$90 Crude Oil: Law of Supply and Demand Trump Politics

Crude Oil Prices Dropped to $90/Barrel
Is Big Oil Less Greedy Now?



"International oil prices have dropped about 10 per cent in two days, the biggest slide since 2004, with US crude down to a seven-month low of about US$91 a barrel."

Oil dropped to around $90 per barrel yesterday.

What has caused the drop in crude oil prices--from over $140 just weeks ago?

Are oil companies suddenly less greedy? Did a collective light bulb go on in the heads of Big Oil executives--perhaps, after listening to all the Leftie talk about how cold-hearted they were?

Maybe it was the US House of Representatives passing a "Don't Drill Now!" bill?

Will economic conspiracy theorists have to find a new whipping boy?

Or maybe it was that strangest of economic mysteries: the Law of Supply and Demand.

Economic problems around the world, exacerbated by this week's turmoil on Wall Street, had depressed expectations of demand and affected the oil price.

Talking about "the law of supply and demand" is not politically sexy for liberals.

Bashing Big Oil is.

With the price of oil down--by as much as $55/barrel--does this mean that Big Oil is 1/3 less evil?

Will liberals and House Democrats change their rhetoric?

Does a bear wear a beanie?


by Mondo
images: dbkp; dkimages

Sarah Palin: Top Ten Signs Palin May be an Orthodox Jew

Palin an Undercover OJ?



Shmuel, our point man at Vanity Kippahs notices things. Some of the things he notices, we notice.

Shmuel noticed "Anyways, I am starting to think that Sarah Palin has all the symptoms of being an Orthodox Jewess".

We'll let him make his case and the readers can decide for themselves.


10- Her husband Tom is part of a Union. And union rhymes with Minyan.

9- She fired the chef in the governors mansion. No Orthodox Jewish woman wants another cook messing in her kitchen…

8- Palin gets French style pedicures. Need I say more?

7- The stylish pile-on hair style, seems like something straight fromYaffa Wigs

6- The name of her youngest child is Trig; the second most popular male name for babies born in Hasidic communities; wedged between Mendy and Yolie.




5- She bears an uncanny resemblance to Yentel; taking on the establishment and being unafraid of the males in charge.


4- The name of her future son-in-law is Levi.

And the Top Three Reasons Sarah Palin may be an Orthodox Jew?

Well, for those you'll have to click on 10 Signs Sarah Palin could be an Orthodox Jew at his blog at Vanity Kippahs.

He may have a point. Is Shmuel onto something here?

What do you think?


by Mondoreb
image: Vanity Kippahs

Background: The Russia-Georgia Conflict

Questions:
Why are they Fighting?
The Possible Consequences





On August 8th 2008 the Russian army moved into the area of South Ossetia in the Caucasus region. South Ossetia is a part of Georgia that wants to break away. The current round of fighting had been going on for at least a week between the S. Ossetians and Georgian forces before the Russian Army moved into South Ossetia in force. This is not a new conflict in a region of the world where conflict is common. However, this time it could be different and could trigger a full-scale regional war.

A look into the background of the region and the conflict would be the logical place to start.





Readers can see from the map above that there is no shortage of ethnic groups in the region. This is one of the reasons why the area is no stranger to conflict.

The South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions separated from the central Georgian government during a conflict in the early 1990's. There is no love lost between Moscow and Tbilisi because Georgia wants closer ties to the West (NATO membership being a part of that) and Russia gives political/military and economic support to the breakaway regions.

The Russians are claiming that they moved military forces in South Ossetia to protect their citizens from attack by Georgian forces. This is a smokescreen of BS, pure and simple. The Russians are trying to reclaim their great power status. They don't like a former region of the USSR not only going independent but also preferring NATO membership instead of closer ties with Moscow. The second reason is one of energy routes to the western world. Here is a map of pipeline routes in the region:




The map above highlight the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. This is a line that does not move through Russian territory. The Russians don't like the situation because they have no control over this pipeline; the Russians have already bombed this pipeline. If the original reason for Russian forces to be sent into South Ossetia was for the "Humanitarian reasons" they claimed, then why are they hitting a pipeline inside Georgia proper?

What are the true Russian motivations behind this action?

First, they want to remind all the now-independent countries who used to be part of the old USSR not to wander too far away or consider displeasing Moscow. NATO membership for these countries in not in the Russian interest, nor is something that is likely to be tolerated.

Second , Moscow has always had an inferiority complex. Beating up on a small independent country is a way to show the world that Moscow wants respect. This move by Russia had to be planned long ago. The best proof of this is the speed that the army units moved into the area. Ralph Peters provides background, plus a 'big picture' look at what these events in Raping Georgia, Russia Invades an American Ally

The military comparison between Georgia and Russia is truly a bully vs. underdog story. But it isn't totally bleak for the Georgians. They have been training to Western standards for a couple years now. [Georgia Security & Stability Operations (Georgia SSOP)]

In fact, since the middle of July there has been a multi-national exercise being conducted in Georgia that has included US forces: Immediate Response 08

[See also: Operation Immediate Response begins in Country of Georgia]

The Georgian military is fighting on home soil. They are fighting for their nation. They know the land and hopefully can use that knowledge to their benefit. The Russian military today is not the Red Army of World War 2, in fact it is not even the Red army of the Cold War. Today's Russian forces are badly-treated conscripts, not volunteers. This means they probably don't even want to be in the military, much less getting ordered into a invasion. Plus, there are some serious corruption issues in the Russian military.

Even though Russia is a oil-producer/exporter and has enjoyed good economic times from the rise in energy prices, surprisingly, not a whole lot of this money has been spent on the Russian military. A look at the TV footage of the conflict, one sees a lot of older Russian vehicles. But many in the Russian invasion force are badly-educated/trained and poorly-treated conscripts who have a hard time using more modern equipment.

This could devolve into a really bad situation in any number of ways. If any U.S. forces in-country for the above training exercise or the new forces arriving to provide humanitarian assistance get caught in the line of fire by the Russians, it could get ugly. The Ukrainians (another former Soviet republic that has no love for Russia) are talking about not allowing the Russian navy ships taking part in the Georgian conflict return to their harbors in Ukrainian territory.

Bottom line: if the USA and the West truly believe in democracy and the rule of law, they need to step up with one voice and tell Russia this won't be tolerated, period. If we don't, Russia will continue to regain control of their former regions using every tool at their disposal. This could result in a frosty relationship between Russia and the West.

One Cold War was enough, the world doesn't need Part 2.

by CDWT
images:
* www.globalsecurity.org
* www.colorado.edu
* ttp://europe.theoildrum.com


If you have any thoughts/comments/etc feel free to contact me at chicagodudewhotrades@gmail.com

Why Friday the 13th is the Unluckiest Day of the Year

Abbas: Temple Mount "100% Islamic"



Isaiah 40:2

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

Abbas: Temple Mount '100% Islamic'
Warning: 'Any action that offends holy site will be answered by 1.5 billion Muslims'




Abbas: Temple Mount "100% Islamic"



Isaiah 40:2

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

Abbas: Temple Mount '100% Islamic'
Warning: 'Any action that offends holy site will be answered by 1.5 billion Muslims'

Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky? Personally, nothing bad has ever happened on Friday the 13th--that I recall.

But maybe, Friday the 13th induces amnesia!

A random and sundry collection of information on the (supposedly) unluckiest of days: Friday the 13th.


* Friday the 13th is considered a day of bad luck in English-, French- and Portuguese-speaking countries around the world, as well as in Austria, Germany, Estonia, Finland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Philippines.

* Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13.

* Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th.

* "Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended."
--Findings of a 1993 study published in the British Medical Journal, "Is Friday the 13th Bad for Your Health?"

* If 13 people sit down to dinner together, all will die within the year. The Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894). Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names). There are 13 witches in a coven.
--According to various legends; from Urban Legends.about.com



* Many Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. The number 13 was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper. Since there were 12 tribes of Israel, that number was considered lucky.

* "Does anybody believe that Friday the 13th is necessarily a bad luck day anymore? Get over it. Superstitions make great copy and distill fear, the key element in our reality upon which most storylines are based."
--Friday the 13th

* After 13 years of being the richest man in the world, Microsoft Corporation chairman Bill Gates lost this title, according to Forbes magazine's 2008 list of the world's billionaires.

* Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. Don't start a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck – as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday ... One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again.
--According to various legends; from Urban Legends.about.com

* The first recorded incident relating to Friday the 13th refers to the massacre of the Knights Templar on Friday October 13, 1307. The forces of Philip IV of France were instructed to open letters that morning, giving them orders to seek out and arrest all known members of the Knights, slaughter those that resisted, and capture Jacques DeMolay, the last known Grand Master of the Knights Templar.

After checking the calendar, all of the bad events in my life (blessedly, only a few) did not take place on Friday--or even on the 13th. But, like Scarlett O'Hara says, "Tomorrow's Friday the 13th is another day".

Or something like that.

If all of this doesn't get you started down the road to a good Friday the 13th bender, what will?

compiled by Mondoreb the 13th
Sources:
* Friday the 13th
* Why Friday the 13th is Unlucky
* Friday the 13th
* Friday the 13th
* Friday the 13th
DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Back to DBKP at Blogger Front Page

Top 10 Reasons Conservatives Oppose John McCain

It Has Nothing to Do with "Pouting"
Libertarians aren't too Keen, Either



The Republican establishment and the Mainstream Media speaking as if with one voice?

Conservative talk show hosts are getting heat from the liberal media.

That's nothing new.

The same commentators are under fire from the Republican establishment?

That's nothing new, either. Just replay last summer's Senate immigration bill tussle.

But about which Republican nominee they support?

Or, rather, don't support?

Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and others of the conservative persuasion have been under fire from the Republican "Get on Board" establishment and the Mainstream Media commentators for their disdain of Senator John McCain's conservative credentials.

Our take: McCain is a Republican; he's no conservative.

We came across this story about why conservatives have a problem with McCain. They have to do with the substance of McCain, not his style. We decided to add some information we had already researched on McCain to it--just to "flesh it out".

Here are Ten Reasons conservatives oppose McCain--and "pouting" isn't on the list.

The Top 10 Reasons Conservatives Oppose John McCain

1 Campaign Finance Reform

McCain tried to limit the role of money in politics with measures like McCain-Feingold that, critics say, stomp on the constitutional right to free speech.

It may be that McCain is overzealous at squashing other people's political voice because he knows what can happen if a politician is tempted, ala "The Keating Five".

Though he was not convicted of anything, McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating after Keating gave McCain at least $112,00 in contributions. In the mid-1980s, McCain made at least 9 trips on Keating's airplanes, and 3 of those were to Keating's luxurious retreat in the Bahamas. McCain's wife and father-in-law also were the largest investors (at $350,000) in a Keating shopping center; the Phoenix New Times called it a "sweetheart deal."

It was after the "Keating Five" scandal (of which McCain is the only Senator involved still in politics) that McCain acquired such zeal for extra-constitutional measures, i.e., campaign finance reform.

2. Immigration

McCain has been a vocal supporter of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, although he now says he understands the border between the U.S. and Mexico must be sealed first.

Conservatives also remember the same senator who begs for their support today, called them "racists" and "stupid" for opposing the McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform bill last summer.

3. Tax cuts

McCain twice voted against President Bush's tax cuts, saying in 2001 they helped the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and in 2003 that there should be no tax relief until the cost of the Iraq war was known.

But he now wants to extend the tax cuts.

4. Gay Marriage

McCain refuses to support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

McCain has previously called social conservatives "stupid" and anyone paying attention to the issues important to families "pandering".

5. Stem cell research

McCain would relax restrictions on federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, which critics consider tantamount to abortion.

One reason many Pro-Life groups refuse to consider McCain.

6. Global warming

Among the loudest voices in Congress for aggressive action against global warming and a frequent critic of the Bush administration on the issue.

A "conservative" wants to solve problems by taxing and regulating a large portion of the economy? No, it's not Hillary Clinton's health care, it's John McCain's solution to the non-problem of "man-made climate change".

"Climate change is real & is taking place. We have now a confluence of two national security requirements. One is to address the issue of climate change, and nuclear power is a very big part of that."
--John McCain

Never missing a photo op for "bipartisanism", McCain could appoint Al Gore to a new federal department.

Maybe "Department of Weather".

7. "Gang of 14" member

One of seven Republicans and seven Democrats who averted a Senate showdown over whether filibusters could be used against Bush judicial nominees.

Showdowns are what happen when two groups espousing a different set of principles confront each other. McCain was a natural Gang of 14 member.

8. Kerry veep

McCain was approached by the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, about being his running mate. McCain talked with Kerry but rejected the offer.

"I believe my party has gone astray. I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy."

--April 2, 2004

Spoken like the conservative he is.

9. Works with Democrats.

The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.

He's hoping most voters don't pay attention, either.

So far, so good.

10. Belligerence

McCain can be acerbic toward his critics, such as when he labeled televangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "agents of intolerance." He reconciled with Falwell in 2006. Conservative James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said in a statement on the morning of the Super Tuesday primaries that he would not vote for McCain, citing among other things his "legendary temper" and that he "often uses foul and obscene language."

So all the complaints about conservatives not warming up to a McCain nomination have their basis in solid, philosophical, practical reasons.

Conservatives aren't "crying" or "pouting"; nor, do they need to "grow up".

They are simply explaining two things.

ONE: That John McCain is no conservative and has a long history of antagonism toward conservatives and conservative principles.

TWO: That those who attempt to label McCain as "conservative"--whether in the Mainstream Media or the Republican Party establishment--are ignorant of his record, deceptive or self-serving.

Pointing out the disconnect between John McCain's long history of working against most of their causes and his desperate longing to be "a conservative" has brought conservatives no love from either the MSM or the GOP-first types.

And, once more, that's nothing new.

by Mondoreb
Sources:
* Main Reasons Conservatives Oppose John McCain
* John McCain
* John McCain Quotes

Other DBKP articles on John McCain: * John McCain Spoofs and Parodies * John McCain's Double Talk Tango * Mix-and-Match McCain's Ever-Shifting Stands on the Issues --don't like McCain's stand on an issue? Give it a few minutes: it's bound to change. * John McCain Astrology: Is the Presidency Written in the Stars? * Reactions to John McCain Heat Up * David Brooks, MSM: Why Liberals Cry for John McCain * Has Poor Cap'n. Ed Jumped the Shark? * Chuck Norris, 67, Says McCain is Over the Hill * Super Tuesday: Damn those Voters Having their Say! * McCain Tries Spiking NY Times Story on Lobbyists

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Dog the Bounty Hunter: A Call To Action To Dog's Fans

Dog the Bounty Hunter has many fans. They find a champion to present their case in the form of Ms. K., the author. DBKP had this and it got caught in our "Dog Lays Low Weekend".

The weekend's now over, and we can uncork this story. K. Gilreath lays out every known Dog argument--and a few we hadn't heard before--as she examines the "Dog Issue" from every conceivable angle.

Part rant, part inquisition, and part legal document in the court of public opinion, it provides a narrative of sorts for the discerning Dog aficionado. We present it largely in it's original form, to preserve its "flavor". It serves as a call to action for all fans of the Bounty Hunter.

It first appeared in Hawaii Reporter.

It now appears here.

"Dog the Bounty Hunter - Let's Get Critical"

Now that the furor's died down some, I feel more comfortable making some observations about Duane "Dog" Chapman's situation. Just like puzzling a Rubix Cube, puzzling this one out is frustrating.

Part One.

Let's start at the start:

The National Enquirer released a 2-minute version of Dog Chapman's phone convo with his son Tucker. Labeling it a "racist tirade." Later on, they released a 5-minute or so version of it. I haven't been treated to the "long" or "full" 8-minute version I'm told is out there, and I don't want to be. Because it's yet another version.

Websters Dictionary defines the word version as follows:

Version- n. *1: Translation. *2: An account or description from a particular point of view especially as contrasted with another. *3: A form or variant of a type or original.

I'd say definitions 2 and 3 both apply here to what's been offered as proof of racism. With definition 1 being reserved for the court of public opinion.

So Dog Chapman apologizes same day and starts down the road to taking his lumps. Starting with A&E pulling his show entirely until further notice. Over a private conversation, labeled with the inflammatory phrase 'racist tirade' and released in versions to the public by National Enquirer.

I don't condone the use of the word "N" word. I'd be a hypocrite to say I've never used a slur, or used it in anger. I defy others to claim that they, in the heat of anger or frustration, haven't used a racial slur, sexist slur, or foul word pertaining to an individual or a group. Whether you realized it or not.

In a court of law, an edited tape, or a 'version' wouldn't get anywhere near a jury. Yet in the court of public opinion, an edited tape plus an inflammatory label is all it takes to pass judgment. Just like the song, this is all some dirty laundry too isn't it? And the National Enquirer has been dishing the 'dirt' by the shovelful. After all, they proved it once right?

Not to me. Yeah, that short clip is pretty damning, but the long version is a bit more enlightening. I got some questions here for folks to ponder with me, misery loves company.

Where did the long version go? Suddenly it's disappeared and the link on TMZ.com only takes me to the shorter, damning version. The one that better fits their label. Oh wait, that's right, it's supposed to be a racist tirade, duh. So with the magic of Google, I found this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eisr5taXzX0

The longer version. Here's some thoughts on it. If you haven't heard the longer version, you might want to take a listen. Please, don't take my word for it.

- What's up with the beep at the start?

- What was said before that?

- Was this a tirade? Was it a rant?

- Was it racist? Does the use of the word ni**** alone, make that so?

- Why would he make a distinction between ni**** and a black guy?

- Did he ever directly refer to Monique Shinnery with that word?

- How often have you judged others by the company they keep?

The media has completely overlooked the long version, and a tidbit that struck me like a hammer from the first time I listened to it.

Tucker admitted that his girlfriend Monique Shinnery is friends with a third party. A third party who drives Monique around because she has no car. A third party who likes to sit in front of the house of Tucker's brother -- Duane Lee Chapman -- and call and call and call. Oh and go in and sleep in brother Leland Chapman's house when he's not there. A third party who hangs around the offices and talks to the people who work there. Funny thing is, that's information Tucker offered up and acknowledged, insinuating his brothers and others brought that all on themselves. Implying that this third party is the real troublemaker, not his girlfriend. Who hangs out with her, if she didn't hang out with her, he wouldn't have to tell her not to be dropped off at his home by her, or not to let her in his home. He also said the girl was weird.

Would you be happy about your child's choice under those circumstances? Would you be thrilled to hear behavior like that defended in any way? Would you want your child anywhere near someone who does that? Or near someone, anyone, who condones and befriends a person exhibiting that behavior? Would you get in a car with somebody who does that? Tucker and Monique are obviously aware of it since Tucker offered up the information in that tape. Don't blame my girlfriend; blame my girlfriend's girlfriend and all the time chauffeur. Screw the notion that this third party moonlights as a frightful pest to my brothers (who I also happen to work with) and she hangs around your place of business. Never mind all the other stuff. She's weird.

That doesn't justify Dog Chapman's language, not by any means. No, no, no. It does however explain why he may not have been too thrilled with Tucker's girlfriend Monique in that talk though. To most of us, that's not weird, that's scary.

Ah yeah, the tape, back to that. Got some more questions about that.

- Is it alright to tape private conversations? Not a message left on the answering machine or voicemail, but to actually hook up a recorder and tape talks you have with people. Let's not go near legalities. I mean to you as a person, is that alright with you?

- Is it alright to sell copies of your private talks with others? Forget motive, is there any reason at all you believe it's okay to sell tapes you make of your conversations with others?

- Is an edited or incomplete version of any tape recording proof to you of someone's character?

- Does an edited or incomplete version of a tape recording trump hearsay and rumor when you judge someone's character? Is it 'proof' that the hearsay and rumor is true?

- Do you trust what your children tell you about somebody?

- Have you ever questioned your child's judgment?

- Is the language somebody uses regularly a measure of their character, and their worth?

- When you look at others, have you ever judged them by how they look or dress?

- Is it alright to be judged for something you say in a moment of anger or duress?

- Is it alright for your job to be threatened because of the people you hang out with?

- Is it alright for your job to be threatened if the actions of people you hang out with are suspect or they're a nuisance at your workplace?

- Is it alright to lose your job for what you say in private? Or for how you speak to your children? Or for how you speak or behave in private (minus criminal acts) period?

Part 2

Let's move on to the "apology tour":

Thankfully, it was short.

Christopher Chapman, who also admitted on Larry King Live that he sold his own dad out for money to the National Inquirer, got out on national TV and defended his father by admitting to doing a really crappy thing that he was sorry for? Out of all the kids, you'd think Christopher would be the last to go to bat for his dad, but he was the one next to him.

- Did you just think or say "If that was my kid I'd.?"

- Did anybody listen to what Christopher had to say about how the process of dishing dirt to scandal rags works? They strap you to a lie detector and grill you about the person you're dishing dirt on. An inconclusive test is good enough for what you have to say to be printed. It was in his case.

- Did you know that lie detector tests are almost always inadmissible in court? That they're only a tool for the police to determine where to go with their investigations?

- Is National Enquirer a law enforcement agency? If so, would that be moral law?

Then there's the almighty Dr. Phil. Who held a whole show to address Dog's 'racist tirade' and racism. What a show. Conspicuously absent were Dog Chapman, Monique and her boyfriend Tucker. Her mother got out in front for that one. However, on CNN's "Larry King Live," Dr. Phil himself said he didn't believe Dog Chapman to be a racist, and he also objected to private things being made public.

On to Fox News.

When Dog Chapman faced her on camera, on Hannity & Colmes, Monique Shinnery was smiling. Not smiling, grinning under the National Enquirer banner.

- Why is it that instead of accepting that apology, she stated how she's never been in trouble and he's a bad role model?

- Why, after the release of the tape, would they expect Dog Chapman to call them directly and apologize?

- Would you call them?

- Have you ever met anybody, who is being threatened, who is being victimized, who has been judged unfairly, who is under duress, whose reputation has been and is being smeared, whose everything is jeopardized, and they are facing the person that did all that. all of which Monique Shinnery claims Dog Chapman is guilty of. Do they grin for it?

- Would you be smiling?

Duane Dog Chapman wasn't.

Also I forget where it was said, but her claim that she never wears a tank top was unnecessary. In that recording, the long version, Dog repeatedly said that Beth was wearing a tank top on the day they planned to jump her.

Oops.

Yet through it all was the Reverend Tim Storey. Why would he, Dog' Chapman's preacher, a black man, risk his neck -- you know -- his reputation, his credibility, and possibly his life -- to defend Dog Chapman? Not only defend him, but rip on him on national TV about his potty mouth.

- I've never seen a racist do that, have you?

Part 3

Some general questions:

- Where's the A&E crew member to back up the accusation of racism?

- Where's the errant video clip the producers or director edited out?

- Where's the crew people who quit because Dog Chapman and crew were fake and racists?

- Where's the rest of the kids? Not the ones you see on TV, but the rest of Dog Chapman's children.

- Where's the ex wives and ex girls or guys of the rest of the kids? Including the ones you see on TV.

- Where's all the cons that Dog's arrested coming out and saying 'he called me a (insert slur of choice here)?

- Where's the US Marshall that heard one of them slip and call them a nasty name under their breath?

- Where's the fan that got an earful when they weren't watchful out and about someplace?

- Where's the airline employees who heard some distasteful things or were treated badly?

- Why didn't Tucker file a wrongful termination suit against his father and former employer?

- Why hasn't Tucker Chapman said a word? His girlfriend's gotten out in front, so has her mother. So where is he? If he's so offended and feels so bad that his family won't accept his love interest, where is this guy? He's the one that made the tape, sold it and gave the talk to National Enquirer, where is he?

- Where are the friends of these two star crossed lovers? Why haven't they come out and spoken out about how badly the two have been treated by Dog Chapman?

They're not out on the message boards or airwaves defending them or Tucker's actions, not even when the matter was at its height. Is that because they're going to sue and the lawyer said shut up? Her mother is a great person, but she's her mother, where's everybody else?

- Where are the lawyers for this girl and her mom? Or Tucker? So far I haven't heard of any attorneys stepping up or announcing they're representing them.

It's been awhile and the only folks who've crawled from the woodwork to slam Dog Chapman since versions of the "N"-word tape have come out are . An ex-wife, an ex-girlfriend, a woman who claims to be his ex-girlfriend and dealer (while he's been married to Beth, friends with Reverend Storey, and under the watchful eye of A&E cameramen no less). Oh, and his son Tucker, and Tucker's girlfriend Monique. Their ugly tales of racism, sex, drugs, violence, and so on have been reprinted by National Enquirer for your consumption. In case you weren't convinced y'know?

I mean come on now. There's money to be made here to slam Dog Chapman. Where is everybody?

Perhaps a little more convincing was CourtTV. Yup, even CourtTV got on the bandwagon. I would find their coverage more credible had they addressed more the issue of private conversations made public, you know, rights. Reasonable expectations and all that. It is after all supposed to be a channel devoted to legal things. Oh wait, I forgot! CourtTV has their own bounty hunter show too. They even advertised their bounty girls with a commercial how their crew are no dogs.

Well at least something about all this is obvious huh?

Final Thoughts.

Like the chorus of Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" - "kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down." It's not the first time those tales were told. Of course now folks are paying attention since there's some "proof." Proof of what though, is in the mind and opinion of the beholder.

I have more questions than I do answers or proof, of anything. Even in the so-called proof that he is racist, there's just as much and more proof that Dog Chapman's not racist IMO. What I do know, and what this is all proof of, is that this is wrong on many levels and in many ways. Our own prejudices and eagerness to be politically correct and show how we're "good" people; are all being used to divide us further. Go over to TMZ.com and try to count how many times the word trash alone has been used on the MB's in reference to all the people in question. For the sake of scandal, outrage, ratings, sales, and fast cash.

Never mind destroying a man and his family's spirit and reputation, that's incidental.

You don't have to condone Dog Chapman's language. You don't have to like him, his look, or anything about him. You don't even have to like his show. Making anybody's business public, for the sake of 'exposure' and judgment, is wrong, period. Especially when it is served up incomplete and in versions.

Personal business isn't the 99-cent value menu at Wendy's, but it's on its way to being just as cheap. It's wrong and erodes everybody's right to privacy or a reasonable expectation of it. To do so for profit, for the sake of being outraged or to outrage, politically correct, or for gain, is just as bad and worse than any single word can be.

It also makes it that much easier for somebody who doesn't like you to do the same. Words are one thing, actions are another. Yet even in the words--including the insensitive ones--there's some proof to me that the label is wrong.

Dog Chapman's subsequent actions: his behavior on TV, his freely admitting to what a monster he used to be, his immediate apology and his prime time apologies; all weigh heavily in his favor.

The word racist is a label that doesn't stick. The most appropriate questions there are to be asked are the ones that the media and others haven't asked:

Are any tape recorded statements made of private discussions really any business of the public?

Maybe you feel Dog Chapman's been treated unfairly for what should have been a private matter, or you don't believe he's racist, or maybe you're on the fence. Do something. If you feel cheated out of your right to decide, or that corporate sponsors are dictating your decisions to you, do something.

Let A&E and it's sponsors know how you feel. Demand his show be restarted. Call, email, sign the petitions on the net. Contact the sponsors and their franchises. Gripe to the managers and corporate relations people: refuse to buy what they sell.

Besides, there's just as good and better fish n chips, Mexican fare, fried chicken, and pizza at locally owned establishments - who will definitely appreciate your intelligence and your business enough to refrain from making your decisions for you.

WHY?

* 1: Because the laws are incomplete and enforced sporadically. Especially where the Internet is concerned. So this can be done to anybody.

* 2: If you wouldn't want what you say in your home or on the phone put out there as proof of 'what you really are' then this is a way to send that message.

* 3: If you don't think it is right to lose your job and reputation, over a something said or done on tape, minus criminal acts, then this is a way to send that message.

* ** Don't think that can't happen, the Internet is global and mostly anonymous. Technology makes it easy to get audio and video, and with YouTube, MySpace, and P2P sites all over the globe, it's not hard to show it off. Got an angry ex? Better close the blinds and stay off the phone.

* 4: If you feel cheated out of your right to decide what you watch on TV, or even cheated out of the right to not watch, then this is a way to send that message. Since when is it up to a television network and it's sponsors to dictate to people what they are going to watch without asking the viewers or checking the ratings first?

Last reason: the man said he was sorry and that he would change. If Dog Chapman's truly contrite he will, and the proof will be beamed right there into your living room from a source with more credibility and reputation than National Enquirer.

Oh don't worry: the Enquirer and other ragmags will be on the lookout for the 'dirt' - so if he slips, everybody is going to know. Dog Chapman is a public figure and a pop culture icon. As such, he is in a position to do more for race relations and healing the rifts between people in America than Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson ever dreamed.

And he'll probably do it with better language this time around.

--K. Gilreath
You can contact her at lilamane4321@yahoo.com

After a Dog-free weekend, you're getting your money's worth today.

Latest Dog the Bounty Hunter:


NEW! A&E Canceled Handicapped Kids' Dreams When They Canceled Dog the Bounty Hunter
White Supremacists Put $75,000 Bounty on Bounty Hunter's Head

Girlfriend Has Message for Dog's Fans on MySpace


SIGN the "Bring Back Dog" Petition:

250,000 Signature Goal in Two Weeks:
PETITION

POPULAR! Dog Trivia

POPULAR!
Dog Still Loves the Son Who Sold Him Out.

Dog Petitions Spring Up All Over Internet

Tired of sitting on the sidelines in the Dog debate? Why not let your fingers do the talking? Want to drop Yum Brands an email and tell them you want the Bounty Hunter back on the air or you'll drop them? Drop over to: Dogsupporter's Weblog for the scoop on how to let Yum Brands know how you feel.

[notes by Mondoreb]



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.