"But here's the funny thing: culture war issues aside, this is probably pretty good stimulus. If you eliminate the requirement for states to get Medicaid waivers in order to fund family planning, lots of low-income women will take advantage of it, and they'll probably take advantage of it pretty quickly. That's a boon for the contraceptive industry and all the fine people who work in it. Just be sure to buy American!"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
IS PLANET OF THE APES GETTING REBOOTED AGAIN?
IS PLANET OF THE APES GETTING REBOOTED AGAIN?: "But right now, in the halls of Fox, there is another new version of Planet of the Apes that has been kicking around for the last year. It's not a sequel to the Burton film, and it's not another remake of the original. To the general audience it's a prequel to Planet of the Apes, but for the initiated it's something totally different.
It's a remake of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes."
It's a remake of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes."
I really hope this gets made. Conquest is my favorite of the ape films. HAIL CEASAR! I for one can't get enough of the monkey revolution!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tara Stiles: Orthoskepsis: When Too Much Thinking Is A Bad Thing
"Perhaps thinking too much could be the problem. American physician Steven Bratman proposed the term orthorexia: 'orth' (right and correct) 'orexia' (appetite). The term refers to an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. Orthorexia is not yet an eating disorder recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, academic investigation is underway. I am convinced we also have an unhealthy obsession with thinking. What would that be called? Orth-o-skepsis (orth, plus the Greek skepsis: examination, doubt, skeptical philosophy). I just made that up. I threw in the 'o' so it would sound ok."
I'm not sure what I think about this. On the one hand thinking too much is the cause of a lot of my misery, on the other trusting yr gut turns you into George W. Bush...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Conservatives lose first evolution vote | KXAN.com
Conservatives lose first evolution vote | KXAN.com:
"AUSTIN (KXAN) - The drama over the potential inclusion of creationism or intelligent design in Texas biology curriculum is over for now as a coalition of six Democrats and two Republicans defeated an amendment that would have maintained discussion of evolution's 'weaknesses.'"
I love Texas. It is nice not to have to be ashamed of it today.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Reviews: November 1979
Reviews: November 1979:
"Painter, playwright, novelist, aesthetician, and philosopher, Witkiewicz -- or Witkacy as he called himself -- belongs to the writers and thinkers known in Poland as catastrophists, who sprang up in the period framed by two world wars, the first of which brought the Polish state back into existence after nearly 150 years of dismemberment, and the second of which threatened the nation with total annihilation. Poised between cataclysms, Witkacy forecast an apocalyptic close to Western civilization and wrote with sardonic humor about the approaching end of the world."
Witkiewicz
Witkiewicz:
"Reared in realistic ideology, we always ask of each work of art, 'Well all right, but what is it trying to say? What is it supposed to represent? What is the 'idea' behind this work?' As soon as we fail to get satisfactory answers to these questions, we turn away in disgust from the work under discussion, swearing more or less politely and repeating triumphantly, 'I don't understand.' We do not want to grasp the simple truth that a work of Art does not express anything in the sense in which we have grown accustomed to use the word in real life. Thus it always has been and always will be until Art comes to an end, which probably (and fortunately) will not happen in the form of naturalistic stagnation, as our stormy and anguished times prove. We do not understand that a work of Art is what it is and nothing else, since we have grown accustomed to think that Art is the expression of some kind of real-life content, the representation of some real or fantastic worlds, something that has value only when compared to something else of which it is the reflection. Even if we actually experience something else, which was and is the deepest essence of our individuality -- its directly given, irreducible unity -- we pay no attention to this impression under the impact of an ideology falsified by realism . . ."
Witkacy: Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939)
Witkacy: Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939):
"He wrote: 'On leaving the theater, one should feel that he has woken up from some strange dream in which even the commonest of things possessed some strange unfathomed charm characteristic of dreams incomparable to anything else.'
This dream-like world is the only way, according to Witkacy that the theater can fulfill its task, which is to transport the spectator into an exceptional state, the state of sensuous comprehension of the Mystery of Existence which, in its pure form, cannot be reached so easily in the passing of daily life."
This dream-like world is the only way, according to Witkacy that the theater can fulfill its task, which is to transport the spectator into an exceptional state, the state of sensuous comprehension of the Mystery of Existence which, in its pure form, cannot be reached so easily in the passing of daily life."
Witkacy: Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939)
Witkacy: Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939):
"According to Witkacy, this Mystery can never be solved, but it can be experienced. In his theory of art, he claimed that through the experience of true art (primarily painting, drama, music) an individual intensifies his or her feelings of individuality and affirms his/her own uniqueness in the face of an alien universe. As a result, the individual restores temporarily what Witkacy calls Metaphysical Feeling of the Strangeness of Existence, which simultaneously creates a childlike sense of wonder and anxiety."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address - Top AP Stories - MiamiHerald.com
Text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address - Top AP Stories - MiamiHerald.com:
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The New #2
The Prisoner Reboots the Panopticon for 21st Century | The Underwire from Wired.com:
"'We're run by the Pentagon, we're run by Madison Avenue, we're run by television, and as long as we accept those things and don't revolt we'll have to go along with the stream to the eventual avalanche.... As long as we go out and buy stuff, we're at their mercy.
'We all live in a little Village,' McGoohan concluded in the same interview. 'Your Village may be different from other people's Villages, but we are all prisoners.'"
'We all live in a little Village,' McGoohan concluded in the same interview. 'Your Village may be different from other people's Villages, but we are all prisoners.'"
There is a new Prisoner mini-series coming up. I love the original, but will give the new one a chance. A Prisoner for today could be great.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
yeah, about that...
I demand
consistency
from others
that I do not
myself deliver.
I demand
devotion
that I myself
don't show.
how are you?
consistency
from others
that I do not
myself deliver.
I demand
devotion
that I myself
don't show.
how are you?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Polish culture: Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy)
Polish culture: Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy)
Witkiewicz's plays, unappreciated and largely misunderstood before World War II, were rediscovered in Poland in the 1960s and 70s. Largely characterized by a tone of parody, Witkacy reveals his derisive abilities in them with great force. All the literary references in the plays seem to reflect these abilities. What we have here is both mockery of the rhetoric of the Romantic and Young Poland movements, as well as a parody of motifs drawn from Ibsen and Strindberg, Shakespeare and Wyspianski, Rittner and Conrad. In Witkacy's works, humor almost always becomes macabre, a burlesque tone - an invariable ingredient of Witkiewicz's plays - combines with fantasy. Bitter irony and sarcasm strongly color the represented world, in which seriousness and "elevated" philosophical discourse are mixed perfectly with, and complement, the comedic tone. Konstanty Puzyna, in his classic introduction to the first full edition of Witkiewicz's plays, classified the writer as an exponent of the avant-garde current in European playwriting. Puzyna highlighted certain similarities with Expressionism, wrote about the parallels between Witkacy's plays and Alfred Jarry's UBU ROI, referred to the writer's poetic as Surrealist.
Polish culture: Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy)
Polish culture: Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy)
Witkacy wrote of drama that it should be akin to "the brain of a madman presented on stage."
and who can disagree with that?
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Cool Scientist Alert
Why Did Western Drs. Promote Tobacco While the Nazis Fought Cancer?
| Health & Medicine
| DISCOVER Magazine:
I’m amazed by people who don’t ask questions constantly. I was raised to think that the good life is asking questions and then always realizing that there are infinitely many more questions and that basically what we know is an infinitesimal part of what we might know. I’m interested in human suffering. I’m interested in the big, unanswered questions—in the massive infinity of ignorance that we swim in."
| Health & Medicine
| DISCOVER Magazine:
"It seems you have endless curiosity.
I’m amazed by people who don’t ask questions constantly. I was raised to think that the good life is asking questions and then always realizing that there are infinitely many more questions and that basically what we know is an infinitesimal part of what we might know. I’m interested in human suffering. I’m interested in the big, unanswered questions—in the massive infinity of ignorance that we swim in."
Friday, January 09, 2009
Hollywood and Fine - Marshall Fine Blog � Blog Archive � I hate myself for loving ‘24′
Hollywood and Fine - Marshall Fine Blog � Blog Archive � I hate myself for loving ‘24′:
"Man, I love me some “24.”
I love the headlong pace. I love how much action, how many moments of confrontation, life-or-death decisions, jeopardy and fight-to-the-finish situations they pack into each 42-minute episode."
I love the headlong pace. I love how much action, how many moments of confrontation, life-or-death decisions, jeopardy and fight-to-the-finish situations they pack into each 42-minute episode."
yup. easily the most ideologically dangerous show I enjoy...
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
The Stooges mattered to me at a time when bands REALLY mattered to me. I still read Rolling Stone and SPIN regularly. I still sought out new music. I got Raw Power in high school. CBS nice price cassette. It was good. better than bowie. then freshman year of college I discovered the first album. Self-titled. That was the stuff. That wah guitar. There are, in my mind, two ways to use a wah pedal - like Jimi Hendrix or like Ron Asheton. Then, Oh My GOD, Funhouse. Calling from the funhouse, with my song... The best album ever made by white people. These records, this band, brought me to Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Sugar Shack, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, and damned near everything that meant anything to me from the time I was 16 till, well, forever... There was a reunion tour recently and I didn't make enough of an effort to go. The reunion album - well, it just made me kinda sad - the new mudhoney album sounded to me like what i wanted a new stooges record to be... but I saw the dvd - and they rocked live - the old stuff still worked - and they were having fun... God I hope I have people like that in my life to have fun with years down the road... Some people say you can tell a lot about a person by asking, "The Beatles or The Stones?" I'd rather ask, "The Stooges or The Velvet Underground?" and for me, the answer is always, "The Stooges." ugh. I wanna be yr dog.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Marginal Revolution: Department of No
Marginal Revolution: Department of No:
"Of course they want a bailout but this is for me not a priority.� Given the new distribution of wealth, arguably we need more culture for lower-income people and less culture for the rich.� I don't think the old distribution of wealth is coming back anytime soon.
It's something to watch when the egalitarian and elitist tendencies of modern liberalism clash so strongly.� When it comes to high culture it's like this:� 'I don't think they should have so much money, but I sure like what they spend their money on.'� Yet if deflationary pressures are going to benefit lower class individuals with jobs, something has to give and that is, in part, the discretionary arts spending of the wealthy."
Interesting discussion in the comments...
some things for those of us in the arts to think about...
I hope to make theatre around the fire in the tent cities of the future - but I'm an optimist.
"Of course they want a bailout but this is for me not a priority.� Given the new distribution of wealth, arguably we need more culture for lower-income people and less culture for the rich.� I don't think the old distribution of wealth is coming back anytime soon.
It's something to watch when the egalitarian and elitist tendencies of modern liberalism clash so strongly.� When it comes to high culture it's like this:� 'I don't think they should have so much money, but I sure like what they spend their money on.'� Yet if deflationary pressures are going to benefit lower class individuals with jobs, something has to give and that is, in part, the discretionary arts spending of the wealthy."
Interesting discussion in the comments...
some things for those of us in the arts to think about...
I hope to make theatre around the fire in the tent cities of the future - but I'm an optimist.
Jonathan Tasini: Conspiracy of Silence: Wage Collapse Caused Crisis
Jonathan Tasini: Conspiracy of Silence: Wage Collapse Caused Crisis:
"Basically, the basic bargain was roughly this--if you worked hard and became more productive, you would see that sweat of the brow in your wages. And from the post-war era until the 1970s, that deal basically held--as you can see from the lines that are basically close together until the 1970s.
Then, the lines diverge--dramatically. You can see it yourself. If the lines had continued to track closely together as they did prior to the 1970s, the MINIMUM WAGE would be more than $19 an hour. THE MINIMUM WAGE!!!"
Class War - the only war worth fighting - every other war is just them using us to fight each other...
I think things are going to get worse before they get better and the purposeful misunderstanding and misrespresenting of our current crisis is not helping.
The folks at the top of the pyramid are still concentrating on sucking any excess from those at the bottom.
I nearly got into a fight with some rich dude at Notsuoh on Jim's birthday. When I said that no C.E.O. works 800 times harder than I do he treated it like a personal affront. The idea that maybe the system is rigged and the elites exploit the middle and punish the lower he took as some kind of personal attack on his worth. maybe it was. if it wasn't at first, well, then, after he responded like a dick, it certainly became one... it took a cute 22 year old and a passed j. to diffuse the situation...
Spreading the wealth is the only way you richies are gonna get to keep even a portion of yrs... keep demanding it all and eventually we will rise up and take our share.
"Basically, the basic bargain was roughly this--if you worked hard and became more productive, you would see that sweat of the brow in your wages. And from the post-war era until the 1970s, that deal basically held--as you can see from the lines that are basically close together until the 1970s.
Then, the lines diverge--dramatically. You can see it yourself. If the lines had continued to track closely together as they did prior to the 1970s, the MINIMUM WAGE would be more than $19 an hour. THE MINIMUM WAGE!!!"
Class War - the only war worth fighting - every other war is just them using us to fight each other...
I think things are going to get worse before they get better and the purposeful misunderstanding and misrespresenting of our current crisis is not helping.
The folks at the top of the pyramid are still concentrating on sucking any excess from those at the bottom.
I nearly got into a fight with some rich dude at Notsuoh on Jim's birthday. When I said that no C.E.O. works 800 times harder than I do he treated it like a personal affront. The idea that maybe the system is rigged and the elites exploit the middle and punish the lower he took as some kind of personal attack on his worth. maybe it was. if it wasn't at first, well, then, after he responded like a dick, it certainly became one... it took a cute 22 year old and a passed j. to diffuse the situation...
Spreading the wealth is the only way you richies are gonna get to keep even a portion of yrs... keep demanding it all and eventually we will rise up and take our share.
Friday, January 02, 2009
No Machine Can Do My Job As Resentfully As I Can | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
No Machine Can Do My Job As Resentfully As I Can | The Onion - America's Finest News Source:
"A machine can only contain wires, diodes, and gears, not the living, breathing sum of life's screw-ups, heartbreaks, and regrets."
"A machine can only contain wires, diodes, and gears, not the living, breathing sum of life's screw-ups, heartbreaks, and regrets."
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo:
"Kurds who support circumcising girls say the practice has two goals: It controls a woman's sexual desires, and it makes her spiritually clean so that others can eat the meals she prepares."
Women are dirty and their urges have to be controlled because they're always tempting men to do things they shouldn't do. Same as it ever was.
"Devil woman you're evil like the dark coral reef
Like the winds that bring high tides you bring sorrow and grief
You made me ashamed to face Mary I barely had the strength to tell
Skies're not so black Mary took me back Mary has broken your spell
Oh devil woman devil woman let go of me..."
- Marty Robbins
"Kurds who support circumcising girls say the practice has two goals: It controls a woman's sexual desires, and it makes her spiritually clean so that others can eat the meals she prepares."
Women are dirty and their urges have to be controlled because they're always tempting men to do things they shouldn't do. Same as it ever was.
"Devil woman you're evil like the dark coral reef
Like the winds that bring high tides you bring sorrow and grief
You made me ashamed to face Mary I barely had the strength to tell
Skies're not so black Mary took me back Mary has broken your spell
Oh devil woman devil woman let go of me..."
- Marty Robbins
Monday, December 29, 2008
what a weekend
had two gigs this weekend -
notsuoh saturday night went great - nice turnout (not any of my friends, except the one or two who just happened to be at the bar already...and the guys I played with Sunday at AG) and the performance went great - very different than playing these pieces in the practice room, but we could hear everything and I feel like we did a good job presenting the work... everybody's elses set was great too...
about 12:30, after the last set, a group of old friends, including bart and elizabeth show up, and well that is when the real trouble starts - I am in a great mood, so I start buying drinks for folks - no idea how much i spent or how much i drank - it was a long, but good night...
and oh yeah, the band got an offer to score a film, and I think Michelle's dad offered to make us costumes...
Sunday at AG was a little different - thomas helton and his crew were playing upstairs - I was playing with robert pearson and carl smith - they decided the show was a bust before we even played - low turnout (mostly some people from the saturday night show at rudz) - but when we finally played it sounded pretty good - just when I was really warmed up and listening good we were done... outta there by 9:30 - off to tapatia with laura for a quick snack and then home to bed...
overall a good weekend - two good and very different gigs - while I won't be playing with carl again for a while (he's from austin) I think the Michelle Yom ensemble is going to become a standing group - hope you can make it out to see us next time...
notsuoh saturday night went great - nice turnout (not any of my friends, except the one or two who just happened to be at the bar already...and the guys I played with Sunday at AG) and the performance went great - very different than playing these pieces in the practice room, but we could hear everything and I feel like we did a good job presenting the work... everybody's elses set was great too...
about 12:30, after the last set, a group of old friends, including bart and elizabeth show up, and well that is when the real trouble starts - I am in a great mood, so I start buying drinks for folks - no idea how much i spent or how much i drank - it was a long, but good night...
and oh yeah, the band got an offer to score a film, and I think Michelle's dad offered to make us costumes...
Sunday at AG was a little different - thomas helton and his crew were playing upstairs - I was playing with robert pearson and carl smith - they decided the show was a bust before we even played - low turnout (mostly some people from the saturday night show at rudz) - but when we finally played it sounded pretty good - just when I was really warmed up and listening good we were done... outta there by 9:30 - off to tapatia with laura for a quick snack and then home to bed...
overall a good weekend - two good and very different gigs - while I won't be playing with carl again for a while (he's from austin) I think the Michelle Yom ensemble is going to become a standing group - hope you can make it out to see us next time...
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Valerie Tarico: Ancient Mythic Origins of the Christmas Story
Valerie Tarico: Ancient Mythic Origins of the Christmas Story
Or consider the idea that Mary is a virgin. The Greek writer of Matthew quotes Isaiah as saying: "a parthenos shall conceive and bear a child." The Hebrew word in Isaiah is "almah," which means simply "young woman." But the Greek word parthenos can mean either a virgin or a young woman, and it got translated as "virgin." Modern Bible translations have corrected this, but it is a central part of the Christmas story.
That's a lot of added complications. If the rest of the New Testament doesn't refer to these stories or need them, then how did we end up with them? Where do they come from?
One part of the answer comes from Hellenistic culture. (It is no accident all New Testament books written in Greek.) In this tradition, when a man did something extraordinary there was the assumption that he did this because he was different, either divine or semi-divine. They would make up a story about how he came to be divine. Almost all Greek heroes were said to be born of a human woman and a god--even Alexander the Great, Augustus and Pythagoras.
The father typically was Zeus or Apollo. The god would come and sleep with the woman, pretending to be the husband or as a bolt of lightning, or some such. Greek mythology also shows up in the book of Genesis: the gods lusting after the women and coming down and mating with them.
Or consider the idea that Mary is a virgin. The Greek writer of Matthew quotes Isaiah as saying: "a parthenos shall conceive and bear a child." The Hebrew word in Isaiah is "almah," which means simply "young woman." But the Greek word parthenos can mean either a virgin or a young woman, and it got translated as "virgin." Modern Bible translations have corrected this, but it is a central part of the Christmas story.
That's a lot of added complications. If the rest of the New Testament doesn't refer to these stories or need them, then how did we end up with them? Where do they come from?
One part of the answer comes from Hellenistic culture. (It is no accident all New Testament books written in Greek.) In this tradition, when a man did something extraordinary there was the assumption that he did this because he was different, either divine or semi-divine. They would make up a story about how he came to be divine. Almost all Greek heroes were said to be born of a human woman and a god--even Alexander the Great, Augustus and Pythagoras.
The father typically was Zeus or Apollo. The god would come and sleep with the woman, pretending to be the husband or as a bolt of lightning, or some such. Greek mythology also shows up in the book of Genesis: the gods lusting after the women and coming down and mating with them.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Obama names Tom Vilsack, Ken Salazar to Cabinet - Los Angeles Times
Obama names Tom Vilsack, Ken Salazar to Cabinet - Los Angeles Times
don't know much about salazar 'cept that he was obviously raised in a barn.
you don't wear a hat indoors.
bum phillips never wore his in the dome.
you don't wear a hat indoors.
didn't yr mama teach you nothin'?
don't know much about salazar 'cept that he was obviously raised in a barn.
you don't wear a hat indoors.
bum phillips never wore his in the dome.
you don't wear a hat indoors.
didn't yr mama teach you nothin'?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
it starts
the hostility
starts in my shoulders
works up to my brain
down to my fists
spills out my mouth
starts in my shoulders
works up to my brain
down to my fists
spills out my mouth
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
been
been a rough
coupla years
alienated
a lot of folks
change is coming
at the bar I think
fuck it,
i mean,
these people
are still alive...
I could run
with the wrong crowd
drink myself
to death in 10
or run
with the wrong crowd
back to the office habit
heart failure in about the same
been a rough coupla years
time for a reinvention
a renovation
a goddamned look in the mirror
with a harsher light
but tonight
i just wish
i could sleep
coupla years
alienated
a lot of folks
change is coming
at the bar I think
fuck it,
i mean,
these people
are still alive...
I could run
with the wrong crowd
drink myself
to death in 10
or run
with the wrong crowd
back to the office habit
heart failure in about the same
been a rough coupla years
time for a reinvention
a renovation
a goddamned look in the mirror
with a harsher light
but tonight
i just wish
i could sleep
Monday, December 01, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Maybe they aren't evil genuises?
“This woman wasn’t saying that Wall Street bankers were corrupt,” he added. “She was saying they were stupid. Her message was clear. If you want to know what these Wall Street firms are really worth, take a hard look at the crappy assets they bought with huge sums of borrowed money, and imagine what they’d fetch in a fire sale... For better than a year now, Whitney has responded to the claims by bankers and brokers that they had put their problems behind them with this write-down or that capital raise with a claim of her own: You’re wrong. You’re still not facing up to how badly you have mismanaged your business.”
The Citigroup bailout is the worst yet...
The ones handling yr money - they aren't exactly the best and the brightest.
The Citigroup bailout is the worst yet...
The ones handling yr money - they aren't exactly the best and the brightest.
Monday, November 24, 2008
2001
I am so making one of these:
From 1999 to 2008 over 100 people abducted by aliens have reported using thought screen helmets and hats made with Velostat. Since 1999 only two abductees were taken when they wore thought screen helmets with Velostat. Most of the other abductees using thought screen helmets reported success. Some abductees could not be reached after they tried their thought screen helmets.
It's all about the velostat.
yeah.
From 1999 to 2008 over 100 people abducted by aliens have reported using thought screen helmets and hats made with Velostat. Since 1999 only two abductees were taken when they wore thought screen helmets with Velostat. Most of the other abductees using thought screen helmets reported success. Some abductees could not be reached after they tried their thought screen helmets.
It's all about the velostat.
yeah.
post 2000
and all I have to say is if union contracts are on the table in the auto industry bailout then executive compensation needs to be on the table too...
of course the answer is to promote unions everywhere so Toyota doesn't get breaks by manufacturing in non-union states.
Just watching MSNBC and getting mad at all the class warfare. Some talking head blaming the auto industry's collapse on the unions. How dare they suggest that the economic collapse is the fault of working people? or even worse the poor? As they've tried to do with the mortgage/banking collapse.
Just - just - fuck them.
Really.
of course the answer is to promote unions everywhere so Toyota doesn't get breaks by manufacturing in non-union states.
Just watching MSNBC and getting mad at all the class warfare. Some talking head blaming the auto industry's collapse on the unions. How dare they suggest that the economic collapse is the fault of working people? or even worse the poor? As they've tried to do with the mortgage/banking collapse.
Just - just - fuck them.
Really.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Associated Press: Some Conn. Democrats still want Lieberman punished
The Associated Press: Some Conn. Democrats still want Lieberman punished:
"'We have no problem with whatever Joe does, but don't do it as a Democrat,' she said. 'If you want to be independent, I can totally respect that and understand that. But be an independent.'"
"'We have no problem with whatever Joe does, but don't do it as a Democrat,' she said. 'If you want to be independent, I can totally respect that and understand that. But be an independent.'"
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Obama Advisers: Torture Prosecutions Not Likely
Obama Advisers: Torture Prosecutions Not Likely:
"'Both for policy and political reasons, it would not be beneficial to spend a lot of time hauling people up before Congress or before grand juries and going over what went on,' Litt said at a Brookings Institution discussion about Obama's legal policy. 'To as great of an extent we can say, the last eight years are over, now we can move forward _ that would be beneficial both to the country and the president, politically.'"
Yes, let's set the precedent that the executive branch is above the law, that disrespect for the constitution and picking and choosing among the first ten amendments is what we expect from our justice department. That would be beneficial to the president, not just politically. How many criminals get to walk away and just say, "Well, my crimes are in the past and I'm not in a position to commit those particular crimes again. Can't we just say the past is over and move on?"
"'Both for policy and political reasons, it would not be beneficial to spend a lot of time hauling people up before Congress or before grand juries and going over what went on,' Litt said at a Brookings Institution discussion about Obama's legal policy. 'To as great of an extent we can say, the last eight years are over, now we can move forward _ that would be beneficial both to the country and the president, politically.'"
Yes, let's set the precedent that the executive branch is above the law, that disrespect for the constitution and picking and choosing among the first ten amendments is what we expect from our justice department. That would be beneficial to the president, not just politically. How many criminals get to walk away and just say, "Well, my crimes are in the past and I'm not in a position to commit those particular crimes again. Can't we just say the past is over and move on?"
Monday, November 17, 2008
Lieberman again...
yeah, so I'm crazy...
BECK: But do you agree that Senator Hatch said to me that if we don’t at least have the firewall of the filibuster in the Senate that in many ways America will not survive?
LIEBERMAN: Well, I hope it’s not like that, but I fear.
o.k... so unless Lieberman is a lying opportunist it is his moral responsibility to leave the democratic caucus if by staying in the caucus he would give the democrats a 60 seat majority.
If the dems win the remaining senate seats we need to all call Lieberman's office to make sure he will leave the caucus - otherwise I fear America will not survive.
BECK: But do you agree that Senator Hatch said to me that if we don’t at least have the firewall of the filibuster in the Senate that in many ways America will not survive?
LIEBERMAN: Well, I hope it’s not like that, but I fear.
o.k... so unless Lieberman is a lying opportunist it is his moral responsibility to leave the democratic caucus if by staying in the caucus he would give the democrats a 60 seat majority.
If the dems win the remaining senate seats we need to all call Lieberman's office to make sure he will leave the caucus - otherwise I fear America will not survive.
Hollywood Out Of Step With American Morals: Poll
Hollywood Out Of Step With American Morals: Poll
Are these people socialists? obviously the market dictates what hollywood produces, right? so to argue against the cultural products of the industry is to attack America and I for one won't stand for it. Surely they don't trust Big Government to regulate Hollywood?
and this, ladies and germs, is how we split the American right.
Are these people socialists? obviously the market dictates what hollywood produces, right? so to argue against the cultural products of the industry is to attack America and I for one won't stand for it. Surely they don't trust Big Government to regulate Hollywood?
and this, ladies and germs, is how we split the American right.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly:
"Lieberman, whose committee is responsible for investigating government, declined to hold hearings on the response to Katrina, saying he didn't want to 'play gotcha'. Likewise, he didn't want to investigate Blackwater or other Iraq contractors. As far as the oversight part of his committee chairmanship, he was missing in action.
Oversight matters. It mattered during the Bush administration, and it will matter during an Obama administration. (Naturally, I'd be happier if Obama simply never made any mistakes, but I'm not counting on it, and so I want to have a backup plan.) Since Lieberman has shown no signs of wanting to exercise this function, he should not chair the committee responsible for it. Democrats should not be agonizing over this choice; they should be delighted that they have an excuse to remove a dysfunctional chair from an important committee."
"Lieberman, whose committee is responsible for investigating government, declined to hold hearings on the response to Katrina, saying he didn't want to 'play gotcha'. Likewise, he didn't want to investigate Blackwater or other Iraq contractors. As far as the oversight part of his committee chairmanship, he was missing in action.
Oversight matters. It mattered during the Bush administration, and it will matter during an Obama administration. (Naturally, I'd be happier if Obama simply never made any mistakes, but I'm not counting on it, and so I want to have a backup plan.) Since Lieberman has shown no signs of wanting to exercise this function, he should not chair the committee responsible for it. Democrats should not be agonizing over this choice; they should be delighted that they have an excuse to remove a dysfunctional chair from an important committee."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Setting a precedent... Lieberman
The Washington Monthly: "One other angle that I haven't seen discussed much is the notion of establishing a bad precedent. In 1964, Rep. John Bell Williams (D) of Mississippi and Rep. Albert Watson (D) of South Carolina both endorsed Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign, and both were punished by losing their seniority. Four years later, Rep. John Rarick (D) of Louisiana endorsed George Wallace's presidential campaign, and the party stripped him of his committee seniority, too.
In other words, what Lieberman is asking for here is special treatment. Worse, he's asking for special treatment he hasn't earned, as evidenced by his awful two-year tenure as the chairman of the committee he wants to keep."
In other words, what Lieberman is asking for here is special treatment. Worse, he's asking for special treatment he hasn't earned, as evidenced by his awful two-year tenure as the chairman of the committee he wants to keep."
Monday, November 10, 2008
Lieberman's Empty Promises - The Daily Beast
This man should not be in the democratic caucus.
Lieberman's Empty Promises - The Daily Beast:
"Lieberman subsequently told the New Haven Register that he opposed legislation that would have required all publicly funded hospitals to provide Plan B contraception to rape victims, saying 'it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital' (for which he earned himself the sobriquet 'Short Ride.')"
Lieberman's Empty Promises - The Daily Beast:
"Lieberman subsequently told the New Haven Register that he opposed legislation that would have required all publicly funded hospitals to provide Plan B contraception to rape victims, saying 'it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital' (for which he earned himself the sobriquet 'Short Ride.')"
Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Obama for America: 2008 Victory T-shirt
Got an e-mail with this plea in it today:
Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Obama for America: 2008 Victory T-shirt:
"The Democratic National Committee poured all of its resources into building our successful 50-state field program. And they played a crucial role in helping Barack win in unlikely states like North Carolina and Indiana. We even picked up an electoral vote in Nebraska."
what they aren't saying in this plea for funds is this
"...the DNC organizers who implement the 50 state strategy are about to be let go. Apparently they will be laid off at the end of the month, and the new DNC chair will decide whether he or she wants to continue the 50 state policy."
http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/07/50-state-strategy-being-killed-by-letting-the-organizers-go/
If they want my money I need a to be told the 50 state strategy will continue - that it is the future of the Democratic Party.
that is all.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Obama for America: 2008 Victory T-shirt:
"The Democratic National Committee poured all of its resources into building our successful 50-state field program. And they played a crucial role in helping Barack win in unlikely states like North Carolina and Indiana. We even picked up an electoral vote in Nebraska."
what they aren't saying in this plea for funds is this
"...the DNC organizers who implement the 50 state strategy are about to be let go. Apparently they will be laid off at the end of the month, and the new DNC chair will decide whether he or she wants to continue the 50 state policy."
http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/07/50-state-strategy-being-killed-by-letting-the-organizers-go/
If they want my money I need a to be told the 50 state strategy will continue - that it is the future of the Democratic Party.
that is all.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Poker Returns to the White House - The Daily Beast
Poker Returns to the White House - The Daily Beast:
"This moved Time magazine to reveal two months later that John McCain is, by contrast, a manic craps player. I was in Las Vegas at the time, for the 2008 World Series of Poker; reached by London’s Sunday Telegraph for comment, I ventured: 'We poker players don't call poker gambling. It’s a game of skill. Craps is an absurd game of luck...only madmen play craps.'"
A brief reminder: OBAMA!
"This moved Time magazine to reveal two months later that John McCain is, by contrast, a manic craps player. I was in Las Vegas at the time, for the 2008 World Series of Poker; reached by London’s Sunday Telegraph for comment, I ventured: 'We poker players don't call poker gambling. It’s a game of skill. Craps is an absurd game of luck...only madmen play craps.'"
A brief reminder: OBAMA!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
America Serves | Change.gov
America Serves | Change.gov:
"The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start."
Lots of policy details at change.gov
still impressed.
"The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start."
Lots of policy details at change.gov
still impressed.
SENSITIVE SOUL- New York Post
SENSITIVE SOUL- New York Post:
"ACTOR/playwright Wallace Shawn blames President Bush for wrecking his love life and causing writer's block."
Hmm... Let me try this -
I've been a crazy bastard the last two years because Bush was president. Obviously that made me all crazy-like and when yr all crazy-like, of course, sometimes you are a bastard.
did that work?
"ACTOR/playwright Wallace Shawn blames President Bush for wrecking his love life and causing writer's block."
Hmm... Let me try this -
I've been a crazy bastard the last two years because Bush was president. Obviously that made me all crazy-like and when yr all crazy-like, of course, sometimes you are a bastard.
did that work?
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
TPM Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Dozens Of Call Center Workers Walk Off Job In Protest Rather Than Read McCain Script Attacking Obama
TPM Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Dozens Of Call Center Workers Walk Off Job In Protest Rather Than Read McCain Script Attacking Obama:
"'We were asked to read something saying [Obama and Democrats] were against protecting children from danger,' this worker said. 'I wouldn't do it. A lot of people left. They thought it was disgusting.'
This worker, too, confirmed sacrificing pay to walk out, saying her supervisor told her: 'If you don't wanna phone it you can just go home for the day.'
The script coincided with this robo-slime call running in other states, but because robocalling is illegal in Indiana it was being read by call center workers."
"'We were asked to read something saying [Obama and Democrats] were against protecting children from danger,' this worker said. 'I wouldn't do it. A lot of people left. They thought it was disgusting.'
This worker, too, confirmed sacrificing pay to walk out, saying her supervisor told her: 'If you don't wanna phone it you can just go home for the day.'
The script coincided with this robo-slime call running in other states, but because robocalling is illegal in Indiana it was being read by call center workers."
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Arriving soon: atheist bus campaign gets off to a flying start |
Arriving soon: atheist bus campaign gets off to a flying start |
World news |
The Guardian: "Churches have responded favourably. The British Methodist church welcomed Dawkins's 'continued interest' in God, encouraging people to think about the issue. The Church of England said it would defend the right of any group representing a religious or philosophical position to promote that view through appropriate channels.
A spokesman added: 'Christian belief is not about worrying or not enjoying life. Quite the opposite: our faith liberates us to put this life into a proper perspective."
World news |
The Guardian: "Churches have responded favourably. The British Methodist church welcomed Dawkins's 'continued interest' in God, encouraging people to think about the issue. The Church of England said it would defend the right of any group representing a religious or philosophical position to promote that view through appropriate channels.
A spokesman added: 'Christian belief is not about worrying or not enjoying life. Quite the opposite: our faith liberates us to put this life into a proper perspective."
Ariane Sherine: All aboard the atheist bus campaign |
Ariane Sherine: All aboard the atheist bus campaign |
Comment is free |
guardian.co.uk: "The atheist bus campaign launches today thanks to Comment is free readers. Because of your enthusiastic response to the idea of a reassuring God-free advert being used to counter religious advertising, the slogan 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' could now become an ad campaign on London buses – and leading secularists have jumped on board to help us raise the money."
Stand proud fellow Humanists!
or something like that.
It has been a good year for atheists.
Religulous, Dawkins, Hitchens, and now this...
at least we are getting our message out.
Comment is free |
guardian.co.uk: "The atheist bus campaign launches today thanks to Comment is free readers. Because of your enthusiastic response to the idea of a reassuring God-free advert being used to counter religious advertising, the slogan 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' could now become an ad campaign on London buses – and leading secularists have jumped on board to help us raise the money."
Stand proud fellow Humanists!
or something like that.
It has been a good year for atheists.
Religulous, Dawkins, Hitchens, and now this...
at least we are getting our message out.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Carl Bernstein: Ayers and the McCain-G. Gordon Liddy Symbiosis
Carl Bernstein: Ayers and the McCain-G. Gordon Liddy Symbiosis:
"During the same period that Bill Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, Gordon Liddy was making plans to firebomb a Washington think tank, assassinate a prominent journalist, undertake the Watergate burglary, break into the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, and kidnap anti-war protesters at the 1972 Republican convention."
"During the same period that Bill Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, Gordon Liddy was making plans to firebomb a Washington think tank, assassinate a prominent journalist, undertake the Watergate burglary, break into the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist, and kidnap anti-war protesters at the 1972 Republican convention."
Johann Hari: My Interview with G. Gordon Liddy
Johann Hari: My Interview with G. Gordon Liddy:
"Despite his disgrace, one of Liddy's ideas is still at the heart of US policy today. He is one of the godfather of America's 'War on Drugs' - a wild rampage that continues to rip through the globe from Afghanistan to Colombia today. Liddy drafted the ideas for the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1971, and used it as an excuse to extend his gangster politics to Mexico and Turkey, amongst others. He describes him plans as 'an exercise in international extortion, pure, simple and effective.' The 'War on Drugs' continues in proud Liddy-style today. Only the last adjective - 'effective' - was never true. Predictably, he says the only problem with the 'War on Drugs' today is that it is too soft. 'We have stopped prosecuting minor drug offences in the US.' Really? The one million black men in jail or on parole for drug offences today might think differently. 'No, we need to fight this war much harder,' he says vaguely."
"Despite his disgrace, one of Liddy's ideas is still at the heart of US policy today. He is one of the godfather of America's 'War on Drugs' - a wild rampage that continues to rip through the globe from Afghanistan to Colombia today. Liddy drafted the ideas for the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1971, and used it as an excuse to extend his gangster politics to Mexico and Turkey, amongst others. He describes him plans as 'an exercise in international extortion, pure, simple and effective.' The 'War on Drugs' continues in proud Liddy-style today. Only the last adjective - 'effective' - was never true. Predictably, he says the only problem with the 'War on Drugs' today is that it is too soft. 'We have stopped prosecuting minor drug offences in the US.' Really? The one million black men in jail or on parole for drug offences today might think differently. 'No, we need to fight this war much harder,' he says vaguely."
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Battlestar Galactica: 7 Deleted Scenes From Galactica's Fourth Season Answer Some Burning Questions
Battlestar Galactica: 7 Deleted Scenes From Galactica's Fourth Season Answer Some Burning Questions:
"'Toaster' Is An Ugly Word"
that is a t-shirt i would buy.
"'Toaster' Is An Ugly Word"
that is a t-shirt i would buy.
Monday, October 06, 2008
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly:
"Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever befriended a convicted felon who advised his supporters on how best to shoot federal officials in the head. John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever used the money of a convicted criminal to help them buy their house. John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever befriended a radical televangelist who has lashed out at the Roman Catholic Church, calling it, among other things, 'the great whore' and 'a false cult system.' John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever sought economic advice from a far-right former lawmaker who 'has diminished American solvency and power beyond the wildest dreams of anti-American terrorists.' John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever befriended a radical televangelist who blamed the attacks of Sept. 11 on Americans. John McCain has."
"Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever befriended a convicted felon who advised his supporters on how best to shoot federal officials in the head. John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever used the money of a convicted criminal to help them buy their house. John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever befriended a radical televangelist who has lashed out at the Roman Catholic Church, calling it, among other things, 'the great whore' and 'a false cult system.' John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever sought economic advice from a far-right former lawmaker who 'has diminished American solvency and power beyond the wildest dreams of anti-American terrorists.' John McCain has.
Americans need to ask themselves if they've ever befriended a radical televangelist who blamed the attacks of Sept. 11 on Americans. John McCain has."
Sunday, October 05, 2008
PsyBlog: How to Improve Your Self-Control
PsyBlog: How to Improve Your Self-Control:
"Temptation comes in many forms, often so potent, so animal, that it seems impossible to resist."
"Temptation comes in many forms, often so potent, so animal, that it seems impossible to resist."
Friday, October 03, 2008
Grigori Rasputin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grigori Rasputin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"Rasputin's daughter, Maria Rasputin (Matryona Rasputina) (1889–1977), emigrated to France after the October Revolution, and then to the U.S. There she worked as a dancer and then a tiger-trainer in a circus. She left memoirs[14] about her father, wherein she painted an almost saintly picture of him, insisting that most of the negative stories were based on slander and the misinterpretations of facts by his enemies."
"Rasputin's daughter, Maria Rasputin (Matryona Rasputina) (1889–1977), emigrated to France after the October Revolution, and then to the U.S. There she worked as a dancer and then a tiger-trainer in a circus. She left memoirs[14] about her father, wherein she painted an almost saintly picture of him, insisting that most of the negative stories were based on slander and the misinterpretations of facts by his enemies."
Grigori Rasputin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grigori Rasputin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"According to Rasputin's daughter, Maria, Rasputin did 'look into' the Khlysty sect but rejected it. One Khlyst practice was known as 'rejoicing' (радение), a ritual which sought to overcome human sexual urges by engaging in group sexual activities so that, in consciously sinning together, the sin's power over the human was nullified.[11] Rasputin is said to have been particularly appalled by the belief that grace is found through self-flagellation."
"According to Rasputin's daughter, Maria, Rasputin did 'look into' the Khlysty sect but rejected it. One Khlyst practice was known as 'rejoicing' (радение), a ritual which sought to overcome human sexual urges by engaging in group sexual activities so that, in consciously sinning together, the sin's power over the human was nullified.[11] Rasputin is said to have been particularly appalled by the belief that grace is found through self-flagellation."
The Home of Rasputin
The Home of Rasputin:
"Tsar of the land of Russia, if you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Grigory has been killed, you must know this: if it was your relations who have wrought my death then no one of your family, that is to say, none of your children or relations will remain alive for more than two years. They will be killed by the Russian people...I shall be killed. I am no longer among the living. Pray, pray, be strong, think of your blessed family."
"Tsar of the land of Russia, if you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Grigory has been killed, you must know this: if it was your relations who have wrought my death then no one of your family, that is to say, none of your children or relations will remain alive for more than two years. They will be killed by the Russian people...I shall be killed. I am no longer among the living. Pray, pray, be strong, think of your blessed family."
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly:
"Homosexuality: Couric asked about her church sponsoring a conference about making gay people straight through prayer. Palin said she didn't know if prayer could change a person's sexual orientation, adding, 'I have one of my absolute best friends for the last 30 years happens to be gay, and I love her dearly. And she is not my 'gay friend,' she is one of my best friends, who happens to have made a choice that isn't a choice I would have made.' (In other words, Palin believes sexual orientation is a 'choice' people make?)"
"Homosexuality: Couric asked about her church sponsoring a conference about making gay people straight through prayer. Palin said she didn't know if prayer could change a person's sexual orientation, adding, 'I have one of my absolute best friends for the last 30 years happens to be gay, and I love her dearly. And she is not my 'gay friend,' she is one of my best friends, who happens to have made a choice that isn't a choice I would have made.' (In other words, Palin believes sexual orientation is a 'choice' people make?)"
Monday, September 29, 2008
one more thing...
be sure to tell remind everyone
this whole economic meltdown
this is Reagan's legacy
this whole economic meltdown
this is Reagan's legacy
life lessons
mom told me
anybody
can get over
anything
mental
no sympathy
for those
who can't go on
after all
she got over
the divorce
dad told me
he smoked for years
when he was married to mom
because he didn't care
if he lived
or died
they were good parents
anybody
can get over
anything
mental
no sympathy
for those
who can't go on
after all
she got over
the divorce
dad told me
he smoked for years
when he was married to mom
because he didn't care
if he lived
or died
they were good parents
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Mikhail Bakunin - Wikiquote
Mikhail Bakunin - Wikiquote:
"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick.'"
"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick.'"
Mikhail Bakunin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mikhail Bakunin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"By 'liberty', Bakunin did not mean an abstract ideal but a concrete reality based on the equal liberty of others. In a positive sense, liberty consists of 'the fullest development of all the faculties and powers of every human being, by education, by scientific training, and by material prosperity.' Such a conception of liberty is 'eminently social, because it can only be realized in society,' not in isolation. In a negative sense, liberty is 'the revolt of the individual against all divine, collective, and individual authority.'"
"By 'liberty', Bakunin did not mean an abstract ideal but a concrete reality based on the equal liberty of others. In a positive sense, liberty consists of 'the fullest development of all the faculties and powers of every human being, by education, by scientific training, and by material prosperity.' Such a conception of liberty is 'eminently social, because it can only be realized in society,' not in isolation. In a negative sense, liberty is 'the revolt of the individual against all divine, collective, and individual authority.'"
Anarchism: Arguments for and against -- by Albert Meltzer
Anarchism: Arguments for and against -- by Albert Meltzer:
"The Anarchists can as individuals or in groups press for reforms but as Anarchists they seek to change minds and attitudes, not to pass laws. When minds are changed, laws become obsolete and, sooner or later, law enforcers are unable to operate them. Prohibition in America, the Poll Tax in Britain, are instances. At that point the law has to adapt itself to public opinion."
"The Anarchists can as individuals or in groups press for reforms but as Anarchists they seek to change minds and attitudes, not to pass laws. When minds are changed, laws become obsolete and, sooner or later, law enforcers are unable to operate them. Prohibition in America, the Poll Tax in Britain, are instances. At that point the law has to adapt itself to public opinion."
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly:
"McCain, in other words, apparently wants to call a time-out. I don't blame him, necessarily, but here's the thing: presidents don't get to call time-outs. They don't get to put some responsibilities on hold while they tend to other responsibilities. They need to be resilient, and put their duties ahead of the distractions and fatigue."
"McCain, in other words, apparently wants to call a time-out. I don't blame him, necessarily, but here's the thing: presidents don't get to call time-outs. They don't get to put some responsibilities on hold while they tend to other responsibilities. They need to be resilient, and put their duties ahead of the distractions and fatigue."
tips for supervillians
1. Be the disaster you wish to see in the world.
2. Consider public office.
3. Let yr actions speak for themselves. Don't be a braggard.
4. Listen to yr inner voices - at least the monstrous ones.
5. When thinking about yr costume - consider green - it is more evil than you think.
more to come...
2. Consider public office.
3. Let yr actions speak for themselves. Don't be a braggard.
4. Listen to yr inner voices - at least the monstrous ones.
5. When thinking about yr costume - consider green - it is more evil than you think.
more to come...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Study: Facebook profiles can be used to detect narcissism
Study: Facebook profiles can be used to detect narcissism:
"Narcissism is a trait of particular interest, Campbell said, because it hampers the ability form healthy, long-term relationships. 'Narcissists might initially be seen as charming, but they end up using people for their own advantage,' Campbell said. 'They hurt the people around them and they hurt themselves in the long run."
"Narcissism is a trait of particular interest, Campbell said, because it hampers the ability form healthy, long-term relationships. 'Narcissists might initially be seen as charming, but they end up using people for their own advantage,' Campbell said. 'They hurt the people around them and they hurt themselves in the long run."
adn.com | Alaska Politics Blog : Green: 'They're attacking nice people, saying things that aren't true.'
adn.com | Alaska Politics Blog : Green: 'They're attacking nice people, saying things that aren't true.':
"Green said she is making calls and exploring whether she could call the Senate back into session to either instruct the attorney general to change his position, or to order those subpoenaed under the Legislative investigation to honor that call. Whether the Republican-controlled House would go along is another question."
I'm pretty sure that if I ignored a subpoena that I would go to jail.
"Green said she is making calls and exploring whether she could call the Senate back into session to either instruct the attorney general to change his position, or to order those subpoenaed under the Legislative investigation to honor that call. Whether the Republican-controlled House would go along is another question."
I'm pretty sure that if I ignored a subpoena that I would go to jail.
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly:
"So, Palin vowed to cooperate with the legislature's investigation. Then she decided she wanted to be the vice president, broke her word, and decided to stonewall. As an alternative, though, Palin is perfectly content to cooperate with a parallel investigation from the state personnel board -- every member of which just happens to serve at the will of the governor."
"So, Palin vowed to cooperate with the legislature's investigation. Then she decided she wanted to be the vice president, broke her word, and decided to stonewall. As an alternative, though, Palin is perfectly content to cooperate with a parallel investigation from the state personnel board -- every member of which just happens to serve at the will of the governor."
TPMCafe | Talking Points Memo | The Bailout To End All Bailouts
TPMCafe | Talking Points Memo | The Bailout To End All Bailouts:
"Bailing out Wall Street's bad debts when millions more Americans can't pay their bills is like bailing out a rowboat springing more leaks while the ocean is rising. Many of the average taxpayers being asked to take on Wall Street's bad loans are the same people whose incomes are dropping, which means they're struggling to pay their debts and potentially creating even more bad loans."
"Bailing out Wall Street's bad debts when millions more Americans can't pay their bills is like bailing out a rowboat springing more leaks while the ocean is rising. Many of the average taxpayers being asked to take on Wall Street's bad loans are the same people whose incomes are dropping, which means they're struggling to pay their debts and potentially creating even more bad loans."
Monday, September 22, 2008
Laura Flanders: An Economic Coup?
Laura Flanders: An Economic Coup?:
"The oligarchs in Bolivia used bullets and batons to undermine democracy. Here the weapons look like bailouts and blank checks, but the end goal is the same: Put the economy in a vice and you've tied the hands of whomever's in office. You, the voter, may not vote for the team that promises -- as the GOP service-cutters have promised -- to shrink the Treasury to a puddle that can be drowned in a bathtub. But no matter, your candidate gets the keys to the Treasury and - presto, the Treasury is bare."
Some will rob you with a six gun,
others with a fountain pen.
Paulson's plan makes me insane with anger.
insane.
boiling
bubbling
seething
anger
"The oligarchs in Bolivia used bullets and batons to undermine democracy. Here the weapons look like bailouts and blank checks, but the end goal is the same: Put the economy in a vice and you've tied the hands of whomever's in office. You, the voter, may not vote for the team that promises -- as the GOP service-cutters have promised -- to shrink the Treasury to a puddle that can be drowned in a bathtub. But no matter, your candidate gets the keys to the Treasury and - presto, the Treasury is bare."
Some will rob you with a six gun,
others with a fountain pen.
Paulson's plan makes me insane with anger.
insane.
boiling
bubbling
seething
anger
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