DISCLAIMER: I'm not a native born Jersey guy, and I don't live there now. I did, however, live there for a full decade. I made camp in a number of different areas of the state, ranging from Plainsfield in the North, down to Pittman, Cherry Hill, Gloucester, and all the way to Barnegat Bay. I spent plenty of time in Atlantic City, and drove around the swamps in the South and the Pine Barrens. One night, with far too much Jack Daniels in me, I swore I'd seen the Jersey Devil out in the Cranberry bogs.
To this day I still think that leaving Jersey was the best thing I ever did - not so much in the sense of "Oh my God I've got to get OUT of this hellhole!", (though at the time a fair case could be made for that motive) but more because the move brought me to a place where I finally met and married the one true love of my life.
The state surely holds some awful memories for me as well. I survived one of the more horrific motorcycle crashes you'd ever want to witness in Jersey, but I'll spare you the details. The other dark memories mostly dwell around the fact that Jersey is where where I met my ex-wife. It was one of the shorter marriages on record, I'm sure, but much like the cactus that you don't see until you're flying over the handle bars of your bike, it left some deep scar tissue. She was a beautiful young thing with the face and body of a professional model. Unfortunately, they hid the soul of a succubus and her heart was a blackened, tiny little thing which would probably taste of camphor should cannibals ever be unfortunate enough to catch and eat her.
That's not to say I don't still think about her from time to time. I mean, you can't go through that much of a major life experience and not have occasions, in years to come, where you begin asking yourself those hard "what if" questions. Generally they run along the lines of, "You know... if I'd just shot your whore ass when you got off the plane with your boyfriend that day, I'd probably be out on parole by now. Hell... with a couple of divorced guys on the jury I might have even walked."
But I digress. Where was I? Oh, yes. I was going to list some of the things I love about The Garden State. (Where in the hell did they come up with that name? That's what I want to know.) So, without further ado... or much of it anyway, Jazz's list of five things to love about Joisey.
1. The Jets. Yes, they're technically a New York team in name, but they play in Jersey and North Jersey lovingly adopts this pack of perennial losers the same way that South Jersey adopts the Eagles. Broadway Joe, with his mink coats and pantyhose commercials, may have been the urban, public face of the Jets, but their heart and soul was a scarred up guy from Newark who would just as soon hit you with a tire iron as intercept the ball.
2. Jersey Girls. I really believe that only outsiders who move to Jersey can truly appreciate Jersey Girls... far more so than guys who grow up there. I was an outsider, so I never took the fierce nationalistic pride of native Jerseyites to heart. I could hear the endless litany of Jersey Girl jokes and just keep on giggling at them, while still appreciating the women themselves. ("What's the difference between a Jersey Girl and a catfish? One has whiskers and cold slimy skin. The other is a fish.") Jersey Girls tend to be true, home grown beauties, but not in that flashy, cover girl kind of way. It's more of a "I still look damn hot in jeans and a t-shirt after I just changed the oil in my own motorcycle" kind of good looks. All jokes not withstanding, Jersey Girls rock.
3. The Food. Jersey, to my knowledge, doesn't really have it's own, unique, regional food specialty like many other areas do. But what they have is - in the finest tradition of the melting pot of America - access to a bunch of other regional culinary treats which they've simply stolen - whenever the Newark guys weren't already tied up carjacking your SUV, anyway. It was the first place where I had seriously good crabs cooked in somebody's back yard. (Imported from Delaware and Maryland.) Crab cakes too. And from Philly, there were big, dripping meaty sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks. Dining was always an adventure in Jersey, and I'll confess I miss it.
4. Frank's Chicken Ranch. For those not familiar, Frank's is (or maybe was? Is it even still there?) a stripper club. But it's not like those glitzy, expensive places you find in New York. Frank's didn't even mess around with having a liquor license. The girls danced stark naked in one of the most horrific, squalid environments I'd ever seen. Some of them showed up with fresh stitches in their heads, and this seemed, strangely, to be a selling point. They served food at Frank's, but only chicken. I never ate it. I simply didn't have the nerve. I brought my own bottle of booze (which they thoughtfully sold back to you after you turned it over to them) and I never touched the glasses without rinsing them first in raw alcohol. A trip to Frank's with my friends wasn't a treat as much as it was a dare. I only went two or three times in all those years, but it's seared into my memory like a branding iron.
5. The Boardwalk. If you're ever in Atlantic City and can tear yourself away from the slot machines for a few minutes, walk out in back of Ceaser's (or most of the main casinos) and take in the Atlantic City Boardwalk. It's everything you've heard an more. Coney Island doesn't hold a candle to it. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the rides, the attractions, the gift shops... you can spend a whole day walking around that place and still see fifty new things the next time you come back. Oh, and the collection of freaks that you'll run into nearly every time is also worth the price of admission. (Which is free.)
There you have it. Five great things about Jersey. A great place to be from and an even better place to visit.
Friday, July 22, 2005
I'm not a big weekend poster
Hello, my friends...and you are my friends. I have been delighted to be a guest here at The One True Tami's place this week, but I'm not a big poster on the weekends, so this may be my last posting here.
It's a lovely day in my corner of New Jersey. A beach day. Hot, but with relatively low humidity. A fine day to hang out down the shore. I expect the Parkway will be very crowded this evening with people heading down there on "this warm July." Politics doesn't seem very important to me at this very moment.
Down in town the circuit's full of switchblade lovers, so fast, so shiny, so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
I'm feeling pretty nostalgic. I used to live in Long Branch. I'm not much of a beach guy, mind you. I don't like laying on the sand, roasting my skin, slathered in oil. But living down the shore was heavenly. I don't know if it's the same these days. I hear that the coast at Long Branch has been covered in condos, trying to mimic Miami I guess. Prices have gone sky-high. And maybe it has gotten more like north Jersey, the pace of life more frenetic, rushed, intense. When I lived down the shore there was this fine, semi-rundown, lazy feeling to it. I loved it for the ambience, the spirit, the ease of it all.
Weekends like this I would ride my bike out and around Sandy Hook, riding in the street and avoiding both the heavy traffic and the wide storm drains that could wreck your wheels, out to the end of the Hook, the old military installations, the tip of the Hook taking a pounding from the Atlantic, back around on the Shrewsbury side, the boats moored in the river, riding at anchor in the bays, looking up at the Highlands, people across the water eating steamers on the deck at Moby's. There was always a strong headwind coming from one point of the compass or the other and I'd hope that the wind was offshore so I would have an easier time on the ride back, through Sea Bright where it floods every year and the residents complain that it floods every year like they are somehow surprised by it, stopping off in Monmouth Beach to pick up an Italian ice at a mom-and-pop, riding with one hand while trying to eat a lemon ice with the other and not drip on my clothes, turning back into Long Branch by the Hilton (except I think it's a Sheraton now), up Broadway past Joe and Maggie's Bistro, turning up Norwood, where I used to live.
Long Branch was a fine place to live fifteen years ago, when Red Bank was first declared "the hippest town in New Jersey" before it was overrun with too many coffee shops, trying to become the Seattle of the East or something equally as pointless. Long Branch had a poor reputation and maybe it wasn't a great town if you had children in school, but I liked it. It wasn't a place to impose itself on you. There were lots of shops, all of them with that "rundown but working" shore look, a boardwalk where folks would stroll in the evenings and on the weekends, batting cages and a few pinball arcades eking out a living. It was a that made live-and-let-live seemed like the moral code of the whole world. There was a condo development near Seven Presidents Park that had gotten just so far and no farther; the story I heard was that the developer had run out of money. It stood, unfinished, the walls up and painted but without windows, like a creature with empty eyes, for years. It seemed the perfect metaphor for that area. Maybe it would get finished, maybe it wouldn't, maybe it would be something a little better, maybe it would fall into decay, eaten by the salt in the air, or maybe it would just stay exactly like that, neither prospering nor failing, but nobody caring, either. The days were fine and the nights pleasant and every now and then a storm would come off the sea and, if you had a mind to do it, you could ride out to the boardwalk and watch the clouds, roiling, black, miles offshore, as the storm approached. Then you'd ride your bike double-quick back to your apartment just before the storm broke and turn off all the lights, listen to the thunder, watch the lightning, and enjoy the power of a storm just off the ocean.
In the summertime
And oh the wonder
Felt the lightning
And we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder
That was my Long Branch. That was my shore life. And maybe it was the time and place and maybe it was just me, younger, single.
Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
Those pier lights, our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
It's a lovely day in my corner of New Jersey. A beach day. Hot, but with relatively low humidity. A fine day to hang out down the shore. I expect the Parkway will be very crowded this evening with people heading down there on "this warm July." Politics doesn't seem very important to me at this very moment.
Down in town the circuit's full of switchblade lovers, so fast, so shiny, so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
I'm feeling pretty nostalgic. I used to live in Long Branch. I'm not much of a beach guy, mind you. I don't like laying on the sand, roasting my skin, slathered in oil. But living down the shore was heavenly. I don't know if it's the same these days. I hear that the coast at Long Branch has been covered in condos, trying to mimic Miami I guess. Prices have gone sky-high. And maybe it has gotten more like north Jersey, the pace of life more frenetic, rushed, intense. When I lived down the shore there was this fine, semi-rundown, lazy feeling to it. I loved it for the ambience, the spirit, the ease of it all.
Weekends like this I would ride my bike out and around Sandy Hook, riding in the street and avoiding both the heavy traffic and the wide storm drains that could wreck your wheels, out to the end of the Hook, the old military installations, the tip of the Hook taking a pounding from the Atlantic, back around on the Shrewsbury side, the boats moored in the river, riding at anchor in the bays, looking up at the Highlands, people across the water eating steamers on the deck at Moby's. There was always a strong headwind coming from one point of the compass or the other and I'd hope that the wind was offshore so I would have an easier time on the ride back, through Sea Bright where it floods every year and the residents complain that it floods every year like they are somehow surprised by it, stopping off in Monmouth Beach to pick up an Italian ice at a mom-and-pop, riding with one hand while trying to eat a lemon ice with the other and not drip on my clothes, turning back into Long Branch by the Hilton (except I think it's a Sheraton now), up Broadway past Joe and Maggie's Bistro, turning up Norwood, where I used to live.
Long Branch was a fine place to live fifteen years ago, when Red Bank was first declared "the hippest town in New Jersey" before it was overrun with too many coffee shops, trying to become the Seattle of the East or something equally as pointless. Long Branch had a poor reputation and maybe it wasn't a great town if you had children in school, but I liked it. It wasn't a place to impose itself on you. There were lots of shops, all of them with that "rundown but working" shore look, a boardwalk where folks would stroll in the evenings and on the weekends, batting cages and a few pinball arcades eking out a living. It was a that made live-and-let-live seemed like the moral code of the whole world. There was a condo development near Seven Presidents Park that had gotten just so far and no farther; the story I heard was that the developer had run out of money. It stood, unfinished, the walls up and painted but without windows, like a creature with empty eyes, for years. It seemed the perfect metaphor for that area. Maybe it would get finished, maybe it wouldn't, maybe it would be something a little better, maybe it would fall into decay, eaten by the salt in the air, or maybe it would just stay exactly like that, neither prospering nor failing, but nobody caring, either. The days were fine and the nights pleasant and every now and then a storm would come off the sea and, if you had a mind to do it, you could ride out to the boardwalk and watch the clouds, roiling, black, miles offshore, as the storm approached. Then you'd ride your bike double-quick back to your apartment just before the storm broke and turn off all the lights, listen to the thunder, watch the lightning, and enjoy the power of a storm just off the ocean.
In the summertime
And oh the wonder
Felt the lightning
And we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder
That was my Long Branch. That was my shore life. And maybe it was the time and place and maybe it was just me, younger, single.
Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
Those pier lights, our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Ok all you neocons.... CHARGE!
Stop by Middle Earth Journal for my report on how the Army is now moving to allow people to enlist for the Iraq war up to age 42. This should allow almost all of your favorite American Taliban, Hypnochrist™, neocon bloggers to go enlist and head on over to get blown up in Fallujah. Unless, of course, they'd rather sit on their fat asses at home snarfing Cheetos and writing about the war they love so much, rather than fighting it.
I would write more today, but work has been simply hell. I haven't even been able to write in my own blog and I'm very sad. Hoist up a tasty beverage for me, please, and I'll try to do better tomorrow. Man... I knew I should have stowed away in Tami's luggage.
I would write more today, but work has been simply hell. I haven't even been able to write in my own blog and I'm very sad. Hoist up a tasty beverage for me, please, and I'll try to do better tomorrow. Man... I knew I should have stowed away in Tami's luggage.
W is for Women: Part of a Continuing Series (of Complaints) about How the World’s Women Suffer Under the Bush Regime
The New York Times:
The interesting thing about this article to me is that the “liberation” of Iraq at our hands has in fact not liberated Iraqi women at all, but seems instead likely to roll back rights they have been guaranteed for decades. And if Americans had the foggiest idea of what made Iraqis different from Afghanis, for example, and what life was really like before the war for the average Iraqi, which, despite what you’d think if you listened to the American media and our government, consisted of (shockingly!) the full spectrum of human experience and more than just 24 hours a day of rape rooms and torture chambers, they’d be outraged about what is now happening to Iraqi women. But to be outraged about what they’ve lost, people would have to be aware of exactly what that is, and they don’t know, and they don’t care.
I’m honestly too pissed about this to write anything especially thoughtful.
The Heretik, however, has a great post and a round-up of women (and yes, so far it’s all women) who are blogging about this. Check it out.
(Crossposted at Shakespeare's Sister--and posted here in honor of Tami, one of many women who remind us all daily of the importance of giving women freedom and a voice.)
A working draft of Iraq's new constitution would cede a strong role to Islamic law and could sharply curb women's rights, particularly in personal matters like divorce and family inheritance.There is, of course, more.
The document's writers are also debating whether to drop or phase out a measure enshrined in the interim constitution, co-written last year by the Americans, requiring that women make up at least a quarter of the parliament.
The draft of a chapter of the new constitution obtained by The New York Times on Tuesday guarantees equal rights for women as long as those rights do not "violate Shariah," or Koranic law.
The Americans and secular Iraqis banished such explicit references to religious law from the interim constitution adopted early last year.
The draft chapter, circulated discreetly in recent days, has ignited outrage among women's groups, which held a protest on Tuesday morning in downtown Baghdad at the square where a statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down by American marines in April 2003.
One of the critical passages is in Article 14 of the chapter, a sweeping measure that would require court cases dealing with matters like marriage, divorce and inheritance to be judged according to the law practiced by the family's sect or religion.
Under that measure, Shiite women in Iraq, no matter what their age, generally could not marry without their families' permission. Under some interpretations of Shariah, men could attain a divorce simply by stating their intention three times in their wives' presence.
Article 14 would replace a body of Iraqi law that has for decades been considered one of the most progressive in the Middle East in protecting the rights of women, giving them the freedom to choose a husband and requiring divorce cases to be decided by a judge.
The interesting thing about this article to me is that the “liberation” of Iraq at our hands has in fact not liberated Iraqi women at all, but seems instead likely to roll back rights they have been guaranteed for decades. And if Americans had the foggiest idea of what made Iraqis different from Afghanis, for example, and what life was really like before the war for the average Iraqi, which, despite what you’d think if you listened to the American media and our government, consisted of (shockingly!) the full spectrum of human experience and more than just 24 hours a day of rape rooms and torture chambers, they’d be outraged about what is now happening to Iraqi women. But to be outraged about what they’ve lost, people would have to be aware of exactly what that is, and they don’t know, and they don’t care.
I’m honestly too pissed about this to write anything especially thoughtful.
The Heretik, however, has a great post and a round-up of women (and yes, so far it’s all women) who are blogging about this. Check it out.
(Crossposted at Shakespeare's Sister--and posted here in honor of Tami, one of many women who remind us all daily of the importance of giving women freedom and a voice.)
Culture of Corruption News
While it's no crime, Mike Ferguson, Representative in the NJ-7th, can't be considered entirely ethical when he condemns stem cell research in the strongest terms and then accepts campaign contributions from companies that engage in stem cell research. This is like an anti-choice politician accepted money from NARAL. It would be an interesting exercise to see how many politicians who condemn stem cell research, as Mike Ferguson does, actually take money from companies that perform stem cell research.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Bloggin', got my chips cashed in
Hidy-ho! This is not Tami again. Yup. Frogsdong. That's me. I may or may not have heard from The One True Tami on double super secret background. I'm not sure. I got this tiny umbrella like you get in those tropical drinks and the words, "the lunatic is on the grass" were scrawled on it, but I don't know what it means.
I am also not sure what this means. Forecasters at Rutgers predict that "Job growth in New Jersey will weaken over the next five years, and many of the new jobs will come in the lower-paying restaurant, leisure and social services sectors."
The five year outlook for New Jersey, at least according to the article, is not as dire as it may at first appear. New Jersey's job growth and economy in general have been outperforming the nation's in th epast. In addition, the Rutgers forecast is based on current circumstances and trends, but cannot possibly take unforeseen circumstances into account. For example, if Senator Corzine is elected and is able to bring his plans to fruition, things could improve even more in this state, even as we have been outperforming the country as a whole for some time and with little help from the federal government. If the Democrats were to strengthen their position in House and Senate in 2006 (can we all say a collective "Dump Mike", referring to Mike Ferguson in the NJ-7th?), New Jersey could reap significant benefits in improved federal funding. Last year, the state received only $0.57 back for every $1.00 we sent to D.C. That's a number that could be improved considerably with a friendlier Congress.
I recommend you read the entire article in NJ.com for the ups and downs (it's very short) and, if you have the time and inclination, read the actual forecast, which has a rosier tone in general.
Anybody want to take a stab at explaining what it all means? Or even just that "lunatic is on the grass" bit?
I am also not sure what this means. Forecasters at Rutgers predict that "Job growth in New Jersey will weaken over the next five years, and many of the new jobs will come in the lower-paying restaurant, leisure and social services sectors."
The five year outlook for New Jersey, at least according to the article, is not as dire as it may at first appear. New Jersey's job growth and economy in general have been outperforming the nation's in th epast. In addition, the Rutgers forecast is based on current circumstances and trends, but cannot possibly take unforeseen circumstances into account. For example, if Senator Corzine is elected and is able to bring his plans to fruition, things could improve even more in this state, even as we have been outperforming the country as a whole for some time and with little help from the federal government. If the Democrats were to strengthen their position in House and Senate in 2006 (can we all say a collective "Dump Mike", referring to Mike Ferguson in the NJ-7th?), New Jersey could reap significant benefits in improved federal funding. Last year, the state received only $0.57 back for every $1.00 we sent to D.C. That's a number that could be improved considerably with a friendlier Congress.
I recommend you read the entire article in NJ.com for the ups and downs (it's very short) and, if you have the time and inclination, read the actual forecast, which has a rosier tone in general.
Anybody want to take a stab at explaining what it all means? Or even just that "lunatic is on the grass" bit?
All the news that's printed to give you fits
With all of the attention being paid to the new SCOTUS nominee, Rove and Plame, and the war, so many truly important stories are simply falling by the wayside. Fear not! Followers of The One True Tami shall not go uninformed!
Apparently, in Shapleigh, Maine, you can't sell hot dogs from an illegally parked vendor stand. Well, unless, of course, you're a woman in a bikini.
Moving right along... what will senior citizens do after Bush finishes gutting the Social Security system? Well, industrious golden girls will stop whining and find themselves a new gig.
There's been a major break in the stolen garden gnome case. And here I thought all of the little bastards had just run off and gotten jobs with Travelocity.
Some people seem like they're probably never going to make the breakthrough and move up to a major city newspaper. For example, when you publish a 16 point headline like this.
HOMO UP FOR NEW CHALLENGE
Memorial boys track and field coach taking over girls cross country team
We'll be back later with your "cows being run over by trains in Scotland" update.
Enjoy your hump day. And don't even get me started on that.
Apparently, in Shapleigh, Maine, you can't sell hot dogs from an illegally parked vendor stand. Well, unless, of course, you're a woman in a bikini.
The bikini-clad hot dog vendor near Mousam Lake in Shapleigh who ran afoul of a parking ordinance has cut a deal with state and local officials.So the bikini babe can still hand out weiners. No word yet as to whether or not "Speedo Sam" will be able to resume selling donuts.
Under terms of the compromise, Schultze will be able to remain in her spot this season. But she'll have to move next year when she opens for business with a modified cart that she can wheel across the street.
Moving right along... what will senior citizens do after Bush finishes gutting the Social Security system? Well, industrious golden girls will stop whining and find themselves a new gig.
Woman, 76, arrested for selling drugs from second story windowDamn. And up until then her plan had seemed foolproof.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 76-year-old woman was arrested for selling crack cocaine by putting the drugs in her purse and lowering them by rope from her second-floor window.
Minnie Perlotte Collins was arrested on Friday on charges of possession and sale of a controlled substance, but she paid the $10,003 bail and was freed.
There's been a major break in the stolen garden gnome case. And here I thought all of the little bastards had just run off and gotten jobs with Travelocity.
Some people seem like they're probably never going to make the breakthrough and move up to a major city newspaper. For example, when you publish a 16 point headline like this.
HOMO UP FOR NEW CHALLENGE
Memorial boys track and field coach taking over girls cross country team
We'll be back later with your "cows being run over by trains in Scotland" update.
Enjoy your hump day. And don't even get me started on that.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
In science the smart money is always on surprise.
While most readers seem to focus on the political, my co-conspirator at Running Scared, Ron Beasely and I also like to wander off to the world of science and technology blogging. Today I've run across a story that involves both! The Paper of Record has a wonderful, long science piece on the search for other life in the galaxy which incorporates more sinister moves by our dear friends in the "intelligent design" community. (If you're not familiar with them, they're pretty much like the Reality Based Community, except that they're ... errr... not.)
The article starts off with the results to date of the search for extrasolar planets. (We've found more than 150 to date, believe it or not.) It then goes on to talk about the fact that we've yet to come up with any that are remotely like Earth, in terms of a potential biosphere and conditions suitable for supporting human life, or at least of growing their own form of intelligent life. Fortunately, the author points out that most of the early planetary discoveries were made using the "wobble theory" where the presence of an unseen planet is inferred by the "wobble" it gravitationally induces in its star.
The article starts off with the results to date of the search for extrasolar planets. (We've found more than 150 to date, believe it or not.) It then goes on to talk about the fact that we've yet to come up with any that are remotely like Earth, in terms of a potential biosphere and conditions suitable for supporting human life, or at least of growing their own form of intelligent life. Fortunately, the author points out that most of the early planetary discoveries were made using the "wobble theory" where the presence of an unseen planet is inferred by the "wobble" it gravitationally induces in its star.
In retrospect, it seems only natural that the first planetary systems these astronomers discovered were psychotic beasts unlike anything previously imagined. The more massive a planet is and the more tightly it circles its star, the bigger the wobble and thus the easier it is to detect. As a result, the first planets were so-called "hot Jupiters," orbiting their suns in a matter of days instead of years, lethally searing and dense.To be realistic, however, we also can't allow ourselves to fall into a trap of thinking that you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a star harboring an earthlike planet. There are some minimum requirements you need to meet.
If there's a chance that habitable planets are rare, you could probably have predicted that the Hypnochrists™ would seize on that as support for intelligent design and a new chance to dis Darwin. So did it happen? Oh, you betcha, Sparky.The list of astronomical requirements for life gets longer and more exacting every year: the home star has to be far enough from the galactic center to be away from lethal black hole pyrotechnics, for example, but not so far into the galactic sticks that stellar evolution has not yet produced enough of the heavier elements like oxygen and iron needed for planets and life.
Among other things, its planet has to have liquid water, a magnetic field to keep away cosmic rays, plate tectonics to keep things stirred, a giant outer planet to keep away comets and asteroids and perhaps a big moon to stabilize its rotation axis.
Of the 200 billion or so stars in the galaxy, what fraction have the lucky combo to win this cosmic lottery? Faced with the same paltry data, different astronomers get vastly different conclusions, ranging from hundreds of thousands to one, namely our own.
This would merely be an interesting academic argument except for a film that is going around, and which I recently viewed, called "The Privileged Planet," which suggests that the Earth's nice qualities are no accident.
The film, produced by Illustra Media in California, is based on a book of the same name by Guillermo Gonzalez, an astronomer at Iowa State, and Jay W. Richards, a philosopher and vice president of the Discovery Institute in Seattle.
The "Discovery Institute", eh? Sounds scientific enough. I wonder who they are?
There's the next thing to put on your watch list, progressives. Once the Evangelicals are done ripping Darwin a new rectum they're coming after the Big Bang. This article, however, closes on a comfortingly rationale note, leading to the title of this blog entry. All is not lost. I'll leave you with the closing bits, but recommend you follow the link and read the original. It's a very good piece.It argues that Earth is so special and unlikely that it must be the work of an intelligent designer. "What if it's not a cosmic lottery?" Dr. Richards asks in the film.
The Discovery Institute advocates "intelligent design," a notion that posits the intervention by a designer, whether divine or not, in the origin and history of life, as an alternative to standard evolutionary biology. Illustra Media has produced a series of videos in support of this idea.
The showing of the film at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History last month exacerbated the worries of many astronomers that the Big Bang would be next on the hit list of creationists.
But the argument from design, many scientists say, is circular. Charles Stevenson, a planetary scientist at Caltech, said that it was no surprise that the Earth appears suited to our needs. "That's what Darwinian evolution tells us should happen. We are adapted to our world," Dr. Stevenson said.
Who knows what powers atoms in their collective and complex majesty have to respond to their environments over time?
Lacking anything approaching a final theory of physics, or of how planetary systems form, and of more than one example of life - the biosphere on Earth - scientists have no way of actually knowing how unlikely various properties of life and the universe are. In science the smart money is always on surprise.
Everybody agrees that intelligent technological life is a much greater leap, but it might be instructive to consider who is laying down bets on at least looking for it. Among the financial angels of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI, have been people like Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft; the late Barney Oliver, William Hewlett and David Packard, leaders of Hewlett-Packard; Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel; and the novelist Arthur C. Clarke, who invented the idea of the communications satellite.
The smart money isn't always right, but this is certainly smart money.
CNN Will Keep Novak
Shakes here, with a question: What's wrong with CNN?
I know. Lots of things. The thing in particular I have in mind at the moment is the announcement of their decision to stand by Robert Novak—also known as Boob Novakula: Traitorous Sh*theel, so-named by Maru the Crankpot (scroll up)—in spite of his willingness to aid and abet the commission of a crime by reporting the name of a covert CIA operative.
For a moment, let’s forget that he may well be part of a criminal conspiracy that reaches all the way to the upper echelons of the White House (and believe me, CNN is all too willing to forget, or at least deny, invoking the same bullhooey “wait and see, ongoing investigation, blahbiddy blah blah” statement as McClellan offers on a loop), and instead focus on the fact that Novak is a tool of the administration. Whether he was feeding info to Rove, or Rove was feeding info to him, or whether they were both feeding each other marshmallows roasted on sticks in the fireplace of a romantic getaway in the Appalachians to the sound of Dueling Banjos, doesn’t really matter a whit. Novak is a pawn and an administration mouthpiece—that much is evident without necessitating any formal investigation. So why does CNN want people like that working for them?
Credibility schmedibility. Who needs it when you’re racing Fox to the bottom of the scum-covered barrel?
Others on Boob Novakula: Traitorous Sh*theel…
Pam notes Novakula Gets to Keep His Coffin and features a lovely picture of the undead commentator care of Radical Russ.
Billmon goes completely haywire on Novakula, to hugely entertaining results:
(Crossposted at Shakespeare's Sister, except with all the bad language intact, where the tenor of discourse is already so objectionable it just doesn't matter.)
I know. Lots of things. The thing in particular I have in mind at the moment is the announcement of their decision to stand by Robert Novak—also known as Boob Novakula: Traitorous Sh*theel, so-named by Maru the Crankpot (scroll up)—in spite of his willingness to aid and abet the commission of a crime by reporting the name of a covert CIA operative.
For a moment, let’s forget that he may well be part of a criminal conspiracy that reaches all the way to the upper echelons of the White House (and believe me, CNN is all too willing to forget, or at least deny, invoking the same bullhooey “wait and see, ongoing investigation, blahbiddy blah blah” statement as McClellan offers on a loop), and instead focus on the fact that Novak is a tool of the administration. Whether he was feeding info to Rove, or Rove was feeding info to him, or whether they were both feeding each other marshmallows roasted on sticks in the fireplace of a romantic getaway in the Appalachians to the sound of Dueling Banjos, doesn’t really matter a whit. Novak is a pawn and an administration mouthpiece—that much is evident without necessitating any formal investigation. So why does CNN want people like that working for them?
Credibility schmedibility. Who needs it when you’re racing Fox to the bottom of the scum-covered barrel?
Others on Boob Novakula: Traitorous Sh*theel…
Pam notes Novakula Gets to Keep His Coffin and features a lovely picture of the undead commentator care of Radical Russ.
Billmon goes completely haywire on Novakula, to hugely entertaining results:
One industry insider speculated that CNN would use advanced refrigeration technology to try to keep Novak's corpse from completely falling apart while it waits for Larry King to pass over into the undead state.Read the rest here.
(Crossposted at Shakespeare's Sister, except with all the bad language intact, where the tenor of discourse is already so objectionable it just doesn't matter.)
Monday, July 18, 2005
Ahoy, True Tami Devotees!
Shakespeare's Sister here, joining my esteemed colleages Jazz and Frogsdong. Even I don't know who else might show up; what fun--I love mysteries!
I'll start with a question as my inaugural post: Is there a bigger idiot than Tom Tancredo? I think perhaps not. I'll leave you to discuss while I tune in to Rushbo and wait with bated breath to see if this GOP Congressman is treated to the same savaging that Dick Durbin was.
Ha ha, just kidding. Everyone knows that suggesting we bomb Mecca doesn't endanger the troops. Not when Tom Tancredo says it, anyway. I hear he's got a bumper magnet that says he supports the troops, so you know it's true.
I'll start with a question as my inaugural post: Is there a bigger idiot than Tom Tancredo? I think perhaps not. I'll leave you to discuss while I tune in to Rushbo and wait with bated breath to see if this GOP Congressman is treated to the same savaging that Dick Durbin was.
Ha ha, just kidding. Everyone knows that suggesting we bomb Mecca doesn't endanger the troops. Not when Tom Tancredo says it, anyway. I hear he's got a bumper magnet that says he supports the troops, so you know it's true.
I Believe
Everyone needs something to believe in.
I BELIEVE...
I BELIEVE...
- that big business and the Federal government have been in bed together since before I was born. But in "the old days" they at least tried to hide it. Now they're doing it right out in the open like two big dogs shagging in the park.
- that future generations of presidential historians will be shocked and appalled at the corruption and mendacity of the current administration, but we won't find out about it until the culprits are long since dead and buried.
- that the current two party system has replaced government in the best interest of the governed with the high tech "sport" of politics, where winning is all that matters. And there's not a damned thing we can do about it because we'll just keep on electing career politicians who are more loyal to their "team" than to the people they represent.
- that robots are stealing my luggage. (Ok... I stole that one from Steve Martin.)
- that the giants strides of progressive social reform which were achieved from the sixties through the eighties are slowly eroding. Without major changes in who we elect to power we won't see them again any time soon.
- that the oil is going to effectively run out by the end of this century and our grandchildren will live to see the beginning of the next, permanent stone age because we're not doing a fraction of the work we need to accomplish to get away from non-renewable energy sources.
- that there is a showdown looming between the United States and one or more of the other nations who we continue to anger in our arrogance. My money is on China.
- that we'll be lucky if most of us are left to blog about all of these events as they unfold.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
To walk with Death and Morning on the silver horns
The title is from a poem by Tennyson titled "Come down, O Maid." Follow the link if you feel inspired to read the entire piece, but here's the portion of interest today.
nor cares to walk with Death and Morning on the silver horns
This guy was born nearly 200 years ago. (1809 -1890) It's funny how people back then could look through a simpler, cleaner lens than we seem to be able to muster today. The visions they found there were somehow more beautiful as well.
What am I on about today, you ask? I have no idea. Just something simple and lovely for a Saturday morning which I thought you might like to ruminate upon.
For Love is of the valley, come thou downWhere do you look when in search of love, friendship, meaning or spirit? One school of thought would tell you that every search must begin within one's self, and there is certainly something to be said for that. Critical self examination and appreciate are very likely prerequisite to the ability to appreciate others. Tennyson, however, goes beyond that stage. He insists that we must leave our own haunts and travel new roads if we are in search of such an elusive goal. Also, that we should avoid those who embrace the negative, which they will only reflect back on us if we allow it.
And find him; by the happy threshold, he,
Or hand in hand with Plenty in the maize,
Or red with spirited purple of the vats,
Or foxlike in the vine; nor cares to walk
With Death and Morning on the silver horns,
Nor wilt thou snare him in the white ravine,
Nor find him dropt upon the firths of ice,
That huddling slant in furrow-cloven falls
To roll the torrent out of dusky doors
nor cares to walk with Death and Morning on the silver horns
This guy was born nearly 200 years ago. (1809 -1890) It's funny how people back then could look through a simpler, cleaner lens than we seem to be able to muster today. The visions they found there were somehow more beautiful as well.
What am I on about today, you ask? I have no idea. Just something simple and lovely for a Saturday morning which I thought you might like to ruminate upon.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Redundant Announcement
Well, Jazz has let the cat out of the bag already, but I'm gonna say it anyway: I'll be on vacation starting Sunday. I'm cruising to Bermuda, for those of you who would ask. I assume that those of you who would ask are a different subset than the really-big-eyes crowd.
Anyway, I have, indeed, asked a few bloggers from around blogtopia (skippy reference!) who I think are particularly ginchy if they'd pinch hit for me. OK, I asked 2, Jazz asked the rest. Will they write? I hope so. Who will it be? Well, that's for you to find out if and when they post, right? I will say this about the guests - they're all swell lookers, and none of them is Chinese.
Ta!
Tami
Anyway, I have, indeed, asked a few bloggers from around blogtopia (skippy reference!) who I think are particularly ginchy if they'd pinch hit for me. OK, I asked 2, Jazz asked the rest. Will they write? I hope so. Who will it be? Well, that's for you to find out if and when they post, right? I will say this about the guests - they're all swell lookers, and none of them is Chinese.
Ta!
Tami
Fibbus Interruptus
Hi there! For those of you who don't recognize me and were expecting to see another post from The One True Tami, I'm not her. That doesn't mean I haven't often wished to be her... but I'm not and I've come to terms with that and am at peace. No... my name is Jazz. I'm the proprietor of the blog Running Scared, and Tami has asked me, along with a few other authors, to help her out by filling in with some guest blogging while she is on vacation over the next week or so. (No, no... I'm sorry. No autograhs just now. We can try to get to that after the Q & A session following the presentation. Thank you.)
First of all, I can't even describe how overwhelmingly grateful I am for Tami's invitation. This priceless opportunity will give me the chance to have yet another place where I have to think up something to write for the edification and amusement of a group of anonymous internet strangers, as I sit in my stuffy office with broken air conditioning, while Tami ..... relaxes ....
... in the tropics.
Ok. It's possible that "overwhelmingly grateful" may have been a stretch. But let's press on, shall we? I come before you today armed with a brief diatribe, not on the social dangers of neoconservative dogma, as is my usual choice, but the social dangers posed by the Interrupting Fibber. Some of you may already be familiar with this creature, either having one currently plaguing your life, or having had a previous encounter from which you escaped. But for the benefit of those most at risk - the dangerously uninformed- I offer this cautionary tale as a warning from which you may someday benefit.
The Interrupting Fibber (I.F.) is a person who will suddenly disrupt any conversation among other people, blurting out some incredible, outrageous tale designed to top whatever incident is being discussed. This is likely an attempt to make their own shallow, dull pointless life suddenly look appealing or even enviable to their peers. What the I.F. fails to realize is that absolutely nobody is believing this incredible, steaming pile of horse dung and, rather than being fascinated and engaged in the story, are actually silently wondering what sort of traumatic, psychologically damaging incident during their childhood could have led to this sociopathic behavior.
Sadly, I have an I.F. in my life at this time. You see, along with three of my good friends - Cliff, John and Kirby - I am part of a dart team that participates in a local league held at various pubs in the area. This has led to many fine times, a lot of enjoyment, and the opportunity for all of us to meet new friends in each other's social circles. Sadly, this has also led to my recent acquisition of a new "friend".... Brett - the Interrupting Fibber.
Let's say that our team is having a practice session down at the pub, having a few cocktails, tossing some darts, and just chatting. Then Brett shows up. Inevitably the conversation will devolve into something like this:
It gets to the point where we just stare at him blankly. Rather than the obviously hoped for response of shock or admiration, Brett watches us go completely silent and turn back to our drinks and tossing darts. Frankly, I'm afraid to even order another beverage at that point because I absolutely know that he will immediately go into a tale about how he's getting ready to take over Seagrams Corp. International in a leverage buyout next week. (An amazingly dexterous financial feat for somebody who rents a very cheap, one bedroom walkup flat.)
So have a care, gentle readers. Should you run into an I.F. in the future, now you know the warning signs. At that point, as most evolutionary anthropologists would recommend, you should drop into "fight or flight" mode. If you are not suited for confrontation, run away quickly and avoid this beast. Or, if you are more aggressive in nature, stand up to the I.F. immediately and call his/her bluff. Don't make the mistake I did and allow them to get away with it, because soon you'll be trapped in a social hell of your own making.
Later this week I'll be back with another installment of my occasional series, "What's that smell like." I know you'll want to stop by for that.
Cheers.
First of all, I can't even describe how overwhelmingly grateful I am for Tami's invitation. This priceless opportunity will give me the chance to have yet another place where I have to think up something to write for the edification and amusement of a group of anonymous internet strangers, as I sit in my stuffy office with broken air conditioning, while Tami ..... relaxes ....
... in the tropics.
Ok. It's possible that "overwhelmingly grateful" may have been a stretch. But let's press on, shall we? I come before you today armed with a brief diatribe, not on the social dangers of neoconservative dogma, as is my usual choice, but the social dangers posed by the Interrupting Fibber. Some of you may already be familiar with this creature, either having one currently plaguing your life, or having had a previous encounter from which you escaped. But for the benefit of those most at risk - the dangerously uninformed- I offer this cautionary tale as a warning from which you may someday benefit.
The Interrupting Fibber (I.F.) is a person who will suddenly disrupt any conversation among other people, blurting out some incredible, outrageous tale designed to top whatever incident is being discussed. This is likely an attempt to make their own shallow, dull pointless life suddenly look appealing or even enviable to their peers. What the I.F. fails to realize is that absolutely nobody is believing this incredible, steaming pile of horse dung and, rather than being fascinated and engaged in the story, are actually silently wondering what sort of traumatic, psychologically damaging incident during their childhood could have led to this sociopathic behavior.
Sadly, I have an I.F. in my life at this time. You see, along with three of my good friends - Cliff, John and Kirby - I am part of a dart team that participates in a local league held at various pubs in the area. This has led to many fine times, a lot of enjoyment, and the opportunity for all of us to meet new friends in each other's social circles. Sadly, this has also led to my recent acquisition of a new "friend".... Brett - the Interrupting Fibber.
Let's say that our team is having a practice session down at the pub, having a few cocktails, tossing some darts, and just chatting. Then Brett shows up. Inevitably the conversation will devolve into something like this:
Jazz: "Say, Cliff. Where were you last Friday night? We didn't see you all evening."[ed: We already don't]
Cliff: "Last Friday? Oh, didn't I tell you? I finally got a date with Melissa, that girl who tends bar down at TGIFridays."
John: "Wow. Really? How'd that go?"
Cliff: "It was pretty good actually. She seems really nice. We went to see an early movie, and after that...."
Brett: (Interrupting rudely.) "Melissa? Ha! Are you kidding me? Didn't I tell you what happened to me last weekend? Man, you wouldn't believe it."
Brett: " I had a date with TWINS! Yep... twin sisters. And they were both models for Penthouse a couple years ago. Man, were they wild. Check it out... so I've got them back in my apartment, and they're in the bedroom, naked, and rubbing bacon all over each other. I come walking out of the bathroom carrying a saddle and a set of jumper cables...."Sadly, that really isn't much of an exaggeration for the kind of stuff this guy says. And he does it all the time. What is possibly even more sad is the fact that none of us ever challenge him or question his stories. In fact, most times we don't say a damned thing. Personally, I feel unable to. It's kind of like watching a car wreck in slow motion... you just can't look away.
It gets to the point where we just stare at him blankly. Rather than the obviously hoped for response of shock or admiration, Brett watches us go completely silent and turn back to our drinks and tossing darts. Frankly, I'm afraid to even order another beverage at that point because I absolutely know that he will immediately go into a tale about how he's getting ready to take over Seagrams Corp. International in a leverage buyout next week. (An amazingly dexterous financial feat for somebody who rents a very cheap, one bedroom walkup flat.)
So have a care, gentle readers. Should you run into an I.F. in the future, now you know the warning signs. At that point, as most evolutionary anthropologists would recommend, you should drop into "fight or flight" mode. If you are not suited for confrontation, run away quickly and avoid this beast. Or, if you are more aggressive in nature, stand up to the I.F. immediately and call his/her bluff. Don't make the mistake I did and allow them to get away with it, because soon you'll be trapped in a social hell of your own making.
Later this week I'll be back with another installment of my occasional series, "What's that smell like." I know you'll want to stop by for that.
Cheers.
Is It Too Soon To Hope?
When Mahmoud Abbas was elected as the new Palestinian leader, I put forth the opinion that he would only be able to do his people any good if he was willing to actually police those Palestinians who were using terror and acts of extreme (military?) violence to make their points. Firing rockets during cease-fires, sending teenagers with explosives strapped to their bodies, I'm of the opinion that these activities don't foster peace.
Today, over on BBC News, there's a piece that depicts Abbas as doing exactly what I was looking for:
Whether or not it's too soon, I'm going to allow myself to hope, today.
Today, over on BBC News, there's a piece that depicts Abbas as doing exactly what I was looking for:
Our correspondent says he has always been very reluctant to use force, but pressure to take decisive action grew after the Israeli woman was killed by a missile fired from Gaza.It is my dearest wish that the Palestinian people will come to realize that killing each other is not their goal, and that this will bring them to a place where killing anyone seems like less of an option.
His administration has now said that it is determined to take firm measures to impose order.
...
Soon after the rocket attacks, Palestinian police, reportedly acting on orders to stop further rocket fire, clashed with Hamas members in northern Gaza.
Whether or not it's too soon, I'm going to allow myself to hope, today.
Comment Corner
Every once in a while you get a really good discussion going in the comments section of your blog. I think that happened here, yesterday, on my "Right and Wrong" post. It's a reasonable (shocking, I know!) debate about government, choice and Iraq. It's here, and of course at the comment link from the post, and I think it's really worth a read. People voicing thoughts and opinions, and no one calling anyone else a monkey.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Right and Wrong
It has come to my attention that some people might not understand what drives my opinions - why I think that some things are right, and some things are wrong. "How do you determine which is which?", you seem to ask me with you large, round, imploring eyes. At least, that's how I picture you in my head. Very kid-on-black-velvet-painting-that-I-bought-at-a-gas-station, if you know what I mean. Anyway, like I said - you're confused.
(If you're not confused, I don't mean you. Get over it.)
What makes something right:
It allows people to live in the manner that they choose, including the condition that they do not choose to infringe on *other* people's rights. You think the only way to live is on a farm where you get up at 4:30 to milk animals? Go ahead. You think the only way to live is helping messed-up rich people with their problems until you become a messed-up rich person yourself? Go ahead. No sex without marriage? Fine. No marriage? Fine. No sex? Well, you'll die out unless you get a lot of recruits, but that's OK with me, too. Love computers? Hate zippers? All of that is all right with me. Laws that let people choose these things? Yes.
What makes something wrong:
It infringes on someone else's right to live in the manner that they choose. Any law that affects what consenting adults do (non-lethal) to each other behind closed doors? No. Taking money away from the poor to fund things that will "make our economy stronger"? No. Love illegal dumping? No. Hate biracial marriage? No. Want to impose your country's system of government on the entire world? No.
Really, no. I love the US, and I love democracy. I don't love that it's brought me to this particular point today, but not everything is bad. Sometimes you have to try new ideas out to find out if they work or not, especially when you know that problems exist that aren't being solved. True, new things often don't work, but that doesn't mean that trying them is wrong. I think our system is a great system that is growing, and evolving with the world around it, but that assuming that everyone wants to live this way is arrogant. Some people like church and state all wrapped up together. Some people find too much freedom chaotic, and need to live somewhere more ordered. Let them - as long as they, too, don't try to impose their ideals on the entire world.
What does not make something wrong: If you don't agree with someting that doesn't affect you, it is not automatically "wrong". That's why I feel the way I do about other countries choosing their own form of government. It's like people choosing to paint their den chartreuse and orange. I don't want to be in that room, but I don't have to be, now, do I.
What does not make something right: If other people have done wrong things before, and no one complained. It doesn't make those wrong things all right, and it doesn't make the new wrong things all right. Someone (possibly even me) may be a hypocrite, but that doesn't make what they're saying any less true, if it's true.
Maybe there are extenuating circumstances, and maybe I don't understand exactly how everything needs to play out. The world exists in shades of grey, I get that. But it still doesn't mean that the answer to "person 2 did something wrong" is "person one did something else wrong and you defended person 1". Whether or not I was wrong then doesn't mean I'm not right, now.
I get the feeling I may have said all this before.
So, are you less confused now? Yes? Would you mind making the big-eyed face a little longer, anyway? It's just so darned cute...
(If you're not confused, I don't mean you. Get over it.)
What makes something right:
It allows people to live in the manner that they choose, including the condition that they do not choose to infringe on *other* people's rights. You think the only way to live is on a farm where you get up at 4:30 to milk animals? Go ahead. You think the only way to live is helping messed-up rich people with their problems until you become a messed-up rich person yourself? Go ahead. No sex without marriage? Fine. No marriage? Fine. No sex? Well, you'll die out unless you get a lot of recruits, but that's OK with me, too. Love computers? Hate zippers? All of that is all right with me. Laws that let people choose these things? Yes.
What makes something wrong:
It infringes on someone else's right to live in the manner that they choose. Any law that affects what consenting adults do (non-lethal) to each other behind closed doors? No. Taking money away from the poor to fund things that will "make our economy stronger"? No. Love illegal dumping? No. Hate biracial marriage? No. Want to impose your country's system of government on the entire world? No.
Really, no. I love the US, and I love democracy. I don't love that it's brought me to this particular point today, but not everything is bad. Sometimes you have to try new ideas out to find out if they work or not, especially when you know that problems exist that aren't being solved. True, new things often don't work, but that doesn't mean that trying them is wrong. I think our system is a great system that is growing, and evolving with the world around it, but that assuming that everyone wants to live this way is arrogant. Some people like church and state all wrapped up together. Some people find too much freedom chaotic, and need to live somewhere more ordered. Let them - as long as they, too, don't try to impose their ideals on the entire world.
What does not make something wrong: If you don't agree with someting that doesn't affect you, it is not automatically "wrong". That's why I feel the way I do about other countries choosing their own form of government. It's like people choosing to paint their den chartreuse and orange. I don't want to be in that room, but I don't have to be, now, do I.
What does not make something right: If other people have done wrong things before, and no one complained. It doesn't make those wrong things all right, and it doesn't make the new wrong things all right. Someone (possibly even me) may be a hypocrite, but that doesn't make what they're saying any less true, if it's true.
Maybe there are extenuating circumstances, and maybe I don't understand exactly how everything needs to play out. The world exists in shades of grey, I get that. But it still doesn't mean that the answer to "person 2 did something wrong" is "person one did something else wrong and you defended person 1". Whether or not I was wrong then doesn't mean I'm not right, now.
I get the feeling I may have said all this before.
So, are you less confused now? Yes? Would you mind making the big-eyed face a little longer, anyway? It's just so darned cute...
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Dismissable
It's like the other people in the country don't count to the current administration. And when I say "other people", I mean the Senate and the House, too.
Jazz, posting at Middle Earth Journal, says it very well, in his post "Bolton back in the news".
Jazz, posting at Middle Earth Journal, says it very well, in his post "Bolton back in the news".
I don't believe that anyone ever anticipated a sitting president acting in such a glaringly abusive fashion. This situation points out a hole in our federal legal system. Whether it's done through a constitutional amendment, or via federal legislation, checks need to be put on the Executive Branch's power of the recess appointment.Feel free to read the whole thing, he makes good points, Jazz does.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Nothing on Earth is Funnier
...than a monkey with a cigarette. I don't know why. I don't even smoke anymore and I still think it's funny.
(Hat tip Mu at Running Scared)
'Human-brained' Monkeys
Sure, the story is frightening, and sounds like something out of a comic book, but man, the picture is funny.
(Hat tip Mu at Running Scared)
'Human-brained' Monkeys
Sure, the story is frightening, and sounds like something out of a comic book, but man, the picture is funny.
Downing Street, Rove, Other People's Words
First of all, thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes. That was pretty awesome, really.
Next, I realize that I haven't said anything at all about Karl Rove, nor have I posted about the Downing Street Memo in days and days.
Third, I'm very lazy so I figured that once again I'd just steal completely from Shakespeare's sister, and today's dispatch for the BBA:
Next, I realize that I haven't said anything at all about Karl Rove, nor have I posted about the Downing Street Memo in days and days.
Third, I'm very lazy so I figured that once again I'd just steal completely from Shakespeare's sister, and today's dispatch for the BBA:
Well,
the big story today continues to be Karl Rove and his role in the Plame affair. Some people have expressed concern that this story has the potential to eclipse the Downing Street Memos, but I don'’t think we ought to be viewing them as separate issues. Instead, we need to view this as an opportunity to create a narrative that ties the two together.
My post on that issue is here: http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2005/07/connect-dots.html,
and says, in part:
"[R]ather than viewing the Plame issue, and particularly Rove's role in it, as separate from the issues raised by the Downing Street Memos, it's important to see them all as part and parcel of one larger issue. Practically and factually, that issue is information manipulation and message control, and allowing ideologically-driven and designed propaganda to trump fact-based intelligence. Philosophically, that issue is a severe and appalling breech of ethics, most notably the betrayal of the trust of the American people."
One thing that's working in our favor is the media's heightened interest in the Rove part of this narrative (check out the lede on this AP report: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/11/politics/main708165.shtml). We need to work our tails off to connect these two stories, so that each time a story is filed about Rove's involvement in the Plame affair, there's a mention of its most important aspect: that the Bush administration feels politics is more important than national security- —as has already been amply demonstrated by the Downing Street Memos (among other things). It is our job to hammer away at this, never letting one be spoken without the other, to demonstrate that each is part and parcel of a pattern of behavior for which the Bush administration must be held accountable.
The media has taken interest in the Rove story (see here http://rawstory.com/news/2005/TRANSCRIPT_WHITE_HOUSE_GRILLED_0711.html
for a transcript of today'’s press briefing and here http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/07/11.html#a3868 for video- it'’s truly unbelievable the change in tone over this story), and that's half the battle. Now we must just connect the dots for them as to how this is indicative of an overarching problem.
We should be pushing this narrative as much as we did the Downing Street Memos and keep calling for accountability.
I have to say I agree 100% with this assessment. When a President lies, it hurts the country. I understand that you can't tell everyone everything, that's a security nightmare, but you can't pull this crap, either. Why are we living in a country where the administration hides its true intentions from the citizens of that country? Is it because if the true plans were revealed that no one would want to go along with them? Instead of plain dealing, we get lies and denials. The spin machine has spun too far. When will our administration level with us? When will people doing illegal or immoral (no, immoral does not always imply sex) things be fired for their activities, or even punished? When?Monday, July 11, 2005
Sorry I've Been Gone
Sorry I've been MIA. I was under the weather on Friday, and if I'm going to be honest about it, I'm not that great today, either. I'm finding it hard to concentrate enough to read, so I don't think I'm going to try and give out my informed or uninformed opinions today. Hopefully, tomorrow.
Thursday, July 7, 2005
You're Hired!
Tony Blair on terrorism today:
I would like to hire his speechwriter away from him, with the hopes that he could make listening to my own leader a less painful experience.
Mr. Blair says the attacks that rocked London's transport system are particularly barbaric since they came when world leaders are trying to focus on combating poverty in Africa and the effects of climate change.I heard him say these words on the radio this morning, and it was a very moving statement. No childish slogans about good vs. evil, no misspoken words, no "down home charm". Just an honest expression of the will to maintain reason.
The prime minister said he will rush back to London to assess the situation, but the summit meeting will continue.
And he vows that terrorism will be defeated.
"It is important that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world," he said.
I would like to hire his speechwriter away from him, with the hopes that he could make listening to my own leader a less painful experience.
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Why Now Is Different Than Then
I read an article on Raw Story pointed out to those of us in the BBA by Shakespeare's Sister today. It's about how Clinton bombed Iraq more than Bush did in the days before the war.
At first glance, this would seem to be a story that tells people that those of us decrying Bush's foreign policies are just over reacting. If Clinton bombed Iraq even *more* than Bush, doesn't that indicate that it's just business as usual? Of course now that I've said that, you know my answer is "no".
Clinton's orders were to bomb Iraq in response to planes flying over the no-fly zone. There were rules established, and Hussein was violating them knowingly. Personally, I suspect him of purposefully antagonizing the US and Great Britain, though I have no actual proof of that. There *is* proof, though, of those planes flying in airspace that was expressly forbidden to them, with the knowledge that it would bring retaliation. Well, retaliate we did.
The Bush bombings? Were they reported to us as a response to a no-fly violation? Were the bombings being executed to retaliate against Iraqis committing acts that were specifically "flying in the face" of U.N. sanctions? No. These bombings were done to clear the way for a ground war - a war based on the concept that we were going in to get the WMD that Hussein was so obviously hiding. Except, of course, that he wasn't.
I remember hearing about the bombings in the news. I remember wondering why in the world the Iraqis continued to send planes into the no-fly zone, and why they were inviting people to attack them in response. Never did I get this same sinking feeling that I have now, the feeling that the military actions of the US are keeping the country torn apart and in a state of extensive chaos. To me, that's the big difference.
At first glance, this would seem to be a story that tells people that those of us decrying Bush's foreign policies are just over reacting. If Clinton bombed Iraq even *more* than Bush, doesn't that indicate that it's just business as usual? Of course now that I've said that, you know my answer is "no".
Clinton's orders were to bomb Iraq in response to planes flying over the no-fly zone. There were rules established, and Hussein was violating them knowingly. Personally, I suspect him of purposefully antagonizing the US and Great Britain, though I have no actual proof of that. There *is* proof, though, of those planes flying in airspace that was expressly forbidden to them, with the knowledge that it would bring retaliation. Well, retaliate we did.
The Bush bombings? Were they reported to us as a response to a no-fly violation? Were the bombings being executed to retaliate against Iraqis committing acts that were specifically "flying in the face" of U.N. sanctions? No. These bombings were done to clear the way for a ground war - a war based on the concept that we were going in to get the WMD that Hussein was so obviously hiding. Except, of course, that he wasn't.
I remember hearing about the bombings in the news. I remember wondering why in the world the Iraqis continued to send planes into the no-fly zone, and why they were inviting people to attack them in response. Never did I get this same sinking feeling that I have now, the feeling that the military actions of the US are keeping the country torn apart and in a state of extensive chaos. To me, that's the big difference.
Friday, July 1, 2005
Good night, Day (O'Connor)
Sandra Day O'Connor leaving Supreme Court
Well, Hell. I'd heard the rumor, and it's actually true.
Who will be the new appointee?
I don't think it will be Gonzales. I do actually think it will be a woman. If I know bush - a minority woman. A minority woman willing to sell out every other person of her kind in order to grab that power, baby. That sounds about right for what we'll get. You know, based on what I've already seen these past 4 years.
Well, Hell. I'd heard the rumor, and it's actually true.
Who will be the new appointee?
Possible replacements include Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and federal courts of appeals judges J. Michael Luttig, John Roberts, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Michael McConnell, Emilio Garza and James Harvie Wilkinson III. Others mentioned are former Solicitor General Theodore Olson, lawyer Miguel Estrada and former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson, but Bush's pick could be a surprise choice not well known in legal circles.My favorite like is the one about the "surprise choice" option. Oy.
Another prospective candidate is Edith Hollan Jones, a judge on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who was also considered for a Supreme Court vacancy by President Bush's father.
I don't think it will be Gonzales. I do actually think it will be a woman. If I know bush - a minority woman. A minority woman willing to sell out every other person of her kind in order to grab that power, baby. That sounds about right for what we'll get. You know, based on what I've already seen these past 4 years.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
It's Been Said Already
So I'll just link to it. The post by Ron Beasley at Running Scared called "Tony Blair.....Lap Dog or Darkside General?"
I found myslef amazed at the nerve of this guy, and Ron sums it up nicely. Short, sweet, to the point.
I found myslef amazed at the nerve of this guy, and Ron sums it up nicely. Short, sweet, to the point.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Bloggus Interruptus
Well, I've been working on 2 posts today, one on Bush, and one on public education. You get neither, as the water main to my building has burst, and I must vacate the premises. The odds of me getting to them if I'm in my own house are VERY slim.
Sorry, folks.
Sorry, folks.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Puuding, Proof, Etc.
Know how I said that I like Jon Corzine's voting record? Well Ken at Big Windbag has done me the favor of typing it all out in a nice, easy-to-read list.
My kind of stuff:
My kind of stuff:
On Education
· Universal access to preschool and higher education. (Oct 2000)
· Universal right to public education, pre-school thru college. (Sep 2000)
· Federal support & tax breaks for college tuition. (Sep 2000)
· Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001) Jon doesn’t like tutors… Do you here that, he’s coming for you if you are a tutor of any kind.
· Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001) Seriously though why should funds benefit some students when they can go to all
· Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
· Rated 91% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes. (Dec 2003)
Part Happy, Part Sad
Via Atrios:
In 1999, Bush Demanded A Timetable
(Quoting the whole thing)
Makes no sense, and I'm sad about it.
In 1999, Bush Demanded A Timetable
(Quoting the whole thing)
In 1999, George W. Bush criticized President Clinton for not setting a timetable for exiting Kosovo, and yet he refuses to apply the same standard to his war.Why does this make me part happy? Because it's a record that shows that he really does say whatever needs to be said to make it seem like he knows what's going on better than anyone else. Why am I sad? Because no matter how many times he gets called out on crap like this, there's still people out there who support him. I understand backing him if you're an ultra-rich crony reaping all the benefits, but why would people I know still think he's a good guy for this job?
George W. Bush, 4/9/99:
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
And on the specific need for a timetable, here'’s what Bush said then and what he says now:
George W. Bush, 6/5/99
"I think it'’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn."
[ed. note: article originally ran in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on 6/5/99]
VERSUS
George W. Bush, 6/24/05:
"It doesn't make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you'’re - you'’re conceding too much to the enemy."
Makes no sense, and I'm sad about it.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Should We Be Surprised?
BBA
General admits to secret air war
General admits to secret air war
The American general who commanded allied air forces during the Iraq war appears to have admitted in a briefing to American and British officers that coalition aircraft waged a secret air war against Iraq from the middle of 2002, nine months before the invasion began.Of course. Why wouldn't there be a secret air war before the actual war that our nation was supposedly trying to avoid by having the UN impose weapons inspections on Iraq? Why wouldn't we strike while the world was looking away for a moment?
But MoseleyÂ’s remarks, and figures for the amount of bombs dropped in southern Iraq during 2002, indicate that the RAF was taking as large a part in the bombing as American aircraft.Well, at least we weren't in it alone.
Friday, June 24, 2005
About Freakin' Time
I do not know how many MoveOn.org petitions I've signed, but it's a lot. It's not all of them, sometimes they're a little too far out, even for me. But today, I've learned that something I signed a petition for actually happened:
It's a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood
It's a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood
Congress Votes to Restore $100 Million to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Statement by Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.orgNow, according to RJ Eskow over at Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, PBS has named the "highly partisan" Patricia Harrison as their new president, so I guess it's one hand gives, and the other takes away. As long as Sesame Street's still there, and free, I'm at least a little happy.
We are delighted that we were able to help restore some of the cuts made to NPR and PBS. MoveOn.org members sent in more than 1 million comments and made more than 40,000 calls to tell Congress to save Big Bird and Mr. Rogers. We are glad to have helped protect such an important service.
Late Blogging Day
Travelling for work today (local).
Blogging will be late.
Apologies from the management.
Blogging will be late.
Apologies from the management.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Make a Kangaroo Happy
As you who've been with me for a while know, I'm extremely happy that Skippy The Bush Kanagroo added me to the STBK blogroll. Therefore, it's only fair when Skippy asks something of me, that I cheerfully comply.
Skippy is coming up on his 3rd blogiversary, and he'd like, as a gift, to reach a million hits. Go on over and give the blog a read. It's good reading, mostly short comments and links to stories, and I'm always glad I went there.
Skippy's 3rd anniversary post
Skippy is coming up on his 3rd blogiversary, and he'd like, as a gift, to reach a million hits. Go on over and give the blog a read. It's good reading, mostly short comments and links to stories, and I'm always glad I went there.
Skippy's 3rd anniversary post
DSM Update
In my daily update from Shakespeare's Sister regarding the BBA:
'Downing Memos' shed light on run-up to Iraq war (registration required)
I'm frustrated to death about this. I never thought we had any business starting this war, and now that people are calling for a timetable to pull out our troops instead of specifying what conditions need to be met in order to pull them out... Well, it's maddening that we haven't already defined what those conditions should be, actually. I have no idea anymore if we need to stay the course, or getting the hell out would make it better for those people. Every time I think of it, my mind just freezes up trying to think of what might fix such a cluster f*ck.
Knowing this, and knowing that these memos are out there, it makes it all worse. If our government is planning wars that should never happen, if they're pretending to wage them to protect us, if the UN Sanctions are not obtained, and plans are pushed through against the better judgement of the rest of the world, how can we say that we're not committing gigantic acts of terrorism ourselves?
And now you read everywhere about the possibility of war with Iran, of war with Syria. With whose soldiers, I ask you, whose money? War is expensive, it costs money and lives and neither is a commodity we can afford to part with. This warhawk attitude has to stop. I was hoping we had evolved past this kind of behavior and I'm unimaginably sad that I was wrong.
'Downing Memos' shed light on run-up to Iraq war (registration required)
Blair's own Labour Party - indeed, the world at large - still needed to be convinced as to why the threat from Saddam Hussein had suddenly become dire, why an invasion wouldn't contravene international law, and what kind of government might replace Saddam's regime.I believe that was exactly the question I asked *after* we invaded. The exact phrase I used was "crime of aggression".
I'm frustrated to death about this. I never thought we had any business starting this war, and now that people are calling for a timetable to pull out our troops instead of specifying what conditions need to be met in order to pull them out... Well, it's maddening that we haven't already defined what those conditions should be, actually. I have no idea anymore if we need to stay the course, or getting the hell out would make it better for those people. Every time I think of it, my mind just freezes up trying to think of what might fix such a cluster f*ck.
Knowing this, and knowing that these memos are out there, it makes it all worse. If our government is planning wars that should never happen, if they're pretending to wage them to protect us, if the UN Sanctions are not obtained, and plans are pushed through against the better judgement of the rest of the world, how can we say that we're not committing gigantic acts of terrorism ourselves?
And now you read everywhere about the possibility of war with Iran, of war with Syria. With whose soldiers, I ask you, whose money? War is expensive, it costs money and lives and neither is a commodity we can afford to part with. This warhawk attitude has to stop. I was hoping we had evolved past this kind of behavior and I'm unimaginably sad that I was wrong.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
The COST of Property Taxes!
Today I made it over to Blanton's and Ashton's and found me some fine, important reading about an important issue to NJ residents - property taxes, and why a governor can't lower them: (the post)
Mind you, I try to be accurate whenever I can in talking about issues. That's why I try to remember not to say, "lowering property taxes", but "lowering the cost of property taxes". The state does not levy your property taxes. In my area, the township assesses the value of the property and decides how much money to tax and the county sets the costs that have to be met with those taxes. The state can only provide rebates, which is what Senator Corzine has been saying all along, while Forrester has been pretty much making stuff up, talking about how he'll "cut your property taxes" by ten percent a year for four years. Well, he can't. The governor doesn't get to cut your taxes. The issue is property tax rebates.That's exactly what was pointed out to me by a friend last week, and it's exactly right. Your local municipality levies the property taxes, and the state government doesn't make them up, or collect them. You can argue that by increasing local funding that state government could make the high property taxes unnecessary, but is anyone saying that they're going to increase local funding? I don't think so. Frogsdong is right, the issue has to be to rebate or not to rebate, and committing to lowering property taxes state-wide is a smoke screen at best.
All Your Baseless Are Belong to Us
BBA
Limbaugh baselessly suggested Downing Street memo "may be a fake"
I love an article that has the word "baseless" right in the title.
Know why I hadn't heard this sooner? Rush Limbaugh doesn't interest me.
Limbaugh baselessly suggested Downing Street memo "may be a fake"
I love an article that has the word "baseless" right in the title.
From the June 20 broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show:"Some similarities", sure. They're both documents about something unappealing done by GWB. But this one's real.
LIMBAUGH: I purposely haven't talked about this Downing Street memo much because, frankly, a) it didn't interest me and, you know, if it doesn't interest me, I'm not going to talk about it. And the reason it didn't interest me is because it was just another one of these ginned up things by the libs, and it looks like it's got some similarities to Bill Burkett and the forged documents of CBS and Rathergate.
Know why I hadn't heard this sooner? Rush Limbaugh doesn't interest me.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Were They Kidding?
I am an AOL member. I know what you're thinking - "AOL? For someone as net-savvy as you? What gives, Tami?"
Well, what gives is that I've been an AOL member since 1995 or so, and I'm not changing my address just because it's unhip. I'm going to stick with it until it's cool again, dammit. And besides, there really are some useful features to the service. Like, for instance, those of my relatives who completely fear computers can figure out how to send me email.
So, this morning, I signed on to AOL to check my mail, and waded through the zillion messages. When does mail from people you know, but don't want to hear from become spam? Never. *sigh* Right, back to my point. When you sign on, you have a welcome page. I chose the "world news" welcome page, or whatever option gives me news headlines. Today, there was a story on Bolton being blocked again.
Are they kidding me? OK, for the record then, I answered their poll "no". The thing is, there was no comment space, so I figured I'd add mine here:
Comment:
No, the President should not bypass the Senate, making the checks and balances that are supposed to be built into our system look even more like a joke then they already do in these days of a Republican-controlled House and Senate. No.
Well, what gives is that I've been an AOL member since 1995 or so, and I'm not changing my address just because it's unhip. I'm going to stick with it until it's cool again, dammit. And besides, there really are some useful features to the service. Like, for instance, those of my relatives who completely fear computers can figure out how to send me email.
So, this morning, I signed on to AOL to check my mail, and waded through the zillion messages. When does mail from people you know, but don't want to hear from become spam? Never. *sigh* Right, back to my point. When you sign on, you have a welcome page. I chose the "world news" welcome page, or whatever option gives me news headlines. Today, there was a story on Bolton being blocked again.
President Bush faces a politically thorny situation - and stark choices - now that Senate Democrats twice have blocked John Bolton's confirmation as U.N. ambassador.There was a poll - Should the President bypass the Senate?
The president could withdraw the nomination, authorize further concessions to Democrats over access to information they seek or bypass lawmakers altogether by appointing the former State Department official to the job temporarily without the Senate's OK.
Are they kidding me? OK, for the record then, I answered their poll "no". The thing is, there was no comment space, so I figured I'd add mine here:
Comment:
No, the President should not bypass the Senate, making the checks and balances that are supposed to be built into our system look even more like a joke then they already do in these days of a Republican-controlled House and Senate. No.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Lots of Downing Street Links
BBA
Once again, as a member of the Big Brass Alliance, it is my sworn duty to post important stuff here. Unfortunately, I'm really feeling slow on the uptake today, so I'm glad that other people have written comprehensive stuff. The following is lifted completely from one of our fearless leaders, Shakespeare's Sister.
I'll start with a link to her post on Conyers trying to take his petition to the White House.
Next, on to an email missive sent out to the BBA today:
Hi everyone. There's been some (probably justified) concern that the Right's last ditch tactic to disavow the Downing Street Documents by calling them fakes will gain some traction in the
media. So we need to be prepared to combat such assertions. Following is a list that should help you get started:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/11/britain.war.memo/
Please read, and understand - people aren't just making this up.
Once again, as a member of the Big Brass Alliance, it is my sworn duty to post important stuff here. Unfortunately, I'm really feeling slow on the uptake today, so I'm glad that other people have written comprehensive stuff. The following is lifted completely from one of our fearless leaders, Shakespeare's Sister.
I'll start with a link to her post on Conyers trying to take his petition to the White House.
Next, on to an email missive sent out to the BBA today:
Hi everyone. There's been some (probably justified) concern that the Right's last ditch tactic to disavow the Downing Street Documents by calling them fakes will gain some traction in the
media. So we need to be prepared to combat such assertions. Following is a list that should help you get started:
MSNBC:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8207731
Editor & Publisher:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000955273
That memo and other internal British government documents were originally obtained by Michael Smith, who writes for the London Sunday Times, Pincus notes. Excerpts were made available to The Washington Post, and the material was confirmed as authentic by British sources.
Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/06/02/DI2005060201359.html
There is no dispute about the authenticity of the Downing Street memo.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/11/britain.war.memo/
British officials did not dispute the document's authenticity...
NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/13/politics/13downing.html
officials at the British Foreign Office in London, while insisting on anonymity, said inresponse to queries from The New York Times that they would not dispute the authenticity of the document.
Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1647332,00.html
The Times notes that when directly asked about it at their joint press conference, neither Bush nor Blair disputed the original leaked memo's authenticity, and additionally points out the USA Today, who hadn't previously covered the memo because they couldn't obtain independent verification, reported on it once Bush and Blair were given the opportunity to repudiate it and did not.
Please read, and understand - people aren't just making this up.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
House panel OK's cutting $100m of PBS budget
So what, the government doesn't want a way to send subliminal messages to the most children possible? I'm surprised!
So what, the government doesn't want a way to send subliminal messages to the most children possible? I'm surprised!
Too Big for Its Britches
I think that New Jersey Government is too big. I think that 12 people are doing jobs that could be done by 4. I think that we have too many different levels of people doing the same things over and over, and that it's wasting our (NJ residents) money. Jon Corzine thinks this, too:
While in some cases independence is needed because of the unique mission of an agency, in too many cases the absence of adequate fiscal, legal, and management controls – and the lack of transparency and accountability – have led to wasteful, unethical, and even potentially criminal practices. Also, this “invisible government” has been used as a convenient place to dole out political patronage jobs and lucrative no-bid contracts away from public scrutiny.My first thought was to think about the fact that eliminating jobs takes away someone's source of income. The people in these positions are real people, and they need to support themselves to survive. But Corzine's not talking about average people who are earning their way, here, he's talking specifically about people who are given jobs as favors, people who may or may not ever actually do any work for these paychecks they're receiving.
I also believe that structural reforms will be needed to make this "invisible government" more open and accountable, and if elected I plan to put these reforms in place from the very beginning of my administration. ThatÂ’s why today I am announcing the formation of a task force that will look closely at these issues and periodically report back to me with suggestions and recommendations on needed reforms. Former New Jersey Attorney General Robert J. Del Tufo has agreed to chair this task force. General Del Tufo brings to the table invaluable experience as the chief law enforcement officer of this state and as the head of a cabinet department. The other members of the task force will be announced shortly.I really like this approach. As we all know, sitting right next to someone who is using their position as a paid vacation, sits someone who's putting their kids through college, or paying off their house. If this task force actually does their job and investigates instead of just taking a sweeping brush to an entire area, I think that real cost-saving measures can be found, and maybe the state can make its way back to the days where it was run better. Not perfect, no, nothing is perfect, but better.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Oh, Yeah - Basic Rights, Right!
US House votes to curb Patriot Act, defies Bush
"We can fight terrorism without undermining basic constitutional rights. That's what the message of today is about," said Rep. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who pushed the measure through the House with the support of 38 Republicans.I love it when people do things that make sense. Now I can finally go out and get myself a copy of The Anarchist Cookbook without worrying about acquiring a tail.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Catch Up With the DSM
BBA
Unsure what the DSM stuff is all about? The Raw Story has an excellent roundup of docs and key points in a nice, easy-to-read table.
Even less sure about it all and want more info? Kevin Baas has a wiki.
Wondering when the Conyers meetings are? Tomorrow, 2:30 EDT, back on the hill.
Our dear leader led us to believe that we were going to war as a last resort. These memos say that war was the preferred method. Read them, and make some noise.
Unsure what the DSM stuff is all about? The Raw Story has an excellent roundup of docs and key points in a nice, easy-to-read table.
Even less sure about it all and want more info? Kevin Baas has a wiki.
Wondering when the Conyers meetings are? Tomorrow, 2:30 EDT, back on the hill.
Our dear leader led us to believe that we were going to war as a last resort. These memos say that war was the preferred method. Read them, and make some noise.
The Reward for Good Works?
Brilliant at Breakfast, Go ahead...justify this under the banner of "We need their cooperation right now"
(Klein quote)
(Jill again)
(apologies to Jill for re-posting so much of her work here, but it's *important* work)
Our most prominent "look the other way" policy has been towards Pakistan dictator Pervez Musharraf, whose invaluable assistance in the War on Terror led to a swift capture, trial, and execution of Osama Bin Laden.
Well, maybe after taking the hallucinogens they dish out in Outer Wingnuttia, they did. In the real world, Osama Bin Laden is out in the mountains mooning us daily, and Pervez Musharraf is behind atrocities like this one, brought to us by Ezra Klein:
(Klein quote)
Mukhtaran Bibi is under arrest. You remember her, in a world of Jackos and Rumsfelds and celebrity relationships and deified presidents, Bibi is an actual hero, a Mandela-esque story of courage and forgiveness. She's a Pakistani women whose brother committed a crime and, under the barbaric codes sometimes enforced in rural Pakistan, was condemned to public, forced gang rape to atone for him. When the four men had finished raping her, she was forced to walk home, nearly nude, while hundreds of onlookers laughed and jeered.
She was supposed to die.
If all had gone as planned, she would've grabbed a knife and slit her throat, or maybe her wrists. She would've accepted that she had been sacrificed for a male, that it was more than a fair trade, and that no one could move on until the last spark of life had vanished behind her eyes. And she would've hurried up and and finished the affair.
All did not go as planned.
The knives stayed in the drawer. Her nude body found clothes. She convinced a local Islamic leader to back her as she took her rapists to court. They were convicted. They were locked away. She got a settlement.
One could, at this point, forgive her for jetting off. For paying however many rupees it took, settling back into a plane seat, and appyling for asylum in America, hitting the lecture rout, leaving. She didn't. Instead, she built schools. Two of them, one for boys, one for girls. She took special care to enroll the children of her attackers, banishing vengeance and cutting the generational cord of ignorance. She enrolled in her own school to learn to read. She started a shelter for abused women. She decided to found an ambulance service so the rural sick could reach high-tech hospitals. She spoke out against honor killings and rapes. And she was going to visit America.
Oops.
Pervez Musharraf, our erstwhile ally in the War on Terror, couldn't have that. Mukhtaran Bibi was put under house arrest last Thursday. When she tried to walk out, police pointed guns at her. When she tried to make calls, they snipped the landline. When she moved to the cell, they took her to Islamabad and put her in prison. Then, for good measure, they released her rapists -- a warning shot.
Having Mukhtaran Bibi speak out about Pakistan's brutal side didn't fit the softer, more Western image Musharraf wanted to project. What he really didn't count on, though, was a columnist for the New York Times taking up the case and making more noise than she ever could've. And I bet he's not expecting outraged e-mails from all over the world to fly into his government's inboxes. Which is why they should be. And they should be loud, outraged, and laced with threats about how many congressmen will be informed and how much noise will be made. They should, above all, be perfectly clear on one count: if she dies, her voice will be far louder than if she lived.
(Jill again)
Nick Kristof is the columnist, and here's what he wrote about the case yesterday.
Ezra has e-mail and snail mail addresses for who to contact to express your opposition to this kind of tactic.
And for those who think this is a necessary sacrifice to make to ensure Musharraf's continued "cooperation", go tell your wife, or your daughter, that sometimes it's OK for a rape victim to be arrested in order to keep her silent, if we need the "cooperation" of those who would exonerate her attackers.
(apologies to Jill for re-posting so much of her work here, but it's *important* work)
Numbers Games
Read a piece over at the Corzine Connection spelling out the cost of Forrester's property tax plan, "30% in 3 years".
Helping New Jersey's spending problems requires re-working the way we use the money, on top of trying to use less of it. Without a lot of back work, no plan will be able to offer tax relief to NJ residents.
Sure, I called his plan false and hollow, but I did so not to engage in partisan fighting, but because his numbers simply don't work. I double-checked the budget numbers just to be sure, and I'm pretty sure that $9 billion is cost of the Forrester plan. I'll even show my work.In an article in The Star Ledger, I read Forrester's take on this issue.
"Corzine is offering another warmed-over, McGreevey-Florio rebate gimmick. The only thing it guarantees is higher taxes," Forrester said. "Jon Corzine is part of the same group of people who gave us these problems. He cannot change New Jersey. I can."Now, I'm not the biggest fan of rebates. I do not understand exactly why it is that we can charge someone $3000 for taxes and then give them a rebate check for $1200. Why not just charge them $1800 in the first place? It's all a trick of government spending. The thing is, it's a trick that actually puts more money in people's pockets. If the refunds were eliminated, it would be just another spot for money to be manipulated in new ways, and few of those new ways are ever good for the taxpayers. The state spends too much in the wrong places and too little in the right ones. Have I mentioned the city where the superintendent gets a $200k annual salary and the teachers (at the school I know about) are allocated one box of pencils for the year? How is that a good use of funds? Who makes these decisions?
Helping New Jersey's spending problems requires re-working the way we use the money, on top of trying to use less of it. Without a lot of back work, no plan will be able to offer tax relief to NJ residents.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Female Problems
Holy cow, I hate when I'm condescend to.
There was a big-ol' dust storm this weekend, about an ad on a major blog that had a scene that can be considered degrading to women. No, I'm not linking to either thing. You want to see that sort of thing, go find it on your own time. Normally, I could give a crap about sexy ads, like the Paris Hilton one, or one out of three beer ads. If your target audience is men, using visuals of sexy women is tried-and-true. Everyone's got hormones. So normally, I just ignore it, and move on, assuming that men, as a whole do not think that women are either "nice people", or "feminists".
But then, well, then I started to read the posts that this dust-up was inspiring. Holy Christ on a cracker. Seeing the line "the crowd who dares not shave their legs" pissed me off. Well at least now I know. What do I know? I've made a list:
Shakespeare's Sister
Pandagon
Rox Populi
Feministe
A Quiz from After School Snack
Blondesense
Pinko Feminist Hellcat
What Do I Know?
Enjoy.
There was a big-ol' dust storm this weekend, about an ad on a major blog that had a scene that can be considered degrading to women. No, I'm not linking to either thing. You want to see that sort of thing, go find it on your own time. Normally, I could give a crap about sexy ads, like the Paris Hilton one, or one out of three beer ads. If your target audience is men, using visuals of sexy women is tried-and-true. Everyone's got hormones. So normally, I just ignore it, and move on, assuming that men, as a whole do not think that women are either "nice people", or "feminists".
But then, well, then I started to read the posts that this dust-up was inspiring. Holy Christ on a cracker. Seeing the line "the crowd who dares not shave their legs" pissed me off. Well at least now I know. What do I know? I've made a list:
- I have no sense of humor
- My personal hygiene is lacking
- I represent all that is good and decent in the world by virtue of simply being female
- I represent all that is wrong and twisted in this world by having an opinion of my own and not settling down with some nice man and reproducing
- No candidate can win without people like me, we're the majority voice
- I somehow don't deserve to make as much money as a man doing the same job because of reasons 1-5.
- Reason 6 *proves* I don't have a sense of humor, See?
Shakespeare's Sister
Pandagon
Rox Populi
Feministe
A Quiz from After School Snack
Blondesense
Pinko Feminist Hellcat
What Do I Know?
Enjoy.
Latest on the DSM
BBA
I can't write this any better than Shakespeare's Sister did, including the part about the social life.
I can't write this any better than Shakespeare's Sister did, including the part about the social life.
The first day IÂ’ve actually engaged in a social life in weeks and what do I miss? The leaking of a new British memo confirming that it was "necessary to create the conditions" for the legality of the Iraq War.
Friday, June 10, 2005
DSM Hearing
BBA
For those of you confused, "DSM" is "Downing Street Memo".
Last night an email went out to the Big Brass Alliance telling us about the following Raw Story piece:
For those of you confused, "DSM" is "Downing Street Memo".
Last night an email went out to the Big Brass Alliance telling us about the following Raw Story piece:
The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled hearings on the 2002 minutes between senior British and American officials which asserted that intelligence was "being fixed" to support the case for war in Iraq, RAW STORY has learned.Congressman Conyers, on his DialyKos Diary, calls the President's response to a question about the DSM "inadequate". I'm really glad to see that in writing, because the idea that you can take a question about a memo that says "Military action was now seen as inevitable" and answer it with "And so it's -- look, both us of didn't want to use our military." just doesn't match up for me.
The hearings, which will be held next Thursday, will bring renewed attention to what is being called the "Downing Street memo," actually official minutes of a secret 2002 meeting.
Conyers office has revealed that they will introduce new documents that corroborate the Downing Street Memo at the hearings June 16.
"We expect to release new documents that corroborate the Downing Street memo," a Judiciary aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, told RAW STORY Thursday afternoon. "None of the documents are as earth-shattering as the Downing Street minutes but all of them corroborate the accuracy of what it says."
Thursday, June 9, 2005
Pick Your Poison
Once again, traffic made me late for work - and I never get to find out what causes this traffic, by the way. Volume? Who knows. This means that I was in the car at 7:30 instead of at my desk. And that means that I switched stations at 7:30, because I still hate phone scams. They're still mean.
So I found myself listening to New Jersey 101.5 again. I expected it to be the usual, they give me facts before spouting off with an opinion I don't agree with, but this morning was different. Today, Jim Gearhart went off on some sort of (mild) cynical fit. For a few brief moments, part of his brain opened up and spilled out for all of us to hear.
He expressed the opinion that it doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican in NJ, because there's just very little difference. Both candidates have plans to reduce the property tax, and neither one is any good. They both talk about ending corruption in Trenton, but it's all talk. No one is going to change how government works, he said, it can't be done, not by anyone. He quoted Jesse Ventura (!) as saying that government is like a big wheel, you think you can stop it by throwing yourself in front of it, but it just runs you over and keeps on going.
It was cynical, but somehow really refreshing!
I mostly agree with him that nothing will ever completely stop the corruption, but I do feel like it can be reigned in. Life in NJ is getting so expensive that it's insane. I have a friend who makes more than $30k a year. You'd think that would be enough to live modestly on, but I assure you, it is NOT. My friend cannot afford a one-bedroom apartment near her work at Rutgers. That's crazy! I make a bit more than that, and I know that I'm going to have to do some crazy lucky investing in order to be able to afford a house of my own. I may not ever be able to do it. The price of running New Jersey in its current mode is bleeding the residents dry.
So, no, maybe we can't fix it all, but we can fix some of it. And we have to have a governor, that doesn't change. There are 2 main people running for the office this year, Forrester and Corzine. I like Corzine's Senatorial voting record. I like his plans, and his staff. I'm throwing my support behind him. I'll leave you with something that he says on his web site that I like addressing a problem in New Jersey development:
So I found myself listening to New Jersey 101.5 again. I expected it to be the usual, they give me facts before spouting off with an opinion I don't agree with, but this morning was different. Today, Jim Gearhart went off on some sort of (mild) cynical fit. For a few brief moments, part of his brain opened up and spilled out for all of us to hear.
He expressed the opinion that it doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican in NJ, because there's just very little difference. Both candidates have plans to reduce the property tax, and neither one is any good. They both talk about ending corruption in Trenton, but it's all talk. No one is going to change how government works, he said, it can't be done, not by anyone. He quoted Jesse Ventura (!) as saying that government is like a big wheel, you think you can stop it by throwing yourself in front of it, but it just runs you over and keeps on going.
It was cynical, but somehow really refreshing!
I mostly agree with him that nothing will ever completely stop the corruption, but I do feel like it can be reigned in. Life in NJ is getting so expensive that it's insane. I have a friend who makes more than $30k a year. You'd think that would be enough to live modestly on, but I assure you, it is NOT. My friend cannot afford a one-bedroom apartment near her work at Rutgers. That's crazy! I make a bit more than that, and I know that I'm going to have to do some crazy lucky investing in order to be able to afford a house of my own. I may not ever be able to do it. The price of running New Jersey in its current mode is bleeding the residents dry.
So, no, maybe we can't fix it all, but we can fix some of it. And we have to have a governor, that doesn't change. There are 2 main people running for the office this year, Forrester and Corzine. I like Corzine's Senatorial voting record. I like his plans, and his staff. I'm throwing my support behind him. I'll leave you with something that he says on his web site that I like addressing a problem in New Jersey development:
Stopping "Fast-Track" Decisions That Harm the Environment In recent years, New Jersey adopted a wrong-headed policy that 'fast-tracks' developers' permits without allowing for a smart review of environmental considerations. Jon Corzine believes this is bad for our natural environment and will only contribute to sprawl.
Jon Corzine has made clear that this 'fast-track' law can't stay the way it is. The law treats a permit for building next to a drinking water reservoir, and a permit for building in a downtown urban area, the same way.
Jon Corzine will replace this law - allowing a streamlined permitting process for urban areas, but guaranteeing discussion and fact-based review before we build on precious lands. With sprawl and pollution eroding the quality of life in our state, the environmental community and the public must have a seat at the table in these decisions about land use.
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Unimportant Quiz Results
I've used my brain enough, today.
C-86 post punk kid. You are completely aware that
the Smiths are the greatest band ever, and your
wardrobe probably consists of lots of different
Smiths t shirts that you alternate ever day,
because everyone must know how much you love
the Smiths.
What type of indie elitist are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
(seen at NYC Babylon)
C-86 post punk kid. You are completely aware that
the Smiths are the greatest band ever, and your
wardrobe probably consists of lots of different
Smiths t shirts that you alternate ever day,
because everyone must know how much you love
the Smiths.
What type of indie elitist are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
(seen at NYC Babylon)
Down with Downing Street
BBA
Ted Kennedy - no one ever said that he didn't have nerve:
Sen. Kennedy speaks out on Downing Street Memo: 'Twisted intelligence; Distorted facts'
Ted Kennedy - no one ever said that he didn't have nerve:
Sen. Kennedy speaks out on Downing Street Memo: 'Twisted intelligence; Distorted facts'
The following was released by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) on the Downing Street Minutes this morning. Kennedy becomes the first senator to raise the issue in the Senate, after earlier reports that Massachusetts' junior senator, John Kerry, would speak about the minutes in Washington.
Happy for Small Favors
WCBS Debate: Schundler Apologizes for Offensive Mail Piece
Schundler also doctored an earlier Forrester for Governor press release that showed that under Forrester's 30%-in-3 plan, Schundler's own property taxes would be $20,000 less than under his own plan. Schundler removed a column that showed the level of property tax projections under his own plan.Last night, Doug Forrester won right to run for governor of NJ on the Republican ticket. I don't want him to win. I'm going to work towards the goal of Corzine winning, of course. If he does, though, at least he's not the guy who pulled this particular brand of crap.
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
Rousing Time
Nice speeches! I already knew that the Democratic party was trying to be about diversity, but it's kind of nice to see it represented in a non-cheesy way, as it definitely is, here.
Live Blogging
Well, I'm at the East Brunswick Hilton, and it's a very lovely affair so far. OK, the Springsteen is blasting a little loud...
(more to follow)
(more to follow)
I SAID Violence Begets Violence!
Deadly Israeli raid, Gaza violence hit truce
HAMMAS IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I don't doubt that. I'm not in favor of any "softening" in the U.S.'s position towards them. Heck, beyond being a terrorist group. They're not even a very bright one:
You know what needs to happen? People need to stop firing rockets at other people. That would solve a lot of problems, right there. Then I wouldn't have to feel like I'm taking sides so often.
GANEI TAL, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - A Palestinian rocket attack killed two workers in a Jewish settlement in Gaza on Tuesday after Israeli forces shot dead an Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank.I'll start out by mentioning that I kind of feel like this article leads with an anti-Israeli feeling. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, though. OK, I'll leave off that to get to my main point.
HAMMAS IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. I don't doubt that. I'm not in favor of any "softening" in the U.S.'s position towards them. Heck, beyond being a terrorist group. They're not even a very bright one:
Israeli military sources identified the dead farm workers in the Ganei Tal settlement as a Palestinian and a Chinese national. A rocket struck a table where they and other workers were eating.Nothing like firing rockets directly at the people you're supposed to be "defending".
"Don't they know there are Arab workers here," a Palestinian laborer said, referring to Palestinian militants.
You know what needs to happen? People need to stop firing rockets at other people. That would solve a lot of problems, right there. Then I wouldn't have to feel like I'm taking sides so often.
Primary Celebration
Tonight in East Brunswick there's a Primary Night Rally, sponsored by Chairman Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. The listed special guests are PA Governor Ed Rendell and Senator Jon Corzine. I'm interested to see what goes on at a rally first hand, so I'm going to head on over. After voting, of course.
Monday, June 6, 2005
Talk About the Downing Street Memo
Democracy Now! has some good discussion about the Downing Street Memo. Just like Paul the Spud at Shakespeare's Sister told me to do, I went and gave it a look. It's all very interesting (and frustrating).
BBA
...Sure, Amy. I mean the reality here is that this evidence from this Downing Street memo reveals that the President may have engaged in a conspiracy to mislead and deceive the United States Congress and the American people about the basis for going to war against Iraq....
BBA
Perhaps We Can't All Just Get Along
Hizbollah polls win bolsters defiance on arms
OK, Hizbollah (Hezbollah, however you want to spell it, it's just not English, OK?) wins polls. They obviously have the support of the Lebanese people.
These are the people doing well in the Lebanese polls? Well, I guess that my answer is, "No. We can't all just get along". Violence begets violence, people. Try to remember that.
OK, Hizbollah (Hezbollah, however you want to spell it, it's just not English, OK?) wins polls. They obviously have the support of the Lebanese people.
Hizbollah -- which the United States labels a terrorist group -- has rejected the Security Council resolution which calls for disarming the group and has vowed to fight to the death any attempts to forcibly take away its weapons.So they're saying that Israel is attacking them, and that the Security Council resolution is invalid. This is a group that engages in terrorist acts of violence as their form of "fighting back". No formal army maneuvers are sufficient for them, I guess. They aren't the Lebanese army, but they're enough of a threat that the UN Security council wants them to "disarm".
It says it is willing to engage other Lebanese in dialogue over its arms but that it would keep them as a defense against Israel, which occupied the south for 22 years until 2000.
"We will face any attempt to disarm the resistance," Amal leader and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told reporters. "The resistance is the natural result of Israel's aggression and its wars and massacres against Lebanon."
These are the people doing well in the Lebanese polls? Well, I guess that my answer is, "No. We can't all just get along". Violence begets violence, people. Try to remember that.
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Just Wanted to Mention This
It drove a relative of my insane that Bush used "disassemble" instead of "dissemble" the other day. Me, well, it just made me frightened. I believe that whenever Dubya does something particularly monkey-like in a public statement, it's to distract us from the really bad thing that's going on elsewhere. I fear the really bad thing, and I desperately hope it's not a new really bad thing.
Winners Write History
BBA
I am today in the process of joining the Big Brass Alliance, a group of bloggers supporting After Downing Street.
I have sent out 3 emails this morning, to
(A) CBS Evening News. email: evening@cbsnews.com phone: 212-975-3247
(B) Associated Press. email: info@ap.org phone: 202-776-9400 (DC) or 212-621-1500 (National News)
(C) C-Span Washington Journal. email: journal@c-span.org
(hat tip, Running Scared)
My position is this: I've seen the memo stating that the war in Iraq was a foregone conclusion, and that all the talk of WMD was just utter crap used to make the world think that we weren't the insane aggressors that we are. Why are no charges being brought anywhere, by anyone? Why are there so few media stories mentioning it?
Why do so many bloggers ask this question without an answer?
The winners write history, and I'm doing my damnedest not to be on the losing team.
I am today in the process of joining the Big Brass Alliance, a group of bloggers supporting After Downing Street.
I have sent out 3 emails this morning, to
(A) CBS Evening News. email: evening@cbsnews.com phone: 212-975-3247
(B) Associated Press. email: info@ap.org phone: 202-776-9400 (DC) or 212-621-1500 (National News)
(C) C-Span Washington Journal. email: journal@c-span.org
(hat tip, Running Scared)
My position is this: I've seen the memo stating that the war in Iraq was a foregone conclusion, and that all the talk of WMD was just utter crap used to make the world think that we weren't the insane aggressors that we are. Why are no charges being brought anywhere, by anyone? Why are there so few media stories mentioning it?
Why do so many bloggers ask this question without an answer?
The winners write history, and I'm doing my damnedest not to be on the losing team.
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