"You can't say 'Please don't be mean to me. Please let me win sometimes.' Give me a break here. If you don't want to fight for the future and you can't figure out how to beat these people then find something else to do."
-Bill Clinton, at the 10th annual Texas Book Festival.
10.31.2005
The Vent from the AJC
Monday
For Scooter, the wheels have come off.
Patrick Fitzgerald for Supreme Court justice!
Scooter Libby now qualifies as a Fox News commentator.
Let’s compare: committing treason for political retribution while leading the country into war under false pretenses, vs. trying to avoid direct answers about an illicit affair with an intern.
It looks like the oil companies will be able to afford the next round of presidential campaign contributions.
If you vote for a used car salesman as a legislator, you deserve what you get.
For Scooter, the wheels have come off.
Patrick Fitzgerald for Supreme Court justice!
Scooter Libby now qualifies as a Fox News commentator.
Let’s compare: committing treason for political retribution while leading the country into war under false pretenses, vs. trying to avoid direct answers about an illicit affair with an intern.
It looks like the oil companies will be able to afford the next round of presidential campaign contributions.
If you vote for a used car salesman as a legislator, you deserve what you get.
10.30.2005
Resisting the Ideology of Fear
Tariq Ramadan is a senior research fellow at the Lokahi Foundation in London, and currently a visiting professor at Oxford’s St. Antony’s College. He recently wrote a syndicated article titled, “Resisting the Ideology of Fear.” Here are a few excerpts from that article:
“Global terrorism and the global war against terrorism both fuel, in equal and pernicious ways, the global ideology of fear.
“The upkeep and feeding of the “ideology of fear” has become a political weapon, particularly as part of the opportunistic strategies of the great economic powers of the day.
“Terror is a fact, not an ideology, and the killing of innocent people must be condemned with no exception. It is the ideological use of its consequences that is problematic.”
“Our very conception of humanity and life are at stake. Far more than simple politics, this new ideology is the challenge of our times.
“Today’s most urgent task is to bring together women and men from all backgrounds, from all convictions and religions, in the name of the common universal principles of the dignity of human beings and of the critical spirit. To overcome the ideology of fear, to loosen the grip of the emotions, requires a demanding critical intelligence, and a sense of ethics of debate, or receptivity. Some will identify these qualities with belief and spirituality, others with their conscience alone. But each one will understand them as the necessary imperative qualities of his or her humanity.”
“Global terrorism and the global war against terrorism both fuel, in equal and pernicious ways, the global ideology of fear.
“The upkeep and feeding of the “ideology of fear” has become a political weapon, particularly as part of the opportunistic strategies of the great economic powers of the day.
“Terror is a fact, not an ideology, and the killing of innocent people must be condemned with no exception. It is the ideological use of its consequences that is problematic.”
“Our very conception of humanity and life are at stake. Far more than simple politics, this new ideology is the challenge of our times.
“Today’s most urgent task is to bring together women and men from all backgrounds, from all convictions and religions, in the name of the common universal principles of the dignity of human beings and of the critical spirit. To overcome the ideology of fear, to loosen the grip of the emotions, requires a demanding critical intelligence, and a sense of ethics of debate, or receptivity. Some will identify these qualities with belief and spirituality, others with their conscience alone. But each one will understand them as the necessary imperative qualities of his or her humanity.”
10.28.2005
Obscene profits
This morning on The Today Show they reported that while many Americans were paying those high prices at the gas pump, the oil companies like Exxon-Mobil were raking in the big bucks. During the 3rd quarter alone they raked in $100 billion dollars while Shell brought in $76.4 billion.
What's the oil execs response to all this money that they're making?
“We are capturing the benefits of high oil and gas prices and refining margins,” said Shell Chief Financial Officer Peter Voser.
Makes you proud to be an American doesn't it?
What's the oil execs response to all this money that they're making?
“We are capturing the benefits of high oil and gas prices and refining margins,” said Shell Chief Financial Officer Peter Voser.
Makes you proud to be an American doesn't it?
The ball is white and so are the players
Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her seat on a public bus in 1955 and thus helped accelerate the American civil rights movement, died earlier this week. Since her courageous act of civil disobedience African-Americans have made great strides in attaining equal rights in American society. Professional sports – a domain once ruled solely by white athletes – has been energized in recent decades by the infusion of talented African-Americans.
However, at this year's baseball World Series we saw a rather disturbing exception to this trend. The Houston Astros were the first World Series team since 1953 - two years before Rosa Parks made headlines - to field a team without an African-Americans player. The other series team, the Chicago White Sox, only had three blacks on their post-season roster. The composition of baseball teams changes frequently during the season, but there were times this year when - in addition to Houston - Boston, Seattle, Baltimore, Colorado, and even Atlanta, had no active African-American players on their roster (this does not include "black" Hispanic players). Yet over in Minnesota, a state with a negligible minority population, the Twins boasted a self-dubbed "Soul Patrol" outfield of three black players.
Make what you want with that trivia, but there is no denying that a definite "color drain" is occurring in professional baseball. Thirty years ago, 27 percent of major league baseball players were African-American. By 1995 that total had slipped to 19 percent. This year it dropped way down to 9 percent. In the college ranks, the figure is even worse, at less than 6 percent. By contrast, the number of Hispanic players in pro baseball now stands at 28 percent, and in the past decade the number of Asian players (from Japan, Taiwan and Korea) has increased sharply.
Part of the reason for the decline in black baseball players is due to the "hip factor." Baseball, to put it simply, is not nearly as appealing to American black youth as is NBA basketball or even NFL football. The percentage of African-American players in those leagues reflects that popularity; in the NBA about 80 percent of the players are black, and in the NFL it's over 65 percent.
On the other end of the pro sports spectrum, there is that last bastion of good old white boys: professional golf. On the men's tour, the only African-American is Tiger Woods, but he is actually half-Thai. Vijay Singh is also "dark-skinned" but he's from Fiji so he really doesn't count either. Like baseball, pro golf wasn't always so pale. Back in the 1970s the PGA tour sported high-profile black players such as Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Jim Dent, Jim Thorpe, and Calvin Peete.
"There's a perception among African-American kids that they're not welcome here, that baseball is not for inner city kids," said hall of fame member Joe Morgan. "It's a daunting task to get African-American kids into baseball, and I don't see the trend changing."
Is it a coincidence that both baseball and golf use white balls?
However, at this year's baseball World Series we saw a rather disturbing exception to this trend. The Houston Astros were the first World Series team since 1953 - two years before Rosa Parks made headlines - to field a team without an African-Americans player. The other series team, the Chicago White Sox, only had three blacks on their post-season roster. The composition of baseball teams changes frequently during the season, but there were times this year when - in addition to Houston - Boston, Seattle, Baltimore, Colorado, and even Atlanta, had no active African-American players on their roster (this does not include "black" Hispanic players). Yet over in Minnesota, a state with a negligible minority population, the Twins boasted a self-dubbed "Soul Patrol" outfield of three black players.
Make what you want with that trivia, but there is no denying that a definite "color drain" is occurring in professional baseball. Thirty years ago, 27 percent of major league baseball players were African-American. By 1995 that total had slipped to 19 percent. This year it dropped way down to 9 percent. In the college ranks, the figure is even worse, at less than 6 percent. By contrast, the number of Hispanic players in pro baseball now stands at 28 percent, and in the past decade the number of Asian players (from Japan, Taiwan and Korea) has increased sharply.
Part of the reason for the decline in black baseball players is due to the "hip factor." Baseball, to put it simply, is not nearly as appealing to American black youth as is NBA basketball or even NFL football. The percentage of African-American players in those leagues reflects that popularity; in the NBA about 80 percent of the players are black, and in the NFL it's over 65 percent.
On the other end of the pro sports spectrum, there is that last bastion of good old white boys: professional golf. On the men's tour, the only African-American is Tiger Woods, but he is actually half-Thai. Vijay Singh is also "dark-skinned" but he's from Fiji so he really doesn't count either. Like baseball, pro golf wasn't always so pale. Back in the 1970s the PGA tour sported high-profile black players such as Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Jim Dent, Jim Thorpe, and Calvin Peete.
"There's a perception among African-American kids that they're not welcome here, that baseball is not for inner city kids," said hall of fame member Joe Morgan. "It's a daunting task to get African-American kids into baseball, and I don't see the trend changing."
Is it a coincidence that both baseball and golf use white balls?
Luckovich 10/28/2005
Mike Luckovich, Atlanta's premier political cartoonist, has a new blog. It's really a forum in which people are asked to comment on his cartoons. He's getting his share of snarky wingnut comments and they always seem to be from the same small group of braindead locals. The majority of the comments are from folks who actually have a brain and agree with Mike's commentary.
Have a look and post a comment or two.
Mike Luckovich/AJC
Don't ask, don't tell
A federation helmsman has disclosed the fact that he is gay. It sucks that our society is so uncivilized that he felt the need to hide his sexual orientation nearly his entire life.
George Takei Discloses His Homosexuality
Doin' the Bush Boogie Woogie
"Thousands upon thousands are suffering and dying in Iraq while, in Washington, incompetence continues its macabre marathon dance with incoherence."
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert
10.27.2005
A call from Iraq
As you can tell I haven't had much time to contribute to Wild Sects except to pass on a couple of interesting items. I hope to be back up to speed soon.
In the meantime here's another item that brought tears to my eyes. It was written by a mother whose son is in Iraq.
Go read it.
In the meantime here's another item that brought tears to my eyes. It was written by a mother whose son is in Iraq.
Go read it.
10.26.2005
I see dead people
If you are at all interested in photography you should find this site interesting. This guy develops old film that he finds in some of the vintage cameras he buys. Many of them more than 50 years old. A strange thought crossed my mind as I viewed the photographs. Hence the title of this post.
Argus
10.23.2005
You eat what ?!
Thailand is among the many countries in Southeast Asia that are closely monitoring the avian influenza, or “bird flu”, situation. Authorities and medical professionals are hoping that the virus does not mutate and spread from poultry to other animals, or in a worse case scenario, humans.
Even after a farmer died in the Thai city of Kanchanaburi (famous for being the location of the real "Bridge on the River Kwai") this week, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra did his best to downplay fears about human-to-human transmission of the virus.
“It’s okay to eat well-cooked chicken,” the PM assured the Thai public. “Uncooked chicken is dangerous, including excrement of infected chickens.”
Excrement? Man, the PM sure has some bizarre eating habits! But maybe that explains why I see “Fried Crap” listed on some local restaurant menus.
Even after a farmer died in the Thai city of Kanchanaburi (famous for being the location of the real "Bridge on the River Kwai") this week, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra did his best to downplay fears about human-to-human transmission of the virus.
“It’s okay to eat well-cooked chicken,” the PM assured the Thai public. “Uncooked chicken is dangerous, including excrement of infected chickens.”
Excrement? Man, the PM sure has some bizarre eating habits! But maybe that explains why I see “Fried Crap” listed on some local restaurant menus.
10.22.2005
What do these newspaper editorials have in common?
The right-wing manure spreader is at full capacity.
Appeal-Democrat - Marysville-Yuba City, CA
The Daily News - Jacksonville, NC
The Free Press - Kinston, NC
The Colorado Gazette - Colorado Springs, CO
All of them are unsigned editorials, which makes it look like they're original opinion pieces for each paper. (The Colorado Gazette even says it's "our view.")
It's amazing that newspapers from California, Colorado, and North Carolina could be channeling, simultaneously and in complete harmony, the Bush administration line for cutting wages for workers rebuilding the Gulf Coast.
Disaster Fatigue
The world has experienced several horrible natural disasters this past year. The devastating earthquake this month in the Kashmir region of Pakistan and India was the latest to capture our attention. But is the public becoming desensitized by these seemingly endless series of heartbreaking tragedies? Has “disaster fatigue” overwhelmed us all?
In a syndicated article this week, Susan Moeller a university professor and author of Compassion Fatigue, says that the media and the focus of its news coverage play a huge role in determining how the public reacts to these events. In the past, she says, the media thought of most natural disasters as “simple emergencies” that had a relatively short duration. “This all seemed to justify hit-and-run reporting," she writes. "Cover the drama and leave the clean-up for the experts.”
But that mindset, Moeller feels, has changed. After witnessing the social upheaval caused by the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, the media have come to the realization that what they have been covering are actually far more “complex” events.
“This newest global calamity is not just another ‘simple’ disaster,” stresses Moeller. “It is a complex emergency that is, and will turn out to be, about much more than the obliteration of homes and schools and roads and bridges. The earthquake in Pakistan, like the hurricane along the Gulf Coast and the Asian tsunami, will be found to have shattered a government’s carefully erected constructions about the responsibility it takes for its citizens. How Pakistan, Asia and the United States use these emergencies to rebuild not just infrastructure, but also social, political and diplomatic relationships, will be a story worth covering and a story worth watching.”
In a syndicated article this week, Susan Moeller a university professor and author of Compassion Fatigue, says that the media and the focus of its news coverage play a huge role in determining how the public reacts to these events. In the past, she says, the media thought of most natural disasters as “simple emergencies” that had a relatively short duration. “This all seemed to justify hit-and-run reporting," she writes. "Cover the drama and leave the clean-up for the experts.”
But that mindset, Moeller feels, has changed. After witnessing the social upheaval caused by the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, the media have come to the realization that what they have been covering are actually far more “complex” events.
“This newest global calamity is not just another ‘simple’ disaster,” stresses Moeller. “It is a complex emergency that is, and will turn out to be, about much more than the obliteration of homes and schools and roads and bridges. The earthquake in Pakistan, like the hurricane along the Gulf Coast and the Asian tsunami, will be found to have shattered a government’s carefully erected constructions about the responsibility it takes for its citizens. How Pakistan, Asia and the United States use these emergencies to rebuild not just infrastructure, but also social, political and diplomatic relationships, will be a story worth covering and a story worth watching.”
10.21.2005
Swamp City
The Thai government announced this week that it will create a special city – an entirely separate province, actually – surrounding the new Bangkok airport, which is scheduled to open in 2006. The plans for this new town, to be called Nakhon Suvarnabhumi, are ambitious to say the least. The planners envision a “water city” and “logistics center” that will be 816 square kilometers in size. It will be constructed amidst a vast network of canals, much like what Bangkok was comprised of over a century ago.
But, like most grandiose government plans, there are many logistical problems to overcome. The biggest hurdle is the geography of the area itself: over ninety percent of the area that is designated to be “Bangkok’s twin city” is composed of freshwater lakes and swampland. In fact, the land where the airport was built is known as “Cobra Swamp.” Just great, huh? Fasten your seat belts, don’t leave your bag unattended, and watch where you step.
Not surprisingly, environmentalists are alarmed at the idea, citing “inappropriate land use” in an environmentally sensitive area. The headline in Thursday’s The Nation newspaper said simply: Dream City called Flood Nightmare.
“The idea to create a new city is an idea to flood Bangkok,” was the blunt assessment from respected local architect Sumet Jumsai. Like many, he fears that further construction in the area will impede water flow and increase the likelihood of flooding in nearby Bangkok, home to over 10 million people.
The “experts” involved in this mega-project should remember what can happen in low-lying flood-prone areas. Just ask the folks over in New Orleans.
But, like most grandiose government plans, there are many logistical problems to overcome. The biggest hurdle is the geography of the area itself: over ninety percent of the area that is designated to be “Bangkok’s twin city” is composed of freshwater lakes and swampland. In fact, the land where the airport was built is known as “Cobra Swamp.” Just great, huh? Fasten your seat belts, don’t leave your bag unattended, and watch where you step.
Not surprisingly, environmentalists are alarmed at the idea, citing “inappropriate land use” in an environmentally sensitive area. The headline in Thursday’s The Nation newspaper said simply: Dream City called Flood Nightmare.
“The idea to create a new city is an idea to flood Bangkok,” was the blunt assessment from respected local architect Sumet Jumsai. Like many, he fears that further construction in the area will impede water flow and increase the likelihood of flooding in nearby Bangkok, home to over 10 million people.
The “experts” involved in this mega-project should remember what can happen in low-lying flood-prone areas. Just ask the folks over in New Orleans.
10.20.2005
Joke of the Day
I don't advocate violence against anyone. Not even Bush but this joke is funny.
President Bush was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the President if he would like to lead
the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".
One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," said Bush, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50
children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained the president. "That's what we would call a great loss."
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Bush searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room a small boy (Lil Johnny) raised his hand. In a quiet voice he said: "If Air Force One carrying you and Mrs.Bush was struck by a "friendly fire" missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
Fantastic!" exclaimed Bush. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?"
"Well," says Lil Johnny, "It has to be a tragedy, because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."
Thanks to Suzy
President Bush was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the President if he would like to lead
the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".
One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy."
"No," said Bush, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50
children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not," explained the president. "That's what we would call a great loss."
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Bush searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"
Finally at the back of the room a small boy (Lil Johnny) raised his hand. In a quiet voice he said: "If Air Force One carrying you and Mrs.Bush was struck by a "friendly fire" missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
Fantastic!" exclaimed Bush. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?"
"Well," says Lil Johnny, "It has to be a tragedy, because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."
Thanks to Suzy
10.19.2005
Most military personnel vote Republican, why?
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has reneged on its offer to pay a $15,000 bonus to members of the National Guard and Army Reserve who agree to extend their enlistments by six years, according to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Seattle)
A Pentagon spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, confirmed the bonuses had been canceled, saying they violated Pentagon policies because they duplicated other programs. She said Guard and Reserve members would be eligible for other bonuses.
Krenke said some soldiers had been paid the re-enlistment bonuses, but she was unsure how many or whether the money would have to be repaid. Murray’s office said that as far as it knew, no active Guard or Reserve members had received the bonuses.
A Pentagon spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, confirmed the bonuses had been canceled, saying they violated Pentagon policies because they duplicated other programs. She said Guard and Reserve members would be eligible for other bonuses.
Krenke said some soldiers had been paid the re-enlistment bonuses, but she was unsure how many or whether the money would have to be repaid. Murray’s office said that as far as it knew, no active Guard or Reserve members had received the bonuses.
This is rich!
Texas Court Issues Warrant for DeLay
By SUZANNE GAMBOA
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A state court issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for Rep. Tom DeLay, requiring him to appear in Texas for booking on state conspiracy and money laundering charges.
DeLay, R-Texas, could be fingerprinted and photographed, although his lawyers had hoped to avoid this step.
Complete story here
By SUZANNE GAMBOAAUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- A state court issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for Rep. Tom DeLay, requiring him to appear in Texas for booking on state conspiracy and money laundering charges.
DeLay, R-Texas, could be fingerprinted and photographed, although his lawyers had hoped to avoid this step.
Complete story here
Dear God by XTC
Download MP3 (3.5 mb)
Dear god,
Hope you got the letter,
And I pray you can make it better down here.
I don’t mean a big reduction in the price of beer,
But all the people that you made in your image,
See them starving on their feet,
’cause they don’t get enough to eat
From god,
I can’t believe in you.
Dear god,
Sorry to disturb you,
But I feel that I should be heard loud and clear.
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears,
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street,
’cause they can’t make opinions meet,
About god,
I can’t believe in you.
Did you make disease, and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too!
Dear god,
Don’t know if you noticed,
But your name is on a lot of quotes in this book.
Us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look,
And all the people that you made in your image,
Still believing that junk is true.
Well I know it ain’t and so do you,
Dear god,
I can’t believe in,
I don’t believe in,
I won’t believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners,
No devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.
You’re always letting us humans down.
The wars you bring, the babes you drown.
Those lost at sea and never found,
And it’s the same the whole world ’round.
The hurt I see helps to compound,
That the father, son and holy ghost,
Is just somebody’s unholy hoax,
And if you’re up there you’ll perceive,
That my heart’s here upon my sleeve.
If there’s one thing I don’t believe in...
It’s you,
Dear god.
Republicans declare open season on DNA
Do you want to keep your DNA out of the hands of the government? Do you think your DNA is too private for you to be forced to give it to government bureaucrats so they can analyze, catalog, share, retain indefinitely and possibly abuse it? Tough shit.
If Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Mark Green (R-Wis.) have their way, every person in this country who is unfortunate enough to be arrested for any federal offense, or simply "detained" by the federal government, will be forced to give a DNA sample, to be used for whatever purpose it wants, whenever it wants.
I can't decide if this is like something right out of 1984 or an idea more likely to be instituted by a communist regime.
Law Would Place DNA of Innocent Arrestees in National Database
If Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Mark Green (R-Wis.) have their way, every person in this country who is unfortunate enough to be arrested for any federal offense, or simply "detained" by the federal government, will be forced to give a DNA sample, to be used for whatever purpose it wants, whenever it wants.
I can't decide if this is like something right out of 1984 or an idea more likely to be instituted by a communist regime.
Law Would Place DNA of Innocent Arrestees in National Database
10.18.2005
Random Thoughts
The Neocons and right wing one party state (I am right and you are wrong therefore you must be silenced and called a traitor) have hijacked the conservative party in the same way terrorists hijacked the Muslims. They follow and believe the same Mantra as Hermann Goering.
______________________________________________________
Perhaps we should stop calling the Republican party the G.O.P. The T.S.B.M would be more accurate: as in (T)here’s a (S)ucker (B)orn every (M)inute. We anti-Bushies aren’t quoting any syncophant’s propaganda. We say what we think. You neo-cons may as well be saying “Polly wants a cracker”. You just parrott the same lies we’ve heard over and over from Bush, Cheney, Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Limbaugh, Hannity ad nauseum, ad absurdum.
______________________________________________________
America just doesn’t look right as a third-world, banana republic dictatorship run by a cowardly, war-mongering, semi-literate, power-happy, greedy, faux-Christian puppet.
______________________________________________________
I find it incredibly sad that this country is so horribly divided over politics and religion. Red State/Blue State aside, I thought we all were Americans first and we were supposed to give a damn about one another’s well being as a priority. I also thought this was supposed to be a place where you shouldn't be afraid to speak your mind and heart without being attacked, constantly shouted down and labeled a traitor. Today’s “conservatives” think that being fair and balanced is to follow this president no matter what. They just blatantly shout down and ridicule anyone who disagrees with them. Or smear and undermine people’s lives as payback for not being a neoconservative and trying to stop the rampant corruption. Nothing is sacred any more, not even God.
______________________________________________________
The Bush administration makes me look back fondly upon the days when people had their panties in a twist over a stain on a size 12 blue dress.
______________________________________________________
Perhaps we should stop calling the Republican party the G.O.P. The T.S.B.M would be more accurate: as in (T)here’s a (S)ucker (B)orn every (M)inute. We anti-Bushies aren’t quoting any syncophant’s propaganda. We say what we think. You neo-cons may as well be saying “Polly wants a cracker”. You just parrott the same lies we’ve heard over and over from Bush, Cheney, Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Limbaugh, Hannity ad nauseum, ad absurdum.
______________________________________________________
America just doesn’t look right as a third-world, banana republic dictatorship run by a cowardly, war-mongering, semi-literate, power-happy, greedy, faux-Christian puppet.
______________________________________________________
I find it incredibly sad that this country is so horribly divided over politics and religion. Red State/Blue State aside, I thought we all were Americans first and we were supposed to give a damn about one another’s well being as a priority. I also thought this was supposed to be a place where you shouldn't be afraid to speak your mind and heart without being attacked, constantly shouted down and labeled a traitor. Today’s “conservatives” think that being fair and balanced is to follow this president no matter what. They just blatantly shout down and ridicule anyone who disagrees with them. Or smear and undermine people’s lives as payback for not being a neoconservative and trying to stop the rampant corruption. Nothing is sacred any more, not even God.
______________________________________________________
The Bush administration makes me look back fondly upon the days when people had their panties in a twist over a stain on a size 12 blue dress.
The Vent from the AJC - Triple Header
SUNDAY
Halloween is a celebration of evil, what’s good about that?
When I grow up to be president, I’m going to take those oil company executives out to the woodshed and wear them out.
This winter’s natural gas bill will take about half of my Social Security check each month. Thanks again, Sonny, for deregulating natural gas. It helps the elderly a lot.
(Sonny Perdue is the Republican Governor of Georgia)
MONDAY
Bush going to New Orleans eight times after Hurricane Katrina is like me locking my barn eight times after all of my horses are stolen.
I’m only sad for Republicans because they have dragged the country down with them.
Now that we have religion back in politics, when do we start burning witches at the stake again?
I wish we could see the tape where they trained Bush and told him what questions to ask those troops.
Natural gas deregulation in Georgia was the Democrats’ idea. Enjoy your heating bills this winter.
TUESDAY
It’s pretty sad that Bill Clinton is the best president we’ve had since Eisenhower. What do we have to do to get another FDR?
Cars in Decatur still sport John Kerry bumper stickers because it would be uncivil to replace them with stickers saying “We Told You So.”
Republican Sonny Perdue introduced natural gas deregulation in the Legislature while he pretended to be a Democrat. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Too bad none of the brass at the Pentagon has the courage to tell the strutter-in-chief to stop using the military for photo ops.
Whoever sent the “Halloween is evil” vent is a moron. All Hallows’ Eve originated in the Catholic Church to honor saints in the fifth century.
Halloween is a celebration of evil, what’s good about that?
When I grow up to be president, I’m going to take those oil company executives out to the woodshed and wear them out.
This winter’s natural gas bill will take about half of my Social Security check each month. Thanks again, Sonny, for deregulating natural gas. It helps the elderly a lot.
(Sonny Perdue is the Republican Governor of Georgia)
MONDAY
Bush going to New Orleans eight times after Hurricane Katrina is like me locking my barn eight times after all of my horses are stolen.
I’m only sad for Republicans because they have dragged the country down with them.
Now that we have religion back in politics, when do we start burning witches at the stake again?
I wish we could see the tape where they trained Bush and told him what questions to ask those troops.
Natural gas deregulation in Georgia was the Democrats’ idea. Enjoy your heating bills this winter.
TUESDAY
It’s pretty sad that Bill Clinton is the best president we’ve had since Eisenhower. What do we have to do to get another FDR?
Cars in Decatur still sport John Kerry bumper stickers because it would be uncivil to replace them with stickers saying “We Told You So.”
Republican Sonny Perdue introduced natural gas deregulation in the Legislature while he pretended to be a Democrat. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Too bad none of the brass at the Pentagon has the courage to tell the strutter-in-chief to stop using the military for photo ops.
Whoever sent the “Halloween is evil” vent is a moron. All Hallows’ Eve originated in the Catholic Church to honor saints in the fifth century.
10.16.2005
When God Made Neil Young
Back in the late 1970s, when I was living in Orlando, I used to have a bumper sticker on my car (a Toyota Corolla, if I recall) that said: Neil Young is God. I was a huge Neil Young fan and had all of his albums. When Neil Young announced a concert in Atlanta – about an 8-hour drive away – my friends and I didn’t hesitate to order tickets and drive up for the show.
All those years later, I’m still a big Neil Young fan and buy most everything that he releases. Last month I stumbled upon his new album, Prairie Wind at a small shop in Bangkok. Musically, the album is in the vein of his laid back classics such as Harvest, Harvest Moon, and Comes a Time; lots of mellow songs, acoustic arrangements and introspective lyrics. The closing song, “When God Made Me,” is particularly moving and wise:
Was he thinking about my country
Or the color of my skin?
Was he thinking about my religion
And the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in his image
Or every living thing?Was he planning only for believers
Or for those that just had faith?
Did he envision all the wars
That were fought in his name?
Did he think there was only one way
To be close to him?
Did he give us the gift of love
To say who we could choose?
Did he give me the gift of voice
So some could silence me?
Did he give me the gift of vision
Not knowing what I might see?
Did he give me the gift of compassion
To help my fellow man?
...When God made me…When God made me
All those years later, I’m still a big Neil Young fan and buy most everything that he releases. Last month I stumbled upon his new album, Prairie Wind at a small shop in Bangkok. Musically, the album is in the vein of his laid back classics such as Harvest, Harvest Moon, and Comes a Time; lots of mellow songs, acoustic arrangements and introspective lyrics. The closing song, “When God Made Me,” is particularly moving and wise:
Was he thinking about my country
Or the color of my skin?
Was he thinking about my religion
And the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in his image
Or every living thing?Was he planning only for believers
Or for those that just had faith?
Did he envision all the wars
That were fought in his name?
Did he think there was only one way
To be close to him?
Did he give us the gift of love
To say who we could choose?
Did he give me the gift of voice
So some could silence me?
Did he give me the gift of vision
Not knowing what I might see?
Did he give me the gift of compassion
To help my fellow man?
...When God made me…When God made me
10.15.2005
10.14.2005
Phony photo op was choreographed
I saw this on the news this morning and meant to create a post about it but Rob in Baltimore already did such a good job with it.
Troops Photo Op: Bush is a complete phony
Troops Photo Op: Bush is a complete phony
Just a thought
Remember after the election last year when Dubya arrogantly stated that he had political capital and that he intended to spend it? Considering his ever plummeting poll numbers I think he went just a tad over his limit don't you?
More corporate malfeasance
A federal lawsuit alleges that hundreds of Boeing jets made with "bogus" parts are unsafe and "must be grounded."
Documents made public in the whistleblower lawsuit filed against Boeing suggest that thousands of unsafe and unapproved parts have been installed on jets the company produced between 1994 and 2001 - and perhaps longer.
The scope of the Wichita, Kansas, federal case - which is focusing on parts supplied by Carson, California-based Ducommun - is limited to jets built for the government, but it is alleged that the flaws could threaten at least 1,600 commercial airplanes manufactured between 1994 and 2004, many of which are still flying. The suit alleges that Boeing knew the Ducommun parts were faulty but used them anyway.
In 2003, Boeing named Ducommun one of its top suppliers of the year.
Documents made public in the whistleblower lawsuit filed against Boeing suggest that thousands of unsafe and unapproved parts have been installed on jets the company produced between 1994 and 2001 - and perhaps longer.
The scope of the Wichita, Kansas, federal case - which is focusing on parts supplied by Carson, California-based Ducommun - is limited to jets built for the government, but it is alleged that the flaws could threaten at least 1,600 commercial airplanes manufactured between 1994 and 2004, many of which are still flying. The suit alleges that Boeing knew the Ducommun parts were faulty but used them anyway.
In 2003, Boeing named Ducommun one of its top suppliers of the year.
10.13.2005
President Gore Speaks
Imagine this: Al Gore - the true winner of the 2000 US Presidential election - is still in office. There is no war in Iraq and no climate of fear grips the rest of the world. The US is a respected country that does not interfere in the affairs of other foreign nations. I know; it’s pretty damn hard to fathom.
Meanwhile, as the fiddler continues to play, Al Gore speaks his mind. At an economic forum in Stockholm this week, Gore warned against the threat that global warming (a “theory” that the Bush administration continues to ignore) poses to the environment.
“The scientific community is just as clear about the consequences of global warming for our planet, as the meteorologists were very clear in their warnings about what could happen to New Orleans. My country is extremely attentive to the slightest increase in a risk from terror, and that’s appropriate. But why should we be so tolerant of risk where the future habitability of our planet is concerned?”
Imagine…an intelligent president! It would have been nice.
Meanwhile, as the fiddler continues to play, Al Gore speaks his mind. At an economic forum in Stockholm this week, Gore warned against the threat that global warming (a “theory” that the Bush administration continues to ignore) poses to the environment.
“The scientific community is just as clear about the consequences of global warming for our planet, as the meteorologists were very clear in their warnings about what could happen to New Orleans. My country is extremely attentive to the slightest increase in a risk from terror, and that’s appropriate. But why should we be so tolerant of risk where the future habitability of our planet is concerned?”
Imagine…an intelligent president! It would have been nice.
Strings attached
The Republican-led Congress attached unprecedented strings to legislation that would provide $750 million in federal loans for hurricane-damaged cities. For the first time in our history, they are "explicitly forbidding the federal government from forgiving loans if state or municipal governments fail to repay them."
In contrast, House GOP leaders approved legislation that would give tax breaks to energy companies to encourage refinery construction and expansion. Do the profit-rich energy companies have to pay back their tax breaks?
Don't hold your breath.
In contrast, House GOP leaders approved legislation that would give tax breaks to energy companies to encourage refinery construction and expansion. Do the profit-rich energy companies have to pay back their tax breaks?
Don't hold your breath.
Quote of the day
"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."
- Ronald Reagan
- Ronald Reagan
10.12.2005
Let's play "Smokescreen"
In the latest round of “Smokescreen,” Tom DeLay’s legal team has subpoenaed Ronnie Earle. They want to ask him questions about “improper contact” with the grand juries. And even though Earle voluntarily accepted the subpoena (which, according to him, was improperly prepared), DeLay’s lawyers are claiming that he refused it, trying to make it look like he is evading the law.
Let’s not forget who’s really on trial here…
Read all about it
Let’s not forget who’s really on trial here…
Read all about it
Just might make sense
A man eats two eggs each morning for breakfast. When he goes to the grocery store he pays 60 cents a dozen. Since a dozen eggs won't last a week he normally buys two dozens at a time.
One day while buying eggs he notices that the price has risen to 72 cents. The next time he buys groceries, eggs are 76 cents a dozen.
When asked to explain the price of eggs the store owner says, "the price has gone up and I have to raise my price accordingly".
This store buys 100 dozen eggs a day. I checked around for a better price and all the distributors have raised their prices.
The distributors have begun to buy from the huge egg farms. The small egg farms have been driven out of business.
The huge egg farms sells 100,000 dozen eggs a day to distributors. With no competition, they can set the price as they see fit.
The distributors then have to raise their prices to the grocery stores. And on and on and on.
As the man kept buying eggs the price kept going up. He saw the big egg trucks delivering 100 dozen eggs each day. Nothing changed there.
He checked out the huge egg farms and found they were selling 100,000 dozen eggs to the distributors daily.
Nothing had changed but the price of eggs.
Then week before Thanksgiving the price of eggs shot up to $1.00 a dozen. Again he asked the grocery owner why and was told, "cakes and baking for the holiday". The huge egg farmers know there will be a lot of baking going on and more eggs will be used. Hence, the price of eggs goes up.
Expect the same thing at Christmas and other times when family cooking and baking happen.
This pattern continues until the price of eggs is 2.00 a dozen. The man says,"there must be something we can do about the price of eggs".
He starts talking to all the people in his town and they decide to stop buying eggs. This didn't work because everyone needed eggs.
Finally, the man suggested only buying what you need. He ate 2 eggs a day. On the way home from work he would stop at the grocery and buy two eggs. Everyone in town started buying 2 or 3 eggs a day.
The grocery store owner began complaining that he had too many eggs in his cooler. He told the distributor that he didn't need any eggs. Maybe wouldn't need any all week.
The distributor had eggs piling up at his warehouse. He told the huge egg farms that he didn't have any room for eggs would not need any for at least two weeks.
At the egg farm, the chickens just kept on laying eggs.
To relieve the pressure, the huge egg farm told the distributor that they could buy the eggs at a lower price. The distributor said, " don't have the room for the eggs even if they were free".
The distributor told the grocery store owner that he would lower the price of the eggs if the store would start buying again.
The grocery store owner said, "I don't have room for more eggs. The customers are only buy 2 or 3 eggs at a time".
"Now if you were to drop the price of eggs back down to the original price, the customers would start buying by the dozen again".
The distributors sent that proposal to the huge egg farmers. They liked the price they were getting for their eggs but, them chickens just kept on laying.
Finally, the egg farmers lowered the price of their eggs. But only a few cents.
The customers still bought 2 or 3 eggs at a time. They said, "when the price of eggs gets down to where it was before we will start buying by the dozen.
Slowly the price of eggs started dropping. The distributors had to slash their prices to make room for the eggs coming from the egg farmers.
The egg farmers cut their prices because the distributors wouldn't buy at a higher price than they were selling eggs for.
Anyway, they had full warehouses and wouldn't need eggs for quite a while.
And them chickens kept on laying.
Eventually, the egg farmers cut their prices because they were throwing away eggs they couldn't sell.
The distributors started buying again because the eggs were priced to where the stores could afford to sell them at the lower price.
And the customers starting buying by the dozen again.
Now, transpose this analogy to the gasoline industry. What if everyone only bought $10.00 worth of gas each time they pulled to the pump. The dealers tanks would stay semi full all the time. The dealers wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the huge tank farms. The tank farms wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the refining plants. And the refining plants wouldn't have room for the oil being off loaded from the huge tankers coming from theMiddle East.
Just $10.00 each time you buy gas. Don't fill it up. You may have to stop for gas twice a week but, the price should come down.
Think about it.
As an added note...When I buy $10.00 worth of gas, that leaves my tank a little under half full. The way prices are jumping around, you can buy gas for $2.65 a gallon and then the next morning it can be $2.15. If you have your tank full of $2.65 gas you don't have room for the $2.15 gas.
You might not understand the economics of only buying two eggs at a time but, you can't buy cheaper gas if your tank is full of the high priced stuff.
Thanks to JimBob
One day while buying eggs he notices that the price has risen to 72 cents. The next time he buys groceries, eggs are 76 cents a dozen.
When asked to explain the price of eggs the store owner says, "the price has gone up and I have to raise my price accordingly".
This store buys 100 dozen eggs a day. I checked around for a better price and all the distributors have raised their prices.
The distributors have begun to buy from the huge egg farms. The small egg farms have been driven out of business.
The huge egg farms sells 100,000 dozen eggs a day to distributors. With no competition, they can set the price as they see fit.
The distributors then have to raise their prices to the grocery stores. And on and on and on.
As the man kept buying eggs the price kept going up. He saw the big egg trucks delivering 100 dozen eggs each day. Nothing changed there.
He checked out the huge egg farms and found they were selling 100,000 dozen eggs to the distributors daily.
Nothing had changed but the price of eggs.
Then week before Thanksgiving the price of eggs shot up to $1.00 a dozen. Again he asked the grocery owner why and was told, "cakes and baking for the holiday". The huge egg farmers know there will be a lot of baking going on and more eggs will be used. Hence, the price of eggs goes up.
Expect the same thing at Christmas and other times when family cooking and baking happen.
This pattern continues until the price of eggs is 2.00 a dozen. The man says,"there must be something we can do about the price of eggs".
He starts talking to all the people in his town and they decide to stop buying eggs. This didn't work because everyone needed eggs.
Finally, the man suggested only buying what you need. He ate 2 eggs a day. On the way home from work he would stop at the grocery and buy two eggs. Everyone in town started buying 2 or 3 eggs a day.
The grocery store owner began complaining that he had too many eggs in his cooler. He told the distributor that he didn't need any eggs. Maybe wouldn't need any all week.
The distributor had eggs piling up at his warehouse. He told the huge egg farms that he didn't have any room for eggs would not need any for at least two weeks.
At the egg farm, the chickens just kept on laying eggs.
To relieve the pressure, the huge egg farm told the distributor that they could buy the eggs at a lower price. The distributor said, " don't have the room for the eggs even if they were free".
The distributor told the grocery store owner that he would lower the price of the eggs if the store would start buying again.
The grocery store owner said, "I don't have room for more eggs. The customers are only buy 2 or 3 eggs at a time".
"Now if you were to drop the price of eggs back down to the original price, the customers would start buying by the dozen again".
The distributors sent that proposal to the huge egg farmers. They liked the price they were getting for their eggs but, them chickens just kept on laying.
Finally, the egg farmers lowered the price of their eggs. But only a few cents.
The customers still bought 2 or 3 eggs at a time. They said, "when the price of eggs gets down to where it was before we will start buying by the dozen.
Slowly the price of eggs started dropping. The distributors had to slash their prices to make room for the eggs coming from the egg farmers.
The egg farmers cut their prices because the distributors wouldn't buy at a higher price than they were selling eggs for.
Anyway, they had full warehouses and wouldn't need eggs for quite a while.
And them chickens kept on laying.
Eventually, the egg farmers cut their prices because they were throwing away eggs they couldn't sell.
The distributors started buying again because the eggs were priced to where the stores could afford to sell them at the lower price.
And the customers starting buying by the dozen again.
Now, transpose this analogy to the gasoline industry. What if everyone only bought $10.00 worth of gas each time they pulled to the pump. The dealers tanks would stay semi full all the time. The dealers wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the huge tank farms. The tank farms wouldn't have room for the gas coming from the refining plants. And the refining plants wouldn't have room for the oil being off loaded from the huge tankers coming from theMiddle East.
Just $10.00 each time you buy gas. Don't fill it up. You may have to stop for gas twice a week but, the price should come down.
Think about it.
As an added note...When I buy $10.00 worth of gas, that leaves my tank a little under half full. The way prices are jumping around, you can buy gas for $2.65 a gallon and then the next morning it can be $2.15. If you have your tank full of $2.65 gas you don't have room for the $2.15 gas.
You might not understand the economics of only buying two eggs at a time but, you can't buy cheaper gas if your tank is full of the high priced stuff.
Thanks to JimBob
Cheney's Halliburton Stock Options Soar to $9.2 Million
Is this the face of a man who's Halliburton stock options are now worth $9,214,154.93?
Lautenberg: congratulations Halliburton and Vice President Cheney!
Public Service Announcement
This is an especially virulent strain
The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. This disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior.
The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim (pronounced "gonna re-elect him"). Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past 4 years, in spite of having taken measures to protect
themselves from this especially troublesome disease.
Cognitive sequelae of individuals infected with Gonorrhea Lectim include, but are not limited to: Anti-social personality disorder traits, delusions of grandeur with a distinct messianic flavor; chronic mangling of the English language; extreme cognitive dissonance; inability to incorporate new information; pronounced xenophobia; inability to accept responsibility for actions; exceptional cowardice masked by acts of misplaced bravado; uncontrolled facial smirking; ignorance of geography and history; tendencies toward creating evangelical theocracies; and a strong propensity for categorical, all-or-nothing behavior.
The disease is sweeping Washington. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed and baffled that this malignant disease originated only a few years ago from a Texas Bush.
The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of Sexually Transmitted Disease. This disease is contracted through dangerous and high risk behavior.
The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim (pronounced "gonna re-elect him"). Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past 4 years, in spite of having taken measures to protect
themselves from this especially troublesome disease.
Cognitive sequelae of individuals infected with Gonorrhea Lectim include, but are not limited to: Anti-social personality disorder traits, delusions of grandeur with a distinct messianic flavor; chronic mangling of the English language; extreme cognitive dissonance; inability to incorporate new information; pronounced xenophobia; inability to accept responsibility for actions; exceptional cowardice masked by acts of misplaced bravado; uncontrolled facial smirking; ignorance of geography and history; tendencies toward creating evangelical theocracies; and a strong propensity for categorical, all-or-nothing behavior.
The disease is sweeping Washington. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed and baffled that this malignant disease originated only a few years ago from a Texas Bush.
10.10.2005
Quote of the day
"The president would be both ashamed and afraid to bring forward, for the most distinguished or lucrative stations, candidates who had no other merit than that of coming from the same State to which he particularly belonged, or of being in some way or other personally allied to him, or of possessing the necessary insignificance and pliancy to render them the obsequious instruments of his pleasure."
-Alexander "$10 Bill" Hamilton, writing in the Federalist Papers
-Alexander "$10 Bill" Hamilton, writing in the Federalist Papers
Material Assistance
In the aftermath of last December’s horrific tsunami disaster in South Thailand, another strange phenomenon has occurred: the number of Christian churches in this Buddhist community has mushroomed. But don’t go thinking that all the locals have suddenly become “born again” religious fanatics. The reason for the surge in church building is simply due to Christian missionaries targeting a susceptible group of people whose lives have been turned upside down by a natural disaster.
According to an article this week in Thailand’s The Nation, many provinces in the tsunami-affected region are experiencing an explosion of new churches. In the popular tourist island of Phuket, the church count has increased from eight to 16 since the tsunami, and 17 new churches have sprouted along a single five-kilometer stretch of road in the neighboring province of Phang Nga.
“I never gave much attention to the church,” admitted villager Nu Rukdee. “But when I saw them building replacement homes for their members, I figured it was the only way I could get mine fixed.”
Nu’s strategy appears to be shared by other poor villagers, many of whom are joining churches in order to get new homes or repairs made to ones that weren’t washed away. As would be expected, though, some of the new “converts” aren’t sticking around to become active church members.
“We stopped helping those who were too keen to get just material assistance,” said Busrakum Suparaj, a Phuket church leader. “We don’t have enough resources to help everybody, so we just have to concentrate on our members who truly believe in God.”
Hmm…I guess these Christians are the sort of morally superior souls that think they hold a monopoly on the “true” belief in God.
Phang Nga senator Wongphan Na Takuathung also views such Christian “charity” with distrust. “I strongly disagree with the ties between material aid and religious conversion. It does not come from pure hearts. It is happening everywhere in my province and I worry about this trend.”
Amen, brother!
According to an article this week in Thailand’s The Nation, many provinces in the tsunami-affected region are experiencing an explosion of new churches. In the popular tourist island of Phuket, the church count has increased from eight to 16 since the tsunami, and 17 new churches have sprouted along a single five-kilometer stretch of road in the neighboring province of Phang Nga.
“I never gave much attention to the church,” admitted villager Nu Rukdee. “But when I saw them building replacement homes for their members, I figured it was the only way I could get mine fixed.”
Nu’s strategy appears to be shared by other poor villagers, many of whom are joining churches in order to get new homes or repairs made to ones that weren’t washed away. As would be expected, though, some of the new “converts” aren’t sticking around to become active church members.
“We stopped helping those who were too keen to get just material assistance,” said Busrakum Suparaj, a Phuket church leader. “We don’t have enough resources to help everybody, so we just have to concentrate on our members who truly believe in God.”
Hmm…I guess these Christians are the sort of morally superior souls that think they hold a monopoly on the “true” belief in God.
Phang Nga senator Wongphan Na Takuathung also views such Christian “charity” with distrust. “I strongly disagree with the ties between material aid and religious conversion. It does not come from pure hearts. It is happening everywhere in my province and I worry about this trend.”
Amen, brother!
More than just a game
My beloved Atlanta Braves lost today, prematurely bounced out of the playoffs for yet another year. Despite winning their Baseball division every year since 1991, the Braves are seldom able to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Today's loss in Houston, however, was at least an historic one; the 18-inning battle with the Houston Astros was the longest playoff game ever played. I remember being glued to the TV watching the previous longest post-season game ever; the Astros-Mets 16-inning duel in 1986.
This time, however, the Astros came out on top. Jayson Stark, of ESPN.com, captured Houston's post-game euphoria brilliantly:
Astros players couldn't stop hugging. Fans who had sat in their seats for six hours had no interest in leaving, even after this game was over. Families posed for photos of themselves amidst the bedlam. It was a scene that summed up exactly why sports hold the place they do in our world. Clearly, this wasn't merely a game these folks had just experienced. It was a special day in their lives.
Indeed. Despite the outragous salaries that professional athletes are now making, like many fans, I still love the game and follow baseball religiously. Sports still casts a magical spell upon us and remains a special part of our lives.
The Braves may have lost again - done in this time by a weak bullpen - but there is always the hope of next season. In the meantime, all I can say is: Go Astros!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2005/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2186101
Today's loss in Houston, however, was at least an historic one; the 18-inning battle with the Houston Astros was the longest playoff game ever played. I remember being glued to the TV watching the previous longest post-season game ever; the Astros-Mets 16-inning duel in 1986.
This time, however, the Astros came out on top. Jayson Stark, of ESPN.com, captured Houston's post-game euphoria brilliantly:
Astros players couldn't stop hugging. Fans who had sat in their seats for six hours had no interest in leaving, even after this game was over. Families posed for photos of themselves amidst the bedlam. It was a scene that summed up exactly why sports hold the place they do in our world. Clearly, this wasn't merely a game these folks had just experienced. It was a special day in their lives.
Indeed. Despite the outragous salaries that professional athletes are now making, like many fans, I still love the game and follow baseball religiously. Sports still casts a magical spell upon us and remains a special part of our lives.
The Braves may have lost again - done in this time by a weak bullpen - but there is always the hope of next season. In the meantime, all I can say is: Go Astros!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2005/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2186101
10.09.2005
Who are the "bad guys" ?
"Is it moral to kill someone you don't know, a grunt probably just like yourself, just because the government says you can? Or you drop a bomb from thirty thousand feet to kill the bad guys, you bury women and children under the rubble of their own homes in the process, but you're not bothered because you didn't actually have to see the damage, that's moral? And the medals they give you afterward to reassure you that the slaughter was just. All that shit is an illusion, a soporific fed to killers to anesthetize them after they've killed."
The John Rain character in Barry Eisler's novel Hard Rain
The John Rain character in Barry Eisler's novel Hard Rain
10.08.2005
Cool site
Very interesting site. The premise is that we may no longer need mice with buttons on them. They offer a clickless method for navigating web pages. As you move around the site you must fight the urge to click on anything. With some practice you'll see just how responsive everything is without clicking. In just a few minutes I got the feeling that clicking may be a thing of the past or at least just an alternative for those who found clicking a habit they could not break.
It's called Don't Click it but click this link anyway to get to it.
It's called Don't Click it but click this link anyway to get to it.
10.07.2005
You want that Super-Sized ?
"One thing that becomes clear from the democratic imperialism of the Bush years is that you cannot invade a country with its own dynamic complexity and reshape it according to Western prescription. Democracy is not something you can order, upsized, as if at McDonald's."
Michael Connors, author of New Global Politics of the Asia-Pacific
Michael Connors, author of New Global Politics of the Asia-Pacific
10.06.2005
Republicans want to put the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit in prison
UPDATE: It looks as if the controversial legislation has been withdrawn. Sanity wins yet another battle.
Legislator drops controversial plan
If the Virgin Mary had been born 2000 years later, she might have ended up in an Indiana State prison, if Republican lawmakers there get their way. A proposed bill hopes to make criminals out of unmarried women in Indiana who conceive "by means other than sexual intercourse."
Peter Svensson says: "Under the proposed Indiana law, if [Mary] willingly accepted the Holy Spirit's visitation, that would be a misdemeanor:
Legislator drops controversial plan
If the Virgin Mary had been born 2000 years later, she might have ended up in an Indiana State prison, if Republican lawmakers there get their way. A proposed bill hopes to make criminals out of unmarried women in Indiana who conceive "by means other than sexual intercourse."
Peter Svensson says: "Under the proposed Indiana law, if [Mary] willingly accepted the Holy Spirit's visitation, that would be a misdemeanor:
As the draft of the new law reads now, an intended parent 'who knowingly or willingly participates in an artificial reproduction procedure' without court approval, 'commits unauthorized reproduction, a Class B misdemeanor.' The criminal charges will be the same for physicians who commit 'unauthorized practice of artificial reproduction.'"Presumably, if the Holy Spirit didn't give her a choice in the matter, she would have been let off. But in either case, the Holy Spirit would be charged."
Conquering America
Tracy Chapman is still doing it. Most people remember her bursting upon the music scene back in the late 1980s, catching our ears with a stunning debut album that contained the hit single “Fast Cars.” Since then she has continued to record consistently good albums, sticking close to her folk roots, but sadly the impact of her music seems to have been drowned out by the current proliferation of hip-hop influenced fare. A few months ago she released an excellent new album; Where You Live. One of the strongest songs on the album, both lyrically and musically, is a tune called “America.” But don’t go thinking that the song is a patriotic ode to the beloved country. Oh no, this is one the old flag-wavers won’t like hearing.
Here are some sample lyrics:
You were lost and got lucky
Came upon the shore
Found you were conquering America
You spoke of peace
You waged a war
While you were conquering America
There was land to take
And people to kill
While you were conquering America
You served yourself
Did God’s will
While you were conquering America
The meek won’t survive
Or inherit the earth
‘Cause you’re still conquering America
Here are some sample lyrics:
You were lost and got lucky
Came upon the shore
Found you were conquering America
You spoke of peace
You waged a war
While you were conquering America
There was land to take
And people to kill
While you were conquering America
You served yourself
Did God’s will
While you were conquering America
The meek won’t survive
Or inherit the earth
‘Cause you’re still conquering America
Blank and Blanker
Back in the early 1980s a record company in the US put out an album with the clever title; The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan. The catch: the record was totally blank; no sounds at all. What a brilliant idea! Truly captured the essence of the man.
A man in Thailand has been similarly inspired by a dullard politician. Chirmsak Pinthong, a Thai senator and outspoken critic of the current governement, recently published a book about the Prime Minister, and titled it Kwahm Dee Khong Thaksin (“The Good Deeds of Thaksin”). And, as you would expect, the pages of the thin, little book are entirely blank! Said Chirmsak:
“I’ve been prevented from expressing my views through regular mass media channels, so I will do so through a smaller apparatus.”
Meanwhile, we anxiously look forward to the US publication of a similar book concerning the "intelligence" of George W. Bush. More blank pages await!
A man in Thailand has been similarly inspired by a dullard politician. Chirmsak Pinthong, a Thai senator and outspoken critic of the current governement, recently published a book about the Prime Minister, and titled it Kwahm Dee Khong Thaksin (“The Good Deeds of Thaksin”). And, as you would expect, the pages of the thin, little book are entirely blank! Said Chirmsak:
“I’ve been prevented from expressing my views through regular mass media channels, so I will do so through a smaller apparatus.”
Meanwhile, we anxiously look forward to the US publication of a similar book concerning the "intelligence" of George W. Bush. More blank pages await!
10.05.2005
What's different now?
It wasn't him in the hot seat...
"This nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law. Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.
No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That’s the principle that we all hold very dear in this country."
-Rep. Tom DeLay, on the impeachment of President Clinton, October 9, 1998
"This nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law. Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.
No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That’s the principle that we all hold very dear in this country."
-Rep. Tom DeLay, on the impeachment of President Clinton, October 9, 1998
I KNEW IT!
I lived in Orlando years ago when Jeb Bush first ran for governor. At that time I knew that his election would mean oil rigs just off the coast of Tampa. He lost that election and basically whined about it publicly for some time.
Four years later he ran again. This time he adopted the popular stance of NO OIL RIGS in the Gulf. I knew it was only a matter of time before he got around to doing an about face on the issue. After all. We all know where his family got all their money, right? Sometimes it sucks to be right.
Gov. Bush reverses stance, now supports oil drilling rigs in eastern Gulf of Mexico
Four years later he ran again. This time he adopted the popular stance of NO OIL RIGS in the Gulf. I knew it was only a matter of time before he got around to doing an about face on the issue. After all. We all know where his family got all their money, right? Sometimes it sucks to be right.
They (drilling opponents) continue to insist that a strong political front in Florida can stop all new drilling in the eastern Gulf.WTF? Sounds like another "Chang" moment. These Bushies are Bonkers!
"Sure they do," Bush said, deriding their position. "But that's great. I've talked to the fairy godmother about it."
Gov. Bush reverses stance, now supports oil drilling rigs in eastern Gulf of Mexico
Quote of the day
Republicans Beware!
"If you have not become more just, more peaceful, and in general more sensible...then may the Devil take you!"
-Albert Einstein
"If you have not become more just, more peaceful, and in general more sensible...then may the Devil take you!"
-Albert Einstein
Letter to Karl Rove
From: Wild Sects
Sent: 10/05/2005
To: Karl C. Rove [karl_c._rove@who.eop.gov]
Subject: AMERICA LOVES YOU KARL!
Dear Karl Rove:
I just wanted to tell you that no matter how much indisputable evidence those fact-obsessed intellectual reporters release about you betraying America, I join the President in not caring diddly-squat about so-called national security when the only war that matters is the one we're waging against Democrats. So that makes you TOPS in my book! Anyway, however it happened, that bimbo Valerie Plame got what she deserved for marrying a moron who spouted crazy talk about Saddam bin Laden not having all those Nukepox Laser Deathrays you made President Bush promise we'd find. Heck, she should be happy that you only assassinated his CHARACTER!
Well, I would say don't let this 'Plame Game' get you down, but I'm sure you're already orchestrating your greatest-yet Machiavellian stratagem (replete with Clintonesque legalistic parsings) to slither out of doing any prison time - especially since you were polite enough not to use Mrs. Wilson's first name. So good luck with the indictments and likely cover-up conspiracy investigation, and next time you're whispering him sweet nothings, please tell Bob Novak I think his waxy tufts of silver ear hair are massively SEXY - in a totally non-homosexual way, of course!
Sincerely,
Wild Sects
www.whitehouse.org
Sent: 10/05/2005
To: Karl C. Rove [karl_c._rove@who.eop.gov]
Subject: AMERICA LOVES YOU KARL!
Dear Karl Rove:
I just wanted to tell you that no matter how much indisputable evidence those fact-obsessed intellectual reporters release about you betraying America, I join the President in not caring diddly-squat about so-called national security when the only war that matters is the one we're waging against Democrats. So that makes you TOPS in my book! Anyway, however it happened, that bimbo Valerie Plame got what she deserved for marrying a moron who spouted crazy talk about Saddam bin Laden not having all those Nukepox Laser Deathrays you made President Bush promise we'd find. Heck, she should be happy that you only assassinated his CHARACTER!
Well, I would say don't let this 'Plame Game' get you down, but I'm sure you're already orchestrating your greatest-yet Machiavellian stratagem (replete with Clintonesque legalistic parsings) to slither out of doing any prison time - especially since you were polite enough not to use Mrs. Wilson's first name. So good luck with the indictments and likely cover-up conspiracy investigation, and next time you're whispering him sweet nothings, please tell Bob Novak I think his waxy tufts of silver ear hair are massively SEXY - in a totally non-homosexual way, of course!
Sincerely,
Wild Sects
www.whitehouse.org
10.04.2005
10.03.2005
I'm Brian Eno
Here's a fun little quiz to see which 70s glam rocjer you are. There aren't many answers to choose from but it's still kind of fun. It will be interesting to see some of your results. Here are my results:
You're a little reclusive maybe, a little quieter than most people...
But man, who needs outside entertainment when your brain is like KABOOM all the time? You are innovative, creative, and intelligent. You dress flamboyantly, gravitating towards large feathers and tinsel. Everyone respects you, and looks up to you. We are not worthy, we are not worthy...
Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you?
You're a little reclusive maybe, a little quieter than most people...
But man, who needs outside entertainment when your brain is like KABOOM all the time? You are innovative, creative, and intelligent. You dress flamboyantly, gravitating towards large feathers and tinsel. Everyone respects you, and looks up to you. We are not worthy, we are not worthy...
Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you?
Barney Frank is a funny man
Reporters were asking the openly gay congressman Barney Frank if David Dreier was denied DeLay’s leadership position because he was too moderate – or because he was gay. Frank said it was because Dreier was too moderate, and then quipped, “And I’m going to a moderate bar after work tonight.”
And the pattern continues
Bush's pattern of nominating and appointing unqualified people to high positions continues with Harriet Miers. She's never been a judge. It would seem to me that one would have to have just a wee bit of experience to sit on the highest court in the land.
It also appears that Miers scratched the truth from Bush's scandalous National Guard service by allegedly using taxpayer money to have a witness paid off. So now Dubya appoints her to the Supreme Court to protect him when White House trouble hits the court. Compounding the Mafia-Like travesty, Harry Reid basically gives her a green light. We don't want to hear Reid or any Democrat say, "We need to know more about her because she doesn't have a record." She has a record alright, but it's more of a Bush rap sheet.
It also appears that Miers scratched the truth from Bush's scandalous National Guard service by allegedly using taxpayer money to have a witness paid off. So now Dubya appoints her to the Supreme Court to protect him when White House trouble hits the court. Compounding the Mafia-Like travesty, Harry Reid basically gives her a green light. We don't want to hear Reid or any Democrat say, "We need to know more about her because she doesn't have a record." She has a record alright, but it's more of a Bush rap sheet.
According to the GAO propaganda is illegal
With Bill Bennett and Judith Miller getting all the attention lately this story nearly slipped by most Americans. The General Accounting Office released their reports related to the Armstrong Williams propaganda event last year. You remember. The Bushies paid "consulting fees" to Williams to assure the BushCo education agenda was "properly represented" in the media.
Following an inquiry requested by New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg and Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, the General Accounting Office reported this week that, in fact, these activities violated the law. See Senator Lautenbergs press release:
Following an inquiry requested by New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg and Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, the General Accounting Office reported this week that, in fact, these activities violated the law. See Senator Lautenbergs press release:
In response to the scathing decision by the GAO, Lautenberg and Kennedy sent a letter to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings urging her to abide by the law and recover the misspent funds, and come to Capitol Hill immediately to meet with the lawmakers on this matter.
10.02.2005
Bring the Boys Home
Back in 1970 Freda Payne scored the biggest hit of her singing career with the classic tune “Band of Gold.” One of her follow-up singles, “Bring the Boys Home,” isn’t as well known but it should be, not only for its pop delectability, but also for the important message it expressed. “Bring the Boys Home” was released in 1971 - during the height of the Vietnam War – and was a brave, heartfelt plea of a song, dressed-up in shimmering Motown-style strings and sweet soul: get our soldiers out of that mess of a war that you politicians got us into.
Fast forward to 2005 and it’s clear that the USA needs another public outcry, another call to “Bring the Boys – and girls - Home.” Who will sing the new version? And more importantly, who will listen?
“Mothers are praying
Send our sons back home
…What are they doing over there?
Can’t you see them trying to get home?
…Bring them back alive!”
Fast forward to 2005 and it’s clear that the USA needs another public outcry, another call to “Bring the Boys – and girls - Home.” Who will sing the new version? And more importantly, who will listen?
“Mothers are praying
Send our sons back home
…What are they doing over there?
Can’t you see them trying to get home?
…Bring them back alive!”
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