My Obama Ad

Here's my own private lawn sign about the Obama campaign. I'm not asking for your vote - there's 1100 of these things. I just want to participate. The Democratic primaries have been a sickening display of low-rent, sleazy nothingness - manufactured from little issues to avoid the big stuff. I've heard Hillary say it's a preview of how the GOP would treat Obama if he's the nominee. Here's a different take: Not only has she made me sick with her desperate, ambition-crazed approach to the primaries, but what happens if she somehow wins? Do we have to witness months more of her cheap shots at John McCain? I don't want to see that. I think it's time for her to wrap it up. If Bill Clinton hadn't been such a hound dog, the Bush administration might not have happened at all. (Now there's a daydream.) If anything, the Clintons should apologize and get out, rather than work so hard to try and continue the Bush policies by tearing down Obama, and helping the chances of another GOP President.
Update: (Link No Longer Works)

Paging Evolution: Come In Please

You've probably read the stories of how we're turning the Pacific Ocean into the Ocean of Plastics. It's so bad already that I can only see one way out: A new bacteria must emerge that can eat the stuff. Not something we design - we would only screw that up - but something that arrives out of nowhere and starts eating plastic. Folks, we need some evolution here. There are little organisms that eat crude oil so how about it, Mother Nature? Can you save our ass on this, please?
It reminds me of the time I tried to talk a Bedouin out of tossing some plastic garbage into the sand in Arabia. He gestured out at the endless dunes as if to say, "How can we ever impact something as vast as this desert?" Well, the Pacific Ocean is much bigger and we trashed that. This is one reason I believe in global warming, by the way. It seems impossible that we could have impacted an entire planet, but it's clear from the garbage in the Pacific Ocean that we have.
If you live in Oregon, you've also heard about the annual cleanup by SOLV of our beaches. First of all, a giant "Right On!" to them for that. The stories always mention big items the crews find - an angle that was enhanced when the sea threw back some cannon this year. But are you aware of what's on the beaches in little pieces? This is stuff ground up by the waves or tiny to begin with. I don't see how you begin to clean it up. Here are the heartbreaking pictures below from Beverly Beach just south of Cape Foulweather.

The Comment of the Century

Over on the Saving James site, (you can link from the column to the right), we got quite an amazing comment about the "Born To Slack" cable access show. It brought a tear to my eye, especially the part about our humble cable show helping to save someone's life:

Dear James... Hello there.

So happy and blown away that you have a donor !!!
I have been so sad about your plight. Now there is a cure coming about---> All of us here at our house/and farm believe in your FULL recovery.

This family has been praying for a FULL recovery and sure enough many, many more are doing the same... but for some fans maybe they are just as stunned as we all are/were when we heard this much more than overwhelming bad news concerning your health.

If anyone can beat the heck out of this ordeal we know that James will OVER-POWER it with that great optimistic view James possesses.
With every show of Born to Slack... You and dear brother Bill get right to the facts like no other anchor team we may ever see. The Bill and James team tells the absolute truth
with sprinkles of some of the funniest material we have ever had the good fortune to witness.
Which my family identifies with 100% on all of your topics.

With all of this scary and horrific hell that you've had to face from the day of conformation by your Doctor of your disease-That alone was such a negative blast to your emotions... beyond mere words to express at 1st. I too know what a downer and fearful position you fall into after hearing such bad news.
Especially when it came right out of the blue and off the wall
when least expecting it.

To make it even worse when you are freaked-out and very sick... then the task starts when you must find all of the knowledge you need to learn in a rapid time frame about this tricky health problem. At 1st, your quest becomes hard to find the facts and cutting edge info too. This was your worst negative time period-which was perfectly natural to be afraid of and land you and yours in a state of shock.

Not to forget that you kind sir are
SO blessed with a strong,loving, concerned and caring family,other loved ones,including your friends, plus loyal fans must be comforting. We definately feel and without any doubt... know this in our hearts that you and yours are in the SUPER positive rebound state now. Loaded with HOPE,knowledge and filled to the brim with your optimistic out-look on your life.A wonderful and a LONG life await you dear James.

Lastly, I want to Thank You and Bill along with your supportive families & access staff for helping me through some of the most darkest and terrifying days & spooky nights (so wrapped up in fear) I became ineffective in trying to save my own life.

After being told I had 2 diseases
that would & are now slowly killing me... Not one thing could pull me
out of my already giving up 'spent & exhausted' mind set fueled by severe fear and heartbreaking pain.
So sick... that I could not begin to even start to try and save myself through my extensive searches for the knowledge that I desperately needed to save my own life.

A miracle happened one REALLY bad night to me while I was becoming more & more self-absorbed,confused and with thoughts of just giving up.
All of a sudden... like Manna from Heaven: The Born To Slack Show came on !!! that night.
As they say "laughter is the best medicine" Well... you both dosed me very well with that excellent and SUPER funny trademark laughter
medicine and fact sharing you both are unique at. This probably sounds corny...
But I do think you guys indeed saved my life or at the very least
made me think in another direction
to get my mind off of my troubles.
We miss you kind sir James.
Too bad this isn't a big Punk'd
issue for the show to us fans and this really wasn't happening to you.We know that you will not only
get your transplant that will 'take' and not be rejected... but
that a VERY healthy James will live a VERY long life/and treat this later as just a speed bump on the at times,rocky road of living life itself. Plus... remember that these anti-rejection drugs the Doctors
now have at hand have come a VERY long,long way.So... not to worry.
Bless this donor to the highest !


We are and will be forever GRATEFUL to you both and extended Thanks to your families and all who help in any way down at Cable Access.
What a team !!!

Most Respectfully and we will do whatever we can at this time and on into the future to help you & yours.
Respectfully and Thank You to all involved for all the shows you all
have put out.Now you know how to save a life. If I don't stop here the next time you see Bill (now with a big head) he'll be demanding to be called Doctor Bill standing
at the foot of your bed with his white coat on and your chart notes in hand.
You take the best of care now and we send our best to your Family too.Bless you kind sir.
Love and Light To You All
From Rabbit Moonshadow and Family

March 19, 2008 6:02 PM


Dear Rabbit Moonshadow,
Thanks for your outstanding letter.
I'll never wonder if it's all been worth it again.
---Bill McDonald

March 20, 2008 12:53 PM

Mike Huckabee: Miracle On Hold

One of the worst phrases in recorded history is "religious police." That's where a group of mere mortals enforces their interpretation of God's Law on the rest of us. The immediate problem is that nobody alive really knows if God exists - that's why they call it faith. But let's say there is a God and that he is a male. Why? Most religions have him as a male. He impregnated Mary in the Christian faith and that sounds like a male to me. He also gave us the 10 Commandments on stone tablets - although I base that solely on watching a movie about it. I'm not sure. Hey, if he could hand down tablets from space why couldn't he hand down the Bible? Why did it take a committee of men to write that? Oh, never mind.

The scary part for me is when mortals rise to positions in society where they enforce God's Law. Why? Because there is a lot of disagreement on what that would be. Let people believe what they want. Let them practice their faith, but don't give them enforcement power. If we start giving them police powers, then we have....well, we have Saudi Arabia.

America is based on one of the most beautiful phrases ever: The Consent of the Governed. The main problem with President Bush is that he doesn't believe in it. Maybe Jesus told him to ignore that part. He wants to be the Decider, and we should be grateful that he's there deciding what's best for us.

Well, I'm not too thrilled about it. I don't think he should decide the White House lunch menu - much less what we should believe. He backed up his choices by assuring us that God talks to him. Apparently, God wanted us to go into Iraq, and God wanted him to spy on us. Well, I don't believe that either. In fact, my God thinks George is an idiot. President Bush is playing the role of the religious police and we've got to get back to the Consent of the Governed.

That's why I'm thrilled about Mike Huckabee this morning. He had that religious-police vibe to him, too. He even declared that his candidacy was a miracle. He said the only laws we really needed were the 10 Commandments. Mike wanted to tell us what God wanted, and he stayed in because he believed that God was working a miracle through him. Whatever. Apparently, God thought the miracle of Mike Huckabee was over.

Now, maybe he will get the VP nod, and wind up President and begin enforcing God's law on us all. Then he can point to all this and say, "See! I was a miracle!" But the stories this morning say that his people are trying to land him a cable network talk show. Heaven forbid.

Until Mike or George Bush or any of the other religious police sprout wings or walk across the Potomac, I think we should avoid the Saudi Arabia model, and stick with what got us here: Consent of the Governed.

I believe miraculous things do happen. But I think they rise to a higher level than propping up some candidate during a failed political campaign. Get over yourself.

Haters Policy for the Saving James Site

We received a somewhat negative comment over on the Saving James site.
I think I'll just move any of those over here unless it gets tedious. (The Saving James site is linked to the right.) So here goes. Can you feel the love?

"It truly is too bad you found a donor. Hopefully, your body will reject the bone marrow. I figure it's bad karma coming back to you for being a hate mongering, far-left fascist. I hope you die so your son doesn't grow up to be nutjob pussy just like you! Not only are you a hater, you are studpid. I"ve watched you two buttfucks say numerous things that aren't fact, the funniest being you calling the US army's primary weapon an "ak47", LOL, IDIOT!
Know one cares what you dim pillars think! You should also start your show with telling people that you do your little propaganda show at tax payer expense. Not for long I've organized over 4000 people to e-mail their congress people. That's 3999 more people than watch your sorry excuse of a show.
Unless, you buy your own tv network, then shut the fuck up. You to fucks aren't Americans and really need to get the fuck out of our country. I'd even say that right to your ugly mugs. PUSSIES"

Thanks for participating in the national discourse.

James Returns: Born to Slack Host Is Back

Since the "Born to Slack" cable access show has gotten a flurry of publicity lately, I'm going to promote it here: Tonight marks the return of James Shibley at 10 pm on channel 22. He's 25 pounds lighter from the chemo - it was awkward for me to think of a way to say the disease has made him look better. There's another new show with him ready for next week. It was a real treat for me to have the old familiar co-host back. As his wife describes on the website savingjames.blogspot.com (you can link from the column on the right), they've found a match for James' bone marrow transplant. That involves a long hospitalization so these times with James are a welcome break. If you haven't seen our show be forewarned: It includes bad language and an occasional mention of the truth about our government. So enjoy or cringe or both.

Comedy Writing and the Obama Picture

As a comedy writer I hesitate to think in grandiose terms about the role we're supposed to play. Oh, it's not humility - it's just that it makes it harder to be funny. But there really was something missing during the writers strike, that I hadn't completely noticed before.

Little lumps of disinformation were being thrown out there by the presidential candidates and they seemed to last longer than they should have because there was no comedians to knock them down. I remember one being the highly-nuanced Huckabee theology degree. We could have worked with that. Heck, I thought the whole "I'm a miracle" thing was comedy gold.

Contrast that with yesterday, the Hillary campaign, and this Obama photograph in traditional Somali wear. Hillary finds it "laughable" to suggest her desperate campaign had anything to do with it, but nobody bought that. So we had an attempt to use the picture to depict Obama as something that he is not. This was where the comedy writers stepped up on national TV last night.

Leno said that the Obama campaign had responded by releasing a picture of Hillary in her traditional garb and then showed a picture of the Wicked Witch of the West. Kimmel said the picture was incomplete and zoomed out to show Barack at a Halloween costume party carrying a Jack-O'-Lantern and surrounded by other people in costume. Conan said that the Obama camp has countered by releasing a picture of Hillary wearing a traditional Somali pantsuit.

I suppose you could call it progress that the day after the Oscars we were talking about what a guy had been wearing 2 years ago, instead of a gown worn by a woman, but still. It was a bad moment in Hillary's campaign and the comedy writers jumped on it.

Now, granted - some of these moves cause a subtle shift in perceptions that can't be erased. That's the whole strategy of lying and then moving on. But the comedy writers really do a service to respond quickly before something can linger and become part of the background noise.

When Hillary's people saw their candidate being depicted as a green-faced witch on a broom, they must have wondered if their Barack costume idea had worked. She probably would have been wiser to release the picture during the writers strike.

(Check out the Saving James update linked towards the top of the column to the right >)