Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Albion Calls To Me
So, I've been a little lax in posting lately.
That's because, on Monday night, I went out with my roommates to dinner at Chili's. Afterwards, we stopped at EBGames, and I figured that, since I've handled my finances so well so far, I could spring for a copy of Fable: the Lost Chapters.
Yeah. Don't be surprised if I go missing for a while.
That's because, on Monday night, I went out with my roommates to dinner at Chili's. Afterwards, we stopped at EBGames, and I figured that, since I've handled my finances so well so far, I could spring for a copy of Fable: the Lost Chapters.
Yeah. Don't be surprised if I go missing for a while.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Guns for Hire
This is supposedly a "trophy video" from a run in which privately-employed security officials fired upon civilian cars in Iraq. I don't know if that's where it came from, but whoever's in the video is definitely firing on ordinary cars while listening to Elvis.
What the fuck are we doing over there?
What the fuck are we doing over there?
To the Victor Go the Spoils
And let's forget everyone else.
The LA Times has up a story that's both frightening and sad. Col. Ted Westhusing, who was charged with overseeing the training of Iraqi police by a private contractor, likely committed suicide. The question is, why? Well, he claims to have witnessed episodes where contractors took part in or witnessed the killings of Iraqi civilians. He reported the incidents to his superiors, but nothing came of the complaints. He grew more agitated, complaining about conditions in e-mails to his family and acting on edge around USIS contractors. Finally, he shot himself in his trailer, and left this note:
"I cannot support a msn [mission] that leads to corruption, human rights abuse and liars. I am sullied," it says. "I came to serve honorably and feel dishonored.
"Death before being dishonored any more."
This is frightening and sad enough as it is. But what makes it worse is the seemingly callous attitude taken by the military towards Westhusing's death, if the psychologist who overlooked his records is any indicator (emphasis mine):
She said that Westhusing had placed too much pressure on himself to succeed and that he was unusually rigid in his thinking. Westhusing struggled with the idea that monetary values could outweigh moral ones in war. This, she said, was a flaw.
"Despite his intelligence, his ability to grasp the idea that profit is an important goal for people working in the private sector was surprisingly limited," wrote Lt. Col. Lisa Breitenbach. "He could not shift his mind-set from the military notion of completing a mission irrespective of cost, nor could he change his belief that doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do should be the sole motivator for businesses."
We're no longer fighting for our safety. We're no longer fighting as liberators. We're no longer fighting to make the world a better place for all peoples.
If this statement is to be taken seriously, then we are fighting for spoils. We fight to take money from the conquered, and to use the conquest to feed our own industries. Proper morals have been traded for profit margins.
We've become the Roman Empire.
This is why 2000 men have died, and Bush has yet to yield. This is why we've been given thirty different explanations for the war; the true cause is so repulsive, it cannot be stated directly. This is about the sacrifice of good men for profit.
I wonder how much Ted Westhusing was worth?
The LA Times has up a story that's both frightening and sad. Col. Ted Westhusing, who was charged with overseeing the training of Iraqi police by a private contractor, likely committed suicide. The question is, why? Well, he claims to have witnessed episodes where contractors took part in or witnessed the killings of Iraqi civilians. He reported the incidents to his superiors, but nothing came of the complaints. He grew more agitated, complaining about conditions in e-mails to his family and acting on edge around USIS contractors. Finally, he shot himself in his trailer, and left this note:
"I cannot support a msn [mission] that leads to corruption, human rights abuse and liars. I am sullied," it says. "I came to serve honorably and feel dishonored.
"Death before being dishonored any more."
This is frightening and sad enough as it is. But what makes it worse is the seemingly callous attitude taken by the military towards Westhusing's death, if the psychologist who overlooked his records is any indicator (emphasis mine):
She said that Westhusing had placed too much pressure on himself to succeed and that he was unusually rigid in his thinking. Westhusing struggled with the idea that monetary values could outweigh moral ones in war. This, she said, was a flaw.
"Despite his intelligence, his ability to grasp the idea that profit is an important goal for people working in the private sector was surprisingly limited," wrote Lt. Col. Lisa Breitenbach. "He could not shift his mind-set from the military notion of completing a mission irrespective of cost, nor could he change his belief that doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do should be the sole motivator for businesses."
We're no longer fighting for our safety. We're no longer fighting as liberators. We're no longer fighting to make the world a better place for all peoples.
If this statement is to be taken seriously, then we are fighting for spoils. We fight to take money from the conquered, and to use the conquest to feed our own industries. Proper morals have been traded for profit margins.
We've become the Roman Empire.
This is why 2000 men have died, and Bush has yet to yield. This is why we've been given thirty different explanations for the war; the true cause is so repulsive, it cannot be stated directly. This is about the sacrifice of good men for profit.
I wonder how much Ted Westhusing was worth?
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Worth a Thousand Words
To any intelligence operatives who might be watching my blog, I have one thing to say:
This is for you. (To everyone else: trust me, stay away.)
This is for you. (To everyone else: trust me, stay away.)
Just Wait For the Techno Remix
And now, a Flash animation of Rev. Willie "LEEEESBIANS!" Wilson delivering a virulent sermon on gayness. Bless you, Something Awful.
I'd just like to say, for such a "pro-family" preacher, he seems to bring up bleeding anuses and strap-ons a lot for what was supposedly a family service. It's official; the religious right is corrupting our youth.
I'd just like to say, for such a "pro-family" preacher, he seems to bring up bleeding anuses and strap-ons a lot for what was supposedly a family service. It's official; the religious right is corrupting our youth.
Oh, Deny Us The 1984 Campaign Song, Will You?
It says a lot about Washington that Bill Frist can't get over politics for one second and give props to The Boss. It says even more that Tom "High School Lesbian Action!" Coburn is a Carrie Underwood fan.
God. Congress is so fucking petty.
God. Congress is so fucking petty.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Eww, Tax Collectors!
Apparently, in Sean O'Malley's mind, "emulating Christ" means "not getting over your damn self and attending charity dinners, even if the mayor supports gay marriage and abortion rights."
Then again, this would probably matter more if I actually had any sort of positive feelings towards O'Malley.
Then again, this would probably matter more if I actually had any sort of positive feelings towards O'Malley.
It's Turkey Time
And not in the sleazy, Gigli sense of the phrase.
I'm thankful for the roof over my head, my loving family, the chance to pursue a higher education, the friends that I've made so far at Emerson, and the fact that Bush is currently sucking wind in the eyes of the public.
Now to go gorge myself.
I'm thankful for the roof over my head, my loving family, the chance to pursue a higher education, the friends that I've made so far at Emerson, and the fact that Bush is currently sucking wind in the eyes of the public.
Now to go gorge myself.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Corporate Devolution
The Telegraph: "An exhibition celebrating the life of Charles Darwin has failed to find a corporate sponsor because American companies are anxious not to take sides in the heated debate between scientists and fundamentalist Christians over the theory of evolution."
The heads of biotech firms in China, South Korea, and other competing Asian countries: "[moans of spontaneous orgasm]"
The heads of biotech firms in China, South Korea, and other competing Asian countries: "[moans of spontaneous orgasm]"
Blink. Blink.
Iraq's calling for a withdrawal timetable.
The Pentagon's drawing one up for partial withdrawal.
Looks like we're finally supporting the troops.
The Pentagon's drawing one up for partial withdrawal.
Looks like we're finally supporting the troops.
Home Is Where The Food Is
So I'm back at home for Thanksgiving. My aunt and uncle are up from Florida visiting us, along with their two daughters.
It's nice to sleep in my own bed again.
It's nice to sleep in my own bed again.
Full of Schmidt
Remember when Jean Schmidt said that she had a message from a Marine in her constituency saying that Christopher Murtha was a coward for wanting to withdraw, and most of the House descended upon her like a bulimic on a Hostess's Snack Cakes display? Well, it turns out that the Marine in question likely never said those things. Which means that Jean not only directly called Murtha, who's seen more combat that she likely ever will, a coward, but she couldn't even muster up the twisted courage to express it as her own opinion.
What a pathetic excuse of an elected representative. If you threw water on her, she'd probably melt.
What a pathetic excuse of an elected representative. If you threw water on her, she'd probably melt.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
All The News That's Fit to Bomb
According to the Daily Mirror, Bush ordered the bombing of Al-Jazeera.
A news station.
For fuck's sake.
Look, I may not like the stuff Al-Jazeera says. I may think they're stuff does lean a bit too much towards terrorists. But for God's sake, if this is true, then that means Bush wanted to bomb people who were doing no more than delivering the news, no matter how skewed it was.
Welcome to the blackout age.
A news station.
For fuck's sake.
Look, I may not like the stuff Al-Jazeera says. I may think they're stuff does lean a bit too much towards terrorists. But for God's sake, if this is true, then that means Bush wanted to bomb people who were doing no more than delivering the news, no matter how skewed it was.
Welcome to the blackout age.
He's a Nice Guy, Except for the Racism
Is John McCain trying to see how much I can start hating him before '08 runs around? Just for perspective, this is the same George Wallace, Jr. who considers the Council of Conservative Citizens (a.k.a., "The Klan Lite") good people.
Whores. All of them.
Whores. All of them.
If Thine Hand Offendeth Thee...
This guy sounds like the fundamentalist Christian cousin the Carver never likes to talk about.
"I know the secularist view says, 'Well, you know, if you're not a spiritual being, you're just an animal or you're just a physical being,'" the surgeon says, "'so just fix what's wrong with your body and you can be okay.' Well, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, when you see how thoroughly physical you are and how your sinful processes originate in your body, you realize you're corrupted with sin from head to toe."
Joy. My body is riddled with sin. And here I thought I'd just have to worry about cholesterol.
"I know the secularist view says, 'Well, you know, if you're not a spiritual being, you're just an animal or you're just a physical being,'" the surgeon says, "'so just fix what's wrong with your body and you can be okay.' Well, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, when you see how thoroughly physical you are and how your sinful processes originate in your body, you realize you're corrupted with sin from head to toe."
Joy. My body is riddled with sin. And here I thought I'd just have to worry about cholesterol.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Christmas On Bizarro World
Charity... kindness... hospitality... all these noted values of the Christmas season are being assraped by Jerry Falwell and his litigious little elves, who have launched a "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign" which aims to sue anyone who uses "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays."
Have any of Falwell's minions wondered how much good these legal fees could do in the hands of the poor? Wait; that requires thought.
Have any of Falwell's minions wondered how much good these legal fees could do in the hands of the poor? Wait; that requires thought.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Yeah, I Wasn't In The Shit
I propose a new law to describe the behavior of certain members of the Republican Party: the Cleland Corollary. This corollary states, "the amount of time one has spent in battle and sacrificed for the good of their country is inversely proportional to their patriotism."
Doesn't make sense, you say? Well, that's the GOP slime machine for you. You have Karl "Well, I'm a Veteran of the War For Hearts and Minds" Rove launching ads that compare Max Cleland to Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. You have half the GOP launching attacks on John Kerry for his service in Vietnam. And now, we have Jean Schmidt (R-Oh.), who has likely not come within five hundred feet of a firefight, calling Christopher Murtha a coward on the floor of the House.
They can give their lives and limbs to protect our lives and our freedoms, but don't even think about giving them a chance to change the world. That's the way of the modern GOP.
Doesn't make sense, you say? Well, that's the GOP slime machine for you. You have Karl "Well, I'm a Veteran of the War For Hearts and Minds" Rove launching ads that compare Max Cleland to Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. You have half the GOP launching attacks on John Kerry for his service in Vietnam. And now, we have Jean Schmidt (R-Oh.), who has likely not come within five hundred feet of a firefight, calling Christopher Murtha a coward on the floor of the House.
They can give their lives and limbs to protect our lives and our freedoms, but don't even think about giving them a chance to change the world. That's the way of the modern GOP.
Friday, November 18, 2005
So... How Are You?
Argh. Sorry about the lack of posts. Past few days have been busy. I promise actual content whenever I can get my hands on it.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
An Investigation Will Be Taking Place To Determine Whether There Should Be An Investigation
Well, the Pentagon has finally come out, after weeks of lying out of their ass, and admitted that white phosphorus was used in the attack on Fallujah. Of course, they can't say, "We fucked up," oh, no; they have to say, "It was legal," and, "We didn't deliberately target civilians."
Okay, everyone; raise your hand if you believe Kim Phuc was deliberately targeted by the ARVN. Good; none of you do. But here's the deal: napalm was legal, and it was used indiscriminately in the raid. Does that make what happened to the villagers any less horrific? I don't think so.
Once again, the Pentagon gets it wrong. We don't care about technicalities, moral and legal loopholes, and secret investigations into what really went wrong. We want you to say: "We're sorry." Out in the open. Is that really too hard?
Okay, everyone; raise your hand if you believe Kim Phuc was deliberately targeted by the ARVN. Good; none of you do. But here's the deal: napalm was legal, and it was used indiscriminately in the raid. Does that make what happened to the villagers any less horrific? I don't think so.
Once again, the Pentagon gets it wrong. We don't care about technicalities, moral and legal loopholes, and secret investigations into what really went wrong. We want you to say: "We're sorry." Out in the open. Is that really too hard?
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
That Must've Been Some Choice Brandy
Well, we all know Christopher Hitchens thinks about that dirty God-thinking:
I'm an atheist. I'm not neutral about religion, I'm hostile to it. I think it is a positively bad idea, not just a false one. And I mean not just organized religion, but religious belief itself.
So there has to be a good reason why he gave a lecture to the Family Research Council, the very pinnacle of "organized religion." I mean, maybe it was a big joke... right?
Oh, wait, there's another solution. He's a booze-soaked intellectual prostitute who will say anything for a buck. Yeah, that works.
I'm an atheist. I'm not neutral about religion, I'm hostile to it. I think it is a positively bad idea, not just a false one. And I mean not just organized religion, but religious belief itself.
So there has to be a good reason why he gave a lecture to the Family Research Council, the very pinnacle of "organized religion." I mean, maybe it was a big joke... right?
Oh, wait, there's another solution. He's a booze-soaked intellectual prostitute who will say anything for a buck. Yeah, that works.
A Brief Bit of Beauty
There's nothing I can say that will really add to this story. It's just so touching that this man didn't give into anger at the people who killed his son, and instead wished to help what the more radical of his brothers would view as "the enemy."
Of course, they're probably cackling about this over at Little Green Footballs, but let's just ignore that, shall we?
Of course, they're probably cackling about this over at Little Green Footballs, but let's just ignore that, shall we?
Monday, November 14, 2005
"Look, We Just Want a Backup Plan, Okay?"
Remember, kids, the Bush White House does not torture... unless it really, really needs to.
This constant stream of double talk sickens me. If they want to torture people, then just say it. Don't try to give yourselves the moral high ground when you're attaching battery clamps to someone's genitals.
This constant stream of double talk sickens me. If they want to torture people, then just say it. Don't try to give yourselves the moral high ground when you're attaching battery clamps to someone's genitals.
Well, Now That Science Is Coming Back... I'm For Science!
Y'know, I'm glad it took the complete unseating of proponents of intelligent design in one of his districts to get Rick Santorum to change his mind about what science is.
No, wait. I'm not glad. What's the other word? "Somewhat sickened."
No, wait. I'm not glad. What's the other word? "Somewhat sickened."
Sunday, November 13, 2005
"Okay, Maybe It's Not Run By Homosexuals... But It's Still Run By Jews!"
Anyone who thinks Hollywood is some sort of gay paradise where those damn perverts force their values on an unsuspecting American public needs to be hit upside the head with a rolled-up copy of the latest Variety. When Alexander failed, Oliver Stone decided that it wasn't because a bloated misfire, but because it had The Gays in it. There's talk of making a biopic of Dusty Springfield's life without the bisexuality, because execs don't think it will sell. And here's what one Hollywood exec had to say about Brokeback Mountain:
The day Jake Gyllenhaal was cast in "Brokeback," the chatter around the industry was not about what a wise choice he'd made. "It's the most stupid move he could make," said one top producer over lunch that afternoon. "It'll alienate his teen-girl fan base and could kill his career. What a waste."
Ah, Hollywood. Where you can get caught with a hooker, or get caught with a transvestite hooker, or even rape a kid, and still have a career. But take a role as a gay man? Don't actors know that's unclean?
The sad thing is, these fuckers are responding to something that does not technically exist. They think a Bush victory automatically means that the homosexuals must be driven out like the Moors from Spain. Has working with the fantastic warped their minds so much that they have no idea of what is real?
There's a reason I want to be a screenwriter other than the multitude of ideas I want to get down and the obscene amounts of money. I want to put gay people on the screen who are normal. I want gay men who are just as ordinary as straight men, just as butch as straight men, and who have actual, long term relationships with their lovers, just like most straight men. And there are a lot of men who probably want the same thing. Unfortunately, I don't think there are many of them in Hollywood.
The day Jake Gyllenhaal was cast in "Brokeback," the chatter around the industry was not about what a wise choice he'd made. "It's the most stupid move he could make," said one top producer over lunch that afternoon. "It'll alienate his teen-girl fan base and could kill his career. What a waste."
Ah, Hollywood. Where you can get caught with a hooker, or get caught with a transvestite hooker, or even rape a kid, and still have a career. But take a role as a gay man? Don't actors know that's unclean?
The sad thing is, these fuckers are responding to something that does not technically exist. They think a Bush victory automatically means that the homosexuals must be driven out like the Moors from Spain. Has working with the fantastic warped their minds so much that they have no idea of what is real?
There's a reason I want to be a screenwriter other than the multitude of ideas I want to get down and the obscene amounts of money. I want to put gay people on the screen who are normal. I want gay men who are just as ordinary as straight men, just as butch as straight men, and who have actual, long term relationships with their lovers, just like most straight men. And there are a lot of men who probably want the same thing. Unfortunately, I don't think there are many of them in Hollywood.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Do They Know It's Christmastime? Well, We'll Make 'Em Know!
In China, there are Christians who cannot meet and pray. Were they to do so, they would likely be arrested by the Chinese government for being dissidents. People have been arrested in China for as little as selling a Bible. Which is why I believe that, were any of those Chinese Christians to come over here and hear William Donohoe bitch about how Christians are being discriminated because of "Happy Holidays", they would rip his fool ass in two.
I love how people like Donohue can't wrap their head around the fact that there are other faiths with other holidays in this country. He's a Christian, and therefore, everyone else should be one. And he will not be deterred by simple things such as evidence that Christmas already has a place in this country to which every other religious winter holiday aspires. Here's his response to an e-mail from Wal-Mart that points out that their stores are closed on Christmas:
"It's nice to know that Wal-Mart is closed on a federal holiday," explains Donohue, who says he's asking the leaders of 126 religious organizations spanning seven religious communities to boycott the retail giant.
Yes, Donohue. Wal-Mart is closed on Christmas, which is a federal holiday. Unlike Eid al-Fitr, the Winter Solsitce, or any of the days of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. And he has the gall to say Christmas is threatened?
There are people in the developing world who won't have the money to celebrate the holiday of their choice. Maybe, if William Donohue was such a good Christian, he would focus on helping the poor with their respective holidays rather than forcing the well-off to celebrate Christmas.
I love how people like Donohue can't wrap their head around the fact that there are other faiths with other holidays in this country. He's a Christian, and therefore, everyone else should be one. And he will not be deterred by simple things such as evidence that Christmas already has a place in this country to which every other religious winter holiday aspires. Here's his response to an e-mail from Wal-Mart that points out that their stores are closed on Christmas:
"It's nice to know that Wal-Mart is closed on a federal holiday," explains Donohue, who says he's asking the leaders of 126 religious organizations spanning seven religious communities to boycott the retail giant.
Yes, Donohue. Wal-Mart is closed on Christmas, which is a federal holiday. Unlike Eid al-Fitr, the Winter Solsitce, or any of the days of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. And he has the gall to say Christmas is threatened?
There are people in the developing world who won't have the money to celebrate the holiday of their choice. Maybe, if William Donohue was such a good Christian, he would focus on helping the poor with their respective holidays rather than forcing the well-off to celebrate Christmas.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
"Why Can't We Just Use Mind Control?"
The religious right when a gay-friendly decision is made through the courts or the legislature: "Let the people vote!"
The religious right when a gay-friendly decision is upheld when the people actually vote: "The homos fooled 'em!"
No wonder they're in favor of Biblical law. Why deal with people with different viewpoints when you can deal with a book that won't fight back?
The religious right when a gay-friendly decision is upheld when the people actually vote: "The homos fooled 'em!"
No wonder they're in favor of Biblical law. Why deal with people with different viewpoints when you can deal with a book that won't fight back?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Could It Be... Magic?
Well, I guess I should have seen that Kansas would go for evolution. What I didn't see coming was such a profound act of idiocy that it makes my eyeballs ache from the rolling:
In addition, the board rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations of phenomena.
That's it! I mean, it's so easy! Why seek out cold, hard facts when you can bullshit? Fairies cause cancer! The bird flu is a self-replicating alien! Angels help guide raindrops down to Earth!
If anyone heard a massive wet plopping noise, that was everyone in any of the hard science industries in China creaming their pants in unison.
In addition, the board rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations of phenomena.
That's it! I mean, it's so easy! Why seek out cold, hard facts when you can bullshit? Fairies cause cancer! The bird flu is a self-replicating alien! Angels help guide raindrops down to Earth!
If anyone heard a massive wet plopping noise, that was everyone in any of the hard science industries in China creaming their pants in unison.
What Part of "Maine Won't Discriminate" Didn't You Understand?
Our neighbors to the north (no, not that far north, but pretty far close) were able to keep a bill protecting gay people from discrimination intact, despite the manipulations (by which I mean "flat-out lies") of anti-marriage forces.
Yay for the semi-frozen north!
Yay for the semi-frozen north!
The Virus... It's Spreading
I didn't know Fred Phelps had a Hoosier cousin who's just as vile as he is.
Looks like there's no limit of stupid in the world.
Looks like there's no limit of stupid in the world.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Bully Pulpit
So, let me see if I've got this all straight.
The RNC hires a consultant who claims that the US is "a Christian nation": no signal.
The RNC sends out a flier which claims that liberals will ban the Bible: no signal.
A "liberal" church has a sermon which describes how men of faith could vote for either men but that Jesus would not support the war in Iraq: OMG VIOLATION OF CHURCH AND STATE WTF?
Remember, it's only bad when the other side does it.
The RNC hires a consultant who claims that the US is "a Christian nation": no signal.
The RNC sends out a flier which claims that liberals will ban the Bible: no signal.
A "liberal" church has a sermon which describes how men of faith could vote for either men but that Jesus would not support the war in Iraq: OMG VIOLATION OF CHURCH AND STATE WTF?
Remember, it's only bad when the other side does it.
Choking On The Fumes
The National Association of Evangelicals has officially announced its support in the fight against global warming, citing Genesis 2:15 ("The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it") as evidence that God is green. But, of course, whenever the issue of making sure that penguins don't have tanlines comes up, James Inhofe, head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has to deny the obvious:
"You can always find in Scriptures a passage to misquote for almost anything," Mr. Inhofe said in an interview, dismissing the position of Mr. Cizik's association as "something very strange."
Oh, so Scripture can be misquoted to say nearly anything, Senator Inhofe? Then I'm glad you haven't used it to put forth a position on the Senate floor.
That is really what this is all about. We can dance around it and try to cater to certain groups, but I find something that has served me well for a number of years when something like this comes up, and that is to go back to the law, go back to the Scriptures. In Genesis 2:18, 21-24, God said:
It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him ..... and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He broughther to the man. And Adam said, ``This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.'' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus said.
Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh .....
Oh. Oops. Still, I guess when you say it, it has to mean what you want it to mean, right, James?
Mr. Inhofe said the vast majority of the nation's evangelical groups would oppose global warming legislation as inconsistent with a conservative agenda that also includes opposition to abortion rights and gay rights. He said the National Evangelical Association had been "led down a liberal path" by environmentalists and others who have convinced the group that issues like poverty and the environment are worth their efforts.
Emphasis mine. Yes, because we all know Jesus said, "Fuck the paupers," and spent every minute of his waking life shouting down choice and homosexuals. I'm glad to know that James Inhofe has held on to this proud tradition of self-serving fuckitude.
James Inhofe: yet another toddler in the Parliament of Whoresons.
"You can always find in Scriptures a passage to misquote for almost anything," Mr. Inhofe said in an interview, dismissing the position of Mr. Cizik's association as "something very strange."
Oh, so Scripture can be misquoted to say nearly anything, Senator Inhofe? Then I'm glad you haven't used it to put forth a position on the Senate floor.
That is really what this is all about. We can dance around it and try to cater to certain groups, but I find something that has served me well for a number of years when something like this comes up, and that is to go back to the law, go back to the Scriptures. In Genesis 2:18, 21-24, God said:
It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him ..... and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He broughther to the man. And Adam said, ``This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.'' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus said.
Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female, and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh .....
Oh. Oops. Still, I guess when you say it, it has to mean what you want it to mean, right, James?
Mr. Inhofe said the vast majority of the nation's evangelical groups would oppose global warming legislation as inconsistent with a conservative agenda that also includes opposition to abortion rights and gay rights. He said the National Evangelical Association had been "led down a liberal path" by environmentalists and others who have convinced the group that issues like poverty and the environment are worth their efforts.
Emphasis mine. Yes, because we all know Jesus said, "Fuck the paupers," and spent every minute of his waking life shouting down choice and homosexuals. I'm glad to know that James Inhofe has held on to this proud tradition of self-serving fuckitude.
James Inhofe: yet another toddler in the Parliament of Whoresons.
And Laws Were Made To Get Bent
Bush, in so many words: "It's not torture if we don't say it is."
"Our country is at war and our government has the obligation to protect the American people," Bush said. "Any activity we conduct is within the law. We do not torture."
See, now, this can be taken two ways. One is, "Whenever we take an action, we make sure it follows the law." The other is, "No matter what we do, it's okay." And, given Abu Ghraib, the detainment without trial at Guantanamo, the secret CIA prisons in countries that conveniently allow torture, and Cheney's calculated movements against McCain's anti-torture bill, I think it's pretty certain which one the Bush administration really means.
Remember, if the President does it, it isn't a crime.
"Our country is at war and our government has the obligation to protect the American people," Bush said. "Any activity we conduct is within the law. We do not torture."
See, now, this can be taken two ways. One is, "Whenever we take an action, we make sure it follows the law." The other is, "No matter what we do, it's okay." And, given Abu Ghraib, the detainment without trial at Guantanamo, the secret CIA prisons in countries that conveniently allow torture, and Cheney's calculated movements against McCain's anti-torture bill, I think it's pretty certain which one the Bush administration really means.
Remember, if the President does it, it isn't a crime.
Tom Coburn: Psychonaut in Training
Okay. First it was Bill Frist and his precognition, and now Tom Coburn is apparently an empath. Why does the X-gene show up among so many Republican senators?
Sunday, November 06, 2005
That Is Why You Fail
Joe Biden: "I am a spineless pussy who doesn't care if sales of coathangers skyrocket after Alito is made a judge." Okay, a lot of that was subtext. Still. Alito wasn't one of the "free pass three", and there's a shitload of evidence that he may do foul, foul things to Roe v. Wade. So why the fuck is Biden bending over?
Hopefully, the rest of the Democrats have more sense.
Hopefully, the rest of the Democrats have more sense.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Basic Photo Op Etiquette
How to properly stage a photo op at a famous black university (a.k.a., the Clinton way): give a brief speech emphasizing your relationship to the students, then join them for a nice plate of soul food at lunch.
How not to properly stage a photo op at a famous black university (a.k.a., the Bush way): cut off the students from the cafeteria, then tell them that they'll have to pick up a takeaway plate of chicken at the back of the cafeteria (which isn't evocative of a Langston Hughes poem at all) when the president leaves, which leads to a student-protest.
How to further fuck any chance of winning the support of these kids in the ass: Have your Secret Service representative go over to the head of the peaceful protest and tell him that there are snipers on all the roofs, prepared to fire.
Wow. I didn't think Bush could go lower than 2% when it came to support from African-Americans. He must be aiming for that coveted negative percentile.
How not to properly stage a photo op at a famous black university (a.k.a., the Bush way): cut off the students from the cafeteria, then tell them that they'll have to pick up a takeaway plate of chicken at the back of the cafeteria (which isn't evocative of a Langston Hughes poem at all) when the president leaves, which leads to a student-protest.
How to further fuck any chance of winning the support of these kids in the ass: Have your Secret Service representative go over to the head of the peaceful protest and tell him that there are snipers on all the roofs, prepared to fire.
Wow. I didn't think Bush could go lower than 2% when it came to support from African-Americans. He must be aiming for that coveted negative percentile.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Hey! The Center of My Nervous System Is Up Here, Mister!
It's official. Abercrombie and Fitch doesn't just caters to fratboys; it's run by them. And when I say "fratboys", I don't mean your average brother. I mean the dregs of frathood, the ones whose sole aim week in and week out is to get fucking wasted. The ones who fail in class because they stare out the window and dream up new ways to abuse the pledges. The ones who will graduate class solely by the grace of Daddy's checkbook, and then go on to join the ranks of America's workforce, the stench of nepotism and beer bongs just coiling right off them. And, most importantly of all, the ones who crack beer-sotted jokes at 2 AM to their fellow smashed buddies... and don't get why the joke was only funny when drunk, if at all.
Exhibit A? A line of T-shirts for girls with saying like "Who Needs Brains When You've Got These?" Exhibits The Rest of the Fucking Alphabet? The infamous "Asian" T-shirts, the porntastic catalogues, the "gymnast" T-shirts, the T-shirt that said "Don't Ask Me, I'm Not Drunk Yet" (because hints of date rape are sexy!), and the thongs for ten-year-olds.
There's an interesting discussion about the utter lack of confidence that leads girls to buy these T-shirts. Of course, I'm probably utterly unqualified to comment on (that's what Shakes is for). I'd just like to say that I wish the heads of A&F would get out of their Animal House revelries and realize that, really, they're not that funny.
Exhibit A? A line of T-shirts for girls with saying like "Who Needs Brains When You've Got These?" Exhibits The Rest of the Fucking Alphabet? The infamous "Asian" T-shirts, the porntastic catalogues, the "gymnast" T-shirts, the T-shirt that said "Don't Ask Me, I'm Not Drunk Yet" (because hints of date rape are sexy!), and the thongs for ten-year-olds.
There's an interesting discussion about the utter lack of confidence that leads girls to buy these T-shirts. Of course, I'm probably utterly unqualified to comment on (that's what Shakes is for). I'd just like to say that I wish the heads of A&F would get out of their Animal House revelries and realize that, really, they're not that funny.
E-Mails From the Edge
CNN has posted correspondences between Michael Brown and his underlings, and they contain everything a leader in a time of crisis should never say.
He asks if there's anything he can "do or tweak" when told the situation is beyond "critical." He asks many times whether he can "quit now." I'm sorry, but when you're charged with controlling an effort to save people after disaster has struck, you don't just ask if you can take off early.
Perhaps the most sickly hilarious part of the correspondences is when one of Brown's underlings talks about telling a reporter about the positive qualities of Brown's time at the Arabian Horse Association, and without the "slanted" view being put on the fact that Brown had no prior experience with emergency management that CNN was using. It's all about fairness, y'know.
This man was no leader. He was merely an extremely lucky friend of a friend, who was truly unprepared for the very basics of what his job entailed. "Can [he] quit now?" If anything, he should have quit long ago.
He asks if there's anything he can "do or tweak" when told the situation is beyond "critical." He asks many times whether he can "quit now." I'm sorry, but when you're charged with controlling an effort to save people after disaster has struck, you don't just ask if you can take off early.
Perhaps the most sickly hilarious part of the correspondences is when one of Brown's underlings talks about telling a reporter about the positive qualities of Brown's time at the Arabian Horse Association, and without the "slanted" view being put on the fact that Brown had no prior experience with emergency management that CNN was using. It's all about fairness, y'know.
This man was no leader. He was merely an extremely lucky friend of a friend, who was truly unprepared for the very basics of what his job entailed. "Can [he] quit now?" If anything, he should have quit long ago.
But Lots Of People Experiment In College!
It looks like Sam Alito was a big gay rights fan in college. The question is, will this news result in a John Roberts ("Eh, what can you do?") or a Harriet Miers ("BURN HER!") among the far right?
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Oh, Deer
So Lewis "Scooter" Libby, he of the five indictments, published a novel in 1996 called The Apprentice, which makes Lynne Cheney's Sisters look like Goodnight Moon when it comes to graphic content. Excerpt:
He asked if they should fuck the deer.
Apparently, they did. (I'm guessing Neal Horsley has a well-used first edition.)
What is wrong with people like Libby? Have they repressed their sexual tendencies for so long that they've become mutated? Or were they like that to begin?
He asked if they should fuck the deer.
Apparently, they did. (I'm guessing Neal Horsley has a well-used first edition.)
What is wrong with people like Libby? Have they repressed their sexual tendencies for so long that they've become mutated? Or were they like that to begin?
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Hot. Shit.
Can This Show Be Saved?
"Or, as I like to call it," to paraphrase Susan Douglas, "'Will This Writer Eat Shit?'" (SPOILERS for an upcoming Law and Order: Special Victims Unit episode lie ahead. Turn back if you think this show still has hope.)
As I've said a few times on this blog, I hope to be a screenwriter when I grow up. I've already been working in that direction, putting together a few spec scripts for TV shows. I'm lining up a spec for Supernatural, I've got a half-finished Cold Case spec currently chilling on my JumpDrive, and I've even got a finished one for Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
Now, I know L&O:SVU has had a drop in quality over the past few seasons that could be described as... precipitous. The loss of Stephanie March as ADA Alex Cabot, and her replacement by Casey "Lurchy McBadclothes" Novak. The Incredible Shrinking John Munch. A season-long arc involving Stabler's rage issues, which turned out to be rooted in a crushed diorama. Still, I thought my script might help things. It dealt with an important world issue that doesn't get much face time (the abuse of Untouchables in India), but in a manner that was neither exploitative or tacked on. It had minimal Casey, and a lot of interaction between the detectives. Best of all, it actually gave Munch screen time; hell, he was the focus of the episode.
Then I read the following spoiler. And now I know my time was probably better spent trying to put out the fires of Hell by spitting on them:
Description of the November 29th episode:
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- (10-11 p.m.)
"Storm"
DETECTIVES PURSUE CHILD MOLESTER WHO KIDNAPPED ORPHANS FROM HURRICANE KATRINA -- AND DISCOVER MORE DANGEROUS THREAT -- Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) aggressively pursue a child molester who kidnapped three young sisters from New Orleans after their parents were killed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- but their efforts to secretly locate the third child are compromised by an ambitious reporter. However, a far greater problem looms as the New York cops butt heads with federal authorities after the suspect is discovered to have deadly anthrax that could result in a full-blown epidemic. Dann Florek, Ice-T, Richard Belzer, Diane Neal, B.D. Wong and Tamara Tunie also star.
Yup; a Katrina episode. Not four months after New Orleans got utterly devastated, and Dick Wolf decides the human diaspora would be a great subject for an episode of his show (and with an anthrax attack? Fucking awesome!). I know Dick Wolf has a tendency to fall upon real life tragedies like a vulture upon carrion, but when 9/11 happened, at least he waited nine months until touching it. This is just crass and manipulative.
There's a part of me that wants to hold out, to see if this show still has any vestige of its former self left. Then again, there's a stronger part of me that wants to print out my script, burn it, then delete the file.
Ah, well. As long as Cold Case doesn't do something with the bird flu this year, I think I still have a show I can work on while feeling clean.
As I've said a few times on this blog, I hope to be a screenwriter when I grow up. I've already been working in that direction, putting together a few spec scripts for TV shows. I'm lining up a spec for Supernatural, I've got a half-finished Cold Case spec currently chilling on my JumpDrive, and I've even got a finished one for Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
Now, I know L&O:SVU has had a drop in quality over the past few seasons that could be described as... precipitous. The loss of Stephanie March as ADA Alex Cabot, and her replacement by Casey "Lurchy McBadclothes" Novak. The Incredible Shrinking John Munch. A season-long arc involving Stabler's rage issues, which turned out to be rooted in a crushed diorama. Still, I thought my script might help things. It dealt with an important world issue that doesn't get much face time (the abuse of Untouchables in India), but in a manner that was neither exploitative or tacked on. It had minimal Casey, and a lot of interaction between the detectives. Best of all, it actually gave Munch screen time; hell, he was the focus of the episode.
Then I read the following spoiler. And now I know my time was probably better spent trying to put out the fires of Hell by spitting on them:
Description of the November 29th episode:
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- (10-11 p.m.)
"Storm"
DETECTIVES PURSUE CHILD MOLESTER WHO KIDNAPPED ORPHANS FROM HURRICANE KATRINA -- AND DISCOVER MORE DANGEROUS THREAT -- Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Chris Meloni) aggressively pursue a child molester who kidnapped three young sisters from New Orleans after their parents were killed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- but their efforts to secretly locate the third child are compromised by an ambitious reporter. However, a far greater problem looms as the New York cops butt heads with federal authorities after the suspect is discovered to have deadly anthrax that could result in a full-blown epidemic. Dann Florek, Ice-T, Richard Belzer, Diane Neal, B.D. Wong and Tamara Tunie also star.
Yup; a Katrina episode. Not four months after New Orleans got utterly devastated, and Dick Wolf decides the human diaspora would be a great subject for an episode of his show (and with an anthrax attack? Fucking awesome!). I know Dick Wolf has a tendency to fall upon real life tragedies like a vulture upon carrion, but when 9/11 happened, at least he waited nine months until touching it. This is just crass and manipulative.
There's a part of me that wants to hold out, to see if this show still has any vestige of its former self left. Then again, there's a stronger part of me that wants to print out my script, burn it, then delete the file.
Ah, well. As long as Cold Case doesn't do something with the bird flu this year, I think I still have a show I can work on while feeling clean.
A Parliament of Whoresons
Last night, I was at home for the first time in a long time. So, the Cognito Clan took part in a time-honored (read: one year old) tradition: eating dinner on trays while watching The Daily Show. Among the subjects covered were Tom Coburn's first bit of sanity in a long time: shifting money away from pork to pay for the reconstruction of New Orleans. Ted "Money Changes Everything" Stevens, on the other hand, had something to say about taking money away from Don Young's Way: "NO!"
Seriously; go onto The Daily Show website, go under "Headlines", and look up "Relief Ditcher." If your video works (unlike mine), you'll see Ted Stevens respond to the suggestion that he think about the devastation of the Gulf Coast like a toddler who's told to eat his string beans. This is one of the men who we've elected to represent us, and he acts like a fucking two-year-old.
When you think about it, actually, Stevens isn't the only infant in politics. I mean, where else will you find a greater example of playground logic than the GOP?
"Ha! I tagged you, you're it!" "No, you didn't! I was safe!"
"Honey, don't you want to save your money, like grownups do?" "But Mom, I really, really want this toy! Pleeease?"
"Hey, poopyhead!"
The current GOP is filled with men who are not just criminals and slanderers, but spoiled brats. They are playground bullies given control of the school. They redefine reality as they see fit, and ignore all consequences of their actions.
I'm not one for corporal punishment, but maybe this party does need a good spanking. After that, maybe l'il Teddy Stevens will give up his favorite toy for the other kids to play with.
Seriously; go onto The Daily Show website, go under "Headlines", and look up "Relief Ditcher." If your video works (unlike mine), you'll see Ted Stevens respond to the suggestion that he think about the devastation of the Gulf Coast like a toddler who's told to eat his string beans. This is one of the men who we've elected to represent us, and he acts like a fucking two-year-old.
When you think about it, actually, Stevens isn't the only infant in politics. I mean, where else will you find a greater example of playground logic than the GOP?
"Ha! I tagged you, you're it!" "No, you didn't! I was safe!"
"Honey, don't you want to save your money, like grownups do?" "But Mom, I really, really want this toy! Pleeease?"
"Hey, poopyhead!"
The current GOP is filled with men who are not just criminals and slanderers, but spoiled brats. They are playground bullies given control of the school. They redefine reality as they see fit, and ignore all consequences of their actions.
I'm not one for corporal punishment, but maybe this party does need a good spanking. After that, maybe l'il Teddy Stevens will give up his favorite toy for the other kids to play with.
We Can't Cure Lung Cancer Because It Would Look Like We Condone Smoking
You know, as far as I see it, there's no debate in the HPV vaccine matter: there's people who want to prevent thousands of tumors that may cost women their ovaries or even their lives yearly, and then there's the delusional fuckcases who think that curing an STD will give their movement less cred. Guess which side the American public's going to take?
Hey, I wonder what they'll say when we find a cure for AIDS?
Hey, I wonder what they'll say when we find a cure for AIDS?
Well, I've Never Had Someone Hand Me a Detailed List Of The Various Ways They're Going to Fuck Me Over Before
A brief laundry list of Alito's choices.
So, let's review, shall we? He supported the strip search of a ten-year-old girl, something clearly not specified in the warrant. He was okay with discrimination against people with AIDS, even if it was because the boss was uncomfortable around an infected person. And any case concerning institutional discrimination wouldn't have a chance in front of him, even if the defendant called the plaintiff a "crippled n****r k*ke" in the middle of the courtroom.
If the Democrats don't filibuster this man, then they can kiss their asses goodbye. Let's get this fucker out.
So, let's review, shall we? He supported the strip search of a ten-year-old girl, something clearly not specified in the warrant. He was okay with discrimination against people with AIDS, even if it was because the boss was uncomfortable around an infected person. And any case concerning institutional discrimination wouldn't have a chance in front of him, even if the defendant called the plaintiff a "crippled n****r k*ke" in the middle of the courtroom.
If the Democrats don't filibuster this man, then they can kiss their asses goodbye. Let's get this fucker out.
