tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-301772392024-08-30T23:13:35.670-04:00Something just doesn't add up...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-71220411779333456262008-08-29T22:21:00.002-04:002008-08-29T22:26:04.600-04:00

You know, I was thinking I just might start posting here again. I'm not sure, of course, as I have been terribly busy with other things. But I was reading my stuff a moment ago (which I do from time to time because I get quite a kick out of myself sometimes -- all blogging is an exercise in narcissism to some extent after all) and started to miss the process of dumping my demented thoughts into

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-21101838649548523162007-10-08T19:28:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:32.677-05:00

Thom Hartmann brings us this special Columbus Day message from ol' Christopher himself:Columbus and his men also used the Taino as sex slaves: it was a common reward for Columbus’ men for him to present them with local women to rape. As he began exporting Taino as slaves to other parts of the world, the sex-slave trade became an important part of the business, as Columbus wrote to a friend in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-72390580835982330092007-10-05T09:26:00.000-04:002007-10-05T09:33:30.749-04:00

This is kind of old but, since I'm seeing it for the first time, it's not old to me.A little civics lesson for the chirrens, because they are the future.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-71475603306298427432007-09-29T18:40:00.000-04:002007-09-29T19:34:12.529-04:00

I've always known that the real, whole truth of the Iraq War, if ever revealed, would be far worse than even I imagine it. That's probably still the case even today. As we fall further into the rabbit hole, Juan Cole brings us more on the Spanish "Downing Street Memo" in a very worthwhile post(via Empire Blurlesque).For a devastating take on the latest confirmation of Bush's criminal intent to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-34842322275394087982007-09-29T10:33:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:32.808-05:00

Truncation. It'll get you every time.This is what happened when the good people at Access Hollywood decided to cover Elizabeth Taylor and her new boyfriend...Yes, that's right. It's Liz Taylor, a black man and caption that reads, "Liz Taylor: Ready to get hit..."The actual headline, truncated by the link, reads, "Liz Taylor: Ready to get hitched again?"I just thought that was funny. Carry on.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-48129163263554944492007-09-29T08:25:00.001-04:002009-06-02T23:08:27.228-04:00

I'd actually intended to do a lot less Iraq War blogging going forward, figuring that 1) others had the subject pretty well covered, 2) I'd pretty much summed it up with this post and 3) I don't want my blog to be just another collection of links. But, as will happen from time to time, something comes up that is impossible to ignore. I give you the Spanish "Downing Street" Memo, courtesy

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-84373426540320177502007-09-24T17:41:00.001-04:002007-09-29T19:27:37.936-04:00

I know this may come as a shock to people who follow major broadcast and print news in the US but it's true. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, is not - I repeat, not - the ruler of Iran.He does not set national policy.He does not command Iran's armed forces.He cannot pursue a nuclear weapons program without explicit permission (which he does not have).He cannot order attacks on Israel

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-86687057158372513562007-09-03T08:28:00.001-04:002007-09-03T13:48:32.761-04:00

Among the many contradictions rife in "conservative ideology", such as it is, is their penchant for accusing their critics of wanting to "blame America first". This meme is usually trotted out whenever someone criticizes certain aspects of US foreign policy. The first and most glaring contradiction inherent in this tactic is the fact that it is these very "conservatives" who tell us incessantly

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-83295308863455830662007-09-03T08:23:00.001-04:002007-09-29T19:32:15.017-04:00

I haven't been posting much lately, choosing to spend more time on other things. But there are some topics I've been wanting to write about for some time. I've decided it makes more sense to grit my teeth and once again and wage my existential struggle against the Blogger editor in order to post them here than to continue to flood my friends' and family's e-mail with them. So, enough with this

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-61026036014458431582007-06-10T09:12:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.236-05:00

Miscellaneous items of note:Empire Burlesque: Seasons in Hell: Voices From the American GulagThe Independent has a remarkable story on Sami al-Haj, the Sudanese journalist who has been held in George W. Bush's concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay for five years. Haj has not been charged with any crime, but he is undoubtedly guilty of a grave sin in the eyes of the Bush Regime: he is a cameraman

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-18056287532943955732007-06-08T22:49:00.000-04:002007-06-12T10:27:13.039-04:00

I just saw this on Glenn Greenwald's blog:I see that Hilzoy this morning is discussing an amazing new report (.pdf) issued jointly by six human rights groups concerning 39 individuals whose whereabouts are unknown and at least some of whom, it seems quite likely, the U.S. has simply "disappeared," secretly holding in detention. Among the disappeared, Hilzoy highlights, are likely children as

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-43830114255308093712007-06-08T13:50:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.368-05:00

Per this AP story, our counterproductive Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice was at it again today:Rice: US pursues own missile planBy MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer 16 minutes agoNEW YORK - The United States will pursue its own plans to put a missile defense in Eastern Europe despite Russia's surprise suggestion to locate it outside the region, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told The

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-81317277345859519032007-06-06T14:19:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.761-05:00

Authorities have identified the mastermind behind the recent spate of terror plots hatched by dastardly Caribbean allies of Al Qaeda. The suspect is shown here in recently-released footage from a training video found during a raid of an alleged Al Qaeda safe house cleverly disguised as a beef pattie stand:Boo, unlikely Caribbean Islamic extremist!Hooray, FEAR!The Nexus of Politics and Terror

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-11761101436508862102007-06-06T11:47:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:33.988-05:00

Why does Ron Paul hate public education?A lot of people have been getting excited about Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX) lately after his performances in the recent Republican primary debates, his appearance on The Daily Show and Bill Maher's glowing endorsement of him on his show, Real Time. Clearly, he has done a very good job of positioning himself as a new kind of "maverick

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-42730044779194872412007-06-05T12:26:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:34.170-05:00

[Cue mysterious-sounding music]In a world where domestic budget surpluses abound.......where international weapons inspectors can completely disarm a tyrant......and the "communist threat" suddenly vanishes......all your hopes and dreams for a global Armageddon hang in the balance. Now, there's only one man you can turn to... "I'm the commander guy!" New, from the the makers of..."Big Brother

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-46771715805493763492007-05-28T13:34:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:34.411-05:00

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, here's your response for the next time some closet bigot or one of their enablers asks you why the folks in the 9th Ward of New Orleans can't "get their act together" like those can-do, salt-of-the-earth, real Americans in Mississippi...Since Katrina, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has received heaps of praise for his political savvy -- and ability to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-74688395505846391102007-05-28T08:13:00.000-04:002007-06-08T12:52:35.562-04:00

A couple of months ago Tom Englehardt, in an article I referenced here, wrote in amazement about the lack of media coverage of the apparent support the Bush administration was giving to Sunni extremists groups in Lebanon, some of whom are known to be sympathetic to Al Qaeda. I repost his remarks here:Let me see if I've got this straight. Perhaps two years ago, an "informal" meeting of "veterans"

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-9450319454121616672007-05-25T06:35:00.000-04:002007-05-25T07:04:14.578-04:00

As you well know by now, American Strongman George W. Bush held a press conference in which he once again invoked Al Qaeda as a justification for everything he does. Some of the reporters present tried to challenge this tired old framing by asking him direct questions about his utter failure to capture Bin Laden after nearly 6 years. But at this point it seems clear to me that this is a waste

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-9441436303915106332007-05-12T23:58:00.000-04:002007-05-13T00:00:48.941-04:00

This is old but I'm seeing it for the first time. Regardless, it's too funny to not post...

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-52776013581296205172007-04-04T08:44:00.000-04:002007-04-04T08:56:41.786-04:00

I caught this video on C&L today:Who is really in charge here?

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-47555396357397912062007-03-17T20:01:00.000-04:002007-04-04T09:19:28.340-04:00

"Creative destruction is our middle name, both within our own society and abroad. We tear down the old order every day, from business to science, literature, art, architecture, and cinema to politics and the law. Our enemies have always hated this whirlwind of energy and creativity, which menaces their traditions (whatever they may be) and shames them for their inability to keep pace. … They must

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-49999178660666630492007-03-17T18:05:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:34.564-05:00

Fox News is a complete joke.Nearly a month after CNN thoroughly debunked its preposterous "madrasa" smear of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News, amazingly, is still peddling revised versions of this steaming loaf of journalistic dung. I quote none other than the former journalist, Brit Hume, directly:New Information on Whether Barack Obama Was Once a Practicing MuslimNever

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-72777799688562985562007-03-15T16:00:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.004-05:00

Apocalypticism in Action"We’re conducting military operations inside Iran right now. The evidence is overwhelming. From both the Iranians, Americans, and from Congressional sources."Col. Sam GardinerArmy War CollegeCNN, September 18, 2006I call attention to my earlier allusions to the Bush Administration's penchant for apocalyptic thinking here, here and here to provide context for what's going

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-50820580789352672612007-03-14T16:53:00.001-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.105-05:00

Via Kottke.Org:Among the many interesting things in Online Journalism Review's article about using eyetracking to increase the effectiveness of news article design is this odd result:Although both men and women look at the image of George Brett when directed to find out information about his sport and position, men tend to focus on private anatomy as well as the face. For the women, the face is

Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30177239.post-70352890117999246012007-03-13T15:20:00.000-04:002008-12-09T05:22:35.202-05:00

I "Dugg" this one a moment ago...Wouldn't you like to know where Dick Cheney puts his money? Then you'd know whether his "deficits don't matter" claim is just baloney or not.Well, as it turns out, Kiplinger Magazine ran an article based on Cheney's financial disclosure statement and, sure enough, found out that the VP is lying to the American people for the umpteenth time. Deficits do matter and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0