That's pretty much how I feel about the execution of late-term abortion provider Doctor Tiller, who was gunned down early today inside the Reformed Lutheran Church in Wichita, where he served as an usher with his wife watching on while seated in the church choir.
The whole thing leaves me cold. Forgive me if I find it hard to summon what most might consider the proper outrage at such an allegedly brazen act.
It's not because he was an abortion provider, even a late-term abortion provider. It's because he was obviously corrupt. He thought it was beneath him to follow Kansas Law, which states that late-term abortions might only be provided in the case of grave risk to the mothers life, or if the possibility exists the process of childbirth could cause her permanent physical harm. Even at that, Kansas law states plainly there must be a second professional opinion in concurrence with the first, and this must come from an independent source.
Tiller ignored all of this, granting late-term procedures to women who claimed severe depression, a clear-cut violation of Kansas Law, and not on a mere handful of occasions but innumerable times. He found himself brought up on charges for this, and for deriving his required second opinion from a man whom prosecutors charged was little more than a private employee of the doctor. He was cleared of all charges in a trial that was marked more by political maneuvering and demagoguery than the actual pursuit of justice.
Tiller liked to claim he was following his conscience. Well, maybe so, but I have a sneaking idea his was for sale to the highest bidder, and what bruising might have been self-inflicted to his ethical spirit he managed to soothe with the balms of gracious, selfless giving to the coffers of then-Governor Kathleen Sibellius-who it seemed was one of Tiller's staunchest supporters and defenders.
Sibellius is now of course the Director of The Department of Health and Human Services, appointed to that position by Obama, who early in his career as an Illinois state Senator opposed the Infant Born Alive Act, and so who now of course, as President, feigns outrage at the doctor's murder. Well, at least he is ideologically consistent.
There could be more to the story. As of the last time I checked, the name of the gunman, apparently apprehended by police en route by automobile after having escaped the scene of the crime, has not been released. This could be an indication of suspicion of conspiracy.
If it is a conspiracy, as opposed to this one individual acting alone, then it is a remarkable thing that the killing took place inside the Reformed Lutheran Church. It would seem to be more practical foe the killer or killers to wait until the doctor was entering, or exiting, the church. It almost seems like the time and place of the murder was in and of itself some kind of message sent to the congregants, and to the nation, and to the left-wing of the country who support Tiller's work and mission. The killer wanted an audience. Not just any audience, but a gasping gallery of Tiller's friends, associates, and relatives. Especially, his fellow Christian parishioners. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to regard it potentially as an act of terrorism.
Yet, make no mistake, Tiller was no martyr. He was a mercenary, plain and simple. It won't be long, regardless, before he is held up as a martyr for the supposed "reproductive rights of all women".
This could well be a pivotal moment in what could become a prolonged civil war, one that is usually fought with words, from the bench, the legislative chambers, and the streets. Due to the nature of the controversy, a profound debate about the meaning of life, and when it begins, and when it is proper to end it, it seems only natural that it might, from time to time, become violent.
It is a war fought on both sides with prolific amounts of funding. Tiller had massive reservoirs of financial and political supporters, as did those who opposed his practice. There are on both sides always, like in all wars, the supporters, protesters, demagogues, and those who provide the cannon fodder. Oh, yes, and there are the pawns, the nameless soldiers who die on countless battlefields, whom we all so love to eulogize, and whom we then conveniently forget. We never really think that much of those we claim to fight for either. That's because we're not really doing it for them. We are doing it for us.
It always gets our attention, though, when one of the high-ranking brass takes the hit, because its such a rarity. Well, Tiller was a high-ranking official of sorts, one of the ones who called the shots and set the pace and the agenda. No pawn, he. Perspective is then warranted.
After all, some might point out that, for all the flaming rhetoric, this is not a war that has cost many lives. On the other hand, some might claim it has indeed cost several hundreds of millions of the lives of those who were helpless to prevent their fate, who had no say in the ultimate decisions Tiller arrived at by whatever process.
One can only hope his heart was in the right place when he did so. Right about now, a lot of Kansas churches, like those across America, are doubtless doing something maybe most of them rarely do-a considerable amount of soul-searching.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Laughing Matters And Crying Shames
Many of you are familiar with the insane radical Islamic cleric Omar Bhakri, whose rantings are to me akin to a bizarre comedy routine. If somebody was to do his schtick word for word at a comedy club, it would doubtless inspire as many charges of racism as laughter. Yet, he seems to purposely live his life as a character in a dark comedy movie, Borat with maybe a dash of Cohen Brothers thrown in for good measure.
Now, the same man who left Britain in the wake of that country's spate of terror attacks, the man who referred to the 9/11 hijackers as the "Magnificent Seventeen", and who some claim was the mastermind behind the riotous demonstrations over the Danish Mohammad cartoons, has now, it would seem, branched out into sci-fi. He just recently issued a proclamation that the galaxy itself should be converted to Islam, that those living on all worlds, in our solar system and beyond, should bow their knee to their creator Allah, and disavow any "man-made" system. Instead, he proclaims, they should embrace not just Islam, but his own malignant brand of it.
Seeing as how this guy has just been tried, in absentia, for terrorist activities and sentenced to death-in Lebanon of all places, where he has lived since his forced ouster from the UK-you would think he would have other things on his mind besides whether some alleged, theoretical alien races might be swayed to adopt Islam. Hell, he is unlikely to sway people in his own adopted country to spare him the rope-and its a hotbed of terrorism. Evidently, somebody forgot to clue this guy in on the difference between Shia's and Sunni's.
In the meantime, in between ranting and planning terrorist training camps, he has divorced his wife and married a woman younger than his daughter, while engaging in a diet for the purpose of fathering as many new children as possible-like the world really does need more of this guy. His first wife evidently had enough of him, electing to return to Britain, where she could at least wear make-up and feminine clothes in private, and leave home without a male escort.
His daughter as well seems to have had all she can stand of him, but at least managed to get enough money from him to get herself a boob job, ostensibly for the purpose of, to paraphrase, feel more like a mother while nursing her children. He went along with this, I am going to guess for the purpose of enhancing her prospects for attracting a man who would give him grandchildren. She and her Turkish husband had recently separated.
Instead, to the old man's horror, and eventual denial (claiming the story was a scurrilous attack on Islam), she landed a job as an exotic dancer, and sometime stripper.
You read it right, the daughter of one of the most radical Islamic Imams in the world today is a pole dancer.
Here is the pictorial page to a squatter's site in her name.
In the meantime, she, like her father before her, lives off of British welfare, according to one report to the tune of 300,000 pounds a year.
That's just the thing. It's easy to rant and rave about Islamic radicals and their rhetoric, which is all too often backed up by the blood-thirsty actions of low-level pawns who they themselves only encourage from a safe distance. Bhakri once even begged for re-admittance to Britain during the recent Israeli onslaught of Lebanon. Had he been granted a reprieve and allowed to return, is there any doubt he would have quickly resumed his old activities?
Yet, all too many like him are allowed not only to live amongst us, but are even subsidized to do so. It's the darkest of all comedy routines.
Now, the same man who left Britain in the wake of that country's spate of terror attacks, the man who referred to the 9/11 hijackers as the "Magnificent Seventeen", and who some claim was the mastermind behind the riotous demonstrations over the Danish Mohammad cartoons, has now, it would seem, branched out into sci-fi. He just recently issued a proclamation that the galaxy itself should be converted to Islam, that those living on all worlds, in our solar system and beyond, should bow their knee to their creator Allah, and disavow any "man-made" system. Instead, he proclaims, they should embrace not just Islam, but his own malignant brand of it.
Seeing as how this guy has just been tried, in absentia, for terrorist activities and sentenced to death-in Lebanon of all places, where he has lived since his forced ouster from the UK-you would think he would have other things on his mind besides whether some alleged, theoretical alien races might be swayed to adopt Islam. Hell, he is unlikely to sway people in his own adopted country to spare him the rope-and its a hotbed of terrorism. Evidently, somebody forgot to clue this guy in on the difference between Shia's and Sunni's.
In the meantime, in between ranting and planning terrorist training camps, he has divorced his wife and married a woman younger than his daughter, while engaging in a diet for the purpose of fathering as many new children as possible-like the world really does need more of this guy. His first wife evidently had enough of him, electing to return to Britain, where she could at least wear make-up and feminine clothes in private, and leave home without a male escort.
His daughter as well seems to have had all she can stand of him, but at least managed to get enough money from him to get herself a boob job, ostensibly for the purpose of, to paraphrase, feel more like a mother while nursing her children. He went along with this, I am going to guess for the purpose of enhancing her prospects for attracting a man who would give him grandchildren. She and her Turkish husband had recently separated.
Instead, to the old man's horror, and eventual denial (claiming the story was a scurrilous attack on Islam), she landed a job as an exotic dancer, and sometime stripper.
You read it right, the daughter of one of the most radical Islamic Imams in the world today is a pole dancer.
Here is the pictorial page to a squatter's site in her name.
In the meantime, she, like her father before her, lives off of British welfare, according to one report to the tune of 300,000 pounds a year.
That's just the thing. It's easy to rant and rave about Islamic radicals and their rhetoric, which is all too often backed up by the blood-thirsty actions of low-level pawns who they themselves only encourage from a safe distance. Bhakri once even begged for re-admittance to Britain during the recent Israeli onslaught of Lebanon. Had he been granted a reprieve and allowed to return, is there any doubt he would have quickly resumed his old activities?
Yet, all too many like him are allowed not only to live amongst us, but are even subsidized to do so. It's the darkest of all comedy routines.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Burning Bridges And Bibles-Like We Really Needed Something Like This Now
A story making the rounds lately is flying pretty much under the radar outside the purview of the blogosphere. The network news seems strangely silent on this topic of the Pentagon seizing and burning Bibles distributed to American soldiers in Afghanistan and printed in at least two Afghan languages.
Nevertheless, some among the right are running with the story, and demanding answers to this seeming assault on the religious liberties of uniformed service men and women. Nor are all factions of the left ignoring it. Some atheists are demanding an investigation as to how American soldiers ever became a seeming tool of religious fundamentalists to begin with. Aside from them, however, it would seem the Obama Administration is eager to downplay the story, for obvious reasons.
Yet, there is a legitimate cause for some concern here. It seems like there has been a cadre of Christian evangelicals at work in the military engaged in proselytization efforts, with not only the tacit permission, but in some cases the active support and encouragement of an officer corps who seem to have formed what might legitimately be described as a conservative Christian cabal.
There is even a story that Rumsfeld, in his heyday as head of the Defense Department, submitted reports and memos to President Bush notated and captioned with Biblical scriptural references. In some of these reports, there would be pictures of American soldiers at prayer, or presumably sharing the gospel with an Afghan civilian. Here from GQ is a slideshow of many of these "memos".
Is the latest move by the new Administration merely an effort at housecleaning, or is something far more sinister at work here?
Some might say it all depends on how you define "sinister". Well, I don't see much in the way of a gray area here.
In my opinion, this is a so-called "conservative" cause in search of a controversy. American soldiers are not sent overseas to engage in religious proselytization. I don't for one second condone the seizing and burning of religious texts-that was going way overboard. A simple warning, and if appropriate in individual cases a reprimand, would have been sufficient. Soldiers are in the pay of the military and the government, and have no business engaging in these sorts of activities.
They are actually creating problems for other soldiers, and for the Afghan civilians they come in contact with who might accept some of these Bibles out of a misguided sense of graciousness and hospitality, which is a big deal in their culture.
If allowed to go on unchecked, it might get to the point where other Afghan civilians might well shut off contact with our soldiers out of a fear of attention brought upon them by radicals, who would gladly snatch their children up and kill them, maybe even rape the young girls, in front of their eyes, just to make a point. They take a big enough chance associating with our soldiers as it is, if it is seen they are accepting such gifts as Bibles, it would be like pouring gasoline on the fire. They would become pariahs in their own community, not only amongst radicals.
This story has already become the subject of a documentary produced by Al-Jazeera. Here is a video from Al-Jazeera's James Bays that seems to detail the proselytizing efforts of one group of soldiers.
That makes this a deadly serious issue. Indeed, others have followed up on Al-Jazeera's accusations, as illustrated by this rant from the pages of American Muslim.
You have to exercise common sense in affairs such as this. The perceived need of a handful of Christian conservative activists to "save souls" (and now, it would seem, to score political points) should not be allowed to endanger the overall mission at hand, especially when, by the way, those who do so are actually handing their enemies what amounts to a slam dunk in the way of a propaganda victory.
Once the mission is accomplished, hopefully won, and the nation is secure and prosperous, and we have normal diplomatic relations, that would be the time to make such inroads. Then, if a private citizen visits the country as a tourist and engages in proselytizing or winning converts for Christ, then they can do so on their on initiative and at their own personal risk.
Now is just not the time for that. It is never the time for a representative of the American government to do it, under the best of conditions, let alone in the case of American soldiers conducting a war with the purpose of rooting out religious fundamentalists determined to impose the darkest of possible visions-one in which this kind of proselytization is seen not only as an affront to the dignity of Islam (such as it is) but a validation of the accusations that Americans are engaged in a modern-day renewal of the Crusades.
Some might respond that there is not only a perceived spiritual need, but an expressed desire amongst some within the Afghan population for this kind of religious outreach. If so, all the more reason why they should be encouraged to provide us the aid we need to make this mission a successful one, so that they might then pursue their legitimate religious yearnings freely, without the fear of recrimination.
Granted, that time is doubtless a long way off, if indeed it ever arrives. Until such time, the only sacred duty the American soldier has is to defend our nation and do the assigned job at hand. It is their job, when it comes to Afghanistan, to clear away the obstacles to progress. It will then be up to the Afghans, with our guidance and assistance, to build the road to their future destinies, not only their material future, but their spiritual ones as well, hopefully as free individuals in a nation guided by the rule of law.
It is not helping when a small minority of well-meaning though misguided individuals engage in activities that could result in serious repercussions, not only to the mission at hand and the real lives of Afghan civilians, but perhaps even to the cause of the God who, in their religious zeal, they mean to serve.
Nevertheless, some among the right are running with the story, and demanding answers to this seeming assault on the religious liberties of uniformed service men and women. Nor are all factions of the left ignoring it. Some atheists are demanding an investigation as to how American soldiers ever became a seeming tool of religious fundamentalists to begin with. Aside from them, however, it would seem the Obama Administration is eager to downplay the story, for obvious reasons.
Yet, there is a legitimate cause for some concern here. It seems like there has been a cadre of Christian evangelicals at work in the military engaged in proselytization efforts, with not only the tacit permission, but in some cases the active support and encouragement of an officer corps who seem to have formed what might legitimately be described as a conservative Christian cabal.
There is even a story that Rumsfeld, in his heyday as head of the Defense Department, submitted reports and memos to President Bush notated and captioned with Biblical scriptural references. In some of these reports, there would be pictures of American soldiers at prayer, or presumably sharing the gospel with an Afghan civilian. Here from GQ is a slideshow of many of these "memos".
Is the latest move by the new Administration merely an effort at housecleaning, or is something far more sinister at work here?
Some might say it all depends on how you define "sinister". Well, I don't see much in the way of a gray area here.
In my opinion, this is a so-called "conservative" cause in search of a controversy. American soldiers are not sent overseas to engage in religious proselytization. I don't for one second condone the seizing and burning of religious texts-that was going way overboard. A simple warning, and if appropriate in individual cases a reprimand, would have been sufficient. Soldiers are in the pay of the military and the government, and have no business engaging in these sorts of activities.
They are actually creating problems for other soldiers, and for the Afghan civilians they come in contact with who might accept some of these Bibles out of a misguided sense of graciousness and hospitality, which is a big deal in their culture.
If allowed to go on unchecked, it might get to the point where other Afghan civilians might well shut off contact with our soldiers out of a fear of attention brought upon them by radicals, who would gladly snatch their children up and kill them, maybe even rape the young girls, in front of their eyes, just to make a point. They take a big enough chance associating with our soldiers as it is, if it is seen they are accepting such gifts as Bibles, it would be like pouring gasoline on the fire. They would become pariahs in their own community, not only amongst radicals.
This story has already become the subject of a documentary produced by Al-Jazeera. Here is a video from Al-Jazeera's James Bays that seems to detail the proselytizing efforts of one group of soldiers.
That makes this a deadly serious issue. Indeed, others have followed up on Al-Jazeera's accusations, as illustrated by this rant from the pages of American Muslim.
You have to exercise common sense in affairs such as this. The perceived need of a handful of Christian conservative activists to "save souls" (and now, it would seem, to score political points) should not be allowed to endanger the overall mission at hand, especially when, by the way, those who do so are actually handing their enemies what amounts to a slam dunk in the way of a propaganda victory.
Once the mission is accomplished, hopefully won, and the nation is secure and prosperous, and we have normal diplomatic relations, that would be the time to make such inroads. Then, if a private citizen visits the country as a tourist and engages in proselytizing or winning converts for Christ, then they can do so on their on initiative and at their own personal risk.
Now is just not the time for that. It is never the time for a representative of the American government to do it, under the best of conditions, let alone in the case of American soldiers conducting a war with the purpose of rooting out religious fundamentalists determined to impose the darkest of possible visions-one in which this kind of proselytization is seen not only as an affront to the dignity of Islam (such as it is) but a validation of the accusations that Americans are engaged in a modern-day renewal of the Crusades.
Some might respond that there is not only a perceived spiritual need, but an expressed desire amongst some within the Afghan population for this kind of religious outreach. If so, all the more reason why they should be encouraged to provide us the aid we need to make this mission a successful one, so that they might then pursue their legitimate religious yearnings freely, without the fear of recrimination.
Granted, that time is doubtless a long way off, if indeed it ever arrives. Until such time, the only sacred duty the American soldier has is to defend our nation and do the assigned job at hand. It is their job, when it comes to Afghanistan, to clear away the obstacles to progress. It will then be up to the Afghans, with our guidance and assistance, to build the road to their future destinies, not only their material future, but their spiritual ones as well, hopefully as free individuals in a nation guided by the rule of law.
It is not helping when a small minority of well-meaning though misguided individuals engage in activities that could result in serious repercussions, not only to the mission at hand and the real lives of Afghan civilians, but perhaps even to the cause of the God who, in their religious zeal, they mean to serve.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Hitler's Little Helper
I'm staying the hell away from political blogs for a while, maybe permanently. They seem filled with the moronic type of people that think they have a God-given right to insult you, then get their panties in a wad when you respond in kind. I've had it. It's getting to the point now where I've descended to the level of telling a person of Jewish descent that, instead of going back in time to kill Hitler to prevent the Holocaust, I might be inclined to tell him "hey bud you missed a spot."
This is not to be construed as an apology to the person in question. This is for me and me alone. My nerves have been on edge over a lot of personal issues, and I don't need any further stressers, especially from the likes of these sorts of "people".
This started when I related as to why some rightists-wrongly in my opinion-judge Hitler as a socialist. Instead of accepting that I was merely pointing out that two people were arguing apples and oranges, I was accused of calling Hitler a socialist myself, and called stupid-by some dumb motherfucker that evidently doesn't know how to read plain English.
As if that weren't enough, I related stories from the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati in which I lived several years ago, stories from my own personal experience, as a way of demonstrating how life in the inner-city really is, and how some social welfare programs have enabled and even encouraged an atmosphere and culture of decay, dependence and despair.
I was promptly called a racist.
It's like banging your head against a brick wall and thinking you'll knock it down. Keep it up and all you'll get is a severe concussion. The wall will stand. News flash-I could write stories about homelessness and the inner-city and it would over time possibly be considered work of Dickensian proportions. But I just can't deal with it. It's too painful, frankly. I'd rather have fun writing, and let the monsters manifest in a form that might reach into a reader's psyche and give them a good punch in the kidney when they least expect it. Instead of doing even that much, I waste my time arguing with imbeciles. And blogging.
I'm thinking of giving up on blogging all together. I've evolved significantly since I first started this blog. I used to be firmly left-of-center. In another time-travel scenario, if I could go back in time and meet face to face with myself ten years earlier, my old self would be quite shaken.
"What the fuck happened to us?" he/I might ask.
"It already happened," I might answer me. "You just haven't figured it out yet. Don't worry, as you can see, you will."
Even when I look at this blog and think about what the name implies, I wonder about it. How do I possibly begin to fit in with a movement that is more leftist politically than it is any kind of a spiritual path? If you don't believe me, go to any pagan blog you see, and on the average for every pagan or spiritual, occult, magical, etc post you see you will see an overtly political post-usually though not necessarily always of a leftist persuasion. When it is not mainly political, politics more often than not creeps into it, to the extent that you feel like you are not a part of the group if you don't subscribe to their political beliefs. How can you be a modern pagan and not be, for example, a liberal environmentalist or feminist, or this-or-that?
Oh it's fine to be a conservative, as a liberal might define what they might call a "sincere" conservative, at least up to a point-but how can you support the likes of Sarah Palin? How can you defend conservative causes? If you want to be a conservative, be a good conservative, help us figure out a way we can have all this good shit in a way we don't have to be taxed to death for it. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. We don't want to hear about freedom and independence, we want to make government work for us-and give us everything we want. Maybe if you turn against the rich and work with us, it will work out. The rich need no protection, they need to contribute more-like say ninety nine percent.
By all means, let's encourage an inter-faith dialogue with Christians-as long as they're liberal Christians, that is. The conservative ones are too hung up on that Bible of theirs. They have this funny idea it actually means what it says.
Duh! Isn't that the point of dialogue, to try to breach the walls of divisions and arrive at understanding and acceptance? Who says you have to agree on everything? Why should you even want that?
What it all boils down to is most people aren't looking to foster dialogue and understanding through communication. They are looking for political and social allies. They're not wanting to simply carve out their own niche in society and protect their rights and gain understanding. They want to form a brigade and mount a siege on the perceived fortress of conservative Christendom.
This should not be construed as an attack on liberal pagans, who aren't all bad, or wrong on all things, nor for that matter is this even a defense of conservative Christians, who certainly have their faults as well. It's a matter of communication. I've almost come to the conclusion its a fucking waste of time.
The point is, people carve out their own little niches, and for all their bullshit about communication and dialogue, its mostly a ruse. They want validation above and beyond anything else, and if they do look for dialogue with an opposing viewpoint, more often than not its a search for a strawman to knock down and abuse.
In response to this, I find my own self and this blog centered mainly on politics from a conservative perspective, though I like to consider myself independent, by no means a red=state Kool-Aid drinker. The point is, its hard to get away from it. I try to focus on other aspects, with entertainment and celebrity posts, or the all-too rare pagan oriented post, maybe a true crime story once in a while. But then sooner or later something political comes along that grabs my attention. To paraphrase a line from Godfather III, I want to get away, but they just keep dragging me back in. I have become the ass hole I rant about, and the war of words will inevitably begin, at some point or another. Maybe its just time for me to take the initiative and break this vicious cycle.
It might sound childish, but I think I'm going to take my marbles and play by myself for a while. I have one friend and one friend only. That reminds me, I think I need to clean her litter box. The other animals, those of the human variety, can fend for themselves, and we'll see how it all works out. I am not hopeful.
This is not to be construed as an apology to the person in question. This is for me and me alone. My nerves have been on edge over a lot of personal issues, and I don't need any further stressers, especially from the likes of these sorts of "people".
This started when I related as to why some rightists-wrongly in my opinion-judge Hitler as a socialist. Instead of accepting that I was merely pointing out that two people were arguing apples and oranges, I was accused of calling Hitler a socialist myself, and called stupid-by some dumb motherfucker that evidently doesn't know how to read plain English.
As if that weren't enough, I related stories from the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati in which I lived several years ago, stories from my own personal experience, as a way of demonstrating how life in the inner-city really is, and how some social welfare programs have enabled and even encouraged an atmosphere and culture of decay, dependence and despair.
I was promptly called a racist.
It's like banging your head against a brick wall and thinking you'll knock it down. Keep it up and all you'll get is a severe concussion. The wall will stand. News flash-I could write stories about homelessness and the inner-city and it would over time possibly be considered work of Dickensian proportions. But I just can't deal with it. It's too painful, frankly. I'd rather have fun writing, and let the monsters manifest in a form that might reach into a reader's psyche and give them a good punch in the kidney when they least expect it. Instead of doing even that much, I waste my time arguing with imbeciles. And blogging.
I'm thinking of giving up on blogging all together. I've evolved significantly since I first started this blog. I used to be firmly left-of-center. In another time-travel scenario, if I could go back in time and meet face to face with myself ten years earlier, my old self would be quite shaken.
"What the fuck happened to us?" he/I might ask.
"It already happened," I might answer me. "You just haven't figured it out yet. Don't worry, as you can see, you will."
Even when I look at this blog and think about what the name implies, I wonder about it. How do I possibly begin to fit in with a movement that is more leftist politically than it is any kind of a spiritual path? If you don't believe me, go to any pagan blog you see, and on the average for every pagan or spiritual, occult, magical, etc post you see you will see an overtly political post-usually though not necessarily always of a leftist persuasion. When it is not mainly political, politics more often than not creeps into it, to the extent that you feel like you are not a part of the group if you don't subscribe to their political beliefs. How can you be a modern pagan and not be, for example, a liberal environmentalist or feminist, or this-or-that?
Oh it's fine to be a conservative, as a liberal might define what they might call a "sincere" conservative, at least up to a point-but how can you support the likes of Sarah Palin? How can you defend conservative causes? If you want to be a conservative, be a good conservative, help us figure out a way we can have all this good shit in a way we don't have to be taxed to death for it. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut. We don't want to hear about freedom and independence, we want to make government work for us-and give us everything we want. Maybe if you turn against the rich and work with us, it will work out. The rich need no protection, they need to contribute more-like say ninety nine percent.
By all means, let's encourage an inter-faith dialogue with Christians-as long as they're liberal Christians, that is. The conservative ones are too hung up on that Bible of theirs. They have this funny idea it actually means what it says.
Duh! Isn't that the point of dialogue, to try to breach the walls of divisions and arrive at understanding and acceptance? Who says you have to agree on everything? Why should you even want that?
What it all boils down to is most people aren't looking to foster dialogue and understanding through communication. They are looking for political and social allies. They're not wanting to simply carve out their own niche in society and protect their rights and gain understanding. They want to form a brigade and mount a siege on the perceived fortress of conservative Christendom.
This should not be construed as an attack on liberal pagans, who aren't all bad, or wrong on all things, nor for that matter is this even a defense of conservative Christians, who certainly have their faults as well. It's a matter of communication. I've almost come to the conclusion its a fucking waste of time.
The point is, people carve out their own little niches, and for all their bullshit about communication and dialogue, its mostly a ruse. They want validation above and beyond anything else, and if they do look for dialogue with an opposing viewpoint, more often than not its a search for a strawman to knock down and abuse.
In response to this, I find my own self and this blog centered mainly on politics from a conservative perspective, though I like to consider myself independent, by no means a red=state Kool-Aid drinker. The point is, its hard to get away from it. I try to focus on other aspects, with entertainment and celebrity posts, or the all-too rare pagan oriented post, maybe a true crime story once in a while. But then sooner or later something political comes along that grabs my attention. To paraphrase a line from Godfather III, I want to get away, but they just keep dragging me back in. I have become the ass hole I rant about, and the war of words will inevitably begin, at some point or another. Maybe its just time for me to take the initiative and break this vicious cycle.
It might sound childish, but I think I'm going to take my marbles and play by myself for a while. I have one friend and one friend only. That reminds me, I think I need to clean her litter box. The other animals, those of the human variety, can fend for themselves, and we'll see how it all works out. I am not hopeful.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Presence Of The Lord
As I expected, there is a great deal of controversy over the upset victory of Christian Arkansas native Kris Allen over Goth rocker Adam Lambert on this season's American Idol.
A great many of the more vocal Lambert fans angrily blame the Allen victory on right-wing fundamentalist Christian homophobia, while a lot of Allen's fans assert that Allen's victory is a victory for conservative Christian values and morality.
Who knows, maybe they are both right. Maybe that hateful, spiteful, homo-hating, self-centered and jealous God of the Old Testament has manifested through American Idol.
That is, if God is an eleven year old girl with a cell phone and unlimited minutes.
Or really cool parents.
Which would explain quite a lot of things, actually.
A great many of the more vocal Lambert fans angrily blame the Allen victory on right-wing fundamentalist Christian homophobia, while a lot of Allen's fans assert that Allen's victory is a victory for conservative Christian values and morality.
Who knows, maybe they are both right. Maybe that hateful, spiteful, homo-hating, self-centered and jealous God of the Old Testament has manifested through American Idol.
That is, if God is an eleven year old girl with a cell phone and unlimited minutes.Or really cool parents.
Which would explain quite a lot of things, actually.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
The True Nature Of Socialism
I posted this originally as a comment on the blog of Trotskyist Renegade Eye, but realized it would make a good blog post in its own right. I would be very interested in seeing what others think about it.
To put it in perspective, Ren had a post concerning the nature of Maoism versus Trotskyism, and this led to a very lengthy comment thread between he and the Maoist CelticFire and some others, notably a conservative Brit known as The Sentinel. Ren ended his remarks by declaring that The People's Republic of China, in creating an industrial working class, had sewn the seeds of its own inevitable destruction, much like the feudalistic system did by creating the capitalist class, which itself has sewn the seeds of its own inevitable destruction by creating the working class.
The following is my response to the thread-
Wow. You just jolted me with something you said about China, and its like a fog lifted. You should be able to see it for yourself. Socialists, I think, for the most part assume that time and history moves in a linear fashion. I think it moves in more of a circular fashion, like the universe itself. But there are disruptions, due to the chaotic nature of the universe. Because of this, time and history, if charted on a graph, would have sharp peaks followed by drops, followed by more peaks.
That's why no system will last forever, without interruption. It is simply unsustainable on a permanent basis. There will always be periods of chaotic upheaval, followed by periods of adjustments. We tend to refer to them as "Dark Ages".
Nothing lasts forever, but it always reaches out and drags you right back in, eventually. There was never a more capitalist system than ancient Babylon at its absolute height. It, like Britain, was a nation of shopkeepers.
Also, I think socialism, not in theory but in practice has much, much more in common with feudalism than it might be comfortable for socialists to acknowledge. That seems to be the history, and it fits it well, only without the veneer of a titled nobility. Even at that, it is not too far removed.
So when you say that China is creating the seeds that might eventually destroy it by creating an "industrial working class", it is just following the formula of feudalism creating capitalism. So the good news for capitalists is, we can pretty much look forward to that being the case with Cuba, and Venezuela, etc.
After all, were those nations themselves ever truly capitalists, or were they feudal in nature?
More to the point, could socialism and it's bratty, obnoxious little brother communism be viewed more accurately as the natural phase between feudalism and capitalism?
I say yes. I'm sure of it. Look at it this way. Socialism is a method to phase over between feudalism and capitalism, and can go in either direction, from or to feudalism from or to capitalism.
Communism, the obnoxious, bratty little brother of socialism, is a temper tantrum thrown as a means of keeping to or returning to the feudal state.
Well, nuff said. Socialists will of course virulently disagree with this assessment, and they are welcome to make their case here as to why I do not deserve the Nobel Prize for this piece of brilliance.
To put it in perspective, Ren had a post concerning the nature of Maoism versus Trotskyism, and this led to a very lengthy comment thread between he and the Maoist CelticFire and some others, notably a conservative Brit known as The Sentinel. Ren ended his remarks by declaring that The People's Republic of China, in creating an industrial working class, had sewn the seeds of its own inevitable destruction, much like the feudalistic system did by creating the capitalist class, which itself has sewn the seeds of its own inevitable destruction by creating the working class.
The following is my response to the thread-
Wow. You just jolted me with something you said about China, and its like a fog lifted. You should be able to see it for yourself. Socialists, I think, for the most part assume that time and history moves in a linear fashion. I think it moves in more of a circular fashion, like the universe itself. But there are disruptions, due to the chaotic nature of the universe. Because of this, time and history, if charted on a graph, would have sharp peaks followed by drops, followed by more peaks.
That's why no system will last forever, without interruption. It is simply unsustainable on a permanent basis. There will always be periods of chaotic upheaval, followed by periods of adjustments. We tend to refer to them as "Dark Ages".
Nothing lasts forever, but it always reaches out and drags you right back in, eventually. There was never a more capitalist system than ancient Babylon at its absolute height. It, like Britain, was a nation of shopkeepers.
Also, I think socialism, not in theory but in practice has much, much more in common with feudalism than it might be comfortable for socialists to acknowledge. That seems to be the history, and it fits it well, only without the veneer of a titled nobility. Even at that, it is not too far removed.
So when you say that China is creating the seeds that might eventually destroy it by creating an "industrial working class", it is just following the formula of feudalism creating capitalism. So the good news for capitalists is, we can pretty much look forward to that being the case with Cuba, and Venezuela, etc.
After all, were those nations themselves ever truly capitalists, or were they feudal in nature?
More to the point, could socialism and it's bratty, obnoxious little brother communism be viewed more accurately as the natural phase between feudalism and capitalism?
I say yes. I'm sure of it. Look at it this way. Socialism is a method to phase over between feudalism and capitalism, and can go in either direction, from or to feudalism from or to capitalism.
Communism, the obnoxious, bratty little brother of socialism, is a temper tantrum thrown as a means of keeping to or returning to the feudal state.
Well, nuff said. Socialists will of course virulently disagree with this assessment, and they are welcome to make their case here as to why I do not deserve the Nobel Prize for this piece of brilliance.
Friday, May 15, 2009
My Homophobic Post Of The Month
Adam Lambert deserves to win American Idol based on his talent, but he will either win it, or lose it, because he is gay. After all, if talent was the main criterion, then Allison Irahito would have shared the stage with Lambert for the final two. Instead, we have the imminently forgettable Chris Allen, a mediocre at best talent though pleasant enough.
To be clear, Lambert is a bona-fide celebrity in waiting, whether he wins Idol or not. His rendition of Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild made a believer out of me. It had something of the hallmark of a kick-ass Jefferson Starship performance on blotter acid.
Make no mistake, Lambert is good. Really, really good. Still, I have to say, whether he ultimately wins or not depends on two factors.
1. Fans of the last Idol voted off, Danny Dokey, who is openly Christian, might cast their votes for Allen. Lambert loses.
2. Lambert wins because, after all, while only ten percent of America is gay, they probably make up close to eighty percent of the Idol male audience.
It just occurred to me, I plugged this as a homophobic post. Okay then-
Why was Simon Cowell so badly hoping for a final contest between Danny and Adam?
Answer-he sucks big Dokey dicks.
American Idol. Gay.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Socialist Manifestos And Manifestations
When Chrysler is finally restructured according to the Obama Administrations directives, the workers will control the means of production. Well, fifty-five percent of it, with the US and Canadian governments getting ten percent each in lieu of loan repayments, while Fiat gets 35%.
What do the owners get? Evidently nothing. What do the creditors get? Fifty cents on the dollar, if they're lucky. If they refuse to play ball, maybe one third, or less, or nothing. Does this all sound vaguely familiar to anyone? The word expropriation comes to mind, for some odd reason.
Oh, and the poor Chrysler customer gets stuck with whatever rotten auto he might have been unfortunate enough to purchase. The different state lemon laws are now null-and-void. I dare somebody to make an obvious joke about making lemonade. Yeah, tell it to the dealers whose businesses are being abolished by the corporate decisions that will effectively close down one third of them. Tell it to their employees while you're at it.
Luckily, some dealers will get their own bail-out, subject to the terms of the bankruptcy proceedings, so its not all gloom and doom. That the company had to get permission to get the financing it needed from a separate financial institution after its own financial branch refused to do so is somewhat galling, but it looks as if somebody in Washington at least is awake enough to figure out you're not going to sell many cars without dealers.
There are other factors involved here. For one thing, this deal is only good until 2015, after which it will be renegotiated, probably in the Unions favor to avoid a general strike of some duration. By then, of course, depending on which Democratic Party members of Congress end up exercising the most influence over the next few years, the company might well be run into the ground, or off a cliff-or maybe even to the bottom of a tidal pond for all we know. If it is not, it will probably be thanks to the influence of Fiat, not the government.
The UAW looks to be the gift that keeps on giving, so obviously it would seem their new stake in the company is based on much more than the reputed worth of their health care insurance as determined by the terms of their past contracts. After all, GM is headed possibly in the same direction, but since their creditors have a much higher claim than did Chrysler's, the UAW only stands to gain 35% of that company. Greed was the undoing of the Chrysler creditors. Evidently, they just didn't have enough of it.
So now that the UAW are now apparently to become high-stakes owners of two companies, the majority owners of one of them, will anything rein in their own excesses? Doubtful.
After all, why bite the hand that hands over the campaign contributions? Where once these donations to the Democratic Party politicians came from the confiscated dues of the rank-and-file workers, now they will also come from the hoped-for profits of the company-otherwise known as anybody dumb enough to be a Chrysler from here on out-and also, by the way, the American taxpayer.
This then might well be the sign that people have long warned about, the dangers of the incremental implementation of socialism, with workers controlling the means of production while businesses are gradually expropriated owing to or based on the pretext of some pressing need or emergency.
It is quite telling that Marx's Das Kapital has seen a resurgence in popularity, becoming on the best-selling economic and business books in recent times.
No, of course its by no means proof that America is headed for a socialist path from which there is no hope of return. It just looks that way for now. But as bad as it does look, we can take some comfort in that, while there might be a problem stocking the showrooms with Chrysler vehicles, there is not likely to be long lines queuing outside the doors in desperation for one.
Does anybody really think Chrysler, utilizing the Fiat model, can produce a fuel efficient quality automobile at a reasonable price-under UAW control, and government oversight? It sounds like a losing proposition to me, and I'm not hopeful that the urge towards self-preservation in the long-term is going to overcome the greed that comes naturally along with government bureaucracy, money, and influence.
After all, as we all now pretty well know, even in the old Soviet Union, the workers never really controlled the means of production, did they?
UPDATE!!!
The deed is done! One-fourth of the dealerships are now officially eliminated, and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in the process. One silver lining-you can probably buy a new Chrysler for about what you might pay for a big flat-screen television set, and a decent used one for about what you might put out for a decent ten-speed. Good luck finding a place for parts and repairs. My advice-stick with the ten-speed.
BRAIN FART ALERT!!!
Unless there's such thing as one-hundred ten-percent, The US and Canadian governments share of Chrysler is a combined ten percent total, not ten percent each. I hate to admit it, but when I tell people to "do the math" I'm not relaying helpful information, I'm asking for advice.
What do the owners get? Evidently nothing. What do the creditors get? Fifty cents on the dollar, if they're lucky. If they refuse to play ball, maybe one third, or less, or nothing. Does this all sound vaguely familiar to anyone? The word expropriation comes to mind, for some odd reason.
Oh, and the poor Chrysler customer gets stuck with whatever rotten auto he might have been unfortunate enough to purchase. The different state lemon laws are now null-and-void. I dare somebody to make an obvious joke about making lemonade. Yeah, tell it to the dealers whose businesses are being abolished by the corporate decisions that will effectively close down one third of them. Tell it to their employees while you're at it.
Luckily, some dealers will get their own bail-out, subject to the terms of the bankruptcy proceedings, so its not all gloom and doom. That the company had to get permission to get the financing it needed from a separate financial institution after its own financial branch refused to do so is somewhat galling, but it looks as if somebody in Washington at least is awake enough to figure out you're not going to sell many cars without dealers.
There are other factors involved here. For one thing, this deal is only good until 2015, after which it will be renegotiated, probably in the Unions favor to avoid a general strike of some duration. By then, of course, depending on which Democratic Party members of Congress end up exercising the most influence over the next few years, the company might well be run into the ground, or off a cliff-or maybe even to the bottom of a tidal pond for all we know. If it is not, it will probably be thanks to the influence of Fiat, not the government.
The UAW looks to be the gift that keeps on giving, so obviously it would seem their new stake in the company is based on much more than the reputed worth of their health care insurance as determined by the terms of their past contracts. After all, GM is headed possibly in the same direction, but since their creditors have a much higher claim than did Chrysler's, the UAW only stands to gain 35% of that company. Greed was the undoing of the Chrysler creditors. Evidently, they just didn't have enough of it.
So now that the UAW are now apparently to become high-stakes owners of two companies, the majority owners of one of them, will anything rein in their own excesses? Doubtful.
After all, why bite the hand that hands over the campaign contributions? Where once these donations to the Democratic Party politicians came from the confiscated dues of the rank-and-file workers, now they will also come from the hoped-for profits of the company-otherwise known as anybody dumb enough to be a Chrysler from here on out-and also, by the way, the American taxpayer.
This then might well be the sign that people have long warned about, the dangers of the incremental implementation of socialism, with workers controlling the means of production while businesses are gradually expropriated owing to or based on the pretext of some pressing need or emergency.
It is quite telling that Marx's Das Kapital has seen a resurgence in popularity, becoming on the best-selling economic and business books in recent times.
No, of course its by no means proof that America is headed for a socialist path from which there is no hope of return. It just looks that way for now. But as bad as it does look, we can take some comfort in that, while there might be a problem stocking the showrooms with Chrysler vehicles, there is not likely to be long lines queuing outside the doors in desperation for one.
Does anybody really think Chrysler, utilizing the Fiat model, can produce a fuel efficient quality automobile at a reasonable price-under UAW control, and government oversight? It sounds like a losing proposition to me, and I'm not hopeful that the urge towards self-preservation in the long-term is going to overcome the greed that comes naturally along with government bureaucracy, money, and influence.
After all, as we all now pretty well know, even in the old Soviet Union, the workers never really controlled the means of production, did they?
UPDATE!!!
The deed is done! One-fourth of the dealerships are now officially eliminated, and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in the process. One silver lining-you can probably buy a new Chrysler for about what you might pay for a big flat-screen television set, and a decent used one for about what you might put out for a decent ten-speed. Good luck finding a place for parts and repairs. My advice-stick with the ten-speed.
BRAIN FART ALERT!!!
Unless there's such thing as one-hundred ten-percent, The US and Canadian governments share of Chrysler is a combined ten percent total, not ten percent each. I hate to admit it, but when I tell people to "do the math" I'm not relaying helpful information, I'm asking for advice.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Who Should Replace Souter-The Supreme Court Riddle
Now that Justice David Souter has announced his imminent retirement from the Supreme Court, it looks like President Obama will get a chance to make good on one of his major campaign promises, which is to appoint a Supreme Court Justice who is not only a brilliant legal mind, but one who has empathy with the needs and concerns of Americans, particularly those who are all too often left out in the cold.
Already various special interest groups are pushing for specific appointments. Some of course want another woman, or another African American, or the first Latino, or some weird combination of two, or all three, or some other minority.
While I understand their desires, I think it is incumbent on Obama to put aside racial quotas and other such considerations and concentrate on picking the type of man or woman, from whatever race or ethnic background, who will best do the job at hand. If that turns out to be an old white man, so be it.
For that matter, why pick a judge at all? If you really want someone who is empathetic to the needs of average Americans, as Obama has expressed, maybe this would be a good opportunity to think outside the box, as in fact many others have indeed also suggested.
My own personal pick for Souter's replacement would be tailor made for the job at hand given the current set of economic conditions, and would be perfect for a position in Obama's hand-picked judiciary. He understands economic matters, and has a keen interest in helping people in their desires to receive much needed help from their government.
I originally had him pegged as a sure thing for a cabinet post in Obama's Treasury Department, maybe even in the post of Treasury Secretary. But since that post has now been filled by the hapless Timothy Geitner, there is no need in letting this mans's knowledge, raw talent, and empathetic understanding of the economic concerns of the American people go unused and unsung.
Naturally, he will need judical training, but on a personal level, in the face of the inevitable onslaughts of court challenges as to the constitutionality and practicality of many of the Obama Administrations far-reaching economic proposals, who better to answer on behalf of the American people than-
In searching for the properly qualified individual to promote or look after his economic policies, be it in the judiciary or elsewhere, this president could not possibly pick a more appropriate individual than Mr. Matthew Lesko.
I have heard, unfortunately, that going to his web-site might lead to one's computer being infected with spy-ware, so I will refrain from linking to him. This is unfortunate, but as this is a man whose counsel and expert economic advice is sought after by such a large number of average Americans, perhaps it is understandable.
Already various special interest groups are pushing for specific appointments. Some of course want another woman, or another African American, or the first Latino, or some weird combination of two, or all three, or some other minority.
While I understand their desires, I think it is incumbent on Obama to put aside racial quotas and other such considerations and concentrate on picking the type of man or woman, from whatever race or ethnic background, who will best do the job at hand. If that turns out to be an old white man, so be it.
For that matter, why pick a judge at all? If you really want someone who is empathetic to the needs of average Americans, as Obama has expressed, maybe this would be a good opportunity to think outside the box, as in fact many others have indeed also suggested.
My own personal pick for Souter's replacement would be tailor made for the job at hand given the current set of economic conditions, and would be perfect for a position in Obama's hand-picked judiciary. He understands economic matters, and has a keen interest in helping people in their desires to receive much needed help from their government.
I originally had him pegged as a sure thing for a cabinet post in Obama's Treasury Department, maybe even in the post of Treasury Secretary. But since that post has now been filled by the hapless Timothy Geitner, there is no need in letting this mans's knowledge, raw talent, and empathetic understanding of the economic concerns of the American people go unused and unsung.
Naturally, he will need judical training, but on a personal level, in the face of the inevitable onslaughts of court challenges as to the constitutionality and practicality of many of the Obama Administrations far-reaching economic proposals, who better to answer on behalf of the American people than-
In searching for the properly qualified individual to promote or look after his economic policies, be it in the judiciary or elsewhere, this president could not possibly pick a more appropriate individual than Mr. Matthew Lesko.
I have heard, unfortunately, that going to his web-site might lead to one's computer being infected with spy-ware, so I will refrain from linking to him. This is unfortunate, but as this is a man whose counsel and expert economic advice is sought after by such a large number of average Americans, perhaps it is understandable.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
One Day, People Will See Him For What He Really Was
Not much to blog about lately, and I've been too busy to do much anyway, but in the meantime, I thought I might let my readers in on a few little nuggets of information that have come my way from what I would consider not just a viable source, but a very reliable one. Actually, to be more accurate, several sources are involved.
Suppose I told you some little known facts about former President George W. Bush, things that, if they were to ever be brought out in the open, would probably assure he would be eventually prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and spend even the rest of his life in prison.
Chew on these items-
George W. Bush initiated what turned into failed assassination attempts on two world leaders. One of them was Hugo Chavez. The second was Mahmoud Ahmadinajahd.
But he wasn't always a "miserable failure" when it came to assassination schemes aimed at world leaders. Get ready for it-
He got lucky when he successfully initiated the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Pretty awful, huh? Or are you of the opinion that if Bush really did do these things, he was only acting in America's best interests against dictatorial leaders who are our nation's sworn enemies?
Wait, that's not all-not by a long shot.
What if I told you that George W. Bush forcibly kidnapped and detained a certain radical Islamic imam, one living recently in the US on a forged birth certificate, a man who also had allegedly illegitimate papers naming him a citizen of the Central American nation of Guatemala. What would you say if George W. Bush detained this man and, without even so much as giving the man a hearing, without giving him so much as time to pack a suitcase, had him flown to the middle of the Guatemalan jungle and left there with nothing but the clothes on his back and the money in his wallet?
Is your blood boiling yet? Are you ready to demand that George W. Bush be fully prosecuted and punished for such despicable crimes? Or are you of the opinion that since this alleged radical Imam was probably involved with Al-Queda or some other terrorist group, Bush acted appropriately?
Hold on. There's more.
What if you were to learn that George W. Bush, the supposed loving Christian family man and devoted husband and father, had a illicit love affair with a certain Hollywood star, who was later found dead from an apparent "suicide". Or was it an "accident"?
Or was it murder?
Even if Bush was innocent of ending the life of this former late star, the fact remains that he violated his marriage vows by engaging in a relationship with her. Or does that really matter?
Do any of you think that, if these facts were to ever finally come out, those Republicans and social conservatives who still admire Bush so greatly would still honor him as such a great family man, Christian, role model, public servant, and President?
Would it really surprise anybody that a President who would lend his authority to the prosecution of American citizens for supposed disloyalty could do such things as I have listed? After all, this is a man who actually encouraged and condoned spying on American citizens, including, according to somewhat recently released accounts, civil rights leaders. He did this in an attempt to gather information information about not only their business and civic careers, but in some cases their personal lives-anything that might be used against them, in the hopes of finding anything that might be manipulated to show proof of treason or disloyalty. Or failing all that, just to embarrass them publicly.
Could any honest, sincere person possibly justify such actions?
I'm curious to know what you all think of this, because there is a very good chance, in fact, that all of these allegations are true. Well, let me put it another way-
They are all, every single one of them, at least partially true. It just hasn't been seen yet for what it is, thanks to the apologists who are determined to justify this sorry record, what part of it can't be hidden. Who knows how much evidence has been destroyed or buried, never again to see the light of day.
But in time, it will be.
If anybody would like to weigh in about this matter, please feel free to do so.
Whatever should we do about these despicable alleged actions of one former President George W. Bush, in the event that are finally out in the open, and proven to be the truth? Or, for that matter, how should we view anybody that might have done such despicable things? How should history regard such an individual?
Should we view him as a sincere if perhaps sometimes overzealous public servant who loves his country and sometimes went too far in protecting its interests and the lives of its citizens?
Or should we see him as the spoiled heir of a rich family-a ruthless and arrogant punk to whom the exercise of power is seen as a birthright, and who will willingly ruin and destroy anyone who stands in his way, a man to whom the ends always justifies the means, even when those ends are to his benefit alone.
Consider this an open invitation to give your opinions on this matter, as I'm sure we can all agree, that if George W. Bush did do these things as has been alleged-as with anyone else-he should be roundly denounced, condemned, and ultimately prosecuted.
However, if you are unsure as to the veracity of these allegations, or feel they are in some regards partially or wholly justified, please feel free to express that opinion as well. At some future date, I will update this post with links pointing to the alleged evidence of the wrongdoing I have listed. Until such time, I will be looking forward to hearing your opinions on this matter, one way or another.
Suppose I told you some little known facts about former President George W. Bush, things that, if they were to ever be brought out in the open, would probably assure he would be eventually prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and spend even the rest of his life in prison.
Chew on these items-
George W. Bush initiated what turned into failed assassination attempts on two world leaders. One of them was Hugo Chavez. The second was Mahmoud Ahmadinajahd.
But he wasn't always a "miserable failure" when it came to assassination schemes aimed at world leaders. Get ready for it-
He got lucky when he successfully initiated the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Pretty awful, huh? Or are you of the opinion that if Bush really did do these things, he was only acting in America's best interests against dictatorial leaders who are our nation's sworn enemies?
Wait, that's not all-not by a long shot.
What if I told you that George W. Bush forcibly kidnapped and detained a certain radical Islamic imam, one living recently in the US on a forged birth certificate, a man who also had allegedly illegitimate papers naming him a citizen of the Central American nation of Guatemala. What would you say if George W. Bush detained this man and, without even so much as giving the man a hearing, without giving him so much as time to pack a suitcase, had him flown to the middle of the Guatemalan jungle and left there with nothing but the clothes on his back and the money in his wallet?
Is your blood boiling yet? Are you ready to demand that George W. Bush be fully prosecuted and punished for such despicable crimes? Or are you of the opinion that since this alleged radical Imam was probably involved with Al-Queda or some other terrorist group, Bush acted appropriately?
Hold on. There's more.
What if you were to learn that George W. Bush, the supposed loving Christian family man and devoted husband and father, had a illicit love affair with a certain Hollywood star, who was later found dead from an apparent "suicide". Or was it an "accident"?
Or was it murder?
Even if Bush was innocent of ending the life of this former late star, the fact remains that he violated his marriage vows by engaging in a relationship with her. Or does that really matter?
Do any of you think that, if these facts were to ever finally come out, those Republicans and social conservatives who still admire Bush so greatly would still honor him as such a great family man, Christian, role model, public servant, and President?
Would it really surprise anybody that a President who would lend his authority to the prosecution of American citizens for supposed disloyalty could do such things as I have listed? After all, this is a man who actually encouraged and condoned spying on American citizens, including, according to somewhat recently released accounts, civil rights leaders. He did this in an attempt to gather information information about not only their business and civic careers, but in some cases their personal lives-anything that might be used against them, in the hopes of finding anything that might be manipulated to show proof of treason or disloyalty. Or failing all that, just to embarrass them publicly.
Could any honest, sincere person possibly justify such actions?
I'm curious to know what you all think of this, because there is a very good chance, in fact, that all of these allegations are true. Well, let me put it another way-
They are all, every single one of them, at least partially true. It just hasn't been seen yet for what it is, thanks to the apologists who are determined to justify this sorry record, what part of it can't be hidden. Who knows how much evidence has been destroyed or buried, never again to see the light of day.
But in time, it will be.
If anybody would like to weigh in about this matter, please feel free to do so.
Whatever should we do about these despicable alleged actions of one former President George W. Bush, in the event that are finally out in the open, and proven to be the truth? Or, for that matter, how should we view anybody that might have done such despicable things? How should history regard such an individual?
Should we view him as a sincere if perhaps sometimes overzealous public servant who loves his country and sometimes went too far in protecting its interests and the lives of its citizens?
Or should we see him as the spoiled heir of a rich family-a ruthless and arrogant punk to whom the exercise of power is seen as a birthright, and who will willingly ruin and destroy anyone who stands in his way, a man to whom the ends always justifies the means, even when those ends are to his benefit alone.
Consider this an open invitation to give your opinions on this matter, as I'm sure we can all agree, that if George W. Bush did do these things as has been alleged-as with anyone else-he should be roundly denounced, condemned, and ultimately prosecuted.
However, if you are unsure as to the veracity of these allegations, or feel they are in some regards partially or wholly justified, please feel free to express that opinion as well. At some future date, I will update this post with links pointing to the alleged evidence of the wrongdoing I have listed. Until such time, I will be looking forward to hearing your opinions on this matter, one way or another.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
If Texas Secedes From The Union-Some Heartfelt Advice
There has been a lot of talk lately about secession, but the most surprising example of this came during a tea party rally in Texas not too long ago, from the mouth of none other than Texas governor Rick Perry. Although he stopped short of actually calling for Texas to secede from the United States of America, he nevertheless lit something of a firestorm by saying it might in time become a more popular and even viable notion.
Naturally he has been the recipient of a great deal of criticism, as well as outright support for his statements. Nevertheless, I would have to suggest that if any single state would have a chance of success as a nation in its own right, Texas would have to be one of them. With a wealth of natural resources, agricultural land and facilities, and coastal territory, it might well become a wealthy, prosperous, powerful nation in it's own right.
The true test, however, would be in it's overall success in the long term. The major problem they would have to face would of course be resistance from both within and without to the act of secession. Though they might well weather that storm, however, there is one other that might eventually destroy them.
I am talking here about the prospects for increased illegal immigration. Unless Texas were able and willing to secure their border, they would be doomed in a relatively short period of time by an influx of aliens who would fill their schools, jails, clinics, and hospitals, drain their social services, and flood the job market, all while proving an unbearable tax burden. Crime would of course skyrocket in many, in fact probably in most areas.
I am sympathetic to those in Texas who wish to secede, and feel it might well be a worthwhile experiment. However, unless Texas has the will, determination, courage, and ability to adequately secure their borders, they would soon find themselves flooded with a horde of illegal immigrants who would quickly turn their new nation into the same kind of third world hell hole as the cursed nation from which they came.
Also, by the way, Texas might want to seriously consider closing its border with Mexico as well.
Naturally he has been the recipient of a great deal of criticism, as well as outright support for his statements. Nevertheless, I would have to suggest that if any single state would have a chance of success as a nation in its own right, Texas would have to be one of them. With a wealth of natural resources, agricultural land and facilities, and coastal territory, it might well become a wealthy, prosperous, powerful nation in it's own right.
The true test, however, would be in it's overall success in the long term. The major problem they would have to face would of course be resistance from both within and without to the act of secession. Though they might well weather that storm, however, there is one other that might eventually destroy them.
I am talking here about the prospects for increased illegal immigration. Unless Texas were able and willing to secure their border, they would be doomed in a relatively short period of time by an influx of aliens who would fill their schools, jails, clinics, and hospitals, drain their social services, and flood the job market, all while proving an unbearable tax burden. Crime would of course skyrocket in many, in fact probably in most areas.
I am sympathetic to those in Texas who wish to secede, and feel it might well be a worthwhile experiment. However, unless Texas has the will, determination, courage, and ability to adequately secure their borders, they would soon find themselves flooded with a horde of illegal immigrants who would quickly turn their new nation into the same kind of third world hell hole as the cursed nation from which they came.
Also, by the way, Texas might want to seriously consider closing its border with Mexico as well.
Friday, May 01, 2009
The Middle
Hope everyone had a good Beltane, and hope you have a good May Day. Beltane is the symbolic marriage of the goddess and the god in some paths. May you find the goddess or the god of your heart, and may the path you walk together take you to new lives of prosperity and happiness, and all that good shit. Let nothing stand between you and nothing tear you apart. Well, unless you just decide to call it quits for whatever reason, but that's a different story all together.
Hope you like the song. It seems to fit with the Sabbat in an odd sort of way. Remember, we are all social animals, but we're also individuals as well. Running with the crowd is only good to a point. After a while it smells like dead moose.
Hope you like the song. It seems to fit with the Sabbat in an odd sort of way. Remember, we are all social animals, but we're also individuals as well. Running with the crowd is only good to a point. After a while it smells like dead moose.
Shivaree
Wow, there sure was a dearth of astrological aspects in line for this year's Beltane. The only one of any real significance was around midnight of the 29th, on into the early hours of the 30th when you had the moon in Cancer roughly in sextile with the Sun in Taurus. There were some minor aspects, of course, but they almost aren't worth mentioning, so I won't.
In the context of the Sabbat, I would describe it as a shivaree. The goddess and god are looking forward to their up-coming marriage, and aren't sure of the future, though they are hopeful and optimistic. Then all of a sudden what should appear but a gaggle of friends, knocking on the door where the two are engaged in making their plans for their oh so official nuptials. The god answers the door, whereupon he is immediately snatched up and out on the shoulders of his friends, some of whom also grab hold of the wife. Carrying them out on their shoulders, they carry them to a distant field, where loud music is playing in raucous celebration.
They are dumped on the ground in the mud and get all dirty and stuff, as the friends light the bonfire and pass around the brewskis. They all laugh, the god and goddess look stupid, and they're actually just a little pissed off. But they know they deserve it. After all, what kind of fools get married in this kind of economy. The god is particularly dumb. Doesn't he know if the goddess decides to leave him some liberal judge is going to make sure she gets his shirt, his car, his home, and maybe even his fucking dog to boot?
But for the time being they are happy, and they take the shivaree in good fun. And, being gods, they fuck right there in the field while the bonfire blazes and the kids dance around the Maypole. Well, they were dancing around the Maypole up until then anyway.
That should be a lesson to them all. When two lovers are together on a night before their wedding, it might not be the best of luck, and it might not be the best time to snatch them up for a shivaree. Especially if the god just slipped an aphrodisiac in the goddesses wine.
In the context of the Sabbat, I would describe it as a shivaree. The goddess and god are looking forward to their up-coming marriage, and aren't sure of the future, though they are hopeful and optimistic. Then all of a sudden what should appear but a gaggle of friends, knocking on the door where the two are engaged in making their plans for their oh so official nuptials. The god answers the door, whereupon he is immediately snatched up and out on the shoulders of his friends, some of whom also grab hold of the wife. Carrying them out on their shoulders, they carry them to a distant field, where loud music is playing in raucous celebration.
They are dumped on the ground in the mud and get all dirty and stuff, as the friends light the bonfire and pass around the brewskis. They all laugh, the god and goddess look stupid, and they're actually just a little pissed off. But they know they deserve it. After all, what kind of fools get married in this kind of economy. The god is particularly dumb. Doesn't he know if the goddess decides to leave him some liberal judge is going to make sure she gets his shirt, his car, his home, and maybe even his fucking dog to boot?
But for the time being they are happy, and they take the shivaree in good fun. And, being gods, they fuck right there in the field while the bonfire blazes and the kids dance around the Maypole. Well, they were dancing around the Maypole up until then anyway.
That should be a lesson to them all. When two lovers are together on a night before their wedding, it might not be the best of luck, and it might not be the best time to snatch them up for a shivaree. Especially if the god just slipped an aphrodisiac in the goddesses wine.
Comin' Home
Who better to represent the more positive aspects of the marriage of the goddess and the god at Beltane than two drug-addled and addicted musicians like Delaney And Bonnie, here complete with friends such as George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Seriously, this is some good stuff here. Enjoy. Happy Beltane. And don't do as we do, just do what we fucking tell you, of course.
A Goddess And God In Their Own Minds
Archaeologists may have discovered the burial site of Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius, living would-be deities of their time, somewhere near or under an old temple of Isis. Cool. What better thing to ring in Beltane with than with the news of the finding of the mummies of a couple of disgraced, lecherous, power-hungry idiots who pretty much helped turned the world into an even bigger hell-hole than it already was.
Beltane-Eight Of Pentacles
I drew the Eight of Pentacles reversed for this Beltane Sabbat reading, which is somewhat disconcerting, though not necessarily bad. It suggests a need to devote oneself to extricating yourself from a bad situation, or avoiding it all together. Or it could simply mean devoting yourself to acquiring the skills you need to get to where you want to go in the way of raises or promotions.
For me, I think it means I need to get back to work on my novel. The hell with writing a novel is not in the writing but the editing. Although I finished the first draft of my horror novel Radu, I still haven't gotten past the fifteenth chapter of the rewrite after all this time. In my defense, there have been so many distractions and obligations taking up my time, I just haven't had the time or the energy. For me, anyway, this card is a good omen. I can't throw myself into it if I don't have the chance to do so. Maybe that chance is coming soon.
I Want Revenge The Safest Bet
If I ever get rich I'm going to buy a condo in Louisville just so I'll have a place to stay during the Kentucky Derby. Hell, I'll make a weekend of it and go to the Kentucky Oaks too. That will be the only time I'll be in the place, but while I'm there it will be a blast, provided of course its not as close to Beltane as it is this year. And I might still go at that.
As much as I would love to see General Quarters win tomorrow, I don't see him even placing in the top three, so I can't in good conscience encourage anybody to bet on him, even though a win by him would be one of the greatest stories to ever come out of the Derby. He was brought in a claiming race by an old retired school teacher in his seventies who has never owned a race horse in his life. He got him for twenty-thousand dollars, and just because the horse won a claiming race, he will be in the Derby, but of course as a long shot. A very long shot. Yeah, I know, it sounds like something out of a Disney movie. That's precisely why he probably won't come close to winning, too.
Stick with I Want Revenge as far as serious money goes.
As much as I would love to see General Quarters win tomorrow, I don't see him even placing in the top three, so I can't in good conscience encourage anybody to bet on him, even though a win by him would be one of the greatest stories to ever come out of the Derby. He was brought in a claiming race by an old retired school teacher in his seventies who has never owned a race horse in his life. He got him for twenty-thousand dollars, and just because the horse won a claiming race, he will be in the Derby, but of course as a long shot. A very long shot. Yeah, I know, it sounds like something out of a Disney movie. That's precisely why he probably won't come close to winning, too.
Stick with I Want Revenge as far as serious money goes.
Polar Bear Check-In
Good news on the polar bear front. There are more of them than ever before, something like twenty thousand of them, and even better news for future generations of both them and us. The Arctic ice is returning, and growing pretty quickly. I lost the link to the article, and I'll try to provide it later, but really, why bother? You either believe it or you don't.
I recently came to the conclusion that the global warming hysteria is based on a lot of self-serving power grabs. For example, do you remember the time when utility companies used to have to appear before state budget committees and beg for a rate increase?
Well, not anymore. Now all they have to do is promote clean, efficient, green energy production, and they have the sudden love and support of regulators the world over, and pretty much carte blanc to raise their rates to pretty much whatever they want. In the meantime, they can close plants under the guise of reducing carbon emissions, which of course is reducing the supply of available electricity, thereby justifying the price increases to an even greater extent.
But the bears are happy, at least. They even learned to dance.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Rum And Honey Glazed Ham
This might not exactly be the most traditional Beltane feast in the world, but pineapple glazed ham works for me anytime. I didn't have the chance to make it exactly how I wanted to, but here's my preferred method.
First, you need to boil the ham (preferably a butt portion) for about an hour. This removes all or most of the excess grease. While it is boiling, separate your pineapple slices from the juice in the can. Set the juice aside while putting the slices in a bowl of dark or light rum. Once your ham is ready to go to an oven, pre-heated to 350 degrees, take a large fork and puncture the ham in several places, as deeply as possible. Apply the pineapple juice, and then the rum.
Add a generous amount of honey to the open section of the butt, making sure it is evenly distributed. Place the pineapple slices then strategically, and firmly, on the honey glazed ham. The honey will hold the pineapples in place when you put them in the oven.
As oven temperatures of course will vary, you will need to check every so often, but as a general rule you will need to bake your ham about an hour longer. You ordinarily cook fifteen minutes for every pound, but remember, you have already boiled it for an hour, so you adjust the time. You can tell by looking at it when it is done, as it will start to brown on some areas.
And by the way, don't buy into the nonsense about ham or pork products being a source of swine flu. If anything, eating pork might afford you a degree of resistance to it. I doubt that, but it's just as likely as catching it from them.
Anyway, if you do try this recipe, be sure and tell me how you like it.
Back To The Broom Closet
Wicca and the pagan community are fertile grounds, it seems, for con artists, not only because so many gullible people are attracted to it, but there are so many angles with which to approach it. A good rule of thumb might well be, a person who is morbidly obese might not be the best source in the world for spiritual advice, especially as pertains to occult or magical skills. One might at least assume they are not the best source for dieting advice. Be that as it may, I recently came across this item from Jenn Q. Public.
It would seem that when Marrenna Lindberg isn't plugging her new book from Random House "The Orgasmic Diet" by appearing on TV shows faking orgasms while holding pictures of Stephen Colbert (with whom she has, according to Jenn, a near stalker-like obsession), she engages in bizarre Palin Derangement Syndrome inspired rants on left-wing sites such as Daily Kos. She also spews forth neurotic fantasies involving alleged conspiracies by the previous Administration and Congress to deny funding for her supposed research into female sexuality-which, of course, is obviously something which should be considered a priority of paramount importance in regards to government spending, especially in the face of such trivial matters as a collapsing economy and near record job losses and business closings.
I have a pretty firm way of looking at overweight people who spout off about magic and spirituality when they apply this much-vaunted learning and wisdom to the areas of government and left-wing politics. Without seeing them, you might merely assume they are simply deluded. Once you get a good look at their fat-asses, you then start to realize they might just be full of shit.
It would seem that when Marrenna Lindberg isn't plugging her new book from Random House "The Orgasmic Diet" by appearing on TV shows faking orgasms while holding pictures of Stephen Colbert (with whom she has, according to Jenn, a near stalker-like obsession), she engages in bizarre Palin Derangement Syndrome inspired rants on left-wing sites such as Daily Kos. She also spews forth neurotic fantasies involving alleged conspiracies by the previous Administration and Congress to deny funding for her supposed research into female sexuality-which, of course, is obviously something which should be considered a priority of paramount importance in regards to government spending, especially in the face of such trivial matters as a collapsing economy and near record job losses and business closings.
I have a pretty firm way of looking at overweight people who spout off about magic and spirituality when they apply this much-vaunted learning and wisdom to the areas of government and left-wing politics. Without seeing them, you might merely assume they are simply deluded. Once you get a good look at their fat-asses, you then start to realize they might just be full of shit.
Hate Crimes And Misdemeanors
So why do we need any kind of hate crime law? Answer, we don't. We have laws against assault, harassment, and murder. The difference is, the state generally prosecutes such laws, in addition to hate crimes some have on their own statutes, which are also by the way pretty unnecessary. And I know, there are many who will find it a dubious objection at best to claim that any crime committed as a supposed hate crime might leave religious organizations open to liability.
Still, not only is that true, but there is another component that is rarely addressed. Apparently, under this new law, a person charged with committing a crime can be questioned as to their thoughts and motivations. By the feds. The onus is on you, it seems, to prove you weren't engaging in a civil rights violation, if the feds decide to go after you for it.
It might sound paranoid, but I don't want to give that much power to the federal government, or for that matter to any state or local government. It doesn't really matter to me which side is in charge.
Still, not only is that true, but there is another component that is rarely addressed. Apparently, under this new law, a person charged with committing a crime can be questioned as to their thoughts and motivations. By the feds. The onus is on you, it seems, to prove you weren't engaging in a civil rights violation, if the feds decide to go after you for it.
It might sound paranoid, but I don't want to give that much power to the federal government, or for that matter to any state or local government. It doesn't really matter to me which side is in charge.
The Specter of Defeat
The GOP got an unexpected present for the Beltane holiday-a divorce decree of sorts from long time Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter. Now that he is gone, maybe the Republican Party can get back to being what they are supposed to be-the party of fiscal discipline, lower taxes, and small government.
Or, maybe not. The reality seldom fits the illusion, and the reality is, the last six GOP Presidents, at least, have presided over an increase of government. This by the way is including Ronald Reagan.
The party is hurting. You have the ones like Specter who are little more than Democrats to begin with who just ran as Republicans of convenience, adapting to the political realities of the day. Then you have the ones that want to be the Bible Party. Finally, you have the neo-cons who just think small government and the American tradition of neutrality in world affairs is just so passe'. All of them grow the government in their own way or increase its power in one form or another, but now, they look to be intent on tearing the bloody carcass of the party limb from blood-soaked limb, as the true conservatives of the party struggle with the prospect of trying to convince the average American they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Not the best time for that, it seems.
Still, even if more of the RINOs follow in Specters wake, it could prove to be the purging the party needs. Of course its still going to be a bloody mess until they decide they really want to win elections again. When they do, they might realize the only way to engage that dream is to put the religious idealism in perspective and rein in the foreign affairs component back to, say, this side of the border.
The Federalist approach is the only way for them to not just survive, but to prosper and grow. I just think that is not going to sink in for some time to come, no matter which wing of the party flies the bird.
Or, maybe not. The reality seldom fits the illusion, and the reality is, the last six GOP Presidents, at least, have presided over an increase of government. This by the way is including Ronald Reagan.
The party is hurting. You have the ones like Specter who are little more than Democrats to begin with who just ran as Republicans of convenience, adapting to the political realities of the day. Then you have the ones that want to be the Bible Party. Finally, you have the neo-cons who just think small government and the American tradition of neutrality in world affairs is just so passe'. All of them grow the government in their own way or increase its power in one form or another, but now, they look to be intent on tearing the bloody carcass of the party limb from blood-soaked limb, as the true conservatives of the party struggle with the prospect of trying to convince the average American they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Not the best time for that, it seems.
Still, even if more of the RINOs follow in Specters wake, it could prove to be the purging the party needs. Of course its still going to be a bloody mess until they decide they really want to win elections again. When they do, they might realize the only way to engage that dream is to put the religious idealism in perspective and rein in the foreign affairs component back to, say, this side of the border.
The Federalist approach is the only way for them to not just survive, but to prosper and grow. I just think that is not going to sink in for some time to come, no matter which wing of the party flies the bird.
Contagious
There is another word for a political gaffe-the truth. And when you have a gaff-o-matic like Joe Biden in the position of Vice-President of the United States, presiding over the Senate, it's pretty obvious you are going to get a regular dose of the truth, whether you particularly want to hear it or not. I suppose we should all count our blessings, except of course it is seldom good news. Recently we've been the recipients of rather disturbing news pertaining to the mutated strain of swine flu that has necessitated the closings of at least one school in Texas and has produced confirmed cases of infestation in several different states, though thankfully, here in the US, there have been no reported deaths. In Mexico, where the disease is said to have originated, however, there have been hundreds. Bearing in mind the flu is just now manifesting here, it makes one wonder just how widespread and dangerous it will get.
Our government seems determined to clamp down on undue anxieties while not denying the problem is serious. Still, they are wanting, it seems, to offer calm reassurance that, at least for now, everything is under control, as they prepare for the eventualities.
Enter Joe Biden, who with one sentence lets us know just how serious it is.
Anytime a Democrat discourages people from using public transportation, that is damn serious business.
I hope everyone had a good time for Beltane, and tomorrow's May Day celebrations. Me, I'm keeping my ass home.
Our government seems determined to clamp down on undue anxieties while not denying the problem is serious. Still, they are wanting, it seems, to offer calm reassurance that, at least for now, everything is under control, as they prepare for the eventualities.
Enter Joe Biden, who with one sentence lets us know just how serious it is.
Anytime a Democrat discourages people from using public transportation, that is damn serious business.
I hope everyone had a good time for Beltane, and tomorrow's May Day celebrations. Me, I'm keeping my ass home.
Dancing With Potential Disaster
What kind of people put up business facilities at the base of an active volcano? That's the question I found myself asking as I read this story in the course of researching the current status of Mount Redoubt in Alaska. Evidently, this oil storage facility has been there since the mid-sixties, long after the last major eruption, but it was known to be active even then, nor has it ever been considered a small thing. Three thousand years ago, an eruption of the volcano resulted in the creation of Crescent lake on the volcano's south side.
Oil companies don't seem to care. If they have to pay high insurance prices, they just pass that on to the consumer, and maybe still write it off. If they can't get insurance for facilities such as this, so much the better. If something happens, they can write that off too, in addition to having a ready-made excuse to raise prices. As for state regulators, all they see is the potential for tax revenue-or bribes to keep taxes low.
In the meantime, a major eruption of lava inundating the site could easily result in a disaster that would make the Exxon Valdez look small by comparison.
I was interested in Redoubt due to it's active status and recent eruptions so close to the last Sabbat, Oestra, and so decided to check on its status as of the approach of Beltane. I never expected to stemble across something like this.
Oil companies don't seem to care. If they have to pay high insurance prices, they just pass that on to the consumer, and maybe still write it off. If they can't get insurance for facilities such as this, so much the better. If something happens, they can write that off too, in addition to having a ready-made excuse to raise prices. As for state regulators, all they see is the potential for tax revenue-or bribes to keep taxes low.
In the meantime, a major eruption of lava inundating the site could easily result in a disaster that would make the Exxon Valdez look small by comparison.
I was interested in Redoubt due to it's active status and recent eruptions so close to the last Sabbat, Oestra, and so decided to check on its status as of the approach of Beltane. I never expected to stemble across something like this.
Some Joke
Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands dancing the salsa during a Queen's Day tour of some Frisian cities, from Monster And Critics.
It is unclear whether this picture was taken before or after the unfortunate incident during which, while she and her family toured one of the cities in an open-air bus, a man tried to drive a car straight at the Queen's entourage, resulting in the deaths of five bystanders.
It is common in Europe for festival goers to engage in the playing of pranks during the festive season of Walpurgis, the night of April 30th, or on the following May Day. I have yet to see any information as to who was driving the car or what his motivations were, but something tells me it was more than a simple prank conducted for the sake of a rollicking good time.
Queen Beatrix, by the way, is Europe's most powerful monarch, if you measure power according to how much one actually wields over a nation. I have an idea this might have been an Islamic fanatic, which would explain why they are taking their time in releasing the name of the perpetrator, in an understandable yet useless attempt to put a lid on possible reprisals against the overall Islamic community.
If he is a Muslim, I wonder how he would feel about the idea he actually participated, albeit unknowingly, in the time-honored Walpurgis, originally a pagan, tradition of playing pranks-such as it is.
Eminem-Who Can Really Blame You?
It will probably come as a big shock to some people, and might even piss some people off, but I'm a big fan of Eminem, and when he put out his latest release, it didn't come too soon. Here is what seems to be his own YouTube page, to which I just became a subscriber. I highly recommend the currently featured song video "We Made You". I was going to feature it on my blog as part of a Sabbat series for Beltane, but unfortunately, embedding has been disabled for this, and possibly all Eminem videos. I suppose I could download a player for the song. However, while the song is great and stands on its own merits, it would just not be the same without the video.
Bill O'Reilly and others really need to calm down, although I do see their point. The same predictable crowd who would skewer an artist who criticized a leftist politician or other such figure are just as predictably silent about Eminem's rendition of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in this video. Let's be just as clear, however, in noting that many on the right would be similarly silent (if not outwardly applauding) any such skewering of a feminist or any leftist figure. Sarah Palin, while a prominent part of certain parts of the video, is not the only target being skewered here. He also goes after such entertainment icons as:
Britney Spears, Ellen Degeneres, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer, and various others. In one scene he is in jail with Amy Winehouse. Interspersed among them all are numerous Star-Trek stylized sequences, as well as an Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock inspired theme. Marshall Mathers, in fact, appears in various guises throughout the video, and manages to be provocative, outrageous, or downright hilarious. In many cases, he manages to be all three.
At the beginning, he requests for Jessica Simpson to sing the chorus, and a Simpson look-alike appears at various intervals throughout the video, in parts wolfing down a humongous hamburger. Although of course it is not really Simpson either acting the role or singing the chorus, whoever does both are quite good, especially the chorus singing. However, make no mistake-Mathers is the star of the video, and many of his expressions-whether confused, pretentious, lusting, or just his deadpan personas-almost put him on the level of a Charlie Chaplin type figure.
The point to the video, at least to me, is not an attempt to slam Sarah Palin or any politician, or in fact any celebrity. The point is not making fun of them so much as all of us who, in our star-obsessed, celebrity driven madness, are ready to roundly denounce and denigrate them at the slightest opportunity. Yet, we can't seem to get enough of them, can we? Sarah Palin was in fact put in this situation, a bona-fide celebrity who was loved yet loathed by many. Yet who are any of us to judge her, or for that matter any of the people, known as "stars", represented on this video?
As the song points out in the chorus sung by "Jessica" to the "rock star"-
"We're the ones who made you."
Bill O'Reilly and others really need to calm down, although I do see their point. The same predictable crowd who would skewer an artist who criticized a leftist politician or other such figure are just as predictably silent about Eminem's rendition of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in this video. Let's be just as clear, however, in noting that many on the right would be similarly silent (if not outwardly applauding) any such skewering of a feminist or any leftist figure. Sarah Palin, while a prominent part of certain parts of the video, is not the only target being skewered here. He also goes after such entertainment icons as:
Britney Spears, Ellen Degeneres, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer, and various others. In one scene he is in jail with Amy Winehouse. Interspersed among them all are numerous Star-Trek stylized sequences, as well as an Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock inspired theme. Marshall Mathers, in fact, appears in various guises throughout the video, and manages to be provocative, outrageous, or downright hilarious. In many cases, he manages to be all three.
At the beginning, he requests for Jessica Simpson to sing the chorus, and a Simpson look-alike appears at various intervals throughout the video, in parts wolfing down a humongous hamburger. Although of course it is not really Simpson either acting the role or singing the chorus, whoever does both are quite good, especially the chorus singing. However, make no mistake-Mathers is the star of the video, and many of his expressions-whether confused, pretentious, lusting, or just his deadpan personas-almost put him on the level of a Charlie Chaplin type figure.
The point to the video, at least to me, is not an attempt to slam Sarah Palin or any politician, or in fact any celebrity. The point is not making fun of them so much as all of us who, in our star-obsessed, celebrity driven madness, are ready to roundly denounce and denigrate them at the slightest opportunity. Yet, we can't seem to get enough of them, can we? Sarah Palin was in fact put in this situation, a bona-fide celebrity who was loved yet loathed by many. Yet who are any of us to judge her, or for that matter any of the people, known as "stars", represented on this video?
As the song points out in the chorus sung by "Jessica" to the "rock star"-
"We're the ones who made you."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Time For A New Wave Of Blaxploitation Films
Back in the nineteen seventies, the so-called blaxploitation films were everywhere. They were of varying degrees of quality. You had major hits like Shaft and Superfly, along with sleeper hits like the vampire film Blacula, as well as less successful offerings such as Blackenstein. My all-time favorite blaxploitaiton film would have to be The Thing With Two Heads.
No matter how good or bad, they all had one thing in common-the obvious attempt to tap into the potential of the urban black movie market. It kind of went by the wayside by the time the eighties rolled around, but all trends seem to have revivals at one time or another, with the exception so far, thankfully, of Roller Disco. It would appear the blaxploitation genre is no exception to this revival rule, and it might well have been encouraged by the recent election of Barak Obama.
Enter the film Obsessed, starring Beyonce Knowles as a savvy, tough, sexy and beautiful housewife and mother, married to a successful black businessman, played by Idris Elba (a former co-star of the BBC version of The Office), who is being stalked by a-gasp-
WHITE BITCH!
Okay, it's obvious what is going on here. This white
Fortunately, our black hero is far stronger than that weak-ass cracker Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction. Even though he does engage in a little relatively harmless flirting, he resists the snares of the evil WHITE BITCH! She gradually loses all sense of perspective and becomes ever more aggressive, until she finally goes on the attack, even going so far as to accuse our heroine of stalking her out of jealousy.
Finally, all of this is resolved satisfactorily with a kick-ass sequence where our heroine
In the end, our hero's career and reputation is saved, along with his marriage and family. He proves that, yes, just like Barak Obama, a black man can be a dependable, solid, stable, secure, and yes, even successful business man and pillar of his community. And as long as he has a good, strong, sexy, beautiful, kick-ass wife willing to stand beside him, no WHITE BITCH! is ever going to break them up-or down.
Now by golly, that's the way it should be, huh?
South Africa-Personality Cult In The Making?
Last Wednesday, April 22nd, the voters of the nation of South Africa by an overwhelming majority reaffirmed the position of the ANC (African national Congress) as the majority party in power, all but assuring ANC leader Jacob Zuma will be the nation's next president. Zuma earlier ousted former President Mbeki as head of the ANC after a bitter and prolonged power struggle, during which Mbeki was accused of interfering in Zuma's trial on charges of corruption.
This was not the first time Zuma had been in legal troubles. During the apartheid era, he found himself exiled, and was also for a time in the same prison with Nelson Mandela. More recently, he found himself the center of a rape accusation, during which he defended himself by insisting the sex was consensual, and further outraged feminists and other critics when, in explaining the circumstances of his sexual liaison with a woman who also happened to be an AIDS victim, explained that after intercourse he made sure he showered immediately in order to ward off infection.
He has also received criticism from many quarters because he is a practicing polygamist. The biggest question about Zuma's ascension to the presidency seems to be which one of his six wives will be his official first lady, or whether this duty will in fact be assumed by his daughter, who is described as his closest confidante and supporter.
There is one potential hurdle for Zuma, however, which could pose a more serious obstacle to his chances of assuming the office of President of South Africa-the potential and threatened split from the ANC by supporters of former President Mbeki.
To a degree, this might appear on the surface to be an outgrowth of tribal rivalries. The Zulus, though the largest tribe within South Africa, have previously held next to no power within the ANC, and therefore, owing to the monopoly of power the ANC has held over the nation's politics, they have enjoyed practically no influence whatsoever. Zuma's election and influence stands to change all of that, and in fact his position as the head of the ANC already has. For the first time, the Zulus have a sea at the table-a very prominent one. Still, there are other more subtle forces at work here than the mere influence of tribal rivalries.
The ANC has recently formed an alliance with the South African Communist Party, and though it is unsure just how aligned Zuma is with them, it is possibly telling that he has dispatched cadres into various institutions as a means of weeding out "intellectuals". He has also made noises about limiting the independent power of the South African judiciary.
At rallies he has been known to sing an old song from his revolutionary anti-apartheid days, "Bring Me My Machine Gun"-possibly not the most appropriate tune with which to signal what Zuma has promised his skeptical critics will be a return to the conciliatory policies of the Mandela era.
Though Zuma is apparently a Christian, like the vast majority of Zulus, who happen to be the most conservative tribe in South Africa-according to Patrick Joubert Conlon, who was formerly a white citizen of South Africa-it may well be cause for concern that the most pro-business faction of the ANC, led by Mr. Mbeki, is now out of power, while the strongest alliance within the party seems to be with the communist faction.
Does Jacob Zuma have the potential to be a healing and conciliatory influence within South African politics, as he proclaims his intentions are, or is this just another personality cult in the making? Will he turn out to be just another in a long line of third world thugs destined to reign over yet another dismal epoch in post-colonial African political history? Or, will he just turn out to be a clownish figure with no real clue as to the proper handling of power once he has it tentatively within his grasp for a relatively brief period of time? Only time will tell.
Jacob Zuma participating in what appears to be some sort of ritual tribal dance while dressed in what is described as traditional Zulu attire. Note the gym shoes.
This was not the first time Zuma had been in legal troubles. During the apartheid era, he found himself exiled, and was also for a time in the same prison with Nelson Mandela. More recently, he found himself the center of a rape accusation, during which he defended himself by insisting the sex was consensual, and further outraged feminists and other critics when, in explaining the circumstances of his sexual liaison with a woman who also happened to be an AIDS victim, explained that after intercourse he made sure he showered immediately in order to ward off infection.
He has also received criticism from many quarters because he is a practicing polygamist. The biggest question about Zuma's ascension to the presidency seems to be which one of his six wives will be his official first lady, or whether this duty will in fact be assumed by his daughter, who is described as his closest confidante and supporter.
There is one potential hurdle for Zuma, however, which could pose a more serious obstacle to his chances of assuming the office of President of South Africa-the potential and threatened split from the ANC by supporters of former President Mbeki.
To a degree, this might appear on the surface to be an outgrowth of tribal rivalries. The Zulus, though the largest tribe within South Africa, have previously held next to no power within the ANC, and therefore, owing to the monopoly of power the ANC has held over the nation's politics, they have enjoyed practically no influence whatsoever. Zuma's election and influence stands to change all of that, and in fact his position as the head of the ANC already has. For the first time, the Zulus have a sea at the table-a very prominent one. Still, there are other more subtle forces at work here than the mere influence of tribal rivalries.
The ANC has recently formed an alliance with the South African Communist Party, and though it is unsure just how aligned Zuma is with them, it is possibly telling that he has dispatched cadres into various institutions as a means of weeding out "intellectuals". He has also made noises about limiting the independent power of the South African judiciary.
At rallies he has been known to sing an old song from his revolutionary anti-apartheid days, "Bring Me My Machine Gun"-possibly not the most appropriate tune with which to signal what Zuma has promised his skeptical critics will be a return to the conciliatory policies of the Mandela era.
Though Zuma is apparently a Christian, like the vast majority of Zulus, who happen to be the most conservative tribe in South Africa-according to Patrick Joubert Conlon, who was formerly a white citizen of South Africa-it may well be cause for concern that the most pro-business faction of the ANC, led by Mr. Mbeki, is now out of power, while the strongest alliance within the party seems to be with the communist faction.
Does Jacob Zuma have the potential to be a healing and conciliatory influence within South African politics, as he proclaims his intentions are, or is this just another personality cult in the making? Will he turn out to be just another in a long line of third world thugs destined to reign over yet another dismal epoch in post-colonial African political history? Or, will he just turn out to be a clownish figure with no real clue as to the proper handling of power once he has it tentatively within his grasp for a relatively brief period of time? Only time will tell.
Jacob Zuma participating in what appears to be some sort of ritual tribal dance while dressed in what is described as traditional Zulu attire. Note the gym shoes.
Games, Amusements, And Follies
I call this one, "Pin The Tail On The Stupid Motherfucking Jackass Idiot".
This Sunday on ABC News This Week With George Stephanopoulus, the subject came up about the prospect of a projected nine and one half trillion dollar deficit spending over the course of the next ten years. To play this game, you must successfully pick the stupid motherfucking jackass idiot within ten seconds or less. Your two choices are-
POINT-George Will-The nine and one half trillion dollar projected spending deficit will lead to much higher interest rates, and therefore serve to drag the economy further down.
COUNTERPOINT-Donna Brazile-Families don't really care so much about deficits, they are only concerned about saving jobs.
READY, SET-GO!
This Sunday on ABC News This Week With George Stephanopoulus, the subject came up about the prospect of a projected nine and one half trillion dollar deficit spending over the course of the next ten years. To play this game, you must successfully pick the stupid motherfucking jackass idiot within ten seconds or less. Your two choices are-
POINT-George Will-The nine and one half trillion dollar projected spending deficit will lead to much higher interest rates, and therefore serve to drag the economy further down.
COUNTERPOINT-Donna Brazile-Families don't really care so much about deficits, they are only concerned about saving jobs.
READY, SET-GO!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Oklahoma-The People Have Spoked
And they have, for whatever reason, chosen native sons The Flaming Lips "Do You Realize" as the Official State Rock Song of Oklahoma. This was an on-line poll, mind you, and it had to meet the ultimate approval of the governor and the state legislature. The State Senate passed the resolution unanimously, but it met objection from the State House of Representatives when one member in particular voiced objection to one of the Lips unfortunate tendency to appear in public clad in a tee-shirt emblazoned with the hammer-and-sickle. The governor passed the resolution over the House's objections, in effect pretty much overriding their veto.
Following is the song as performed during an appearance on the David Letterman show. From all appearances, it would seem the Dread Dormammu has striped Doctor Strange of his true memories and given him the personality of a rock singer from Oklahoma with an English accent.
Do you realize you have a beautiful face, and that everyone around you will die? The sun doesn't really go down, you know, its just an illusion caused by the earth spinning round.
It's not really that bad a song. It's got a good beat, it's kind of catchy, but-uhhh, the Official State Rock Song of Oklahoma? Of any state? I know the band is native Okies but is this the best in their repertoire?
Are the people of Oklahoma cursed with shitty musical taste? I think the House of Represetatives may have just been trying to politely offer them a way out.
Hat Tip-Wonkette
Following is the song as performed during an appearance on the David Letterman show. From all appearances, it would seem the Dread Dormammu has striped Doctor Strange of his true memories and given him the personality of a rock singer from Oklahoma with an English accent.
Do you realize you have a beautiful face, and that everyone around you will die? The sun doesn't really go down, you know, its just an illusion caused by the earth spinning round.
It's not really that bad a song. It's got a good beat, it's kind of catchy, but-uhhh, the Official State Rock Song of Oklahoma? Of any state? I know the band is native Okies but is this the best in their repertoire?
Are the people of Oklahoma cursed with shitty musical taste? I think the House of Represetatives may have just been trying to politely offer them a way out.
Hat Tip-Wonkette
Friday, April 24, 2009
Lost In Translation
I think I might have possibly figured out the mystery of Lost, which is in itself an incredibly amazing announcement to make for no other reason than I rarely watch the series. In fact, I could probably come close to listing the entire number of episodes I've actually watched, from the beginning up to and including the current season five, on two hands.
Well, since the next season, season six, is determined to be the last, I decided I would ruin it for anybody unfortunate enough to stumble on this blog post. I'm not giving any guarantees, of course, nor do I have any inside information. Still, it just occurred to me, if this is going where I think it is, it's not exactly an original idea. In fact, it's been done twice, not on television, but by Marvel Comics, in the personages of two characters, Ego and Krakoa.
In other words, whether the Dharma Initiative actually, purposely or accidentally, birthed and developed it, or whether it tapped into it and spurred its development-whether it is a collective consciousness like Krakoa or an individual sentient life-force like Ego-
The island is a sentient living being with some degree or other of consciousness. In other words, it's a living, feeling, thinking being in its own right.
Maybe. Just maybe.
Well, since the next season, season six, is determined to be the last, I decided I would ruin it for anybody unfortunate enough to stumble on this blog post. I'm not giving any guarantees, of course, nor do I have any inside information. Still, it just occurred to me, if this is going where I think it is, it's not exactly an original idea. In fact, it's been done twice, not on television, but by Marvel Comics, in the personages of two characters, Ego and Krakoa.
In other words, whether the Dharma Initiative actually, purposely or accidentally, birthed and developed it, or whether it tapped into it and spurred its development-whether it is a collective consciousness like Krakoa or an individual sentient life-force like Ego-
The island is a sentient living being with some degree or other of consciousness. In other words, it's a living, feeling, thinking being in its own right.
Maybe. Just maybe.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
What You Don't Want To Know-Don't Ask
This is just plain nuts. If Perez Hilton represents the gay community, they've got a long, hard road ahead of them if they're trying to gain acceptance and overall support. Make no mistake about it, Perez Hilton-whom most people previously knew next to nothing about-has with this sorry episode attempted to make himself a household name, parlaying the controversy he created at the Miss USA Beauty Pageant into some kind of aim for personal recognition and influence with the gay community. But to what overall effect?
The really strange thing is, I agree with him about gay marriage, or at least what he said on the second video, which he posted on his website shortly after the Miss USA debacle-the states should decided. I would add the caveat that the state legislatures should decide, not the state judiciaries. At the same time, as a rule of thumb, its best to keep in mind that, if you don't want to know a person's honest opinion on any given subject-don't ask. Failing that, if you don't get the answer you want, don't act like a fucking asshole about it.
Miss USA contestant Miss California-Carrie Prejean-she did not give the answer Perez Hilton wanted or expected to hear. Though it might well have cost her the crown, she gave her honest opinion, however incoherently it might have seemed at times. For one, all American's don't have the right to choose gay marriage. She obviously meant they have the right to their opinion on the subject-which they do, whether the likes of Perez Hilton likes it or not-but her mangled answer in the midst of an otherwise flawless run for the Miss USA title is testament that questions like this are better avoided, for obvious reasons.
In his follow-up response on his web-site, Perez Hilton showed what a self-absorbed numbskull he really is. Earth to Perez Hilton-most of the American people are smart enough to distinguish cheers from boos. Such obvious propaganda calls into question the veracity of his entire body of work as a celebrity gossip-monger on his self-named pseudonymous web-site, which he boastfully describes as the "most hated web-site in Hollywood".
The bottom line here as I see it-Perez Hilton did not get pissed off because Miss California does not believe in gay marriage. He is merely jolted that, having manipulatively posed a question which he felt she would be obliged to answer in a way pleasing to him, she had the temerity to give her actual opinion despite the obvious fact that it was not what he, a judge of the pageant, wanted to hear.
In other words, Carrie Prejean showed him for the fucking fool he obviously is, for all the world to see. He followed up by proving to all of us just what a fucking prick he is, in no uncertain terms.
This is a man who suggests that people should vote for Matthew Lambert as the next American Idol, not because he's the best, but just because he's openly gay. Why Donald Trump would want to have somebody like that as a judge of this contest is beyond my comprehension.
Hilton ended his video rant by saying it was time for a "cocktail".
No. I guess I'd better not.
The really strange thing is, I agree with him about gay marriage, or at least what he said on the second video, which he posted on his website shortly after the Miss USA debacle-the states should decided. I would add the caveat that the state legislatures should decide, not the state judiciaries. At the same time, as a rule of thumb, its best to keep in mind that, if you don't want to know a person's honest opinion on any given subject-don't ask. Failing that, if you don't get the answer you want, don't act like a fucking asshole about it.
Miss USA contestant Miss California-Carrie Prejean-she did not give the answer Perez Hilton wanted or expected to hear. Though it might well have cost her the crown, she gave her honest opinion, however incoherently it might have seemed at times. For one, all American's don't have the right to choose gay marriage. She obviously meant they have the right to their opinion on the subject-which they do, whether the likes of Perez Hilton likes it or not-but her mangled answer in the midst of an otherwise flawless run for the Miss USA title is testament that questions like this are better avoided, for obvious reasons.
In his follow-up response on his web-site, Perez Hilton showed what a self-absorbed numbskull he really is. Earth to Perez Hilton-most of the American people are smart enough to distinguish cheers from boos. Such obvious propaganda calls into question the veracity of his entire body of work as a celebrity gossip-monger on his self-named pseudonymous web-site, which he boastfully describes as the "most hated web-site in Hollywood".
The bottom line here as I see it-Perez Hilton did not get pissed off because Miss California does not believe in gay marriage. He is merely jolted that, having manipulatively posed a question which he felt she would be obliged to answer in a way pleasing to him, she had the temerity to give her actual opinion despite the obvious fact that it was not what he, a judge of the pageant, wanted to hear.
In other words, Carrie Prejean showed him for the fucking fool he obviously is, for all the world to see. He followed up by proving to all of us just what a fucking prick he is, in no uncertain terms.
This is a man who suggests that people should vote for Matthew Lambert as the next American Idol, not because he's the best, but just because he's openly gay. Why Donald Trump would want to have somebody like that as a judge of this contest is beyond my comprehension.
Hilton ended his video rant by saying it was time for a "cocktail".
No. I guess I'd better not.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Iran's President Recommends Fairness For Imprisoned American Journalist
Roxanna Saberi, an independent journalist with duel American-Iranian citizenship, was recently convicted in an Iranian court of espionage and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. Recently, none other than Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinajahd has encouraged the convicted reporter be given a full and fair defense in the course of her appeal.Ahmadinajahd's concerns and stated recommendations probably have to do not so much with the expressed concerns of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton as they do with the up-coming election which pits him against a former President who favors improved relations with Washington.
There has been a crackdown on dissent in Iran as the country prepares for a presidential election June 12 that pits Ahmadinejad against former prime minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, who favors better ties with the U.S. At least five editors and writers are imprisoned in Iran, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
In noting that Saberi, also a former Miss North Dakota and Miss America finalist, is not the only reporter being held in Iran on charges of spying and espionage, the report nevertheless fails to note others likewise imprisoned. One of these is an American graduate student who was in Iran writing a thesis on the Iranian Women's Movement, in addition to a former FBI agent allegedly abducted from an island near the coast of Iran who was involved in an investigation into cigarette smuggling.
Nevertheless, despite the other alleged detainees, and the widespread reported abuse of women and minorities in Iran, to say nothing of the conflicting reports as to Miss Saberi's health and general well-being in the course of this ordeal, this might be a possible glimmer of hope for some change leading to a potential thawing in the three-decades long difficulties in American-Iranian relations.
Still, even if this particular case presents the best possible outcome, it is obviously going to be, as they say, a long, hard slog toward complete normalization of relations, assuming that ever does come about.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Those Radical Right-Wing Tea-Baggers
It's hard to imagine how anyone could legitimately believe the Tea Party movement is a genuine threat to domestic security, and I don't believe for one minute that the Department of Homeland Security commissioned its report detailing the allegedly dangerous growth of right-wing extremist groups with that movement in mind.
However, it is very easy for me to believe that the Democratic Party and its elected officials and operatives might well view the Tea Party movement as a political threat to their agenda. As such, I refuse to believe anything else other than the Department of Homeland Security purposely leaked the report to the media prior to April 15th in order to coincide with the tax filing deadline day's scheduled Tea Party movement protests, probably with the intention that the average American should look at them as potentially dangerous right-wing extremists. I think they did this not only purposely, but with the full knowledge and approval of current Director Janet Napolitano.
Unfortunately for them, I think they opened the wrong can of whoop-ass, and I seriously doubt they can put it back in. Now its up to the movement to prove they can grow in not only numbers, but relevance. They seem to have got off to a rollicking good start with tens of thousands in attendance at various events across the country. Only time will tell how successful they are from this point on.
One piece of advice I would give them, just for now-all references to tea-bags are best avoided.
However, it is very easy for me to believe that the Democratic Party and its elected officials and operatives might well view the Tea Party movement as a political threat to their agenda. As such, I refuse to believe anything else other than the Department of Homeland Security purposely leaked the report to the media prior to April 15th in order to coincide with the tax filing deadline day's scheduled Tea Party movement protests, probably with the intention that the average American should look at them as potentially dangerous right-wing extremists. I think they did this not only purposely, but with the full knowledge and approval of current Director Janet Napolitano.
Unfortunately for them, I think they opened the wrong can of whoop-ass, and I seriously doubt they can put it back in. Now its up to the movement to prove they can grow in not only numbers, but relevance. They seem to have got off to a rollicking good start with tens of thousands in attendance at various events across the country. Only time will tell how successful they are from this point on.
One piece of advice I would give them, just for now-all references to tea-bags are best avoided.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Long And Winding Road
I think it was the fault of an overzealous prosecution that Phil Spector's first trial for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson ended in a hung jury, but the second trial ended the way it should have. In fact, the only way it could have by any reasonable criterion. Spector was convicted of second degree murder.
He could have been convicted of manslaughter. Although he might legitimately be accused of murder in the first degree, the evidence was just not there.
Not too cold, not too hot. Not too hard, not too soft. Just right.
Now, the man who once held Dee Dee Ramone at gun point in a recording studio, the man who once fired a bullet into the ceiling during the course of a John Lennon recording session, the man who has pulled guns on countless female companions, and the man who kept his wife and sons, whom he allegedly subjected to sexual abuse, prisoners in their own homes, might well spend the rest of his life in prison.
In the meantime, I have to wonder if all of this is really the tip of a very large iceberg. Spector strikes me as one of these kinds of guys who might well get his jollies off the sport of luring unsuspecting young boys and girls, as well as desperate adults, would-be singers and actresses down on their luck and looking for their first break, or a way out of the prostitution hell-hole into which they slid from an ill-advised foray into hard-core pornography, drug addicted and desperate.
I can picture him subjecting them to humiliating torture and the vilest forms of degradation until he finally took their lives. How many victims breathed their last behind Phil Spector's soundproofed walls?
Nor do I suspect that Phil Spector is the only man of means capable of such inhuman cruelty. He just seems to stand out as the most likely of perpetrators, for obvious reasons. There are multiple people who like the sense of power over the weak and helpless, and the thrill it brings them to hold the power of life-and-death over their hands. For one brief second, Phil Spector, in the case of Lana Clarkson, held such godlike power. It might well indeed by the first time he actually took it to this extent, but I am reasonably sure the thought crossed his deranged mind on numerous occasions. Whether he actually acted on them before the night he killed Clarkson, we'll probably never know.
It is nice to know that he will never do it again.
Yahoo And Their Stupid Advertising Policy
Would somebody please explain to me what the fuck is up with Yahoo, especially Yahoo Mail? I know I'm not the only one this is happening to, but I have to think its the worse kept secret on the internet, seeing as how nobody seems to be talking about what I assume is a new advertisement policy. If you try to backspace (I am guessing that's the right name for it) from Yahoo back to for example your Firefox homepage, it might take you five or six times or more before you get there. Luckily, there is a work-around of sorts. Click on the tiny little arrow pointing downward to the right of your left-right larger arrows, and you will get a drop-down menu that will enable you to go directly to whichever page you came from that you wish to return to.
But, before you click on wherever it is you are wanting to go, notice how many options you have to get back to the same exact page you are on. Sometimes there might be more than ten, and you might have to go back to the furthest one and hit the drop-down arrow again before you can proceed further on back to your homepage. This has actually happened to me twice.
I can only assume that some of Yahoo's advertisers are paying for this, because all that really happens if you click the regular back-arrow is-you go "back" to a different ad somewhere on the same basic Yahoo page you are on. You might have never seen the particular ad in question that you are going "back" to, but you are still being sent "back" to it, while still stuck on the same page, which from the looks of your drop-down menu might well look like you have clicked on repeatedly, even though you have only done so once, to get there.
Is it any wonder why American businesses are shot to hell? In today's fucked up economy, I understand the trend towards desperation, but here's a fucking clue. If you want to increase sells, you might want to think about not pissing off potential customers and clients, and there's not much that's going to piss them off as badly or worse than interfering with their browsing to the extent you hold them up or slow them down.
It might also be worth noting, that out of all the advertisements I have backspaced to, I don't remember a single one of them for sure. It would not be a good thing from the advertisers perspective if I did. It might actually encourage me to patronize their competitors.
As for YaHell, well, the times coming when I will have less reason to depend on them for my e-mails. They serve a fairly convenient function for saving folders and files, but unfortunately they are a third-rate, undependable service for e-mails. In fact, I rarely get an e-mail from any of my comments to this blog. I get comments from Renegade Eye, for some reason, but very few from anybody else. Many times, I don't even receive my own replies to comments.
Soon, I am going to rely exclusively on GMail for everything. There's not that many frills, but then again, who the hell needs that anyway?
But, before you click on wherever it is you are wanting to go, notice how many options you have to get back to the same exact page you are on. Sometimes there might be more than ten, and you might have to go back to the furthest one and hit the drop-down arrow again before you can proceed further on back to your homepage. This has actually happened to me twice.
I can only assume that some of Yahoo's advertisers are paying for this, because all that really happens if you click the regular back-arrow is-you go "back" to a different ad somewhere on the same basic Yahoo page you are on. You might have never seen the particular ad in question that you are going "back" to, but you are still being sent "back" to it, while still stuck on the same page, which from the looks of your drop-down menu might well look like you have clicked on repeatedly, even though you have only done so once, to get there.
Is it any wonder why American businesses are shot to hell? In today's fucked up economy, I understand the trend towards desperation, but here's a fucking clue. If you want to increase sells, you might want to think about not pissing off potential customers and clients, and there's not much that's going to piss them off as badly or worse than interfering with their browsing to the extent you hold them up or slow them down.
It might also be worth noting, that out of all the advertisements I have backspaced to, I don't remember a single one of them for sure. It would not be a good thing from the advertisers perspective if I did. It might actually encourage me to patronize their competitors.
As for YaHell, well, the times coming when I will have less reason to depend on them for my e-mails. They serve a fairly convenient function for saving folders and files, but unfortunately they are a third-rate, undependable service for e-mails. In fact, I rarely get an e-mail from any of my comments to this blog. I get comments from Renegade Eye, for some reason, but very few from anybody else. Many times, I don't even receive my own replies to comments.
Soon, I am going to rely exclusively on GMail for everything. There's not that many frills, but then again, who the hell needs that anyway?
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