Thanks to YubaNet.
Also see this one. Perhaps more to the point.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Headline of the Day
Posted by Rack Jite in Dumbutt, Texas
Because they wanted to give Masters Degrees in Creation "Science". I think the "B.S." is automatic.
In Texas?! Imagine that...
Institute for Creation Research laughed out of court in Texas
Because they wanted to give Masters Degrees in Creation "Science". I think the "B.S." is automatic.
In Texas?! Imagine that...
Journalism Too
If you follow the last link in Digby's post referred to by Fixer just below, you come to Glenn Greenwald.
The toons are good and the headline is:
Then there are journalists who will never get a Beltway Cocktail Party invite. Not many and not enough, but they're still out there.
BuzzFlash Wings of Justice
Just as an aside, I bought a subscription to the dead tree Rolling Stone because it was dirt cheap, and there is a lotta hippie shit to wade through to get to the good stuff. Naturally, as a subscriber I'll be the last one to see the McChrystal piece. Figures.
More examples and then the last ¶:
There are still journalists who understand their craft and its purpose, which is to afflict the comfortable. They're a little hard to find sometimes, but once in a while their work leaps into public view.
Leave us hope that some amongst the oh-so-comfortable talking hatracks and Beltway Villagers of the mainstream Corporate & Cocktail Chattering Class still have enough of a conscience to realize that they long ago sacrificed principle and gave up real journalism to be insider nattering gasbags. Perhaps when they see an example of what they once were or aspired to be, they get a little twinge of regret in between the shrimp and appletinis for leaving those of us with The Need To Know in the lurch. Fat chance.
Note to real journalists who are out there dodging bullets and the slings and arrows of corporate and political criminals and regressives: We need you. Good on yas and continue the march.
See The Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes' two cartoons this week (one a republished classic from 2003) for her view about all of this.
The toons are good and the headline is:
The White House press corps, ready for the next party invitation
Then there are journalists who will never get a Beltway Cocktail Party invite. Not many and not enough, but they're still out there.
BuzzFlash Wings of Justice
Many of those in the mainstream media were appalled this week when Rolling Stone magazine published a story entitled "The Runaway General" that ultimately dethroned Gen. Stanley McChrystal from his position as commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The typical mainstream media reaction included snide references to the publication, saying that it appeared "in Rolling Stone, of all places." John Amato on the Crooks and Liars blog chuckled about Fox News contributor Brit Hume's reaction, saying in jest, "How dare (McChrystal) use a hippie rag instead of coming to a Villager?"
Just as an aside, I bought a subscription to the dead tree Rolling Stone because it was dirt cheap, and there is a lotta hippie shit to wade through to get to the good stuff. Naturally, as a subscriber I'll be the last one to see the McChrystal piece. Figures.
More examples and then the last ¶:
Go after the truth, wherever it may lie and regardless of whom it will taint. When comedians and high school students and a hippie magazine outperform you, then the journalists should take a long hard look at their profession.
There are still journalists who understand their craft and its purpose, which is to afflict the comfortable. They're a little hard to find sometimes, but once in a while their work leaps into public view.
Leave us hope that some amongst the oh-so-comfortable talking hatracks and Beltway Villagers of the mainstream Corporate & Cocktail Chattering Class still have enough of a conscience to realize that they long ago sacrificed principle and gave up real journalism to be insider nattering gasbags. Perhaps when they see an example of what they once were or aspired to be, they get a little twinge of regret in between the shrimp and appletinis for leaving those of us with The Need To Know in the lurch. Fat chance.
Note to real journalists who are out there dodging bullets and the slings and arrows of corporate and political criminals and regressives: We need you. Good on yas and continue the march.
Journalism ...
Digby sez it well:
That's it. Gotta protect their place on the Georgetown Cocktail Party Circuit.
...
As we've already explored in great depth over the years, the purpose of journalism is not to tell the truth or even straightforwardly give people the information they need to reach their own conclusions. It's to maintain the established order and obscure rather than reveal what's really going on ...
That's it. Gotta protect their place on the Georgetown Cocktail Party Circuit.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
We ain't the only ones ...
With dumbass politicians:
I'll let you know when the Serie A season starts.
ROME -- Italian politician Umberto Bossi apologized Wednesday for his much-criticized remarks that Italy would "buy" a victory in a crucial World Cup group match against Slovakia.
...
Bossi reportedly said "they [Italy] will buy it," responding to a question about which team would win. He said he expected two to three Slovak players to surface in the Italian league next season -- apparently as compensation to the Slovakian team.
The Italian federation immediately described Bossi's remarks as "disconcerting and offensive." It said that Bossi, a maverick politician known for his anti-establishment rhetoric, had gone "overboard."
I'll let you know when the Serie A season starts.
Quote of the Day
Adrastos:
... Not only does he deserve to be shitcanned for mouthing off but his favorite beer is Bud Lite Lime. Holy girl drink, Batman ...
Shopping Day
Since Mrs. G re-retired, we've gone to Plan B about shopping days. Today is the 4th Wednesday of the month, or "payday" for us direct-deposit SocSec recipients, so we're off to The Big City with a fresh charge of jing in the ol' bank account. The dogs get a spa day, we get breakfast at Q's, a little Costco, a few other stops.
See yas later.
See yas later.
I can feel it slippin' away...*
*Apologies to Jean Shepard.
Bob Herbert on the United States goin' down the shitter:
On the bright side, a little humility might do us some good.
Bob Herbert on the United States goin' down the shitter:
As a nation, we are becoming more and more accustomed to a sense of helplessness. We no longer rise to the great challenges before us. It’s not just that we can’t plug the oil leak, which is the perfect metaphor for what we’ve become. We can’t seem to do much of anything.
We are submitting to this debacle with the same pathetic lack of creativity and helpless mind-set that now seems to be the default position of Americans in the 21st century. We have become a nation that is good at destroying things — with wars overseas and mind-bogglingly self-destructive policies here at home — but that has lost sight of how to build and maintain a flourishing society. We’re dismantling our public school system and, incredibly, attacking our spectacularly successful system of higher education, which is the finest in the world.
How is it possible that we would let this happen?
We’ve got all kinds of sorry explanations for why we can’t do any of the things we need to do. The Democrats can’t get 60 votes in the Senate. Our budget deficits are too high. Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck might object.
Meanwhile, the greatness of the United States, which so many have taken for granted for so long, is steadily slipping away.
On the bright side, a little humility might do us some good.
Same old song and dance ...
It's what got us into this financial mess and will also prevent us from moving away from fossil fuels. For 30 years, we've been convinced we can have what we want and never have to pay for it. It's why everybody mortgaged their homes to the hilt to buy cars and second homes, pools, and take vacations when money was free and you had 30 years to pay it back (provided you'd survive the interest rate adjustment 3 years in). It's why it took $4.00/gal gas for people to finally stop buying Hummers.
Now, I understand a lot is on the shoulders of the "small people" already. We pay more than our fair share of taxes and higher gas prices will effect regular folks long before the rich, but this isn't something we can wait for until the rich finally pay their fare share. It's on us and unless we get it done, we'll continue to have messes like we do in the Gulf and Alaska, and the effects of burning fossil fuels on the atmosphere.
These are the same folks who rail against "Big Government" yet now bitch the regulatory system is inadequate and corrupt, and resources are slow in coming. Same folks who don't want to pay taxes, yet bitch about the roads falling apart and trains not running on time.
There is a price for everything and if our elected representatives refuse to make the rich and corporations pay their share, then it's on us. The free ride is over and I suggest you all get that straight when you go to the voting booths this November.
Overwhelmingly, Americans think the nation needs a fundamental overhaul of its energy policies, and most expect alternative forms to replace oil as a major source within 25 years. Yet a majority are unwilling to pay higher gasoline prices to help develop new fuel sources.
...
Now, I understand a lot is on the shoulders of the "small people" already. We pay more than our fair share of taxes and higher gas prices will effect regular folks long before the rich, but this isn't something we can wait for until the rich finally pay their fare share. It's on us and unless we get it done, we'll continue to have messes like we do in the Gulf and Alaska, and the effects of burning fossil fuels on the atmosphere.
...
Large majorities disapprove of the way BP is handling the spill and have little faith in the oil industry generally to act in the public interest. By a 2-to-1 margin, they trust the federal government more than BP to handle the cleanup efforts in the gulf.
Yet they also think the Obama administration could be doing more to fix the damage from the leak. Fifty-nine percent said Mr. Obama did not have a clear plan for dealing with the spill.
...
These are the same folks who rail against "Big Government" yet now bitch the regulatory system is inadequate and corrupt, and resources are slow in coming. Same folks who don't want to pay taxes, yet bitch about the roads falling apart and trains not running on time.
There is a price for everything and if our elected representatives refuse to make the rich and corporations pay their share, then it's on us. The free ride is over and I suggest you all get that straight when you go to the voting booths this November.
Thanks to Mr. Aravosis for the link.
The Devil you know ...
John McCain may return to the Senate after all (I don't expect a Dem to win in Berlin Arizona), thanks to the goober who's running against him:
I mean, aren't "government handouts" socialist? Aren't they "entitlements", something most Republicans are against?
I'd say McCain could make some hay over both points but then hypocrisy is perfectly acceptable in conservative circles.
Oh, what a gift to John McCain. We've all seen commercials/infomercials like this before. If you just fork up $1,000, you can learn how to realize all of your dreams by learning how to get rich by applying for government grants. The hawkers claim you can send your kids to the best schools, live in that big house you always wanted, and live your dreams for the low, low price of $1,000 to attend the only conference on the planet designed for YOU.
...
I mean, aren't "government handouts" socialist? Aren't they "entitlements", something most Republicans are against?
I'd say McCain could make some hay over both points but then hypocrisy is perfectly acceptable in conservative circles.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Russians Are Coming Here!
EssEffChron, photo gallery and videos.
Thanks for comin' back an' checkin' up on us, Ivan!
'Varyag' is a traditional name in the history of the Russian and Soviet navies, including an aircraft carrier they sold to China.
Since the Varyag currently in SF is known as an 'aircraft carrier killer', I bet the Chinese 'repair' consists of trying to find homing devices in her hull. Heh.
Very interesting article. Enjoy.
Note to U.S. flattop sailors: Be glad this thing never had to come after you.
Finally:
Note to Bunker Hill sailors: If you hear the Russian squids say 'Na zdrovyeh', stand by for a ram. Heh.
The first Russian surface warship to visit San Francisco in 147 years is docked on the Embarcadero this week on a visit that combines friendship, history and a display of military power.
The ship is the cruiser Varyag, a sleek gray vessel that is the flagship of Russia's Pacific fleet. It made the two-week voyage from Vladivostok in the spirit of friendship, as Russian Rear Adm. Vladimir Kastonov said more than once during a news conference aboard the ship at Pier 30-32 on Monday.
The ship's visit also commemorates a nearly forgotten bit of Russian-American history. Czar Alexander II sent a fleet to San Francisco and New York in 1863 during the American Civil War to show support for the union.
Thanks for comin' back an' checkin' up on us, Ivan!
'Varyag' is a traditional name in the history of the Russian and Soviet navies, including an aircraft carrier they sold to China.
Currently the ship is being examined and repaired by China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) after purchasing it at auction[5]. It was widely reported that the ship would become a casino in the Chinese SAR of Macau. [...]
Since the Varyag currently in SF is known as an 'aircraft carrier killer', I bet the Chinese 'repair' consists of trying to find homing devices in her hull. Heh.
Two cruisers in the Russian Navy and one in the Soviet Navy have been named Varyag after the Varangian people, the Viking ancestors of the Rus.
Very interesting article. Enjoy.
Note to U.S. flattop sailors: Be glad this thing never had to come after you.
Finally:
On Wednesday, the Varyag's crew will participate in a cookout and sports competition with sailors from the U.S. Navy cruiser Bunker Hill, which is also in port.
Note to Bunker Hill sailors: If you hear the Russian squids say 'Na zdrovyeh', stand by for a ram. Heh.
Headline of the Day
Boing! Feds say Magic Power coffee contains Viagra drug
Hmmmmm, maybe a cuppa 'boner joe' before bedtime wouldn't keep me awake in the bad way...
Quote of the Day
From Juanita Jean's, "The World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon:, Inc."
She's just getting started. I'm glad Juanita ain't mad at me!
“Haley Barbour is cross eyed, buck toothed, loud mouthed son of a motherless goat, dammit,”
She's just getting started. I'm glad Juanita ain't mad at me!
"The Halliburton Loophole"
In case you missed it.
Josh Fox talks about the toxic materials from hydraulic fracturing that are turning up in people's water supplies. (07:50)
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Josh Fox | ||||
| www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
| ||||
The next MacArthur ...
In my day, Gen. McChrystal would have "retired"* by now.
Yet he remains in charge of our longest war. A war which is probably unwinnable, no matter who is running the show, regardless of what the definition du jour of "win" is. Just ask Alexander the Great, the British "The Sun Doesn't Set On Us" Empire, and the Soviet Union, among others.
A corollary to the above by Cdr. Huber.
The top U.S. war commander in Afghanistan apologized Tuesday for an interview in which he said he felt betrayed by the man the White House chose to be his diplomatic partner, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry.
The article in this week's issue of Rolling Stone depicts Gen. Stanley McChrystal as a lone wolf on the outs with many important figures in the Obama administration and unable to convince even some of his own soldiers that his strategy can win the war.
...
Yet he remains in charge of our longest war. A war which is probably unwinnable, no matter who is running the show, regardless of what the definition du jour of "win" is. Just ask Alexander the Great, the British "The Sun Doesn't Set On Us" Empire, and the Soviet Union, among others.
A corollary to the above by Cdr. Huber.
As Renaissance political scientist Niccolo Machiavelli noted, the fall of Rome came about when its military elite, known as the Praetorian Guard, gained control over the emperor and the Senate. Had irony survived the Bush Jr. administration, it would relish that America’s empire is crumbling under the undue influence of its military elite, the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
...
*Thanks to Oliver Willis for the link.
I've wondered about that ...
Many times. How people can make that leap, how they can put their morality aside in favor of ideology or money or both. Aside from the BP shills who are obviously paid to support the company line, there are those who find a bright spot in all this, even the worst case scenario.
Athenae goes off while sitting in for Tbogg:
I believe that to be a conservative, not just an uninformed, FOX "news"-watching prole but part of the Machine, you have to abdicate any right you have to a soul.
Athenae goes off while sitting in for Tbogg:
...
WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? I mean it, what is that, you fucking moral dyslexic? You’re basically cheering on the possible implosion of an entire ocean because it will remedy "infantile optimism" of "post-JFK America?" What the fuck does that even mean? I just … I’m … What in the blue hell has to happen inside your brain that makes writing that okay?
What kind of insulated, sheltered, non-reality reality do you have to be swimming around in that you can sit there and say that the killing of an ENTIRE OCEAN and the destruction of an ENTIRE THIRD OF THE DAMN COUNTRY’S ECONOMY would be okay because hey, then everybody will realize that Nixon was right and fuck Cambodia anyway and hippies smell?
...
I believe that to be a conservative, not just an uninformed, FOX "news"-watching prole but part of the Machine, you have to abdicate any right you have to a soul.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Bootstraps ...
[A big welcome to Jim's readers over at Skippy's - F]
You know, I'd better not hear anybody from the Gulf states saying shit like "poor people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps" or that "they don't really want to work" or some other conservative horseshit. I hope now they realize that shit happens to regular folks every day that puts them in a bad way, whether it's a disaster (natural or man made), or unemployment, or a sickness, or a hundred other reasons.
Maybe they'll realize, now, that they've been voting against their own interests and think about what really matters to them. Their way of life, their children's health, and making sure their job ain't outsourced or destroyed in an effort to make rich people richer. I hope they'll realize, now, that there are people standing in line for checks through no fault of their own.
You know, I'd better not hear anybody from the Gulf states saying shit like "poor people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps" or that "they don't really want to work" or some other conservative horseshit. I hope now they realize that shit happens to regular folks every day that puts them in a bad way, whether it's a disaster (natural or man made), or unemployment, or a sickness, or a hundred other reasons.
Maybe they'll realize, now, that they've been voting against their own interests and think about what really matters to them. Their way of life, their children's health, and making sure their job ain't outsourced or destroyed in an effort to make rich people richer. I hope they'll realize, now, that there are people standing in line for checks through no fault of their own.
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