Like the rest of the country, Orange County residents awoke early on the day after Thanksgiving and rushed to national chain stores which, despite mainstream media claims otherwise, were waiting to pounce with rip-offs and lies.

What is it about Orange County that creates fools who make ridiculous comparisons of their causes to the suffering Jews experienced during the Holocaust? A couple of years ago, it was the Minuteman mexicana, Lupe Moreno, rambling about how Mexican immigrants were the new Nazis, while American whites were the Jews. "I would wonder how was it possible that a whole nation of people, millions and millions, would let something as evil as the Holocaust happen?" Moreno wrote in 2003. "How could they be so passive to lose their lives without putting up much of a fight? . . . They could not believe that such evil would befall them. So little by little, they let corruption eat away at their way of life. No one spoke out when bad things started to happen. And so it began. No one spoke out."

Currently wielding the Shoah card is Orange County's most-notorious Armenian genocide denier, Ergun Kirlikovali. On November 14 he wrote a column about those who believe the Armenian genocide happened for the all-things-Turkish website Turkla.com in which the opening says all you need to know about the man's Moreno-esque victimhood:

Turks are the new Jews. Genocide crowds are the new KKK. Although there has been no due process or a jury verdict by a competent tribunal, these genocide crowds already made up their minds about the Turkish-Armenian conflict. Facts, figures no longer matter to these lynch mobs.

These genocide lynch mobs burn crosses not on Turkish lawns (yet,) but in public conscience. They claim, scream, and attack... They insult, intimidate and terrorize... They already have their chosen verdict in their minds which comforts their anti-Turkish bias: Turks are guilty and there is no need to discuss this verdict; it is execution time... get the rope!

To these genocide lynch mobs, there is only one side to their coin: their side... The Armenian side... Armenians are all white; Turks are all black. And that's that... They want you to believe their bigoted black & white picture. There is no gray areas for them. So, don't even think of bringing it up, or you will be labeled a denier and hung in their mind and soul.

Wow, talk about tripping over mixed metaphors and bad logic! Just put aside the whole issue of whether or not the Armenian genocide happened, folks, and look at what Kirlikovali asserts: Turks are victims akin to Jews during the Holocaust, anyone who believe the Armenian genocide happened is biased against Turks, are "lynch mob" bigots who'll probably soon burn crosses on lawns, and is really the Klan. Ha! Kirlikovali conveniently doesn't mention his own bigotry against Mexicans, doesn't understand that to compare your argumental opponent to a bona fide hate group that has nothing to do with the issue is both a logical fallacy and insulting to the Klan's victims, and doesn't show that his side frequently commits the same sins he accuses the "Armenian genocide crowd" of, if not worse. And the whole thing about Turks being the "new Jews"--oh, the hilarity (and isn't it haram to compare Muslims to Yehudi?)! Make sure to catch Kirlikovali's regular column at Turkla.com, if ever you want a good chuckle--we know we will!

*Apologies for the convoluted headline, but being this is the day after Thanksgiving, why not?

Last week we blogged that Navy and Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) officials had declared Irvine's drinking water safe at a presentation before the Orange County Great Park board--despite an acknowledged polluted plume under parts of the city and its source, the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station base that will become the Great Park. More >>

In our annual music issue, "Feedback":

Vickie Chang educates us about OC musician Pat Visel and his music that no one has heard.

Chris Ziegler interviews Greyboy about how he looks to make a name for himself with a new Best-of compilation

Ned Ragget talks to KUCI DJ Sam Farzin about 'College Rock'

Ryan Ritchie tells us why Long Beach's Mike Monster isn't just pretending to be spooky

In News:

Nick Schou explains why the DA dropped charges against Frank Santos, who was accused of pushing a Garden Grove cop in "Push Comes to Shove".

And R. Scott Moxley educates us on Mike Carona's defense team accidentally producing a rougue-cop hero in Don Haidl in this week's "Moxley Confidential".

More >>

News item: A Huntington Beach man who co-owns the company that makes the "Whizzinator" that allows workers, job-seekers and parolees to fake drug tests pleaded guilty in a Pittsburgh, Pa., federal court Monday to conspiracy to defraud the government and conspiracy to sell drug paraphernalia.

 

Joining Robert Dennis Catalano in pleading guilty were the 62-year-old's partner, George W. Wills, 65, of San Pedro, and their Signal Hill-based Puck Technology Inc. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20.

 

According to this right here, Puck started in 1999, classifies itself as a medical technology company and reports annual sales of $2.2 million for its line of clean-urine dispensing faux weenies.

 

So you might say the feds really took the piss outta these guys.

 

If they lied in court, would they be guilty of perjur-pee?

 

Guess this halts production of their new gizmo for black gentlemen, Whizzinator Magnum.

 

You can't blame the owners for having thought of fake pissing devices considering all the Flomax ads men their age are subjected to.

 

Besides the "Whizzinator," Puck Technology sells another urination simulation device called, and this is true, "Number 1." Message to Santa: should Puck have a spin-off product, please do not fill my stocking with "Number 2."

 

Okay, I'll stop now. Call me pee shy. My rain has ended. Don't wanna be accused of yellow journalism. Aiiiiiiiiiiiiii...

Pre Thanksgiving 80s Dance Party, 9 p.m. 

Pilgrims in leg warmers and Indians in scrunchies!

Club Addiction, 9559 Imperial Hwy., Downey, CA; 562-688-8128

West Coast Strayz, 7 p.m.

Pretty cool cats.

Swallow's Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA; 949-493-3188

Barstarr Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

Almost as fun as Drunkskank Thursdays. But not really.

Mai Tai Bar, 97 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA; 562-435-1200

Ladies and germs, allow Navel Gazing to field all your questions and concerns about ... You thought "the Freeway Complex Fire" was going to come next, didn't you? Because of the headline? Sorry, Navel Gazing don't know jack about Yorba Linda. But Linda Yorba? Oh, sure, she's had it coming since snack time in the third grade, when her rapid-fire delivery of Helen Keller jokes made milk shoot out of the noses of everyone at the lunch table. But Yorba Linda? Not so much.

Fortunately, the Orange County Fire Authority does have the answers and it has created a blog to converse with those desperately seeking them. And the agency has set a lofty goal for this first-ever blog: to read every question within a day and respond with an answer within one day.

"On this blog, we will provide basic facts about the fire and will share any new information that develops," explains Fire Chief Chip Prather. "More important, though, this is the place for you to ask the questions that are on your mind and have them answered. For example, if you do not understand some aspect of the way we fight fires in general or fought this fire in particular, this is the place to ask about it. If you have concerns about decisions made, tell us, and we'll do our best to explain."

Wondering where you local fire company was while your house burned? Now you know where to ask.

Years after the glove didn't fit and we had to acquit, countless Larry King Live appearances and actor Phil Morris' career zenith with the Seinfeld Jackie Chiles parody, Johnnie Cochran Jr. is coming back to Orange County to right an alleged racial injustice.

OK, so Mr. Cochran departed for that Great Ambulance Chase in the Sky back in 2005, but The Cochran Firm he started 40 years ago will represent the family of Julian Alexander, the 20-year-old newlywed and father-to-be who was mistakenly gunned down by an Anaheim police officer four weeks ago.

According to a media advisory faxed to World Weekly HQ this afternoon, a claim for damages and commencement for litigation against the city of Anaheim was filed today "arising out of the wrongful and unjustifiable shooting death of Justin Alexander, an innocent victim of a wrongful police shooting, shot dead in his yard on Oct. 28, 2008."

No damage amount being sought is cited. Cochran attorneys Brian Dunn and Joseph Barrett are representing the family.

Orange County was the site of what Cochran called "the happiest day" in his legal career. That would have been the release of Geronimo Pratt. More >>

I accompanied a friend to the Wells Fargo near MainPlace this past Saturday when I noticed that SanTana Mayor Don Papi Pulido strolled up to a teller's window and proclaimed his account number for everyone to hear. I'm not exaggerating--I was a good 10 feet away from the diminutive man with the booming voice, and what originally caught my attention wasn't that it was Don Papi Pulido but that some moron was yelling out his account number. Didn't anybody ever teach the Papi that one shouldn't be revealing vitals to the public, that one shouldn't follow the lead of that guy who owns the company that says they'll protect you from identity theft, and he gives out his Social Security number on radio commercials? Either Don Papi Pulido is arrogant as hell, or he's plain dumb. I say both.

I digress. He starts making small talk with the cute teller--Thanksgiving plans, the like. Nothing flirtatious, just small talk. LOUD small talk. Dad's here, sister's there, who cares? We're now standing five feet from each other. I think about asking why he never returns my calls, but it's a nice Saturday and I want to go read. I finish a transaction with another teller, a young, portly Latino. Once I leave, Don Papi Pulido tries to talk with the guy. "So what are you going to do for Thanksgiving," the leader of SanTana asked. "Eat?"

He says this last word in a sotto voice, much more sotto than usual, in a tone that mocks more than asks. The poor teller is flustered and just smiles. Don Papi Pulido must've learned his humor from the Busty Bustamante School of Silliness...