Barack Obama is cool

Alright, quick update. Some other time I will do a more comprehensive update, touching on some of the more important news of the past week, but now I'm in the middle of a project that requires more than my usual amount of concentration. As a result, updates will be less frequent.

Anyway, check out this site: Barack Obama is your new bicycle. Share it with all your friends! Have fun!

Things I have learned today

Alright, where do I start?

1) Bill O'Reilly is a bloviating blow-hard. Well, I kind of knew that already, but that thing he said about not really wanting to "go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama" proves it. It's like evidence-based practice: there's stuff you do because it's traditional or you've heard anecdotally works, like using ginger ale to unclog a G-tube, and then there's the stuff you do, like turning a dependent bedbound patient every two hours to prevent bedsores, that is done because there is published research on the benefits. Well, now we have some new evidence, straight from his own mouth, that he is, without a doubt, a bloviating blow-hard. If you want more evidence, look over here.

2) The best time to attack America is when the weather is really bad. See, the Navy decided not to launch that missile against that failing spy satellite after all, because the weather outside sucks so bad. If you were one of those who were thinking the satellite shoot-down was supposed to be some kind of test run for a missile defense system, I bet your confidence in the integrity of said system is down in the U-bend of your toilet bowl right now.

3)Natural food is better for you than processed foods. Well, okay, I knew that already, but the point still needs to be made; diets that have worked for thousands of years, that have kept humans healthy and functioning, should not be replaced with junk food. Food is something that should be regarded as whole units, not broken down into discrete nutrients. You know the controversy surrounding higher doses Vitamin E and correlations with slightly higher death rates? Well, it's like that: sometimes healthy food is just healthy because it is what it is. It is not due to one nutrient or another, but is most likely to be a complex of nutrients working in synergy that determines health benefits.

4) Elaine Chao is a really bad Secretary of Labor. Conditions for poultry plant workers is just the latest of worker-related problems under her tenure. The way things are going now, I think President Obama (or Clinton) might need to appoint someone of the order of, say, Ralph Nader or Joan Claybrook (president of Public Citizen) as Secretary Chao's successor in order to balance this out.

5) The troop "Surge" in Iraq might not work quite as well without Muqtada al Sadr's cooperation. (That's assuming the Surge was even working in the first place.) Looks like the Bush Administration and the Pentagon can't take full credit for reducing violence in the areas where extra troops deployed, after all. Just goes to show, unilateral actions just don't work as well as a true bilateral peace agreement or ceasefire would - if nothing else, this fact makes a strong argument for a political solution to the mess in Iraq rather than a purely military one.

6)Lastly, the Spiderwick Chronicles is a good movie. Exciting as all hell, and it doesn't talk down to the children, who are supposed to be the core audience for the movie. I haven't gotten around to reading the books yet, so I can't say how well the movie compares, but I like the story. The special effects and Nick Nolte aren't bad either. Spill.com review here.

Until next time, be well, all of you.

Homeland security? Pfft, don't make me laugh.

So, get this, U.S. Homeland Security is building a big-ass wall a little bit north of the U.S.-Mexico border in order to keep out undesirables, right? Makes sense - it worked for Imperial China way back in the day, right? So, uh, why the hell are there going to be gaps? Isn't the idea of sacrifice for security in a democratic society that everyone contributes, rich and poor, average schmoe and politcally connected? Why do Eloisa Tamez and Daniel Garza get punked by the bureaucracy while the River Bend Resort and the Hunt's get away unscathed? Inquiring minds would like to know.

Oh yeah, another reason Homeland Security is a fucking joke. Why now? Why not right after the second plane hit the World Trade Center and continuing on through today? And, yes, I'm aware that Amtrak and Homeland Security are administered through different government agencies, but the point is that both are part of the government. They should coordinate security better.

And now for something completely different. Castro resigns as el Presidente de Cuba. He's outlasted eight U.S. presidents and almost outlasted el Arbusto. Go figure, Bush's one true positive accomplishment might just end up being President while Castro retires from office.

Check out Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR later. A religious scholar (Update: Bart D. Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus) who is a former Christian like me, talks about his new book (Update 2: called God's Problem) about the nature of suffering, how it is explained in the Bible, and why those explanations are unconvincing bullshit. Should be a good listen.

Keep an open mind

Just forget what you think you know for a moment, and keep an open mind while you read this article. Seriously, just forget your biases, forget the idea that "everyone knows" men are more aggressive and physically stronger than women, and are always the abusers. Now, read the article, think about it for a while, and then post. Read first, think for a while, post much later (if you so desire). Shooting from the hip just will not work here, okay?

In other news, it appears the Taliban is coming back strong, and we might be losing the war in Afghanistan. Of course, some people might argue that we've been losing the war in that theater of operations since we let ourselves distracted by the invasion of Iraq, but the news of mass casualties of this scale from suicide bombings in Afghanistan, the forgotten war, is frankly disturbing.

On a lighter note, if you haven't seen Persepolis yet, you should go out and see it. It's based on a series of graphic novels by an Iranian-born Frenchwoman named Marjane Satrapi. No Spill.com rating yet, but I'll say it's definitely full price. It helps if you understand French; although there are subtitles, you really miss some of the subtleties that having a decent command of the language affords one. For instance, you can tell which adults are being condescending to Marji by both the tone of voice and the fact that they use the "tu" form instead of the "vous" form to address her. Except for the parents, who know her best, the only people who should be using the "tu" form are really, really close friends. Even her grandmother uses the "vous" form, although she does it out of respect, and because she likes to talk to Marji as an equal. Just thought you should know.

It also helps if you understand Iranian history as well. Not the propaganda that "everyone" here in the U.S. supposedly knows, but the deeper history, the stuff that explains the deeper causes of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Stuff that's actually closer to the truth. Anyway, you really should see this movie; even if your knowledge of French and Iranian history is somewhat lacking, you will still see a heartfelt, heartbreaking, uplifting story of a young girl who grows up to be a young woman during a time of upheaval in a part of the Middle East most Westerners don't know as much about as they should.

Random Stuff

Quote of the day: "You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge." --Ice Cube, speaking as one of the NWA cru at the beginning of Straight Outta Compton.



Really funny: check out the Jumper review from Spill.com. Best part: "Jumper 2: Toilet paper hangin' out your ass." LOL. Weirdest bit: Co-host 3000 and .... boobs! Uh, you have to see it to get it, I guess.

Fucking awesome: George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead. You like horror movies with intelligent subtext? You have to see this in the movie theatre. To borrow the Spill.com review system, I give this movie Full Price. If you are a fan of George Romero's Dead movies, then this movie is definitely Better Than Sex. Unfortunately, there is no Spill.com rating yet, but check out Rotten Tomatoes, where you can see that many critics don't know dick about what makes a good horror movie.

I extend a warm welcome to the newest nation in the world

...Kosovo! Congratulations on your newfound independence, and good luck holding on to it. Here's to hoping you become a republic which respects the rule of law, the rights of your people, and the ideals of western-style democracy. Most importantly, I hope you recognize the need to share power between your president (or whatever you will call your head of state) and representatives elected by the people for the people. True democracy is such a fragile and rare thing in the world, and it is so easy for one man to rise up and take all the power for himself: just look at what happened in China and what is still going on in Russia.

Anyway, best of luck to you, Kosovars! May you live long and prosper, as a free people!

The New Cold War?

So, here's an interesting bit of international news, this time concerning Bolivia, and possibly by extension, Latin America. Article courtesy of ABC News. Kind of a strange concept, asking Fulbright Scholars and Peace Corps volunteers to spy on citizens, some of them from a country where democratic elections are held regularly, as if they were communists from the Soviet Union or China. Since when was Venezuela, or Cuba for that matter, an existential threat to the (so far) lone superpower in the world (at least, until China and possibly India come into their own)?

Kudos to those mentioned in the article, especially John Alexander van Schaick, for not doing what they were asked to do, and respecting the rights of other non-Americans to exist relatively free from U.S. surveillance and interference. Of course, the U.S. Government does have other methods at its disposal to gather intelligence. Check out Noam Chomsky's website for more information.

Anyway, same shit, different day. Such is the great game of espionage, some people might say; after all foreign nationals spy on us all the time, right? Still doesn't make it right, though.

A Public Health Crisis in Baghdad

Courtesy of Juan Cole's blog: 4 Killed 17 Wounded in Tal Afar Mosque Bombing; Crisis of Water, Sewage in Baghdad.

I'd like to draw your attention to the AFP report that Baghdad's water treatment system is in such dire straits that there is a shortage of clean drinking water while they are literally "drowning in sewage" according to an Iraqi official. Not surprisingly, there is an accompanying cholera "crisis" (it's not really an epidemic yet) to go with the lack of clean drinking water. Apparently, the situation is being exacerbated by the U.S. military blockage on trucks, from Jordan, carrying chlorine for water purification purposes.

Although I understand the desire to avoid a suicide bombing that would result in the deaths of hundreds or thousands from direct contact with chlorine, I wish there could have been an accompanying effort to supply an alternative so that there isn't this public health crisis. If nothing else, U.S. forces could allow transport of clean drinking water in from some source outside of the city!

What really gets me is the claim that there is a lake of raw sewage so big, that you can see it on Google Earth! I saw several black spots last time I looked; I suspect the one the official is talking about is located at: 33 degrees, 24'N and 44 degrees, 20' E, although I am not absolutely certain.

Wait, what?!? What is going on here?

So, uh, it looks like President Bush authorized a missile strike on a spy satellite that is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere very soon. Um, the thing may be the size of a school bus, but there is a good chance all of it, including the fuel tank which is the cause of concern behind the President's authorization of use of force, would burn up in the atmosphere. So, WTF is up with the missile strike? Is this a pretext for the Navy to test out the missile defense system? Is there some kind of alien virus* attached to the satellite that could do really funky things to people, if it survived intact? Did the spy satellite pick up some kind of information that would be really bad for national security if it fell in the wrong hands? What is it with people and blowing shit up in space with missiles? Inquiring minds would like to know.

UPDATE: There may be a good explanation that answers most of the questions posted above. See this article, courtesy of Alternet and TomDispatch.com.

*you're welcome

Shout out to Juan Cole

I will be the first person to tell you that it is important to keep up with international news as well as keeping informed of events here at home. It is bad enough that certain people can't even find the U.S. on a freaking map:

Which says a lot about how they think about their place in the wider world. Kind of a sad statement on some Americans; they care so little about the larger world that they can't even figure out where they fit in, map or no map.

Now, the natural question to ask here is: Well, if you're so damned smart, why don't you post more stuff on international affairs? And the answer is, a) because there's a lot going on here, in the U.S. that is worthy of discussion, b) I only have so many *minutes* in the day to devote to blogging, and c) because there are people who are much better at discussing foreign affairs than I'll ever hope to be.

Thus, I present to you Juan Cole, president of the Global Americana Institute and professor of Middle East and South Asian studies at the University of Michigan. He blogs extensively about Iraq and Afghanistan particularly, and is the main source of much of my information about Middle East current affairs (it also helps that he is an expert on the Arab language too). If you want to know more about what's going down in the Middle East, and if you care about our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan - and if you care about avoiding war with Iran - you should visit his blog regularly (preferably daily).

FEMA's ass be draggin', where the poor be concerned at least

This just in, federal officials have now determined that trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for use as temporary housing for families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, have been emitting high levels of formaldehyde indoors. This is making people really sick, and making them so sick of the bullshit and just being in poor health, that they've lodged complaints with at least seven different law firms that are now suing the federal government for damages. The really sick part about all of this? FEMA was getting complaints about high levels of formaldehyde close to two YEARS ago! Goddamn, if that doesn't show how little the fucking government cares about poor people in New Orleans and the Gulf States - who more than likely don't have any other choice to living in the fucking death traps than sleeping rough, like that dude to the left - then I don't know what else would illustrate the point more forcefully.

Well, except for the farce that is Bushenomics (which is the younger, more retarded brother of Reaganomics), and what happens to many veterans of the Iraq War and the conflict in Afghanistan when they come back to the U.S. What's worse is many of them have to contend with the difficulty of adapting (or maladapting) to their wartime experiences (PTSD).

Not to mention first responders to the impact sites on 9/11; five years later, and Charlie Giles of Barnegat Township, NJ was reduced to fundraising in order to afford to keep his house from foreclosure just a little while longer. The guy's a fucking hero, for fuck's sake! Put himself into harm's way because it was his job to do so in those circumstances, and he's getting pissed on worse than that homeless dude in the photo. (And, hey, if you want to see more outrageous stuff, you should see SiCKO; Charlie Giles isn't the only one who got fucked up the ass by governmental institutions that were supposed to help.)

Anyway, that's enough from me. The point is, while the middle class might feel like it is being systematically destroyed by forces that seem almost completely out of our control, the poor are getting it even worse, and the rich benefit from all of this misery. And you can thank the present Administration in the White House for this. Unfortunately, it looks like their unique legacy will be the gift that keeps on giving. Here's to hoping Obama or Clinton are strong enough to counter this, and get our once great country on the right path again. Thanks for sitting still while I get my rage-on. Peace out.

Edit: Just resized that trailer picture, in the hopes that it's large size will not choke the RSS feed (2/16/08).
Edit #2: Had to remove that large trailer picture; it was slowing down the loading of the blog's front page and seriously slowing up the RSS feed.

Waiting for Mr. Right?

Okay, I kind of hinted earlier (in my O.B.A.M.A. post) that I'd be posting some kind of profane, anti-Valentine's Day post today. I was, actually, planning on posting something I was going to call F**k the V-D (set to the beat of NWA's F**k da Police), but then I heard Lori Gottlieb on NPR yesterday, and figured posting this article would be more fun instead. (Besides, I'll be the first to admit that beat- and poetry-wise, I'm more wack than the wackest of MCs.) Anyway, just thought I'd let people know, I'm not going to settle for just anyone either, until a certain someone starts acknowledging that there are plenty more guys out there than the really handsome, rich ones who make your loins all soft and squishy. Sometimes, all you have to do is look down a little bit, or try looking to the side. Just a little. Just saying. Sometimes, it helps to ask a guy out too; gender equality works both ways, you know.

If you have to buy flowers this Valentine's Day, buy organic!

Ah, here's something new that I honestly didn't know about (thanks to Meteor Blades at Dailykos for bringing this article to my attenstion): sometimes flowers one buys for special holidays and occasions, like Valentine's Day or Mother's Day, may come from a megafarm in Columbia or Ecuador where workers, who harvest them, come into constant contact with pesticides. Shame to think that the same kind of environmentally unsafe conditions that affect banana harvesters and cocoa bean harvesters could be affecting flower harvesters, but when one thinks about it, it does make sense logically. Perhaps it is time to start demanding organic when it comes to buying flowers, just as people do when buying other forms of produce.

Clinton's Ace in the Hole

Here's an interesting read: "Hillary Clinton's Superdelegate 'Firewall'" courtesy of Sean Gonsalves at Alternet. In short, don't think that just because Barack Obama is ahead in the primaries that he will necessarily win the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States. Hillary Clinton might get the nomination, partly through the efforts of superdelegates voting for her at the party convention at the end of August this year, and the irony here is how essentially undemocratic the idea really is. Normal delegates are supposed to be locked into their votes - there isn't really anything stopping them from being able to vote for whoever they want to, but the whole point of primary elections is to get a certain number of pledged votes at the convention (through the delegates) for the presidential contender. It is very bad form for normal delegates to vote for anyone other than who they are pledged to, which is why most delegates don't do that. Superdelegates, on the other hand, are officially unpledged; that is, they can vote any damn way they please. Essentially, this is a political machine; this encourages candidates to kiss the asses of those prominent Democrats whose support they need, and ensures that nobody gets nominated that the elite party leadership does not approve of (as happened with Jimmy Carter in 1976). This is where Clinton has the advantage; many superdelegates are politicians (including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, and former President Jimmy Carter) with some of whom she has established relationships. So, Hillary Clinton has a major advantage because of her political experience at the federal level. Obama unfortunately does not have this advantage, being a first term senator who has been involved in politics at the federal level for many less years than Clinton has.

I'm not saying that I buy into the idea of a Clinton nomination as inevitable, which I'm sure the mainstream media is going to start hyping up again, once the superdelegate issue really starts to take off in the nightly televised newscasts. Still, Obama is going to have to win really big in the upcoming primaries to have a true advantage at the convention. Those of you supporting Obama are going to have to step it up to counter the Clinton advantage with the superdelegates.

Bill Moyers is better than sex (not that I would know anything about that!)

And, here's why:
"It's an old story: the greater the secrecy, the deeper the corruption." That quote is from a speech Bill Moyers (original host of PBS's Now and current host of the Bill Moyers Journal) gave to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Out of all the wonderful things he has said and written over his long and illustrious career, I hope that this quote will be the one people will remember him most by. It so perfectly sums up what this man opposes just by being Bill Moyers; there will always be forces that seek to profit at the expense of the many (like the current Administration) and they will employ as many means at their disposal to ensure that those victimized by corruption never hear about it until it is too late. It will always come down to people like Mr. Moyers, Michael Moore, Ralph Nader, Jane Hamsher, Amy Goodman, and other like-minded people to ensure they don't get away with it.

While I'm at it, here's the other quote of the day:
"Real news is the news you and I need to keep our freedoms." --Richard Reeves, responding to a student who asked him to define real news. He's cool like Bill Moyers, only people don't know as much about him. When you get a chance, you really should read his books about John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan.

Okay, while on the subject of great journalists, I now present links to a two part PBS special on Peter Zuckerman's reporting on pedophilia in the local Boy Scout troop, and how it got him in trouble with some of the locals. Part one is here and part two is over here. Just because it's the right thing to do, doesn't mean everyone else appreciates you airing their dirty laundry. Again, "the greater the secrecy, the greater the corruption." Truer words in this context you would be hard pressed to find.

Edit: Oh yeah, in case you're wondering what the title is supposed to be referencing, you must be one of those people who checks out Rotten Tomatoes for movie reviews, and has no idea what Spill.com is. Check it out, it's good for a laugh (Warning: May not be safe for work!)

You want to see something really messed up?

Edit: I changed the official name of FLDS to the correct name. Also added FLDS as a post label.

Check out Child Brides: Stolen Lives, courtesy of the fine folks at PBS Now*. Unless, you're some kind of pedophile or like to jack-off to kiddie porn; in that case, you're messed up and you need to seek therapy. Everyone else, please watch. It's totally worth your time. Stuff like this happens all the time, all over the world, and it just messes with these kids' lives, being traded like cattle. You might have heard about the kind of crazy stuff going on in the Warren Jeffs cult (officially known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [FLDS]), but how many of you knew that these kinds of practices are practically mainstream in certain parts of Guatemala and India? If, after seeing this program, you feel the need to do something, check out the links on this page. Also, check out this link.

And now for something completely different, but still messed up. It's kind of old news, but still worthy, I think, of some exposure. A guy in England gets jail time for urinating on a woman who was dying in front of him. The messed up part isn't the guy getting the jail time; it's the fact that he did the deed, covered her in shaving foam, and videotaped it for Youtube.

Until next time. Be well, all of you. If you offend easily, you might want to stay away from here around Valentines' Day (heh, heh).


(David Brancacchio, Maria Hinohosa, and their production crew. They all rock. Support your local PBS station to keep the good stuff coming!).

Okay, now the real me will step it up

Okay, this one's a real post. Didn't like the last one? Just bear with me for a moment; I'll take it down eventually. Anyway, just needed to vent, and I'm getting real sick of being known as a really nice guy. (Here's a hint: nice guys don't get laid.) Anywho, here's a couple more quotes from what is rapidly becoming my (non-existent) Facebook profile:

"Willpower and dedication are good words," Roland remarked. "There's a bad one, though, that means the same thing. That one is obsession." --Stephen King, The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass.

Gotta love Stephen King. You know, he's another one of those dudes who is much more than what he seems like on the surface. Yeah, he's a horror writer, true dat, and he writes pretty true to form most of the time (read Cell and Duma Key, as his most recent examples). However, how many of you out there knew that Stand By Me (The Body), The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, and The Green Mile are all by Stephen King? Oh, and have you read Lisey's Story yet? If you haven't, now's the time; it's almost Valentine's Day, after all.

Okay, one more:
"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help them." Tony Benn, former member of the British Parliament, in an interview with Michael Moore in Sicko.

If you haven't seen SiCKO yet, what are you waiting for? Granted, if you are a health-care policy wonk, or just hardcore into health-care policy (wait, that's the same thing), you might find the movie to be a naive, overly simplistic polemic that ultimately won't advance the conversation about health-care reform (just playing Devil's advocate here). For everyone else, you've got to start somewhere, and SiCKO is a pretty good primer for explaining what's wrong with our health-care "system" (for starters, the reason why I have to use quotes is because the "system" is so fragmented that it is practically non-existent). Buy a copy or rent now.

O.B.A.M.A. (satire - NOT SAFE FOR WORK!)

The following is meant as a bizarro version of the real me, and not meant to be taken seriously, unlike every other post on this blog. Usually, I try to keep it real, but this time, I just feel like trying something a little different (okay, a lot). If you can't take a fucking joke, take a broomstick and try a little "rectal stimulation". You just might feel better afterwards :P.

One Bad-Ass Motherfuckin' American. That's me, asswipes. You got a fucking problem with that? You want proof, dickweed? Read on, Padawan, and let your mind (and its asshole) be opened.

Number one: I'm a free-spirit. You think I'm going to roll over while them Christian conservatives try to cut off my balls by telling me who I can and cannot fuck? Don't tell me that stupid shit about how true love waits for marriage! Fuck that shit, best way to find out if the bitch is right for you is to test drive her 'till your dick's about to fall off. Them Christian conservatives can take that castration knife (figuratively speaking) and stick it up their collective motherfucking asses. Punk-ass bitches. Goddam, they can take their motherfucking imaginary sky-daddy and fuck him up the ass too, for all I fucking care. Assholes.

Number two: fuck religion. I'm an atheist, motherfucker. I ain't running for President of nothing - I don't aim to be President of the local university much less the motherfucking President of the United States. Bitch, can't be POTUS without being Christian or some shit like that. Ain't no one going to vote for no punk-ass atheist, you stupid motherfucker. And that's the way I like it. Goddam am I proud to be an atheist. Fuck you, you think you can "save" me. Here's my finger, that really long one in the middle? Try saving that, you fucking holy-rolling piece of shit. Fuck, you stupid sheep, try thinking for yourself, you just might find out there ain't no God any more than there's a fucking Santa Claus, Easter-cock-sucking-Bunny, or Morning-fucking-Wood Fairy.

So, that brings me to point number three: Ain't no one going to own me. Fuck politics. I can't run for POTUS or lots of other things, cause I'm an atheist, you feel me? Therefore, no one going to fucking own me. I be incorruptible; nobody gonna buy my vote for nothin'. Punk-ass bitch thinks he can do that, he (or she) gonna find one of my longest fingers prospecting for "brown gold" up where the sun don't fucking shine. Then I'll feed it to him, and videotape him vomiting it up and then videotape the rest where I feed it back to him. It'll be worse than that 2 girls one cup shit that's grossing people out. Fuck, motherfucker did that video's a goddam amateur - I get a chance, I'll show people how a professional do it.

So there you have it, three reasons why I'm an O.B.A.M.A. Don't agree? Let's meet out back, where you can step it up, and me and my car can fuck your shit up.

All right, and that's enough from my bizarro self. Seriously, don't take any of the non-italicized stuff seriously, okay? I'm just messing with you. Feel free to flame to your heart's content in the comments section though; be as creative as you can, please. Make me laugh, and you'll make me proud to be an American who will defend to death your right to free speech.

And now for something completely different

More quotes.

"In long-term care, love matters. And the heart of the problem is institutions can't love." --Dr. Bill Thomas, nursing home reformer credited with inventing the Eden Alternative in long-term care. He said this while being interviewed on PBS's Newshour with Jim Lehrer about a new proposal called the Green House initiative that I mentioned in a previous post.


"We have a problem in politics in the United States -- we tend to talk with people who already agree with us." --Kathleen Hall Jamieson, of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, talking with Bill Moyers on the Bill Moyers Journal. I hope that after the horse race that is Election 2008 is over that whoever becomes the next president of the United States makes some serious effort - however Sisyphean - to reach out to those with radically different personal and political philosophies. This era of hyper-partisanship has gone on way too goddamned long, and it is time for a new era of bipartisanship that lasts 40 years (like the last one) or longer.

Oh yeah, and dada rules! Seriously, if you've never heard any of their songs, you have no idea what you're missing. Take a gander at their website, and have a listen to some of their tracks while you're there. You won't regret it.

Horseradish

"One of the remarkable things about love is that, despite very irritating people writing poems and songs about how pleasant it is, it really is quite pleasant." --Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid.

Not that I'd know, but I'm an optimist, despite my cynicism. Someday, someone out there will actually care enough to try to understand who I really am. Peace out.

Bill Maher on people's obsession with smelling good

New Rule: Stop pretending that air fresheners actually freshen the air. ... Americans are a paradox. We’re the nation most obsessed with smelling pleasant, while at the same time, we eat crap that makes our bodies emit clouds of toxic gas. [laughter] Here’s a hint. When you fart and your canary dies, you have a problem that’s beyond the capabilities of the Airwick Corporation.
Real Time With Bill Maher. Transcript

More links from the Great Migration

First, something old, but still relevant. Props to Chaoslillith and Dailykos for this link.

Description: Not all environmental news is doom and gloom. There's some encouraging stuff out there, which seems like a little bit that won't affect the larger problem but added together gives me a sense of hope. At least, people are being creative in how they approach the larger problem of global warming: planting of nitrogenous fixers in the soil in place of using expensive synthetic fertilizers, for example (seriously, stop hating on clover. It is not a weed.). There's also the "cow power" initiative in rural areas (way to re-enfranchise rural citizens!), negotiating deals with citizens to slow down deforestation, and symbolic black out periods* (to highlight the importance of shutting out all the lights when you aren't using them, no brainer.). And finally, the competition to find better ways to build sustainably.

Also, lots of big cats. I love big cats.


Next, my way of paying tribute to John Edwards. He was a contender and now he isn't, and that sucks. I don't think Obama and Clinton are necessarily the best possible candidates on the Democratic side -- I think that honor should have gone to someone like Edwards, Biden, or Dodd -- but they are a whole hell of a lot better than anyone (without exception) on the Republican side. This is an article by ABC news, from back in January, about John Edwards commenting on Bill O'Reilly's offer to house homeless veterans sleeping under bridges.

Description (for those who are irony-impaired, note the sarcasm): Awesome! Billy O'Reilly is so cooooool! Not only is he really creative -- like he can create his own reality on the fly without any so-called "obvious" contradictions causing potentially destructive paradoxes in the so-called "real world" -- but he's actually a really nice guy to boot! Like, who knew he really cared that much about poor people and homeless veterans like this? So cool.

Like, I think we should all help out in his new cause. I see homeless dudes out and about in Center City all the time. It breaks my heart to see them begging for spare change, and mostly being ignored by everyone else, especially during the really cold days. Shit, doesn't look like anyone else has been able to solve the problem, why not let that really awesome, cool, nice Billy O'Reilly help out? If you see any of these poor unfortunates in your travels, call up Billy on his LIVE radio show between noon and 2 PM Eastern Time, and tell him about this person! Let's all work together to make a difference!

This is still, sadly, relevant. Lay aside your prejudices about poor people and homelessness for a while, and help a brother (or a sister) out, if you see him (or her) in such a situation.

Last, but not least, I'm going to pimp the high stylings of a certain Mr. Georgie Bonds.

Georgie Bonds is a popular entertainer, blues singer and songwriter. Georgie Bonds performs live blues concerts throughout the United States and Europe. Listen to Georgie Bonds' first CD Sometimes I Wonder.

If you've never heard this guy perform live, then you have no idea what you are missing. He does have a CD out, but IMHO, while it's good, it pales compared to his live act. Next time you see his name posted outside the local bar, go in and listen!

Alright, that's it from me. If you live in Philadelphia, you know about a certain Ms. Marty Moss Coane. Well, today, she is interviewing a certain Ms. Valerie Plame Wilson on her radio show. Check it out live or through her podcast later! Over and out.

Quote of the day

"Did cows stop fucking?" --Trace Adkins, responding to a question about the FDA approval of consumption of cloned animal meat on Real Time With Bill Maher.

Facebook Migration

I am now in the process of closing my Facebook account, and will be posting links to the stories I had posted there to this blog. Not that I have an audience anyway, but hopefully, someday I shall.

For those of you who will be part of my future audience, I am doing this so that you all know what I really think about things, and to get people to finally respond to me. There is nothing worse than working for hours on something that nobody gives a shit enough about to actually provide feedback. So please, if you are reading any of this, post some goddamned comments, will ya?

The plan here is to post at least one link to a serious story and one not so serious link each blogpost until I run out of things to migrate over.

First, a little something from posted on Alternet , originally posted on In These Times. This one is makes the case that many nursing homes are privatizing in order to avoid regulatory oversight and avoid litigation, and the private owners cut operating costs by cutting staff, which in turn dangerously undermines care and safety of residents. It's well worth a read, especially if you have family members in a long-term care facility of some sort.

Next, on a similar note, a Newshour With Jim Lehrer report on the Green House project. Let's all work together to promote more personalized care for people, and prevent the warehousing of people in poorly run, poorly staffed, poorly maintained facilities which exist primarily to put millions of dollars of profit in the pockets of a few, already rich, businessmen.

Next, on a lighter note, I am posting this Youtube video of Hayley Westenra performing her song "Prayer". No, this does not mean I believe in God or prayer, just that I like the song. Enjoy!

Finally, something completely out of left field. [WARNING: Not safe for work!] I also encourage you to check out the transcript for the rest of Bill Maher's show here; I might not agree with everything he says, but I certainly respect the fact that he is very intelligent, always makes logical (if occasionally flawed) arguments, and is very, very funny. If you are wondering who Trace Adkins is, look no further. (He's also on the Celebrity Apprentice, go figure.)

That's it from me. Feel free to comment on any one of these items; honestly, what's the use of having friends if they won't talk with you?