on, his right eyelid is slow to respond, but does open fully. His eyesight is normal.
His nurse told AOW that hemorrhagic strokes do not kill brain cells, they just get covered in blood, so his memory is intact, and will improve as the blood is reabsorbed. Recovery is generally accomplished by 2 years.
Tomorrow he will be moved to a semi-private room, then in a week he may be transferred to a live in rehab center...if the insurance will cover it(please G*D?)
His bp is still bouncing up a little high, and they are putting him on a nicotine patch...no more cigarettes...he wants a slurpee!

Update from AOW (September 18 @ 5:15 AM):
Overnight, Mr. AOW has become disoriented. He thinks the nurse has broken into our home and is holding him hostage. As his nurse put it, "He doesn't want to be here. He wants to go home." Blood pressure is still not stable, and he has thrashed around so much that he's pulled out his feeding tube.
The nurse assures me that there is no cause for alarm and that developments such as the above disorientation often occur and are temporary.
Mr. AOW will likely remain in ICU today.
Addendum from AOW (September 18 @ 7:48 AM):
I've done some research about hemorrhagic stroke and disorientation (dementia). Usually temporary this soon after a stroke.
So, more waiting this out.

Update from AOW (September 19 @ 5:32 AM):
Yesterday, Mr. AOW showed great improvement although he occasionally gets disoriented as to where he is.
Yesterday, He kept pulling out his nasogastric feeding tube. Sure enough, he was ready to swallow. He was supposed to get a pureed meal last night.
He's quite conversant and just blurts things out without considering what he's saying. Speech is a bit difficult to understand but has improved. He did recognize my friend R, who visited yesterday.
He is very demanding, much like a toddler. For example, his nurse was supposed to give him water at midnight. She was 10 minutes late, and he tried to get out of bed and knocked over his IV pole: "You said midnight. Be here on time."
Mr. AOW will stay in ICU as his long as his blood pressure remains above 160/76.


UPDATE#9;
AOW has informed me that Mr. AOW makes continuous improvement. He is no longer requesting beer, he is awake and coherent. The ONLY problem right now, and it is keeping him in NICU, is the fact that his blood pressure has jumped up to around 202/(dang, I forgot), but there is no way they will send him to a semi-private room now.
Also, a member of AOW's family has collapsed and has been taken to the same hospital. Those on the prayer chain will get further info. Please pray for her as well.
ADDENDUM:
Mr. AOW has also started eating soft foods, he didn't have much breakfast, but he ate his lunch...except for the pureed broccoli...I love broccoli, but the only puree I'd touch would be in homemade broccoli-cheddar soup!

Update from AOW (September 20 @ 5:18 AM):
Late last night, Mr. AOW spiked a fever of 102 degrees. The cause is unknown. The chest ex-ray shows that the cause is not aspiration of food or pneumonia, the CT-scan that the bleed is exactly the same size (no resorption yet). With antibiotics, his temperature has dropped to 99 degrees, still a bit high for him as his usual temp is subnormal.
Unfortunately, the doctors did have to reinsert the nasogastric feeding tube as the one side of his mouth is weak, and foods and liquids get "lost," causing coughing. Now Mr. AOW is again begging for water and ice. But he is aware enough that he didn't have to be restrained for the reinsertion of the tube or even now.
The top number of his blood pressure has finally come down to between 150 and 140. This drop in blood pressure is excellent news!
So, both good news and not-so-good news this morning.

Update from AOW (September 20 @ 10:20 PM):
Today I spent over three hours sorting and cleaning up the area where Mr. AOW lay for nearly six hours following his stroke. While I was out in that shed working on the mess, I didn't have my phones with me. When I got inside, the hospital had called.
Mr. AOW is now allowed a telephone even though he's still in ICU! He phoned me because (1) I wasn't at the hospital as long today and (2) he wanted to give me more instructions about cleaning up the mess, especially the sorting and tossing. LOL.
Some mice got to a chocolate bar Mr. AOW had dropped, so I rolled up a mat and tossed it out. Ick.
Fortunately, the area to straighten up is relatively small. However, there are layers to go through. I have now cleared a path and will get a vacuum cleaner in there at some point.
Mr. AOW is a bit difficult to understand over the phone. Also, at times he nods off in the middle of the conversation. His having a telephone is both a blessing and a curse, particularly in that he has his days and nights mixed up.
I'm not sure what time another update will be added. I don't work tomorrow and may use a flex schedule as I can visit Mr. AOW virtually around the clock.

Update from AOW (September 21 @ 5:30 AM):
I've started a new thread. See this.

Turn the page ....

Check Out The Dissatisfaction

Shamelessly lifted from Infidel Bloggers Alliance, where the following was posted by Epa today. A must read!

57% would swap out all incumbents and now Press Accuracy Rating Hits Two Decade Low

Do you get the feeling Americans are disgusted with institutions?

As an unresponsive government seeks to create the perception that town hall speakers and firearms carriers are racist fringe freaks, and a crowd in DC which was wel up in 6 figures if not 7, and larger than the inaugural crowd is said to be but thousands by the WaPo and NYT, Rasmussen publishes a poll which says 57% of voters would just get rid of all incumbents, all political labels but Reagan are hideous and the worst is the word 'progressive', and only 33% think we are headed in the right direction.

But what gets reported?

NEWSBUSTERS:

• Pathetic Bill O'Reilly wannabe Keith Olbermann, calling Fox News viewers 'tin foil hatters, conspiracy theorists, paranoids and racists.'
• David Shuster, dually pathetic Olbermann wannabe, profiling the Republican Party as 'all white males with short haircuts.' He then goes on to call the party angry and unhinged, with 'no women, no minorities.'
• A recent segment in which Shuster, Barney Rubble to Olbermann's Fred Flintstone, suggests Joe Wilson's comments may contain a 'racist or bigoted element.' Tamron Hall was appalled 'to have that southern white male shout down the first black president'. And of course, the Reverend Jesse Jackson chiming in with '...the big C-word, conservative... for some it means a code word for race.'
• Ed Schultz referring to Senator James Inhofe's criticisms of the President as potentially opening up 'the floodgates to these crazies that show up at town hall meetings.' He also insulted those who believe the President is leading this country in the wrong direction as 'lesser challenged news consumers.' Shuster, Donkey to Olbermann's Shrek, echoes the 'crazies' sentiment, later stating that Inhofe's constituents likely contain 'lunatics' who feel it is their 'responsibility to take out the president'.

Pretty inflammatory list, eh? But wait my friends, there's more...

• Have reservations about former Obama appointed green-jobs czar Van Jones and committed 9/11 truther, and you are most definitely a racist according to Keith Olbermann.
• Mike Barnicle and Chuck Todd discussing if race is the real reason for all opposition to President Obama. Todd then bumbles and stumbles his way to explain that the White House certainly doesn't want to cry race, but they are more than willing to point to polls that say detractors are southern racists.
• Tingly legged Chris Matthews saying that opposition to the President is based on 'who he is, where he comes from, his background'.

News and the MSM has not been so stilted and factually in error, and/or pointedly disingenuous in what and how it is reported since the explosion of the USS Maine in 1898 and the yellow journalism which lead to war.

But what is far more disturbing to thinking and critical americans is the underlying inchoate elite coalescence around a dialectic of 'fact'. 'That which does not fit the dialectic, CANNOT be fact'

Thus Joe Wilson's rudeness (though certainly at least arguably factual) is racism, after all, hey, South Carolina.

Thus the crowd in the mall cannot be the free expression of average people, it must be the manufactured organization of Ron Paulista birthers, which is why only thousands showed up.

But someone once said something about fooling all of the people all of the time ... and he wasn't even president (yet) when this ineluctable fact made itself plain in his thought.

And below the level of verbal expression, the disquiet among average Americans across the board about what is being done, and how it being reported, and reacted to ... grows... until it finds ugly fruition in permanently discredited institutions, and a permanent loss of fatih in the way we govern ourselves.

Turn the page ....

The 9/12 Rally's Winning Sign

Thanks to Infidel Bloggers Alliance:

I saw the above sign and one similar to it, but didn't have time to snap the photo.

I do wonder how many Americans are quietly and silently sick and tired of the race card as BHO's teflon coating. And at what point will the race card become the losing card to play?

Note to readers: Several more posts below on the 9/12 March on Washington. Please scroll down.

Turn the page ....

Let's Compare The 9/12 March To BHO's Inauguration

Thanks to Infidel Bloggers Alliance:

Comparing Tea Party 9/12/09 To Obama Inauguration Crowds

From AJ Strata:

Updates Below

I have been doing some research analyzing photos and crowd data to try and ascertain the crowd size of the 9/12/09 Tea Party protests (which I blogged on here). It seems the best, most recent reference point is President Obama’s inauguration, which was estimated at 1.8-2.0 million people. If you look at the pictures from last January’s Inauguration it looks at first glance like the Obama crowds dwarfed the Tea Party crowds.

The Tea Party Crowds did not extend back the Washington Monument (there were other events on the Mall yesterday). On the flip side, the inauguration is a controlled, seated event. It has a uniform density of people sitting in chairs spread out on the mall. Here is a map showing the areas and capacity of people for inaugurations using an aerial view of the Mall:

(H/T Moderate Middle) What is clear in the inauguration model is that people are restricted in their movements and are assigned locations with specific capacity numbers. Now look at the Tea Party Pics, especially around the reflecting pool which shows a capacity of 240,000 in the inauguration model.

These two great shots (from someone willing and able to climb a light pole) show how there is no consistent density as with the laid out seating of an inauguration. Moreover, if you look at the inauguration model, the crowd does not spill out into the streets on the side, up the hill on the sides, etc. It also doesn’t go under the trees on each side of the Mall. The Tea Party crowds were thick through all these areas.

In my opinion the crowd was over 1 million. Maybe well over 1 million. But it is hard to compare a crowd in evenly spaced seats in a much more restricted lay out to a crowd of varying density spilling out into every crevice and corner in front of the Capitol. Given the high density and greater extent of taking over the open ground I think it is very possible the unadvertised Tea Party without any big name draws competed well with the largest inauguration crowd in recent memory.

It easily surpassed the inauguration crowds of all the other Presidents in recent memory. And that is saying something.

Update: Hopefully this answers Allah Pundit’s queries.

Update: Another good picture showing how the crowds are much more compact than during inaugurations:

Note how far people expanded left and right into the trees up to the Capitol building itself. I walked this part of the crowd and it was packed.

Update: This is a great collection of photos, and notice how dense the crowd is out into the distance of each and every one. It was a huge crowd. It was a respectful crowd. It was an intense crowd. The media and liberals can only down play this by denying the gathering storm is coming.

Note: Several posts today, including my photo essays. Please scroll down.

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How Big Was The 9/12 March On Washington?

From Infidel Bloggers Alliance:

ABC News is denying they said there were 1.5 million.

Ok.

The Washington Post is saying there were about 60-70,000.

Check this out by clicking on "Turn the Page."

From Michelle Malkin:

Yes, the picture is real, nutroots

By Michelle Malkin • September 12, 2009 10:51 PM

I was offline for most of the afternoon and early evening — and just learned that the nutroots are claiming that the screenshot of the 9/12 march in D.C. that I posted — taken from a livecam of the event that I linked to here— is somehow “fake.”

The claim is that the shot came from the Kennedy procession or a previous left-wing protest and that the flag at half-mast proves that it was “fake.”

Newsflash for the clueless: Flags were still at half-mast earlier today in honor of the murder victims of the 9/11 jihadi attacks.

Guess the 9/11-was-an-inside jobbers are still that much in denial.

Unbelievable.

Yes, this is real:

And so is this:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Shut your eyes at your own peril.

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More “fake” photos via El Marco:

And from reader Hardtorn:

***

Let’s go back to the screenshot:

Reader Rosemary e-mailed a link to USAToday’s National Mall/crowd estimate schematic, which it published in January to show how the Park Service estimated inaugural crowd attendance. It’s a helpful guide:

Note from AOW: Scroll down for my photo essays.

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The 9/12 March on Washington: Photo Essay 2

Also see Photo Essay 1 one post down and this photo exclusive to THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

All photos are unedited!

Four hours before the march was scheduled to begin at 11:30, people gathered at Freedom Plaza:



Views of 14th Street as people streamed toward Freedom Plaza, the rallying point before the march down Pennsylvania Avenue to Capitol Hill began:





Leaving the sidewalks feeding into Pennsylvania Avenue as we head out into Pennsylvania Avenue, the march route to the west steps of the Capitol:



Photos taken during the march:









Check out this sea of signs photographed as the march made its way along Pennsylvania Avenue:



Photos taken as we neared Capitol Hill and the surrounding area:









At the Capitol Reflecting Pool:



I especially love this photo taken on the side of the Capitol Reflecting Pool nearest the west side of Capitol Hill itself:



Taken on the north-side grassy knoll of the west side of the Capitol — where Mr. AOW and I situated ourselves:



Forget the mainstream media's reports downplaying the numbers and the significance of yesterday's march. I was there.

One protester had voted for BHO and regretted it. This protester's sign read "I voted for change, not for changing the Constitution."

And don't miss Radio Free Dar Al Harb's photo essay! One sample of the photos he has:



See the rest from Radio Free Dar Al Harb HERE

The video below doesn't show the numbers of late arrivers streaming in from side streets west of Freedom Plaza:

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The 9/12 March on Washington: Photo Essay 1

I was there at the 912 March on Washington with my husband, The Beak, my student MJB, and some blogging friends.

Folks, this event was huge! So huge, in fact, that the march had to begin at least an hour early because protesters were jamming the streets and side streets of Washington, D.C.

The mainstream media and even some in the alternative media are not recognizing the importance of the 912 March on Washington! Astroturf, not.

BEGIN PHOTO ESSAY (all photos unedited)

The following picture taken at the statuary on the west edge of the Capitol Hill Lawn doesn't show the crowd but expresses the sentiments I saw from many of the protesters:


The pictures below the fold were taken during the march itself:







At the footsteps on the west side of Capitol Hill:



A vista view looking toward the west side of Capitol Hill:



A sea of people covered the area from Capitol Hill to the Washington Monument! Furthermore, more protesters covered many of the side streets.

All worn out, Mr. AOW and I headed back to Union Station around 2:00 PM. People were still arriving from Union Station and from buses which had finally made their way through the traffic jams on all the roads feeding into our nation's capital!

ABC News estimated the numbers before everyone had arrived. The estimate is low. I know this for a fact because the estimate was announced as people were still streaming in, getting as close as they could to Capitol Hill.

I've lived in the D.C. area all my life and tell you that I've never before seen any event like this here before.

As soon as possible, I will be posting additional photos.

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The 9/12 March On Washington

(Please scroll down for my two 9/11 posts)
Tomorrow I'll be participating in the Tea Party Movement.

For only the second time in my life, I'll be taking to the streets.

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I plan to meet up for breakfast with personal friends and some fellow bloggers, including The Beak.

If any of my readers will be attending and have my cell phone number, you can contact me in downtown D.C. See you there!

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Project 2,996 9/11 Tribute: Anthony DiOnisio

Project, 2996: Remembering the Victims of 9/11

On this eighth anniversary of 9/11, I remember Anthony DiOnisio, Jr., vice president of operations at Cantor Fitzgerald, where he had worked since 1987. He worked at the World Trade Center in 1993, when the first attack occurred there.

Mr. DiOnisio perished at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Final services were held at St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church on September 29, 2001.

From this page of the In Memoriam Online Network:

ANTHONY DIONISIO JR.: He Took Her Everywhere

The focus of Anthony Dionisio Jr.'s life was his 11-year-old daughter, Stephanie. "On the last day of school last June, he met her at school and surprised her with a trip to Disney World in Florida," said Lucille Dionisio, his mother.

Anthony"That was the kind of things he would do. He was her best buddy," Mrs. Dionisio said. "They were inseparable. They went everywhere together, Yankee Stadium, basketball games, ice-skating shows, racetracks."

Mr. Dionisio, a divorced father, had custody of Stephanie on weekdays, and her mother had custody on weekends.

"Stephanie held out until the very end," Mrs. Dionisio said of her granddaughter's reaction to Mr. Dionisio's presence in the World Trade Center. "She said, `I am not worried. Dad will make it out.' When we planned for a memorial service, we had to sit her down and talk her through it."

Mr. Dionisio, 38, quit college and worked his way up to become the vice president for operations at Cantor Fitzgerald. "We are Catholics, so we believe he is in a good place now. He will be our guardian angel," said his mother. After the tragedy, she put her son's picture on the wall, and every morning when there is school, the granddaughter says, "Good morning, Dad," and the grandmother says, "Good morning, Anthony. We are going to school now."

Read more about Mr. DiOnisio at Remember September 11, 2001.

Legacy.com shows Mr. DiOnisio's guest-book page still intermittently active, the most recent entry on his birthday, July 31. He is not forgotten!

Based on my research on Anthony DiOnisio, I believe that he would want his family to remember him in the following way, as expressed by Henry Scott Holland:

Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Anthony DiOnisio, Jr., still lives — in the hearts of those who loved him in this life and in God's presence in the next life.

Death, be not proud!

...[N]or yet canst thou kill me.

[...]

One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

My tributes in 2006:
Steven L. Glick

Edna L. Stevens

Index of tributes at Project 2,996

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