Her name is "Pam" apparently. Just, Pam.
I've been thinking lately that she's actually a solid degree or two less crazy than Jack Chick. Yet the White Protestant man makes millions off of his bloody-minded fever dreams. While the Catholic woman depends on the charity of the Lutheran People's City Mission, just goes to show you I suppose.
In other news, today I overheard a man casually admit to using Extenze as medicine to help his performance.
And Elton John's 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' is really fucking good.
Dé Máirt, Samhain 30, 2010
Mentioned in The Journal Star
A blurb in today's article on women in the unicameral, or the lack thereof...
A 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center showed higher numbers of 2,250 Americans surveyed believed women were superior to men in character traits they value in political leaders. They said women were more honest, intelligent, compassionate, outgoing and creative when it came to leadership. On intelligence, 43 percent said men and women were equal, 38 percent said women were smarter and 14 percent said men were smarter.
Some might see this stat as a sign that feminism has gone too far, that attitudes towards gender have jumped over the point of fairness and straight into the realm of reverse discrimination. But what this survey actually displays is the old feminist trope that 'patriarchy hurts men too.' It shows that feminism hasn't gone far enough in breaking down the nonsense that American men believe about ourselves.
Women have more freedom to outwardly appear intelligent, openly thoughtful and ambivalent, whereas men are taught that reaching a conclusion for its own sake, and then manfully standing behind it, is far more important than the process of reaching that conclusion. To value the thought process is necessarily to confess to vulnerability and weakness. To acknowledge fallible judgment and the possibility of being wrong is to acknowledge the possibility of being hurt by the consequences of being wrong. This is blasphemy to our masculine ideal. The true man is not only perfectly strong but perfect strength, unstoppable for as long as he simply and sincerely believes in his rightness.
Now obviously the idea that thought itself is unmanly can lead men to do inconceivably stupid things, and it is in fact the main culprit behind every one of humanity's all-time dumbest decisions. So naturally women in authority who aren't burdened by this trope are going to look much smarter than men who are. Still I reckon that many of the thirty eight percent who told the Pew Center that women were more intelligent than men will still vote for a tough decisive man they can have a beer with.
A 2008 survey by the Pew Research Center showed higher numbers of 2,250 Americans surveyed believed women were superior to men in character traits they value in political leaders. They said women were more honest, intelligent, compassionate, outgoing and creative when it came to leadership. On intelligence, 43 percent said men and women were equal, 38 percent said women were smarter and 14 percent said men were smarter.
Some might see this stat as a sign that feminism has gone too far, that attitudes towards gender have jumped over the point of fairness and straight into the realm of reverse discrimination. But what this survey actually displays is the old feminist trope that 'patriarchy hurts men too.' It shows that feminism hasn't gone far enough in breaking down the nonsense that American men believe about ourselves.
Women have more freedom to outwardly appear intelligent, openly thoughtful and ambivalent, whereas men are taught that reaching a conclusion for its own sake, and then manfully standing behind it, is far more important than the process of reaching that conclusion. To value the thought process is necessarily to confess to vulnerability and weakness. To acknowledge fallible judgment and the possibility of being wrong is to acknowledge the possibility of being hurt by the consequences of being wrong. This is blasphemy to our masculine ideal. The true man is not only perfectly strong but perfect strength, unstoppable for as long as he simply and sincerely believes in his rightness.
Now obviously the idea that thought itself is unmanly can lead men to do inconceivably stupid things, and it is in fact the main culprit behind every one of humanity's all-time dumbest decisions. So naturally women in authority who aren't burdened by this trope are going to look much smarter than men who are. Still I reckon that many of the thirty eight percent who told the Pew Center that women were more intelligent than men will still vote for a tough decisive man they can have a beer with.
Dé Luain, Samhain 29, 2010
Go Wikileaks
Certainly the work they do in revealing war crimes that never would have otherwise been publicly known is important, and certainly it's fun to see politicians exposed for chicanery, weasel speak, and outright bullshit, but these are all things we more-or-less knew were going on before. The most important thing that Wikileaks does is to demystify the State's power over life and death, deflate the mythical archtype of the Jason Bourne/Jack Ryan style technosuperman, expose our fascination with the modern war making and dirty tricks business; with all of its fantastic technology and intriguing code languages, as nothing but the most childish servility.
To read through the Wikileaks files on war, peace, diplomacy espionage and the rest is to discover that there is no 'great game' going on, no taut psychological thriller keeping you on the edge of your seat. Decisions over the lives of hundreds or thousands or people are not made with cameras slow-panning the tension on the faces of various sundry officials while the leader cites Plato in a speech on the terrible import of what he is about to do.
No, the relationships between the nations of the world, whether malevolent or benign, are determined by very flawed and perfectly ordinary people, people who will or won't order a bombing that kills thousands if they decide that this is the most personally convenient choice to make, the one that will prevent the need to make more decisions later. There is a cliquish and banal familiarity between geopolitical players. Tensions between nations rise and fall based on the personal jealousies between leaders and diplomats. It's all so routine and human, to the point where I think the powers that be would actually prefer that they've been caught in some horrible scandal, some Illuminati-style conspiracy, because at least there's still some aura to being sinister. But no, the great leaders of the world are all a little myopic and more than a little dopey, but that's really all they are.
To read through the Wikileaks files on war, peace, diplomacy espionage and the rest is to discover that there is no 'great game' going on, no taut psychological thriller keeping you on the edge of your seat. Decisions over the lives of hundreds or thousands or people are not made with cameras slow-panning the tension on the faces of various sundry officials while the leader cites Plato in a speech on the terrible import of what he is about to do.
No, the relationships between the nations of the world, whether malevolent or benign, are determined by very flawed and perfectly ordinary people, people who will or won't order a bombing that kills thousands if they decide that this is the most personally convenient choice to make, the one that will prevent the need to make more decisions later. There is a cliquish and banal familiarity between geopolitical players. Tensions between nations rise and fall based on the personal jealousies between leaders and diplomats. It's all so routine and human, to the point where I think the powers that be would actually prefer that they've been caught in some horrible scandal, some Illuminati-style conspiracy, because at least there's still some aura to being sinister. But no, the great leaders of the world are all a little myopic and more than a little dopey, but that's really all they are.
Dé Domhnaigh, Samhain 28, 2010
CFb top 10
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. TCU
4. Wisconsin
5. Ohio State
6. Stanford
7. Michigan State
8. Nevada
9. Nebraska
10.Arkansas
2. Auburn
3. TCU
4. Wisconsin
5. Ohio State
6. Stanford
7. Michigan State
8. Nevada
9. Nebraska
10.Arkansas
Dé Máirt, Samhain 23, 2010
The Tom Shatel Peanut Gallery Review/Or; Bo Pelini Exists as a Test of Loyalty to Bo Pelini
http://omaha.com/article/20101122/SPORTS/711229877/-1#shatel-pelini-s-other-side-is-scary
"Nice one Shatel- you criticize the man for making a mistake, then you criticize how he apologized. Husker fans love Bo's passion- but it come's with the whole package. And all you columnists do is criticize. I hope Bo and the Huskers don't think that you speak for the majority. Keep up the good work Bo."
"You would think that Perlman would be able to talk to Pelini behind closed doors instead of drawing more media attention to the situation, kind of like you(Shatel) said Pelini should have done to Martinez. I don't totally agree with everything Bo does, Watson is still employed with the university of Nebraska right, anyway did you watch the game Shatel? Aren't the refs paid to call a fair, clean game? Apparently hands to the face and holding are legal now. One thing is for sure the refs got paid. One more thing if Martin got suspended for a personal foul, Jerod-Eddie Should be suspended for molestation. That was wrong in more than one way."
"Really Tom? Implying that we should be frightened because he goes into some kind of rage blackout? How about recognizing that Bo refused to take the endless baiting from the media to call the referees out directly. He and the young men he leads get royally hosed for an entire game, and you somehow fail to mention this obvious reason for his actions in your speculation of "how it happened".
How about being a little bit more direct yourself and discussing the penalty disparity when that crew calls NU games rather than painting our coach as some kind of possessed demon that can't explain his actions."
"Right folks. Go Bo!! I remember the talking heads (Shatel) as also the ones who sided with Callahan and Pedersen awhile back. Oh--and that 2-3 million plus dollars---why have our columnists dropped that one?? Why isn't the main point about the accountability of some of the Aggie late hits, etc. and poor officiating? Coach Pelini knows that we all get a little over the line and as always he will "fess" up to it!! Until you folks have walked even 10 feet in those coaching shoes---just cheer!!"
"This article was worst than your sunday article and I didn't think that was possible. Why don't you and the rest of the staff ******* Pelini for the day and look into the Big 12 and the referees? Maybe because that would take too much work on your part. Its easy to focus on Pelini, but you might take a little more time and research to look into why NU only has a player suspended and we don't here anything from the Big 12 when Cotton is molested."
Quick Survey. What does "*******" Pelini stand for exactly?
A. Marinate?
B Defenestrate?
C.Spiritually Nourish?
D. Autotune?
E. Other?
I think the one who need to apologize to the fans is not Pelini, it is NU Chancellor Harvey Perlman for hiring Steve Pederson. Steve in turn fired Frank Solich and hired a horrible coach named Bill Callahan. Steve also wrote PADDED contracts for Callahan and himself worth millions even if they were fired. All these decisions were approved and oversaw by good old Perlman. So Harvey I think you owe us an apology for destroying husker football the last decade and costing the program millions of dollars (way worse than yelling at a ref). You are so lucky to still have a job because you pushed all blame all on Pederson and Callahan.
In my opnion I think we should let our coach (winning coach) be passionate about his job and we should get an apology from Mr. Perlman.
GBR!!!!
While Harvey Perlman is something of a twit, his continued employment probably has something to do with his obscure non-football related duties.
"Scary? You cannot be serious here Tom. We have seen this before from Pelini. Don't act so shocked.
-Did Pelini let things get out of hand? Yes. But the officiating was WAY out of hand.
-I would rather have someone who is willing to stand up for something he believes is wrong than a bunch of PC crap from local writers who are afraid to call a spade a spade. You are playing right into what Dan Beebe wants you to do: Take attention away from what has been the biggest disgrace in college football since Reggie Bush. "Forward progress had been stopped." Does that ring a bell? Has a replayed call all year gone our way? We haven't got a holding call in almost 300 consecutive plays! For cring out loud how much more do you need to see before you think something might be going on behind closed doors.
-I realize you wanted to write a story that looks at a bigger picture than just what happened on Saturday, but until someone from OWH gives me an article that takes an in-depth look at Big 12 officaiting and calls them what they are this will be mine and everyone else's response...yawn"
Shatel, once again you prove to me that you are a shoddy journalist and I use that term loosely (journalist that is). I am so sick and tired of the media, especially you, beating a dead horse to death. Put this one to bed and go out there and do some real investigative and unbiased reporting, like why that officiating crew saw Nebraska three times this year!
For all those 'embarassed' and 'ashamed' of Bo, grow up. Everyone who's ever played a sport in their life has been yelled at by a coach just like Bo did to Taylor. Yeah he needs to tone his approach to the refs, but the fact is that they are supposed to be objective, and if they let Bo's rants get to them that's their problem. Bo is good for the program and keeps the players in order, you dont see 30 players getting arrested in 3 or 4 years like you do with Iowa and Florida and other programs. GBR."
I think Bo Pelini has a great mind for football and his competive passion gives him the energy to win. I also see what a faithfilled familyman and husband he is. I hope Bo can receive some spiritual direction this week. He can put Christ back in the middle of yes, even football, and be the Coach he was created to be."
"Nice one Shatel- you criticize the man for making a mistake, then you criticize how he apologized. Husker fans love Bo's passion- but it come's with the whole package. And all you columnists do is criticize. I hope Bo and the Huskers don't think that you speak for the majority. Keep up the good work Bo."
"You would think that Perlman would be able to talk to Pelini behind closed doors instead of drawing more media attention to the situation, kind of like you(Shatel) said Pelini should have done to Martinez. I don't totally agree with everything Bo does, Watson is still employed with the university of Nebraska right, anyway did you watch the game Shatel? Aren't the refs paid to call a fair, clean game? Apparently hands to the face and holding are legal now. One thing is for sure the refs got paid. One more thing if Martin got suspended for a personal foul, Jerod-Eddie Should be suspended for molestation. That was wrong in more than one way."
"Really Tom? Implying that we should be frightened because he goes into some kind of rage blackout? How about recognizing that Bo refused to take the endless baiting from the media to call the referees out directly. He and the young men he leads get royally hosed for an entire game, and you somehow fail to mention this obvious reason for his actions in your speculation of "how it happened".
How about being a little bit more direct yourself and discussing the penalty disparity when that crew calls NU games rather than painting our coach as some kind of possessed demon that can't explain his actions."
"Right folks. Go Bo!! I remember the talking heads (Shatel) as also the ones who sided with Callahan and Pedersen awhile back. Oh--and that 2-3 million plus dollars---why have our columnists dropped that one?? Why isn't the main point about the accountability of some of the Aggie late hits, etc. and poor officiating? Coach Pelini knows that we all get a little over the line and as always he will "fess" up to it!! Until you folks have walked even 10 feet in those coaching shoes---just cheer!!"
"This article was worst than your sunday article and I didn't think that was possible. Why don't you and the rest of the staff ******* Pelini for the day and look into the Big 12 and the referees? Maybe because that would take too much work on your part. Its easy to focus on Pelini, but you might take a little more time and research to look into why NU only has a player suspended and we don't here anything from the Big 12 when Cotton is molested."
Quick Survey. What does "*******" Pelini stand for exactly?
A. Marinate?
B Defenestrate?
C.Spiritually Nourish?
D. Autotune?
E. Other?
I think the one who need to apologize to the fans is not Pelini, it is NU Chancellor Harvey Perlman for hiring Steve Pederson. Steve in turn fired Frank Solich and hired a horrible coach named Bill Callahan. Steve also wrote PADDED contracts for Callahan and himself worth millions even if they were fired. All these decisions were approved and oversaw by good old Perlman. So Harvey I think you owe us an apology for destroying husker football the last decade and costing the program millions of dollars (way worse than yelling at a ref). You are so lucky to still have a job because you pushed all blame all on Pederson and Callahan.
In my opnion I think we should let our coach (winning coach) be passionate about his job and we should get an apology from Mr. Perlman.
GBR!!!!
While Harvey Perlman is something of a twit, his continued employment probably has something to do with his obscure non-football related duties.
"Scary? You cannot be serious here Tom. We have seen this before from Pelini. Don't act so shocked.
-Did Pelini let things get out of hand? Yes. But the officiating was WAY out of hand.
-I would rather have someone who is willing to stand up for something he believes is wrong than a bunch of PC crap from local writers who are afraid to call a spade a spade. You are playing right into what Dan Beebe wants you to do: Take attention away from what has been the biggest disgrace in college football since Reggie Bush. "Forward progress had been stopped." Does that ring a bell? Has a replayed call all year gone our way? We haven't got a holding call in almost 300 consecutive plays! For cring out loud how much more do you need to see before you think something might be going on behind closed doors.
-I realize you wanted to write a story that looks at a bigger picture than just what happened on Saturday, but until someone from OWH gives me an article that takes an in-depth look at Big 12 officaiting and calls them what they are this will be mine and everyone else's response...yawn"
Shatel, once again you prove to me that you are a shoddy journalist and I use that term loosely (journalist that is). I am so sick and tired of the media, especially you, beating a dead horse to death. Put this one to bed and go out there and do some real investigative and unbiased reporting, like why that officiating crew saw Nebraska three times this year!
For all those 'embarassed' and 'ashamed' of Bo, grow up. Everyone who's ever played a sport in their life has been yelled at by a coach just like Bo did to Taylor. Yeah he needs to tone his approach to the refs, but the fact is that they are supposed to be objective, and if they let Bo's rants get to them that's their problem. Bo is good for the program and keeps the players in order, you dont see 30 players getting arrested in 3 or 4 years like you do with Iowa and Florida and other programs. GBR."
I think Bo Pelini has a great mind for football and his competive passion gives him the energy to win. I also see what a faithfilled familyman and husband he is. I hope Bo can receive some spiritual direction this week. He can put Christ back in the middle of yes, even football, and be the Coach he was created to be."
Dé Luain, Samhain 22, 2010
Been Thinking
I read a 'Life article' on Haiti, and a corresponding thread on Fark. The story was as dispiriting as you might expect, but it's some of the thread comments that really caught my eye.
"You can't bring civilization, clean water, and western capitalism for 6 billion people. There have always been inequalities, and if you want to trade spaces with a stricken Haitian well, throw your hat into the rink. If not? Then quitcher biatchin.
/This is the system we grew up with, and the system you vote for. Don't like it? Want to be a bleeding heart? Fine, donate your mini fortune to buy cases of water for Haiti."
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Our how about they primarily have themselves to blame. Their government is corrupt beyond belief. Their economy is constantly undermined by back room deals, payoffs, and embezzlement. Instead of controlling the money in their own country, and investing it in things like infrastructure and health care, the money just ends up in the hands of criminals.
So, why am I supposed to give a rats ass about them? Because they're human?
Poor black people who breed for more than they can ever possibly feed and adequately house even in the best of times, for them. Even with all the help they get it's still no where enough to help their misery.
Sorry bad shiat happened to them.
Oh well.....
What struck me here was not so much the callousness of these statements as the fact these statements are obviously meant to be conscious displays of callousness, callousness as a defensive weapon. And what were these Fark posters defending themselves from? Was anyone else on the thread openly denouncing the greed and materialism of the Yankees, the West, the White Man?
No, as you can see for yourself, http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5768850&startid=64939534; the 'let them eat dirt' posters were only reacting to statements of sorrow and dismay at what the people of Haiti were suffering through. They assumed out of hand that any suggestion that it was wrong for third-world people to suffer this way was necessarily to claim that our own prosperity is wrong, and so they responded with defensive aggression.
This sensitivity is very common among small-fish citizens of big-fish nations. It may seem easy to accept being born into a rich and powerful society as just good luck, but it's actually very hard, not in spite of our material comforts but because of them. One who has been born here into the modern United States, on gone on to invest in our institutions and make his life here; house car job and the rest, needs to believe that his relative fortune is cosmically deserved, and cannot accept that he could have just as easily (more easily in fact) been born into a place where the precise level of talent and intelligence he has now would leave him starved naked and dead.
"You can't bring civilization, clean water, and western capitalism for 6 billion people. There have always been inequalities, and if you want to trade spaces with a stricken Haitian well, throw your hat into the rink. If not? Then quitcher biatchin.
/This is the system we grew up with, and the system you vote for. Don't like it? Want to be a bleeding heart? Fine, donate your mini fortune to buy cases of water for Haiti."
<span style="font-weight:bold;">Our how about they primarily have themselves to blame. Their government is corrupt beyond belief. Their economy is constantly undermined by back room deals, payoffs, and embezzlement. Instead of controlling the money in their own country, and investing it in things like infrastructure and health care, the money just ends up in the hands of criminals.
So, why am I supposed to give a rats ass about them? Because they're human?
Poor black people who breed for more than they can ever possibly feed and adequately house even in the best of times, for them. Even with all the help they get it's still no where enough to help their misery.
Sorry bad shiat happened to them.
Oh well.....
What struck me here was not so much the callousness of these statements as the fact these statements are obviously meant to be conscious displays of callousness, callousness as a defensive weapon. And what were these Fark posters defending themselves from? Was anyone else on the thread openly denouncing the greed and materialism of the Yankees, the West, the White Man?
No, as you can see for yourself, http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=5768850&startid=64939534; the 'let them eat dirt' posters were only reacting to statements of sorrow and dismay at what the people of Haiti were suffering through. They assumed out of hand that any suggestion that it was wrong for third-world people to suffer this way was necessarily to claim that our own prosperity is wrong, and so they responded with defensive aggression.
This sensitivity is very common among small-fish citizens of big-fish nations. It may seem easy to accept being born into a rich and powerful society as just good luck, but it's actually very hard, not in spite of our material comforts but because of them. One who has been born here into the modern United States, on gone on to invest in our institutions and make his life here; house car job and the rest, needs to believe that his relative fortune is cosmically deserved, and cannot accept that he could have just as easily (more easily in fact) been born into a place where the precise level of talent and intelligence he has now would leave him starved naked and dead.
Dé Domhnaigh, Samhain 21, 2010
CFB Top 10
(Conference Transfer Tax Edition)
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. LSU
7. Stanford
8. Okla. State
9. Ohio State
10.Michigan State
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. LSU
7. Stanford
8. Okla. State
9. Ohio State
10.Michigan State
Dé Céadaoin, Samhain 17, 2010
Stand Your Ground 'Self-Defense Law' coming to Unicameral
http://www.omaha.com/article/20101116/NEWS01/711179997/1009#clearer-self-defense-law-urged
sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, who I best remember for thanking God for his Aryan looking children in an interview to the Journal-Star a few years back, wants to introduce a law removing the 'duty to retreat' for those threatened with attack from inside their homes or vehicles. This is a fad that's been pushed by the NRA and other groups in various states in recent years, and the purpose is quite obviously to make the 'man's home is his castle' saw literally encoded in law. Personally I like the retreat law. But maybe that's just because I've been feminized enough to think that violence is bad-in-itself, and that the choice between the good guys life and bad guys life should best be avoided until it is absolutely impossible. Surely the graveyards are full of enough real men who took heroic stands against evil, relished in making offenders suffer, and than wilted to death from old age to prove that macho is bullshit. Apparently some don't think so.
The bill is a clear example of what the right wing considers freedom to be, which is not democracy as much as democratic feudalism. (Hence the pedantic insistence that we are a republic instead of a democracy in some libertarian circles.) By this thinking the right to vote and speak ones mind are a good deal less important than the right to punish personal offenses however a (White, Christian) man sees fit, up to and including most crucially having some power over life and death. Legal equality exists only to provide a fair playing field for men to fight for dominance and expand their fiefs, while social equality, not just forced economic equality but any attempt to alter the social hierarchy, is the blackest of all evils.
In the New York Times I read of a man who helped to attach some right-to-carry boilerplate in a Congressional bill meant to give citizens of Washington DC. better federal representation. He admitted, or rather bragged, about not giving a damn whether the people of DC had the right to vote or not. they are nothing but a bunch of Brown peasents, and living in an urban environment like that requires a good deal of innate cooperativeness between citizens. That makes them doubly evil, so fuck em.
sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, who I best remember for thanking God for his Aryan looking children in an interview to the Journal-Star a few years back, wants to introduce a law removing the 'duty to retreat' for those threatened with attack from inside their homes or vehicles. This is a fad that's been pushed by the NRA and other groups in various states in recent years, and the purpose is quite obviously to make the 'man's home is his castle' saw literally encoded in law. Personally I like the retreat law. But maybe that's just because I've been feminized enough to think that violence is bad-in-itself, and that the choice between the good guys life and bad guys life should best be avoided until it is absolutely impossible. Surely the graveyards are full of enough real men who took heroic stands against evil, relished in making offenders suffer, and than wilted to death from old age to prove that macho is bullshit. Apparently some don't think so.
The bill is a clear example of what the right wing considers freedom to be, which is not democracy as much as democratic feudalism. (Hence the pedantic insistence that we are a republic instead of a democracy in some libertarian circles.) By this thinking the right to vote and speak ones mind are a good deal less important than the right to punish personal offenses however a (White, Christian) man sees fit, up to and including most crucially having some power over life and death. Legal equality exists only to provide a fair playing field for men to fight for dominance and expand their fiefs, while social equality, not just forced economic equality but any attempt to alter the social hierarchy, is the blackest of all evils.
In the New York Times I read of a man who helped to attach some right-to-carry boilerplate in a Congressional bill meant to give citizens of Washington DC. better federal representation. He admitted, or rather bragged, about not giving a damn whether the people of DC had the right to vote or not. they are nothing but a bunch of Brown peasents, and living in an urban environment like that requires a good deal of innate cooperativeness between citizens. That makes them doubly evil, so fuck em.
Dé Máirt, Samhain 16, 2010
If You Believe Sean Hannity has Sources in the Obama White House
"There are some Democrats that cue me into things. The feeling among some people in the White House is that this president is unhinged, that he's detacted, that he's losing it, he's obsessed with critics, very specifically obsessed with Fox news, he can't stand Biden, he hates the Clintons, the Clintons hate him. Infighting apparently, and finger pointing is at an all-time high, if the President is brought bad news on the economy he has a meltdown everytime he hears it. And this is what people-and I'm telling you-my sources are reliable are telling me"
http://www.hapblog.com/2010/11/hannity-sources-telling-me-infighting.html
One time there was a hobo who told me he got picked up by a good-looking middle aged lady at a truck stop in Memphis. She gave him hundreds of dollars a week and full use of her new Chevy truck while he had sex with both her and her nineteen-year-old daughter all the while.
Another time I heard from this guy named Mandeville that there's some freaky shit going down about an hours drive east out of Constantinople.
http://www.hapblog.com/2010/11/hannity-sources-telling-me-infighting.html
One time there was a hobo who told me he got picked up by a good-looking middle aged lady at a truck stop in Memphis. She gave him hundreds of dollars a week and full use of her new Chevy truck while he had sex with both her and her nineteen-year-old daughter all the while.
Another time I heard from this guy named Mandeville that there's some freaky shit going down about an hours drive east out of Constantinople.
Dé Domhnaigh, Samhain 14, 2010
comment 44
http://erictric.com/2010/11/11/google-commemorates-veterans-day-with-new-doodle/
The loonier members of the right assume out of hand that Google must be an enemy because: A) It is a Bay Area Yuppie industry and B) Is not in the business of constantly putting on ostentatious displays of agreement with and fealty to the right-wing agenda. And so the nutcases, in their typical fashion, are simply squinting their eyes as hard as they need to in order to find evidence for what they already 'know'.
The loonier members of the right assume out of hand that Google must be an enemy because: A) It is a Bay Area Yuppie industry and B) Is not in the business of constantly putting on ostentatious displays of agreement with and fealty to the right-wing agenda. And so the nutcases, in their typical fashion, are simply squinting their eyes as hard as they need to in order to find evidence for what they already 'know'.
Dé Céadaoin, Samhain 10, 2010
Chrisma Woman: 'INCEDENTARY' edition
IMPORT TAXES
Before 1920 there were no income taxes. Federal gov-ernment got all their needs met with import taxes.
We need our factories back. We can place import taxes on electronics from China. This encourages electronics made here without subliminals. Other factories can flourish here in the states too. More factories here mean a better economy with more jobs.
People delight in making things. We have to move forward with some inventions Asians already have. Plastics with clay may mold more intricate artistic products.
Only a tiny tariff added and the end of income tax is in sight.
TABLES IN SCHOOL BUSES
Students can study longer while in a school bus on their way to and from school.
Outfit our school buses as you would an airplane with folding mini tables that come out in front of a seated child.
A ceiling light can be turned on in winter months when the sun sets early. This increases study time. Seat belted stu-dents are better behaved. Students with tables and light can have better academic scores. Tables are not steady for writing but a book on a table with a light encourages reading. We don’t want stu-dents to be on a bus more than an hour.
Southern states can have bike and bus commuting for more fitness, less gas used and more kids getting home faster.
BIKE RACES
To encourage fitness let’s have bike races for ages 9-12 on a country road at the end of the school year. All you need is thread for the finish line.
We suggest stolen bikes from police can be given to Christian groups to hand out to no income families for nine year olds under the Christmas tree. Then every kid can join the race in May.
ANSWERS TO BACKPACK INCEDENTARIES
The problem is Chinese have incedentaries that are silent and in this country now. It pulverizes a three story building like Ferguson Hall at UNL. Chinese adver-tized houses being pulverized as seen from above with footage on America’s TV commercials for a year. Of course they are the ones doing the demolitions. Chi-nese have to be escorted out of this country. We don’t know what exact Chinese person is responsible for all the subliminals and inceden-taries so get them all out. 99% are likely to be guilty including students. Obama is getting a trillion dollars a month from Chinese by buying our bonds. Is Obama going to get Chinese out of this country?
Another answer is to have only clear plastic backpacks in this country. Set a time in a month se every school kid, college student, American and visiting foreigner has to have a clear plastic backpack instead. In WWII we made all women to no longer wear nylons. Help make clear plastic backpacks the law in every state.
Sometimes Russians wear these backpacks so we cannot check whether they are Americans or Russians by looking at their faces.
X-ray cars as they come into America. Can we x-ray cars and luggage as they come across the Mississippi and Missouri river over our bridges? Can we x-ray cars and luggage when going from state to state as one would at customs? Protect the innocent
ADMIRE SOUTH KOREANS
A South Korean single woman coming into the home of a married woman stops at the wedding picture to admire for 5 minutes. They rarely divorce and almost all marry young. They form bible groups in their homes to cull who to marry. Only 20% get into their colleges in South Korea. Many come here wanting their teen children to go to college and they are brilliant. They test for col-lege several times and com-pare scores in their con-versations even if they are bound for art school. Average age a woman gets their own business is 26 compared to age 50 for an American woman. Very few use drugs. They commonly work up to 80 hours a week. Their children go to classes until 8PM like they do in South Korea. South Koreans are kind and modest despite their flare for designer clothes. Buy from them instead.
Before 1920 there were no income taxes. Federal gov-ernment got all their needs met with import taxes.
We need our factories back. We can place import taxes on electronics from China. This encourages electronics made here without subliminals. Other factories can flourish here in the states too. More factories here mean a better economy with more jobs.
People delight in making things. We have to move forward with some inventions Asians already have. Plastics with clay may mold more intricate artistic products.
Only a tiny tariff added and the end of income tax is in sight.
TABLES IN SCHOOL BUSES
Students can study longer while in a school bus on their way to and from school.
Outfit our school buses as you would an airplane with folding mini tables that come out in front of a seated child.
A ceiling light can be turned on in winter months when the sun sets early. This increases study time. Seat belted stu-dents are better behaved. Students with tables and light can have better academic scores. Tables are not steady for writing but a book on a table with a light encourages reading. We don’t want stu-dents to be on a bus more than an hour.
Southern states can have bike and bus commuting for more fitness, less gas used and more kids getting home faster.
BIKE RACES
To encourage fitness let’s have bike races for ages 9-12 on a country road at the end of the school year. All you need is thread for the finish line.
We suggest stolen bikes from police can be given to Christian groups to hand out to no income families for nine year olds under the Christmas tree. Then every kid can join the race in May.
ANSWERS TO BACKPACK INCEDENTARIES
The problem is Chinese have incedentaries that are silent and in this country now. It pulverizes a three story building like Ferguson Hall at UNL. Chinese adver-tized houses being pulverized as seen from above with footage on America’s TV commercials for a year. Of course they are the ones doing the demolitions. Chi-nese have to be escorted out of this country. We don’t know what exact Chinese person is responsible for all the subliminals and inceden-taries so get them all out. 99% are likely to be guilty including students. Obama is getting a trillion dollars a month from Chinese by buying our bonds. Is Obama going to get Chinese out of this country?
Another answer is to have only clear plastic backpacks in this country. Set a time in a month se every school kid, college student, American and visiting foreigner has to have a clear plastic backpack instead. In WWII we made all women to no longer wear nylons. Help make clear plastic backpacks the law in every state.
Sometimes Russians wear these backpacks so we cannot check whether they are Americans or Russians by looking at their faces.
X-ray cars as they come into America. Can we x-ray cars and luggage as they come across the Mississippi and Missouri river over our bridges? Can we x-ray cars and luggage when going from state to state as one would at customs? Protect the innocent
ADMIRE SOUTH KOREANS
A South Korean single woman coming into the home of a married woman stops at the wedding picture to admire for 5 minutes. They rarely divorce and almost all marry young. They form bible groups in their homes to cull who to marry. Only 20% get into their colleges in South Korea. Many come here wanting their teen children to go to college and they are brilliant. They test for col-lege several times and com-pare scores in their con-versations even if they are bound for art school. Average age a woman gets their own business is 26 compared to age 50 for an American woman. Very few use drugs. They commonly work up to 80 hours a week. Their children go to classes until 8PM like they do in South Korea. South Koreans are kind and modest despite their flare for designer clothes. Buy from them instead.
Dé Máirt, Samhain 09, 2010
Interesting Study
http://today.yougov.com/news/2010/11/01/illegal-immigration-might-be-election-issue/
"In 2008, the Pew Hispanic Center, calculated that there might be 11.2 million illegal immigrants in the United States. That is about 4% of the population. The state with the greatest proportion was Arizona, with 7.9%. These numbers, like any Census of a large population, are necessarily inaccurate, but they are the best we’ve got. With the recession, most experts agree that the population of illegal residents has probably declined since 2008.
If you read my last blog posting, you may not be surprised to know that poll respondents have a completely distorted estimate of the number of illegal immigrants in their state. The average response when asked what percent of their state is illegal immigrants was just over 17% - that is, the average American thinks almost 1 in 5 people are illegal immigrants.
One final note – Americans of all political ideologies show some tendency to, not only over-estimate the number of illegal immigrants, but also to have trouble separating Hispanics generally from illegal immigrants particularly. Let me explain: in addition to asking about the percentage of illegal immigrants in their state, I also asked what percentage of their state is Hispanic. I think it is safe to assume that when most people hear the term “illegal immigrant”, they almost exclusively assume that the illegal immigrant is from Latin America - meaning that when they say 17% of their state is illegal immigrants that they are saying that at least 17% of their state is Hispanic. If I am correct about this, a rough way to estimate the percentage of Hispanics that a respondent thinks are illegal immigrants is simply to compare their answer to the questions about the percentage Hispanic to their answer about the percentage illegal immigrants. Among all white respondents, the average answer to the question about illegal immigrants was almost 2/3rds the size of their answer to the question about Hispanics – meaning, if they thought about it – they are likely indicating that they think that 2/3rds of all Hispanics in their state are illegal immigrants. Among “very conservative” whites the answer to the Hispanic question was, astoundingly, almost 3/4ths the size of the answer about illegal immigrants – implying that 3/4ths of Hispanics are illegal immigrants."
Ryan D. Enos
This is related, I think to the narritives of President Obama as a radical, Muslim, illegitimate usurper, etc. It's a gross simplification to say that all opposition to Obama or anti-immigration hysteria is based on direct and conscious racism. (It is also a convenient strawman for the right, who can dismiss critiques of their more absurd conspiracy theories by saying something akin to 'liberals always shout racism when they can't win an argument.) Old-school, overt, cross burning racism has become taboo in almost every segment of American society. But I do think that this distorted view of reality, in regards to both the president and the Hispanic wave, has a good deal to do with latant racism. It's a half-conscious feeling among the White middle class that their control of society is simply the natural order of things; that a world where politicians focus on pandering for their votes, popular culture focuses on catering to their sensibilities, and corporations focus on marketing for their dollars; is nothing more than a world running on its proper equilibrium.
The desire to believe that many if not most Hispanic newcomers are 'illegal', the fact that the sort of banal ethnic-identity markers that should be taken as givens, (Latinos speaking Spanish among themselves, old country flags on truck windows) are seen as signs of their illegality, is clearly meant to delegitimatize the physical reality of their being here. Just as narratives of President Obama as a mad Leftist hellbent on corrupting America's natural state are also obvious attempts to deligitimize his presence in the White House.
For many in the White middle and upper classes, the idea that their loss of cultural and demographic dominance could possibly be benign, spontaneous, and organic is simply inconceivable. This is especially true in rural and suburban areas where they have previously been not only culturally dominant but culturally uniform. The mere fact that we are losing this control is proof enough that there are malevolent forces behind this loss.
"In 2008, the Pew Hispanic Center, calculated that there might be 11.2 million illegal immigrants in the United States. That is about 4% of the population. The state with the greatest proportion was Arizona, with 7.9%. These numbers, like any Census of a large population, are necessarily inaccurate, but they are the best we’ve got. With the recession, most experts agree that the population of illegal residents has probably declined since 2008.
If you read my last blog posting, you may not be surprised to know that poll respondents have a completely distorted estimate of the number of illegal immigrants in their state. The average response when asked what percent of their state is illegal immigrants was just over 17% - that is, the average American thinks almost 1 in 5 people are illegal immigrants.
One final note – Americans of all political ideologies show some tendency to, not only over-estimate the number of illegal immigrants, but also to have trouble separating Hispanics generally from illegal immigrants particularly. Let me explain: in addition to asking about the percentage of illegal immigrants in their state, I also asked what percentage of their state is Hispanic. I think it is safe to assume that when most people hear the term “illegal immigrant”, they almost exclusively assume that the illegal immigrant is from Latin America - meaning that when they say 17% of their state is illegal immigrants that they are saying that at least 17% of their state is Hispanic. If I am correct about this, a rough way to estimate the percentage of Hispanics that a respondent thinks are illegal immigrants is simply to compare their answer to the questions about the percentage Hispanic to their answer about the percentage illegal immigrants. Among all white respondents, the average answer to the question about illegal immigrants was almost 2/3rds the size of their answer to the question about Hispanics – meaning, if they thought about it – they are likely indicating that they think that 2/3rds of all Hispanics in their state are illegal immigrants. Among “very conservative” whites the answer to the Hispanic question was, astoundingly, almost 3/4ths the size of the answer about illegal immigrants – implying that 3/4ths of Hispanics are illegal immigrants."
Ryan D. Enos
This is related, I think to the narritives of President Obama as a radical, Muslim, illegitimate usurper, etc. It's a gross simplification to say that all opposition to Obama or anti-immigration hysteria is based on direct and conscious racism. (It is also a convenient strawman for the right, who can dismiss critiques of their more absurd conspiracy theories by saying something akin to 'liberals always shout racism when they can't win an argument.) Old-school, overt, cross burning racism has become taboo in almost every segment of American society. But I do think that this distorted view of reality, in regards to both the president and the Hispanic wave, has a good deal to do with latant racism. It's a half-conscious feeling among the White middle class that their control of society is simply the natural order of things; that a world where politicians focus on pandering for their votes, popular culture focuses on catering to their sensibilities, and corporations focus on marketing for their dollars; is nothing more than a world running on its proper equilibrium.
The desire to believe that many if not most Hispanic newcomers are 'illegal', the fact that the sort of banal ethnic-identity markers that should be taken as givens, (Latinos speaking Spanish among themselves, old country flags on truck windows) are seen as signs of their illegality, is clearly meant to delegitimatize the physical reality of their being here. Just as narratives of President Obama as a mad Leftist hellbent on corrupting America's natural state are also obvious attempts to deligitimize his presence in the White House.
For many in the White middle and upper classes, the idea that their loss of cultural and demographic dominance could possibly be benign, spontaneous, and organic is simply inconceivable. This is especially true in rural and suburban areas where they have previously been not only culturally dominant but culturally uniform. The mere fact that we are losing this control is proof enough that there are malevolent forces behind this loss.
Dé Luain, Samhain 08, 2010
Dé Domhnaigh, Samhain 07, 2010
Interesting Article at Baloon Juice
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/11/06/ive-been-insane-on-a-train/
Why do Republicans hate trains? Is this really just a situation in which Democrats and Europeans find value in trains, so therefore it is un-American to ride trains?
This is part of the reason why yes, but conservatives here have long had a bitter hatred towards both passenger rail and public transportation in general. (Hard to notice, I know, with all of the other people and things they bitterly hate.)
What it comes down to I think is that their understanding of society is basically feudal. Today's right wing considers even the most basic anthropological definition of society; cooperation and loyalty to strangers, and acknowledging some level of dependence to them, to be socialist. People exist for the purpose of competing against each other for dominance, and will only grudgingly band together with members of their own tribes to fight off a common threat to their dominance. There is no common duty, no concept of 'us' existing beyond opposition to common enemies and paying homage to totems of state power such as the flag or the right-wings cartoon version of the constitution.
Their main problem with trains and public transport then is that it's all so damned public. It requires being in at least the physical presence of social outsiders, people from different backgrounds living different lives; often the sort of people who the right-winger bases a huge chunk of his own self-worth on looking down upon. People without cars, which is a deprivation akin to homelessness in the conservative mind, city dwellers, who are either impoverished brown-skinned factory and jail fodder who can't afford to own a McMansion like Real Americans do or some filthy hipster/homosexual who could afford a real home if they wanted to but choose the city only to better indulge their pagan depravity.
Driving, on the other hand, is either done alone or with people from one's own family or social group. Our auto based transport system is a fantastic way to keep the separate classes of America separate, which is of course a big part of the reason for why we were made to get around this way; and there are quite a few among us who won't broke any challenge to this separation and the personal sense of superiority that this separation makes possible.
Why do Republicans hate trains? Is this really just a situation in which Democrats and Europeans find value in trains, so therefore it is un-American to ride trains?
This is part of the reason why yes, but conservatives here have long had a bitter hatred towards both passenger rail and public transportation in general. (Hard to notice, I know, with all of the other people and things they bitterly hate.)
What it comes down to I think is that their understanding of society is basically feudal. Today's right wing considers even the most basic anthropological definition of society; cooperation and loyalty to strangers, and acknowledging some level of dependence to them, to be socialist. People exist for the purpose of competing against each other for dominance, and will only grudgingly band together with members of their own tribes to fight off a common threat to their dominance. There is no common duty, no concept of 'us' existing beyond opposition to common enemies and paying homage to totems of state power such as the flag or the right-wings cartoon version of the constitution.
Their main problem with trains and public transport then is that it's all so damned public. It requires being in at least the physical presence of social outsiders, people from different backgrounds living different lives; often the sort of people who the right-winger bases a huge chunk of his own self-worth on looking down upon. People without cars, which is a deprivation akin to homelessness in the conservative mind, city dwellers, who are either impoverished brown-skinned factory and jail fodder who can't afford to own a McMansion like Real Americans do or some filthy hipster/homosexual who could afford a real home if they wanted to but choose the city only to better indulge their pagan depravity.
Driving, on the other hand, is either done alone or with people from one's own family or social group. Our auto based transport system is a fantastic way to keep the separate classes of America separate, which is of course a big part of the reason for why we were made to get around this way; and there are quite a few among us who won't broke any challenge to this separation and the personal sense of superiority that this separation makes possible.
CFB Top 10
The pack of could-be-elite teams is finally starting to thin out.
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. Nebraska
7. LSU
8. Stanford
9. Ohio State
10.Okla. State
1. Oregon
2. Auburn
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. Nebraska
7. LSU
8. Stanford
9. Ohio State
10.Okla. State
Thursday Night
I was geeking out on David Bowie until about six in the morning. I've been thinking of 'Life on Mars?' and Procal Harems 'Whiter Shade of Pale' lately, the way that passionately sung gibberish is quite sincerely moving. And I think it's the way that these word-salad songs evoke confusion, remind us of just how hellishly painful confusion is to the human mind, painful to the point of tragedy really, and why we're all so willing to believe utter nonsense in order to avoid it.
Of course the melodies to these songs are great too. And maybe that's all there is to it.
Of course the melodies to these songs are great too. And maybe that's all there is to it.
Dé Máirt, Samhain 02, 2010
And So It Begins
The GOP is now enjoying it's latest eternal triumph after retaking the house.
Of course, when this latest ultimate triumph is inevitably reversed by the right-wings patented methamphetamine powered hubris, probably when President Obama is reelected in 2012, there's no telling how ugly it's going to get. Do they even have any Hagens left to purge?
Of course, when this latest ultimate triumph is inevitably reversed by the right-wings patented methamphetamine powered hubris, probably when President Obama is reelected in 2012, there's no telling how ugly it's going to get. Do they even have any Hagens left to purge?
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