tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:28:45 +0000PersonalBias and BalanceMainstream PressNany StateConservatismMahmoud AhmadinejadChinaHugo ChavezPhotosHomeschoolingGlobal WarmingDeepwater HorizonaliensWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)President of IranNamesGallupSaudi ArabiaCubaGrossTunisiaLincoln MemorialPrivacyKuwaitObamaAfricaLawThe Culture WarsThe CourtsFidel CastroThe LeftFunnyReligion and SpiritualityNational anthemIslamPresidency of Barack ObamaMass mediaOdd NewsSpeaker of the HouseGodHugo ChávezTechLaw EnforcementBeliefPhotographyNorth Korea. Kim Jong-ilCarterStoopid PeopleVenezuelaUS Foreign PolicyAntisemitismAtheismPublic SchoolskucinichIranSecrecy LawsChild pornographyChristianityClimate changeSouthwest AirlinesBarack ObamaJust Sayin'MexicoCCPThey Distort, We Deride. WARNING: Full Frontal-Lobe Nudity and Kitty Porn Within.http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Mark T)Blogger487125blogspot/eDiphttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-4434592853065934875Sun, 22 May 2011 14:54:00 +00002011-05-22T10:54:26.182-04:00IslamUS Foreign PolicySaudi ArabiaHow is it that the US bullies the rest of the world over human rights (as we define the issue) while one of our 'allies' tell their female citizins that they can't drive. Talk about 'WTF'. From Al Jazeera: A woman in Saudi Arabia was detained after she launched a campaign against the driving ban for women in the Kingdom and posted a video of herself behind the wheel on Facebook and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/wkpZLC36Fyc/saudi-woman-driver-detained-for-vagina.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/05/saudi-woman-driver-detained-for-vagina.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-1517133486917388318Sat, 21 May 2011 02:47:00 +00002011-05-20T22:47:59.674-04:00Just Sayin'FunnyOne of the company's finest technicians was drafted and sent to boot camp. At the rifle range, he was given some instruction, a rifle, and bullets. He fired several shots at the target. The report came from the target area that all attempts had completely missed the target. The technician looked at his rifle, and then at the target. He looked at the rifle again, and then at the target again. Hehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/FkR695vPmn0/tech-support-logic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/05/tech-support-logic.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-7450718532194822643Tue, 26 Apr 2011 09:43:00 +00002011-04-26T05:43:19.615-04:00CarterNorth Korea. Kim Jong-ilInsanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein I used to have certain amount of respect for President Carter. Then he left office. What's the Nobel Peace Prize winner (yeah, their standards that low for years) up to these days? He's going back to North Korea. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and three others from a group called The Elders http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/qurba3m-iy8/president-carter-defining-insanity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/04/president-carter-defining-insanity.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-5406769000804572873Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:03:00 +00002011-04-24T22:03:02.944-04:00It strikes me as more than mildly ironic that at least a few American conservatives have more in common with the leadership of Iran than they have in common with most American people. If some on the extreme right had there way, it wouldn't be too hard to imagine an order to corporations doing business in the US 'to remove "immoral, sexual and crude" advertisements for products such as condoms http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/csznJzXc2Ok/irans-war-on-vulgarity-and-why-im.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/04/irans-war-on-vulgarity-and-why-im.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-1774880854610045051Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:01:00 +00002011-03-23T19:01:39.859-04:00Just Sayin'PersonalPhotosThis is a kind of 'reference post' to explain my aversion to exclamation points. That's these things: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do a fair amount of commenting on other people's Flickr and Blip postings and some on Facebook. A lot is of the 'Great shot', 'Thanks' and 'LOL' variety.  Many times I really love a photo someone has posted but lack the verbal ability to express what I'm thinking and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/0iBP_4IUgJo/combating-punctuation-inflation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)1http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/03/combating-punctuation-inflation.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-7581375816244479719Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:10:00 +00002011-03-09T15:11:12.852-05:00 Could we be any worse off?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/yD2iVQj1lBM/oswald-bates-for-congress.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/03/oswald-bates-for-congress.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-6940591572216644505Sun, 20 Feb 2011 01:11:00 +00002011-02-19T20:11:48.664-05:00PersonalI'm kind of an aviation freak. I look up tail numbers. I know the difference between a high-bypass turbofan and a turbojet. I (used to) love to fly and i keep up-to-date on aviation safety and technology news. How did I turn into a ground-bound wing nut? View the larger version here. I grew up a little over 1 mile (~5,700 ft) from the end of runway 24L of Cleveland Hopkins International http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/VjEOu_fz1KU/why-im-wing-nut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)1http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/02/why-im-wing-nut.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-1832109754607841046Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:14:00 +00002011-02-05T21:14:26.104-05:00Presidency of Barack ObamaIt really doesn't get much better than this. Mr Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, was sent by President Obama to Cairo on Monday, apparently to urge Mr Mubarak to announce his departure.So Wisner gets there and has this to say: "We need to get a national consensus around the pre-conditions for the next step forward. The president must stay in office to steer those changes," he told the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/g1UYnW53OQ0/obamas-left-hand-slaps-right.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/02/obamas-left-hand-slaps-right.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-1773759261605288440Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:27:00 +00002011-01-15T10:27:53.240-05:00TunisiaFunnyTunisia's been in the news lately, and a lot of people don't know anything about Tunisia.  If you need a quick primer, here you go: Tunisia is a country in North Africa that was once two separate nations, West Nisia and East Nisia.  They merged and the Indians who once lived lived there formed their own independent state in the south called Indonesia. Indonesia quickly became overpopulated, so http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/Wv9AZcC8n8c/tunisia-in-nutshell.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/01/tunisia-in-nutshell.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-7693157260170561363Sat, 08 Jan 2011 20:09:00 +00002011-01-08T15:09:50.351-05:00PhotographyFrom Arte Bella Portraits: We are celebrating a successful first year in business and with that we wanted to show some love to those who have helped us along the way, designers we adore, and/ or have  inspired us. The designers we have chosen have generously donated some fabulous prizes for this Photographer’s Giveaway. Each item in this giveaway will benefit any photographer! There is http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/zzN9bQKpu8g/arte-bella-portraits-giveaway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/01/arte-bella-portraits-giveaway.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-536145250678820911Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:34:00 +00002011-01-02T01:34:37.673-05:00Funnyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/5OmK_sXcT1Q/frankie-fish-remix.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/01/frankie-fish-remix.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-6042810244133856600Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:14:00 +00002011-01-02T01:14:25.930-05:00Mainstream PressThe Culture WarsDeepwater HorizonRemember what we were all talking about between April and July of 2010?  I had to think for a second, which is kinda' strange since we were constantly being told that we were all going to die from The Oil Spill That Was Going To Eat The World. It got silly, even by the mainstream press' standards. A scientific computer modeling study released Thursday shows that once the slick joins the loop http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/C1xbH859T1M/sky-that-never-fell.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2011/01/sky-that-never-fell.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-3109311363762319070Sat, 18 Dec 2010 21:24:00 +00002010-12-18T16:24:34.044-05:00It gets kind of tough to keep my mouth shut sometimes.  I try, but the half-life of the chemical restraints at times coincides perfectly with peaks in the world's assininity.  The latest example: Federal Reserve examiners come every four years to make sure banks are complying with a long list of regulations. The examiners came to Perkins last week. And the team from Kansas City deemed a Bible http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/TF26vIx-8n0/fed-splapped-down-for-banning-christ.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/12/fed-splapped-down-for-banning-christ.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-478455795375762941Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:58:00 +00002010-12-05T19:58:00.111-05:00CCPChinaI've lately been trying to put my attitude towards the Chinese Communist party into few words, and I think Andrei Lankov has done just that: If China is indeed as bad as hosts of the right-wing talk shows insist, it is supposed to support the Kim Jong-il regime almost by default. But China is neither good nor bad. It is a normal authoritarian nation state which advances its interests with http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/3aPG1HTN91g/china-neither-good-nor-bad-just-normal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/12/china-neither-good-nor-bad-just-normal.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-344224523533984099Sun, 05 Dec 2010 14:24:00 +00002010-12-05T10:25:52.902-05:00Secrecy LawsBarack ObamaStoopid PeopleThere must be something - something bad - in the water our political leaders drink.  This is from the Guardian: The Obama administration is banning hundreds of thousands of federal employees from calling up the WikiLeaks site on government computers because the leaked material is still formally regarded as classified.The Library of Congress tonight joined the education department, the commerce http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/KyKdv6nmJSA/what-jackasses-did-when-horse-left-barn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-jackasses-did-when-horse-left-barn.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-8112570663083055062Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:26:00 +00002010-12-04T12:26:00.217-05:00Highland Theatre Night, originally uploaded by Ecstatic Mark.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/npngSfaKwkY/highland-theatre-night.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/12/highland-theatre-night.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-3732373049723595947Thu, 25 Nov 2010 22:08:00 +00002010-11-25T17:08:32.845-05:00FunnyFrom the NY Times: Department of Homeland Security is planning to get rid of the color-coded terrorism alert system. Known officially as the Homeland Security Advisory System, the five-color scheme was introduced by the Bush administration in March 2002. Red, the highest level, meant “severe risk of terrorist attacks.” The lowest level, green, meant “low risk of terrorist attacks.” Between http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/m3q1CusB4L4/no-more-code-elmo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/11/no-more-code-elmo.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-6585053858504016793Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:48:00 +00002010-11-25T12:48:17.810-05:00PhotographyJust Sayin'KuwaitAh, Kuwait.  That's the country the US went to war in 1991 to rescue from Saddam Hussein.  It must be a pretty hip place, right?  Well, maybe not so much. This is from the Kuwaiti Times: After the ban three ministries placed on photography, most Kuwaiti youth are a bit confused about what to do with their cameras if they can't use them in public and why such laws were implemented in the firsthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/WLnJfCrYCe4/kuwait-bans-non-journalistic-dslr-use.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/11/kuwait-bans-non-journalistic-dslr-use.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-7442427372147764811Wed, 24 Nov 2010 01:51:00 +00002010-11-23T20:51:07.616-05:00Just Sayin'As you can clearly see from the above graph, successful implementation of Bryan's Plan will have a positive impact on VPN users' experience, while a failure of said Plan will have a correspondingly negative impact on VPN users' lives. In the interests of World (at least our World)  Happiness it is therefore hoped that Bryan's Plan is executed in a timely fashion.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/aOKHkm889og/bryans-plans-impact-on-user-happiness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/11/bryans-plans-impact-on-user-happiness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-726879971121991943Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:48:00 +00002010-11-23T04:49:52.864-05:00Just Sayin'Hugo ChávezHugo ChavezVenezuelaAccording to the BBC, Venezuela's government has banned the use of President Hugo Chavez's image for propaganda purposes without direct and prior permission from the leader.You know, images like this: Used without El Nutboy's Permission http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/R54CRRpSfoY/according-to-bbc-venezuelas-government.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/11/according-to-bbc-venezuelas-government.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-1858677443482312882Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:06:00 +00002010-11-21T10:06:00.585-05:00Mainstream PressBarack ObamaObamaThe Culture WarsDo you still think it's extremist to suggest that the mainstream press worships president Obama as a deity? Newsweek cover of 11/22/2010 From Hindu Blog: 'The Newsweek cover page of November 22, 2010 is headlined as "God of All Things" – Why the modern presidency may be too much for one person to handle. The Newsweek cover suggests that Obama is not God Shiva to solve all issues. But it http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/FToIMlkw8aE/cult-of-obama-alive-and-well.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/11/cult-of-obama-alive-and-well.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-7267517736756041778Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:21:00 +00002010-10-28T06:21:32.454-04:00Happy Birthday to Bill Gates and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad! Some coincidence, huh?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/UodKEmiUK8o/hapy-birthday-to-two-of-my-favorite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/10/hapy-birthday-to-two-of-my-favorite.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-2501722035569220527Tue, 26 Oct 2010 22:48:00 +00002010-10-26T18:48:12.007-04:00Just Sayin'This is cool, in a spooky kinda way.  I recommend full-screen viewing. Van Gogh from Philip Scott Johnson on Vimeo. Self Portraitshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/Cg_wwej5HUg/van-gogh-self-portrait.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/10/van-gogh-self-portrait.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-5351021802766140094Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:55:00 +00002010-10-17T16:55:48.749-04:00PhotographyThat's what Helen wanted to know. So, people showed her! The results are here.  A very cool idea and may have inspired me to begin my own photo-a-day program next year!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/HK34a2Uo6DY/where-were-you-at-3-pm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-were-you-at-3-pm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5824519903724816474.post-1645689323451642367Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:57:00 +00002010-10-16T16:57:43.117-04:00Halloween Mannequin, originally uploaded by Ecstatic Mark.The local shoe repair shop has added another mannequin for Halloween. Yay! And did I ever mention what a pain it is to shoot through window glass?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/eDip/~3/hkFmclCSfDc/halloween-mannequin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Mark T)0http://cuttingedgeofecstasy.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-mannequin.html