Best Instant Messge Ever

So I had to throw open my Instant Messages to the general public this morning in order to contact a fellow cartoonist about ATTITUDE 3: The Subversive New Media Cartoonists, and starting receiving IMs from all sorts of folks. But this one sort of stands out, which I'm sharing it with y'all. Enjoy.

ECp15789: hey
ECp15789: hello ted rall
ECp15789: i was wondering if i could get some information about getting involved in the democratic party ?
ECp15789: hello ?
ECp15789: Mr rall?
ECp15789: mr rall are you there?
ECp15789: all i want to do is try to get involved and try to make this country a better place
ECp15789: you know what FUCK you ted ral...l FUCK you !
ECp15789: you goat fucker
ECp15789: do you hear me ted rall ?... fuck you
ECp15789: hey i want to thank you for you and your gay democrate commie friends for fuckin up america
ECp15789: you should be proud of yourself
ECp15789: your mother should be proud of a ass fuck like you

Ted Rall Radio Show

Looks like The Ted Rall Show, last broadcast on KFI Radio in Los Angeles in August 2000, will be back on the air soon (no, not on Air America--they never even bothered to send me a rejection letter). More details as they become available.

Turnabout, Dick Cheney Style

Jackson sends this:

Dr. Ben Marble's ebay auction has ended so he is allowing everyone who wants to view the video he and a friend shot of the scene before/during/after him saying, "Go Fuck Yourself, Mr. Cheney." Marble is also a punk rock musician and artist.

To view it, go here.

Commandeering Private Property

Tom writes:

You wrote a sentence in your article, "No Gas, No Food, No Lodging" that I just couldn't believe: "Commandeering private property is the act of a civilized nation, not the leaner, meaner, tough-break United States." I guess by "civilized nation," you meant Stalinist Russia or "The People's Revolution" Red China, not a nation that I would normally think of as civilized. I guess next disaster, we'll send FEMA to fetch your family's SUV, that'd rescue about six people who otherwise wouldn't have the transportation and you shouldn't be having it anyway, it pollutes to much and is too much of a gas hog in an energy crisis. And while we're at it, we can move all of you into a tent in your back yard, the rest of the rooms in your house will do very nicely as housing for the indigent who will need the shelter more than you do.
Thanks to the example set by this kind of disaster, I am carefully stockpiling emergency food, water, and medical supplies, which I expect to use not only for myself and for my loved ones, but also judiciously for others in the community who may need special help. But to hear you, I'd probably better not spend my time and my money, as the "civilized" solution would be for FEMA to simply come in and take it all away from me and give to others who had no foresight to plan for their own safety.
"Commandeering private property" probably sounds nice from up in a Marxist ivory tower, but when the armed military is walking up your driveway, it's probably not quite the good idea you thought it was.

I was of course referring to commandeering corporate property, specifically Greyhound buses, to evacuate flood victims from New Orleans. But, while I share a bit of the survivalist/look out for numero uno mentality myself, I ultimately think it's better for the guvmint to take your SUV to make repeat trips back and forth out of a flood zone than it is to be used for you and yours on a one-way journey.

Just Say No to Fox

Jim says:

I enjoyed your article about appearing on Video Pravda, but disagree on one point. I don't think you should appear on Fox any more. Their ratings on the "screamer" shows are dropping and soon their 15 minutes will be up. No one else will go these shows. They're getting short of cannon fodder. With no liberal guests, there is no show. Don't feed them, unless you're putting cyanide in their almond pastry.
Always a loyal fan, Jim

They don't even have decent food in the Fox green room so there's nothing to poison. It might even be a non-dairy creamer situation for the coffee, as I recall. Grim. MSNBC, on the other hand, has a tasty little layout (including fruits) at their midtown Manhattan studio. But Jim may have a point. Without ratings, there's no point for a liberal to appear on those shows.

Ted Rall, New FEMA Head

Don writes:

I really enjoyed (in a sad way) your last column in UExpress about the hell that is N.O. under Katrina and Bush. Very informative, it’s unfortunate that the pigs running the show have neither the sense nor the compassion of a syndicated cartoonist…
To paraphrase a character from “Aliens”- they oughta put you in charge…

Well, at least I couldn't suck as much.

Not One Liberal on National Network or Cable News TV

In my column a couple of weeks back I noted that there isn't a single liberal hosting a TV show on cable news TV (CNN, MSNBC or Fox) or network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC or PBS).

Cadat asks:

You said there isn't a voice from the left on Cable?
On the Sundance channel there is, at 11:30pm Monday through Friday.
Course, it's not exactly primetime your-own-channel multi-million dollar budget Fox, but its still something. Still worthy of note I'd think. I'd hope anyway. Btw, I liked your recent Baghdad New Orleans oil comic. Good stuff. Thanks.

I don't get the Sundance channel, but isn't Franken's show just a televised version of his Air America radio show, sort of like Howard Stern's "TV" version of his radio show? Anyway, Sundance isn't cable news so my statement stands. And it's very low profile compared to O'Reilly, Scarborough, etc.

Once More, the Fuhrer Principle

Google it if you don't know what I'm talking about. FOR Dave brings up another example of the Fuhrer Principle at work under the Bushies:

Here's some more support regarding the current right-wing trend towards fascism: FEMA Director Michael Brown resigned today. An excerpt of his statement: "I'm turning in my resignation today," Brown said. "I think it's in the best interest of the agency and the BEST INTEREST OF THE PRESIDENT to do that and get the media focused on the good things that are going on, instead of me."(Capitals added for emphasis)
I guess the best interest of the country doesn't matter as much, much less its' people in general, much
less the people in the affected areas, etc. etc. etc. I imagine you've caught this already, but please spread the word....
And, as always, keep up the great work.