May 18, 2008
Please wait, your request is processed...
Sciguy
Recent comments by this user
McCain Can't Keep His Enemies Straight?
True. The North Koreans aren't Asians, either. But they do look different from the standard white American - so standard white Americans tend to regard them as different - and therefore probably terrorists. posted 05/18/2008 at 07:15:41
Nah, they're all Arabs, so there's no difference, right? OK, they're all furriners (foreigners), so they're all the same anyway, si? Well, they're all DARK, like Obama, so there's still no difference, eh?
We have met the enemy, and he is - well, he doesn't look like us. So he's a terrorist. That must be it. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:26:21
We have met the enemy, and he is - well, he doesn't look like us. So he's a terrorist. That must be it. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:26:21
Do You Believe in Objective (Ha! Ha! Wink, wink!) Science?
Addendum - most scientists have Ph.D.s, and they don't have hospital rights anyway. Only MDs have that. posted 05/18/2008 at 07:36:08
I hope I can answer your concerns.
I know many scientific researchers at universities who are funded by agencies including the NIH or NSF, not drug companies. The chairman of my pharmacology department was an internationally renowned expert. He was among the first to describe the addictive properties of Valium - even though Roche had been marketing it as non-addictive - and we got the Valium from Roche. We were grant generators. We raised millions of dollars for the university.
As for the same group trying to discredit science as a whole: the easiest target for people who want to undermine logic and reason is the scientists who worked for tobacco companies. After that, scientists who work on drug research are targets. It goes something like this:
1. Tobacco is bad, so tobacco scientists are whores.
2. Drug companies charge too much, so scientists who study drugs must be whores, too, toeing the line. Since they're whores, they should not be believed.
3. All scientists work in the same general way, and they're proud to tell you about their scientific method.
4. Since they all work in the same way, they, too, should not be believed.
5. You can't believe in the science those scientists did because the scientists are bad.
6. The Truth only comes from our god anyway, and now you know why you should believe in our god's way instead of the scientists' way. posted 05/18/2008 at 07:35:04
I know many scientific researchers at universities who are funded by agencies including the NIH or NSF, not drug companies. The chairman of my pharmacology department was an internationally renowned expert. He was among the first to describe the addictive properties of Valium - even though Roche had been marketing it as non-addictive - and we got the Valium from Roche. We were grant generators. We raised millions of dollars for the university.
As for the same group trying to discredit science as a whole: the easiest target for people who want to undermine logic and reason is the scientists who worked for tobacco companies. After that, scientists who work on drug research are targets. It goes something like this:
1. Tobacco is bad, so tobacco scientists are whores.
2. Drug companies charge too much, so scientists who study drugs must be whores, too, toeing the line. Since they're whores, they should not be believed.
3. All scientists work in the same general way, and they're proud to tell you about their scientific method.
4. Since they all work in the same way, they, too, should not be believed.
5. You can't believe in the science those scientists did because the scientists are bad.
6. The Truth only comes from our god anyway, and now you know why you should believe in our god's way instead of the scientists' way. posted 05/18/2008 at 07:35:04
Nonsense. Of course drug companies have drug company employees. The reporter looked at pharmaceutical companies. Surprise! He found pharmaceutical company employees. That's like going to a horse farm and finding horse farmers.
There are lots of independent scientific experts out there. Try looking at a university's pharmacology department. You'll find experts in assorted fields who are not on the drug companies' payrolls. They usually buy the drugs they study, but if it's an experimental drug, the only way to get it is to ask the drug company for it. Whether one gets a sample or not has a lot do to with the scientist's name - the well-known ones have a better chance of getting some - but the experimental results are just plain science. Those results are presented at scientific meetings and are published in peer-reviewed journals.
It sounds like Ms. Levy may have fallen prey to the "Trust No Expert" syndrome pushed by the far right in order to discredit science as a whole (and replace it with Noah's ark and faith healers' therapies). Please don't fall for it, Ms. Levy. The drug companies may be scum, but they do have genuine experts working for them. The machinations of their marketing departments overrule even the best science - but scientific experts are still scientific experts. Sure, experts disagree. They''ve read every paper on a given drug, and know in great depth the body system the drug affects. They disagree **because** they're experts on the science involved. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:44:47
There are lots of independent scientific experts out there. Try looking at a university's pharmacology department. You'll find experts in assorted fields who are not on the drug companies' payrolls. They usually buy the drugs they study, but if it's an experimental drug, the only way to get it is to ask the drug company for it. Whether one gets a sample or not has a lot do to with the scientist's name - the well-known ones have a better chance of getting some - but the experimental results are just plain science. Those results are presented at scientific meetings and are published in peer-reviewed journals.
It sounds like Ms. Levy may have fallen prey to the "Trust No Expert" syndrome pushed by the far right in order to discredit science as a whole (and replace it with Noah's ark and faith healers' therapies). Please don't fall for it, Ms. Levy. The drug companies may be scum, but they do have genuine experts working for them. The machinations of their marketing departments overrule even the best science - but scientific experts are still scientific experts. Sure, experts disagree. They''ve read every paper on a given drug, and know in great depth the body system the drug affects. They disagree **because** they're experts on the science involved. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:44:47
Farm Bill Baloney
Can I get a subsidy for talking my chickens into NOT laying eggs? Howzabout for NOT growing tobacco (no more leasing our tobacco base since the settlement)? Could I get paid for NOT breeding my 29-year-old mare?
I have mixed feeling about farm bills - as noted in the article, they were supposed to help small farmers make ends meet. However, since huge agribusinesses get the money now - and themselves help drive small farmers out of business - the bills just don't make as much sense as they used to.
BTW, I think the bit about paying farmers not to farm was originally for 2 purposes: to try to get farmers to practice laying fallow some fields to allow soil regeneration, and to prevent market gluts of certain crops. Those subsidies were the only way small farms could afford to leave some land untilled, and the only way that small farms could afford to stop trying to squeeze every penny out of a crop that was over-raised. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:09:25
I have mixed feeling about farm bills - as noted in the article, they were supposed to help small farmers make ends meet. However, since huge agribusinesses get the money now - and themselves help drive small farmers out of business - the bills just don't make as much sense as they used to.
BTW, I think the bit about paying farmers not to farm was originally for 2 purposes: to try to get farmers to practice laying fallow some fields to allow soil regeneration, and to prevent market gluts of certain crops. Those subsidies were the only way small farms could afford to leave some land untilled, and the only way that small farms could afford to stop trying to squeeze every penny out of a crop that was over-raised. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:09:25
The Evangelical Swing Vote
This is NOT a personal attack.
What about that "turn the other cheek" stuff? Doesn't sound militant - or military - to me. That's just my opinion; I'm not slamming you, just curious. I'd always thought that he was not militant, and the Pharisees hated him just because he was a heretic. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:21:19
What about that "turn the other cheek" stuff? Doesn't sound militant - or military - to me. That's just my opinion; I'm not slamming you, just curious. I'd always thought that he was not militant, and the Pharisees hated him just because he was a heretic. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:21:19
Ah, wish that it were so. I live in a severely Red state, and the folks here are pro-Bush, pro-gun, anti-abortion, pro-death penalty (for the already born, of course), anti-gay, pro-war evangelical wingnuts.
True, not all of them are that way, but I have yet to meet an evangelical who does not follow whatever nonsense is spewed out by the preacher. At least around here, they really follow FAITH - and faith is the opposite of reason. They have faith in lots of things, including faith that the preacher is right about all of those issues that they can't be bothered to analyze for themselves.
Please keep in mind that one of the definitions of "evangelical" is "marked by militant or crusading zeal" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical). Since I'm an atheist, I may be misreading the christian bible, but I'd have sworn that Jesus wasn't a militant kind of guy. Therefore, if people are evangelical, they are - by definition - absolutely NOT following the lessons taught by Jesus. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:28:22
True, not all of them are that way, but I have yet to meet an evangelical who does not follow whatever nonsense is spewed out by the preacher. At least around here, they really follow FAITH - and faith is the opposite of reason. They have faith in lots of things, including faith that the preacher is right about all of those issues that they can't be bothered to analyze for themselves.
Please keep in mind that one of the definitions of "evangelical" is "marked by militant or crusading zeal" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelical). Since I'm an atheist, I may be misreading the christian bible, but I'd have sworn that Jesus wasn't a militant kind of guy. Therefore, if people are evangelical, they are - by definition - absolutely NOT following the lessons taught by Jesus. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:28:22
Great points! posted 05/16/2008 at 17:17:33
Electing Sweetie
GAWD, I hope you're wrong. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:31:47
Talking with Terrorists? Happens All the Time
Great column. Thank you. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:00:28
No point in checking it out - those folks are already true believers in the lie. If, just by accident, they find out that Obama isn't a moslem, they'll decide that he belongs to an anti-white church. And if that turns out to be untrue (!!!), they'll find some other excuse to not vote for him. And - I'd bet that they still believe the swiftboaters' charges against Kerry. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:43:00
I certainly hope that Israel is talking to Hamas - and Hezbollah. And I hope that the US is talking to everybody we deem to be terrorists. If we talk to them, there is a slight but finite chance for at least an uneasy truce. If we don't talk to them, all that's left is to try to kill them. Killing them won't work.
Thank you, Jimmy Carter, for at least talking to them. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:40:05
Thank you, Jimmy Carter, for at least talking to them. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:40:05
I may be wrong on this one, but wasn't Ben Gurion also a "terrorist?" You made a great point. Thanks. posted 05/16/2008 at 17:33:29
Unearthed: News of the Week the Mainstream Media Forgot to Report
About the illegality of buying testing kits - couldn't the meat company ask the test company what's in the kits, buy the chemicals and substrates, and test anyway? Or - if the test kit components are proprietary - the meat company could still search the literature (use something like Medline) and use whatever scientists have developed for testing. It's not always easy to replicate results, and they'd have to hire someone who could set up a mini chemistry lab, but it's certainly not impossible to do. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:17:25
Amen! Sorry about your sister - it's too bad that she passed on from such a disease. may she rest in peace. And I'm grateful to know that at least she lived in a civilised country where her bills didn't cost her family their home. posted 05/17/2008 at 18:12:34
Edwards Poverty Campaign Met With Media Blackout
???
I don't hate Edwards - I like him. I think if he made his poverty concerns into a movie, like Al Gore made his environmental concerns into a movie, it would get more exposure.
Who is SuzieQ? posted 05/15/2008 at 21:43:09
I don't hate Edwards - I like him. I think if he made his poverty concerns into a movie, like Al Gore made his environmental concerns into a movie, it would get more exposure.
Who is SuzieQ? posted 05/15/2008 at 21:43:09
This is really a letter to Mr. Edwards. Too bad he'll never see it.
Dear Mr. Edwards,
I hear that you're trying to help the poor. Unfortunately, you're not getting any attention. You're making announcements, but nobody is covering them. Why don't you do something that will garner attention?
No, you don't have to sit on top of a flagpole to get attention. You could make a movie. It worked for Michael Moore (assorted issues); it worked for Al Gore (global warming). It may work for Bill Maher (religion). Why not join the ranks of the HEARD by making a movie about poverty?
As noted in Mr. Drier's Huffington Post of 5.15.2008, Barbara Ehrenreich's book was quite popular. This means that many people read it and talked about it. The word got out. The post didn't mention Moore's work, Gore's work, or Maher's work because they're not directly related to poverty. However, *** YOU*** could make a movie about poverty. Talk to Michael Moore about how to make and sell a documentary. Talk to Barbara Ehrenreich about what points to make. Talk to Bill Maher about how to make a film on a controversial subject. Talk to Al Gore about how to make a subject that few people are interested in into an interesting movie. You have access to these people, and you have access to financing.
Now GO MAKE YOURSELF HEARD!
Sincerely, Sciguy (SciMathGuy on the Daily Kos) posted 05/15/2008 at 12:52:27
Dear Mr. Edwards,
I hear that you're trying to help the poor. Unfortunately, you're not getting any attention. You're making announcements, but nobody is covering them. Why don't you do something that will garner attention?
No, you don't have to sit on top of a flagpole to get attention. You could make a movie. It worked for Michael Moore (assorted issues); it worked for Al Gore (global warming). It may work for Bill Maher (religion). Why not join the ranks of the HEARD by making a movie about poverty?
As noted in Mr. Drier's Huffington Post of 5.15.2008, Barbara Ehrenreich's book was quite popular. This means that many people read it and talked about it. The word got out. The post didn't mention Moore's work, Gore's work, or Maher's work because they're not directly related to poverty. However, *** YOU*** could make a movie about poverty. Talk to Michael Moore about how to make and sell a documentary. Talk to Barbara Ehrenreich about what points to make. Talk to Bill Maher about how to make a film on a controversial subject. Talk to Al Gore about how to make a subject that few people are interested in into an interesting movie. You have access to these people, and you have access to financing.
Now GO MAKE YOURSELF HEARD!
Sincerely, Sciguy (SciMathGuy on the Daily Kos) posted 05/15/2008 at 12:52:27
John McCain and al Qaeda
Y'know... maybe McCain's had a stroke. Sometimes, strokes can change behaviour. McCain is now pro-torture (pandering to the far right), has decided that he'll get the troops out of Iraq before 100 years go by (pandering to the undecided middle), and has declared that al Qaeda is who we're fighting in Iraq (pandering to the far right). His behaviour has certainly changed. If he has had a stroke, he certainly wouldn't be the McCain you knew - that's part of how strokes are diagnosed. What other diagnosis can one offer? posted 05/15/2008 at 13:02:28
The Riddle of Appalachia
Maybe us ornery contrary old coots in Appalachian states is sick and tired of having other folks tellin' us which candidates oughta drop out before we gets us a chance to have our voices heard?
Disclaimer: I'm not pro-Obama or pro-Clinton. I'm pro-Democrat, regardless of who ends up as the nominee. posted 05/15/2008 at 14:33:31
Disclaimer: I'm not pro-Obama or pro-Clinton. I'm pro-Democrat, regardless of who ends up as the nominee. posted 05/15/2008 at 14:33:31
All We Are Saying is Give Peace Your Pants
Actually, we sleep peacefully in our beds because we're not dying in Nam... posted 05/13/2008 at 07:05:15
Great post, thanks! But I admit it, I've changed over the years. I used to be a young hippie. Now I'm an OLD hippie. Such is life. posted 05/12/2008 at 23:40:49
Hillary's Gift to Women
" ... then Lynndie England should consider following up her stint in the brig with a run for the Senate."
Isn't Lynnie England borderline retarded (low IQ, developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, whatever you call it)? If so, then she'd be great for the Senate.
No, what am I saying? She'd be awful in the Senate, but she'd be a GREAT candidate for the Presidency. A great Republican candidate. posted 05/12/2008 at 13:32:12
Isn't Lynnie England borderline retarded (low IQ, developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, whatever you call it)? If so, then she'd be great for the Senate.
No, what am I saying? She'd be awful in the Senate, but she'd be a GREAT candidate for the Presidency. A great Republican candidate. posted 05/12/2008 at 13:32:12
Democrats Challenge GOP on Mortgage Mess
I like the idea of changing subprime loans to (presumably) fair loans backed by the FHA. It's pitiful that loan sharks out there got away with snookering people into subprime loans - though the snookered need to accept some of the blame, too. Remember that old adage "If it looks to good to be true, it probably is"? I also like the idea of requiring the homeowners to share the profits from later sale of the home with the FHA.
It would be nice if judges could lower the mortgage rates to reasonable ones. However, that would mean judges enforcing usury laws, and we can't have that, can we? That's why "regular" usury laws are easy to find, but the rates that banks can charge by law are different and well-hidden.
As far as using taxpayer dollars to bail out the snookered - I have mixed feelings about that, but the bottom line is, of course, whose tax dollars are these, anyway? Shouldn't tax dollars be used for the public good? And isn't having people keep their homes "good?" posted 05/12/2008 at 13:23:16
It would be nice if judges could lower the mortgage rates to reasonable ones. However, that would mean judges enforcing usury laws, and we can't have that, can we? That's why "regular" usury laws are easy to find, but the rates that banks can charge by law are different and well-hidden.
As far as using taxpayer dollars to bail out the snookered - I have mixed feelings about that, but the bottom line is, of course, whose tax dollars are these, anyway? Shouldn't tax dollars be used for the public good? And isn't having people keep their homes "good?" posted 05/12/2008 at 13:23:16
Mr. Jenna Bush Gets a Piece of the Action
So - the standard tables have been reversed. It's the MALE in this couple who married money (or married power). posted 05/12/2008 at 13:37:31
Moral Relativism and the Right
"pandering is more of a political tool"
You got the point. posted 05/12/2008 at 23:17:48
You got the point. posted 05/12/2008 at 23:17:48
The moral relativists of the Right hate America because we still have the freedom not to pander to their views or worship their god. posted 05/12/2008 at 08:22:12
Ah, Good Cop - Bad Cop has progressed to Good Murder - Bad Murder. Good point! posted 05/12/2008 at 08:12:37
The Most Important Piece of Paper in America
I've got a nephew-in-law who is a fireman. He's dead-set against "socialized medicine." When I explained that any government-paid health care is "socialized medicine" and that if he accepts his job's health care benefits, he's taking "socialized medicine," he was reduced to saying that I was playing word games. Like Webster, I presume...
I ****LOVE**** your bumper sticker idea. May I swipe it? Or have you considered going to some place like CafePress and making them for sale? posted 05/12/2008 at 13:36:25
I ****LOVE**** your bumper sticker idea. May I swipe it? Or have you considered going to some place like CafePress and making them for sale? posted 05/12/2008 at 13:36:25
Arianna Huffington is Correct: McCain Has Changed
"The problem is that you can't run for president as a Republican these days without appeasing the insanely bellicose, Republican fringe.......... But McCain wants to be president enough to lie about all this."
I think you can run for Prez and ignore the flat-earthers wing of the Republican party, but I can understand him making lies to attract the wingnuts to his cause in the primaries. He doesn't need to do that now that he's got the nomination - who else will they vote for? They'll be flocking to the polls in November to vote against the evil Democrat anyway.
So why keep on pandering to a base that will vote for him anyway? Perhaps he's genuinely changed his views and now is a True Believer in JeeZus, torture, infinite war, and corporate power. Perhaps he was always this way, and people believed the Straight Talk stuff because they wanted to believe it. Perhaps he was on The Daily Show enough times to swing a few moderates over to his side, and now he doesn't need to sway any more of them. (OK, I lied - he's STILL showing up on The Daily Show.)
Perhaps this is his true nature - he's just the cutest little pander bear, and now we can all see it. And if we can see it, since he now believes in torture, he can have Guido beat the crap out of us until we DON'T see it any more. posted 05/12/2008 at 08:05:24
I think you can run for Prez and ignore the flat-earthers wing of the Republican party, but I can understand him making lies to attract the wingnuts to his cause in the primaries. He doesn't need to do that now that he's got the nomination - who else will they vote for? They'll be flocking to the polls in November to vote against the evil Democrat anyway.
So why keep on pandering to a base that will vote for him anyway? Perhaps he's genuinely changed his views and now is a True Believer in JeeZus, torture, infinite war, and corporate power. Perhaps he was always this way, and people believed the Straight Talk stuff because they wanted to believe it. Perhaps he was on The Daily Show enough times to swing a few moderates over to his side, and now he doesn't need to sway any more of them. (OK, I lied - he's STILL showing up on The Daily Show.)
Perhaps this is his true nature - he's just the cutest little pander bear, and now we can all see it. And if we can see it, since he now believes in torture, he can have Guido beat the crap out of us until we DON'T see it any more. posted 05/12/2008 at 08:05:24
You're right - America is not that stupid yet. We're STUPIDER! We think that we can stomp into any country, anywhere, any time, just because we have some big guns. We think that we can force our will onto people all over the will by bombing them instead of talking to them and feeding the hungry. We think that everybody who doesn't believe in a specific form of christianity is going to hell, and we think that we can - and should - hasten this by any means possible.
Yeah, we're stupider than can be seen by the number of Americans still supporting Bush - because lots of us support McCain. posted 05/12/2008 at 07:50:58
Yeah, we're stupider than can be seen by the number of Americans still supporting Bush - because lots of us support McCain. posted 05/12/2008 at 07:50:58
Catastrophe to Celebration
As far as the wedding - why didn't Dubya have a huge White House Wedding for his kid? Think of all the tax dollars he could have squandered! If he had invited all of his cronies and just one foreign diplomat, we, the taxpayers, would have footed the bill. posted 05/11/2008 at 18:23:50
Recognizing the Race Chasm
Nah, I copied it off'n Fox "news." :-) posted 05/12/2008 at 23:22:36
Well, white America - which will it be? Those black ones over there in the corner are unimportant, so they can be unemployed, uneducated, poor, discriminated against, etc., etc. - but they're PEACEFUL and non-scary. In other words, whites can be racists. Or... those black ones over there in the corner ARE important, and that means they're SCARY! In other words, whites can be racists.
Americans could try to focus on created issues like lapel pins and flag salutes. In other words, we can ignore race and be... racists.
The other option is for Americans to try really, really hard to focus on actual issues like the war in Iraq, health care, public schools, the economy, and the like. Oh, yeah - and race, since it does seem to make a difference, at the very least, in words expended and media minutes viewed. Maybe Americans could be convinced to actually face the problems that non-whites face every day? Nah - there's a game on the tube... posted 05/11/2008 at 18:36:21
Americans could try to focus on created issues like lapel pins and flag salutes. In other words, we can ignore race and be... racists.
The other option is for Americans to try really, really hard to focus on actual issues like the war in Iraq, health care, public schools, the economy, and the like. Oh, yeah - and race, since it does seem to make a difference, at the very least, in words expended and media minutes viewed. Maybe Americans could be convinced to actually face the problems that non-whites face every day? Nah - there's a game on the tube... posted 05/11/2008 at 18:36:21
On The Trail, Obama Airbrushes Out Clinton's Name
I still think it's also a matter of race. Wright appears to be an ABM *Angry Black Man). Hagee and Parsley are Angry White Men, if not Angry White Jerks. Black is scary. Angry Black Man is scarier still. After all, the perception of any other race / gender combination is people with grievances. The perception of ABMs is Grand Theft Auto blended with Charles Manson. This is bad enough as is, but the media are still having great fun with it, and I SWEAR, the Republicans are so happy they're drooling. And lookie here - it's still a hot topic on HuffPo as well as the MSM.
As far as no religious test - yeah, it does say that. Too bad that we, as a country, don't believe it. We believe that moslems are bad, baptist christians are good, and atheists are evil. We believe that Catholics are bad, Buddhists are weird, Jews killed JeeZus, and all Chinese religions are kooky. Toss race into the mix, and you can safely believe that all dark people believe wrongly, and only white folks of the proper christian stripe are fit for office.
Sometimes I think the national anthem, for patriotic atheists, blacks, and anyone else not a white christian but who loves the U.S., should be "If Loving You is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right..." because we love the country in spite of those trying to take it over for their very peculiar god. posted 05/11/2008 at 18:01:56
As far as no religious test - yeah, it does say that. Too bad that we, as a country, don't believe it. We believe that moslems are bad, baptist christians are good, and atheists are evil. We believe that Catholics are bad, Buddhists are weird, Jews killed JeeZus, and all Chinese religions are kooky. Toss race into the mix, and you can safely believe that all dark people believe wrongly, and only white folks of the proper christian stripe are fit for office.
Sometimes I think the national anthem, for patriotic atheists, blacks, and anyone else not a white christian but who loves the U.S., should be "If Loving You is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right..." because we love the country in spite of those trying to take it over for their very peculiar god. posted 05/11/2008 at 18:01:56
Lieberman's Very Serious Muslim-Bashing Senate Report
"Arab language public school in New York City"
Um... this is America. I really think that we should be teaching immigrants - all of them - English, because English is still our national language. Never mind that we're too lazy to learn other languages - that's another issue. We wouldn't like it much if there was a public Jew school (for Jews who speak Hebrew and Yiddish), would we? Howzabout a public Spanish school? ("Bilingual" education is often a sad joke, with neither English nor other subjects in the native tongue taught well). What about a public Korean school? Maybe a public Black school? Oops, we have those, and they're bastions of poor funding and poor education.
It was wrong to run Almontaser out of town on a rail. It's wrong - and stupid - to consider all Arabs and/or all muslims to be terrorists. But we shouldn't start kids out by segregating them into their own little language-based or religion-based or race-based school communities, either. posted 05/13/2008 at 13:04:35
Um... this is America. I really think that we should be teaching immigrants - all of them - English, because English is still our national language. Never mind that we're too lazy to learn other languages - that's another issue. We wouldn't like it much if there was a public Jew school (for Jews who speak Hebrew and Yiddish), would we? Howzabout a public Spanish school? ("Bilingual" education is often a sad joke, with neither English nor other subjects in the native tongue taught well). What about a public Korean school? Maybe a public Black school? Oops, we have those, and they're bastions of poor funding and poor education.
It was wrong to run Almontaser out of town on a rail. It's wrong - and stupid - to consider all Arabs and/or all muslims to be terrorists. But we shouldn't start kids out by segregating them into their own little language-based or religion-based or race-based school communities, either. posted 05/13/2008 at 13:04:35
McCain to Me in 1999: Bush "As Dumb as a Stump"
Many, many people voted for a stump. The European headlines in 2004 said it best - "Can 55 Million Americans be That Stupid?" (Not a perfect quote, but I'm too lazy to go look it up.)
Additionally, many people voted for someone as smart as a can of cat food (Bush), as smart as a rock (Bush), as smart as a bump on a log (Bush), .... posted 05/11/2008 at 18:21:12
Additionally, many people voted for someone as smart as a can of cat food (Bush), as smart as a rock (Bush), as smart as a bump on a log (Bush), .... posted 05/11/2008 at 18:21:12
Bill Clinton Switches to Obama
Nah, Bill can't be the only white voter for Obama. If McCain doesn't step up his pandering, Ann Coulter will vote for Obama, right? And then... arriveth the Second Coming... posted 05/09/2008 at 09:36:12
The Obama Democrats' Ostrich Moment
Yeah - and I work with someone who really believes that Obama is a muslim who joined a christian church only when he knew he would be going into politics.
-sigh- posted 05/09/2008 at 17:40:23
-sigh- posted 05/09/2008 at 17:40:23
I think that the Ayers thing should be terribly important. After all, what a candidate does when s/he's 7 years old just might be THE key to what s/he'll do as Prez.
For example, did Candidate A ever wet the bed? S/He might pee all over the Constitution! Did the candidate ever steal a nickel from his/her Mom's purse? S/He might loot the Treasury! Was the Candidate ever in the same state as someone who turned out to be a mass murderer? S/He might send troops off to be killed in a stupid war!
True, the Repubs will fight dirty. I just hope the Dem candidate will try to keep to the high road, but fight dirty if necessary. Let the REPUBLICAN skeletons be unveiled. And please, please, let the masses recognise those skeletons as Genuinely Factual Bad Things rather than fiction.
Don't change bush in the middle of a date - vote for McCain in 2008! posted 05/09/2008 at 09:52:47
For example, did Candidate A ever wet the bed? S/He might pee all over the Constitution! Did the candidate ever steal a nickel from his/her Mom's purse? S/He might loot the Treasury! Was the Candidate ever in the same state as someone who turned out to be a mass murderer? S/He might send troops off to be killed in a stupid war!
True, the Repubs will fight dirty. I just hope the Dem candidate will try to keep to the high road, but fight dirty if necessary. Let the REPUBLICAN skeletons be unveiled. And please, please, let the masses recognise those skeletons as Genuinely Factual Bad Things rather than fiction.
Don't change bush in the middle of a date - vote for McCain in 2008! posted 05/09/2008 at 09:52:47
"do you think Obama will look after latinos and hispanics when he owes the brothers."
Eek! That is EXACTLY what my redneck nephew-in-law said! posted 05/09/2008 at 09:42:59
Eek! That is EXACTLY what my redneck nephew-in-law said! posted 05/09/2008 at 09:42:59
A Death in the Family Today
Rest In Peace. posted 05/09/2008 at 09:33:17
An American Center for Cures?
True, to an extent - but the NIH and NSF and other major funding groups do focus on diseases that already exist. Also, there is no gap between basic research and clinical research - it's a continuum, in the same way that there's no gap between the computer you're reading this on and the text itself. There is a bridge between each pair of steps. The CDC identifies and tracks diseases, which are then studied by researchers doing everything from studies of the basics of the molecules involved to administration of medicines to treat the problems. Results come from blending the knowledge of all parties involved. posted 05/10/2008 at 15:27:38
True - but many junk science "treatments" cause problems, too, as do "cures" that aren't really cures. Remember laetrile? To top it off, people who opt for fake treatments or placebo cures are actually harmed by not having more conventional treatments immediately. Then they get sicker, and often go for regular medicine, which they then blame for failing to cure them.
It's not really money well spent when one adds in those hidden costs. If one wants a placebo effect, one can still get it from regular medicine, since most conventional treatments for diseases offer the hope of recovery, too. Placebos are easy. Real treatments are hard. posted 05/10/2008 at 15:22:31
It's not really money well spent when one adds in those hidden costs. If one wants a placebo effect, one can still get it from regular medicine, since most conventional treatments for diseases offer the hope of recovery, too. Placebos are easy. Real treatments are hard. posted 05/10/2008 at 15:22:31
Nonsense. *** ALL *** research, if it's any good, is hypothesis-driven and discovery-focused. If one has no hypothesis, one has no experiment. If one doesn't discover the answer to a question by experimental means, one discovers nothing at all.
Research that doesn't follow the basic tenets of experimental design gives us junk science like colored glasses for autism and ADHD (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118955906.html). It gives us cancer treatments like drinking herbal tea by the gallon. It gives us chelation therapy. All absolute, utter nonsense, paid for by people desperate for anything at all that might help their conditions.
BTW, we already have a "Center for Cures." It's called the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). posted 05/08/2008 at 22:16:40
Research that doesn't follow the basic tenets of experimental design gives us junk science like colored glasses for autism and ADHD (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118955906.html). It gives us cancer treatments like drinking herbal tea by the gallon. It gives us chelation therapy. All absolute, utter nonsense, paid for by people desperate for anything at all that might help their conditions.
BTW, we already have a "Center for Cures." It's called the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). posted 05/08/2008 at 22:16:40
18 Questions *From* Congressional Republicans
I got ***MY*** pocket Constitution from Kucinich - signed, no less.... :-) posted 05/09/2008 at 09:23:18
Try reading Frank's "What's the Matter with Kansas?". It goes a long way in explaining how the far right conservative Repubs have managed to get so many people to vote against their own best interests. I still find it astonishing, though, that so many people can remain so misinformed and can continue to support the likes of Bush and his policies, as long as they can be convinced that their not-really-christian "family values" will be upheld ("upheld" = "forced onto everybody else"). posted 05/09/2008 at 09:21:43
Ah, what a wonderful lesson in how not to write good survey questions!
I used to get surveys like that - I forgot where they came from, but possibly from the Moral Majority - and I kept sending them back with the "wrong" answers. ("Should we continue bombing the crap out of countries whose weapons consist of angry camels, in order to keep the oil flowing and make bigger profits for our richest, most patriotic, most Christ-like supporters? Y / N" and I kept checking off the "N.") After a while, I didn't get them surveys no mo'..... posted 05/08/2008 at 22:07:08
I used to get surveys like that - I forgot where they came from, but possibly from the Moral Majority - and I kept sending them back with the "wrong" answers. ("Should we continue bombing the crap out of countries whose weapons consist of angry camels, in order to keep the oil flowing and make bigger profits for our richest, most patriotic, most Christ-like supporters? Y / N" and I kept checking off the "N.") After a while, I didn't get them surveys no mo'..... posted 05/08/2008 at 22:07:08
American Airlines Jet Flies From Dallas To Paris With Exposed Belly
Maybe they shoulda oughta inspected ALL of EACH plane... posted 05/09/2008 at 10:02:24
The Pro Teen Sex and Unwanted Pregnancy Movement
Yeah, but in the pro-life states where kids are more sexually active, have had sex before the age of 13, and more likely to have four or more sexual partners, the partners of the less-than-13-year-old crowd are relatives anyway, right? Do they count?
OKokok, I was being sarcastic. But I wonder - what's the correlation (if any) between educational levels and preteen sexual activity? Are these the same states who generate kids who can't read the labels on condoms? posted 05/08/2008 at 17:30:57
OKokok, I was being sarcastic. But I wonder - what's the correlation (if any) between educational levels and preteen sexual activity? Are these the same states who generate kids who can't read the labels on condoms? posted 05/08/2008 at 17:30:57
McCain's Base Problem
It makes no difference if the religious right voted for Schmuckabee in the primaries. When it comes to the general election, they'll vote for McCain. They'll come out in DROVES to vote for McCain, because they think the other side is evil, and his base, if nothing else, is anti-evil. It makes no difference if the Repubs didn't hold up their end of the bargain - they're godly, right? So they're better than the ungodly Dems, right?
If McCain wants avid supporters instead of merely lukewarm supporters, all he has to do is pander a bit more. Be a bit Bushier. Hire an expensive hooker for his minister friends. Use the Goldenish Rule (Torture unto others as they have tortured unto you.). Promise (threaten?) to stay in Iraq for another 200 years.
I'd LOVE to see the right-wing nutcakes stay home on Election Day. But it ain't gonna happen - not when there's this intelligent dangerous-looking (ie, black) guy or this scary intelligent woman running for Prez. Yepperz, gotta vote agin them folks, they might be evil.
Remember "Don't change dicks in the middle of a screw - vote for Nixon in '72!"? Well, we're slightly less sexist then we used to be, so howzabout using a similar but female-ish word for the 2008 campaign? (Not the c-word - too McCainish):
Don't change bush in the middle of a date - vote for McCain in 2008! posted 05/08/2008 at 21:58:47
If McCain wants avid supporters instead of merely lukewarm supporters, all he has to do is pander a bit more. Be a bit Bushier. Hire an expensive hooker for his minister friends. Use the Goldenish Rule (Torture unto others as they have tortured unto you.). Promise (threaten?) to stay in Iraq for another 200 years.
I'd LOVE to see the right-wing nutcakes stay home on Election Day. But it ain't gonna happen - not when there's this intelligent dangerous-looking (ie, black) guy or this scary intelligent woman running for Prez. Yepperz, gotta vote agin them folks, they might be evil.
Remember "Don't change dicks in the middle of a screw - vote for Nixon in '72!"? Well, we're slightly less sexist then we used to be, so howzabout using a similar but female-ish word for the 2008 campaign? (Not the c-word - too McCainish):
Don't change bush in the middle of a date - vote for McCain in 2008! posted 05/08/2008 at 21:58:47
The Surge Against First Graders
Mr. Stager mentioned that Reading First "... reduces knowledge to bite-sized chunks presented in a prescribed sequence enforced by a scripted lesson the teacher is to recite to a classroom of pupils chanting predetermined responses."
Kinda like "Two legs good, 4 legs bad." posted 05/08/2008 at 21:32:36
Kinda like "Two legs good, 4 legs bad." posted 05/08/2008 at 21:32:36
"Three months vacation, plus holidays, plus spring break, plus snow days, plus student teacher conference days. Plus weekends."
And all that for the exorbitant pay of $28,000 per year! That was my salary when I taught 6th grade in a public school a couple of years ago. Really. posted 05/08/2008 at 21:31:27
And all that for the exorbitant pay of $28,000 per year! That was my salary when I taught 6th grade in a public school a couple of years ago. Really. posted 05/08/2008 at 21:31:27
The Falling Federal Gas Tax
Sure, I believe in supply and demand! As in "SUPPLY me my gas, and I'll pay whatever price you DEMAND rather than support alternative fuels."
Oh, wait a minute... maybe you meant the OTHER supply and demand? The one that doesn't include collusion, monopolies, tax breaks, tax incentives, outsourcing, corporate whores writing government and economic policy, government whores taking corporate money... posted 05/06/2008 at 13:00:33
Oh, wait a minute... maybe you meant the OTHER supply and demand? The one that doesn't include collusion, monopolies, tax breaks, tax incentives, outsourcing, corporate whores writing government and economic policy, government whores taking corporate money... posted 05/06/2008 at 13:00:33
Bible Amusement Park Now Twice As Amusing
Exactly the same! Shameful behaviour! posted 05/07/2008 at 19:55:35
As long as they don't forget to include the dinosaurs with their human companions, all could be well.
BTW - I always cringe when I hear of Jewish (or Israeli) entrepreneurs doing something with no moral merit but which (they hope) will make them a pile of dough. It reinforces all of those stereotypes I got beat up for when I was a kid. It's even worse if they're pandering to the christian evangelicals, many of whom hope to see Israel become a christian nation and Jews become dead.
On the other hand, a dollar is a dollar, and when taken from the gullible and invested well... (intended as a bad stereotype imitation) posted 05/06/2008 at 12:55:35
BTW - I always cringe when I hear of Jewish (or Israeli) entrepreneurs doing something with no moral merit but which (they hope) will make them a pile of dough. It reinforces all of those stereotypes I got beat up for when I was a kid. It's even worse if they're pandering to the christian evangelicals, many of whom hope to see Israel become a christian nation and Jews become dead.
On the other hand, a dollar is a dollar, and when taken from the gullible and invested well... (intended as a bad stereotype imitation) posted 05/06/2008 at 12:55:35
McCain's Justice
Um... we DO have majority rule. The will of the majority IS a vital principle of republican government. However, I don't recall ever seeing anything that said he no longer feared the effects of factions, nor that he decided that the minority should be stomped instead of protected. posted 05/06/2008 at 13:28:49
Ah, but the people they argued before wanted to hear about the issues. We've changed. Now we want to know what church the candidates go to, what pins they wear, how their suits fit, how their hairstyles have or haven't changed, what their spouses say, and other such pressing issues. We like sound bites - we must like them, or we wouldn't bother watching media that presents only sound bites. Moderators pose stupid questions that have short answers, and impose time limits, so that our brains won't be as overtaxed as our wallets are. Listening to real debates about real issues takes TIME, and... wait a minute, what's that? A puppy? Awwwwwwwwww......................... posted 05/06/2008 at 13:25:26
Good points, but lifetime tenure is wonderful when it protects judges with "our" point of view. As Mr. Stone said, the real problem is indeed us (Americans). We elect bozos who appoint bozos, and then we complain that the bozos are doing what we they said they'd do.
Dubya doesn't care much for the Constitution, so he appointed judges and Justices who are also not keen on it. We (Americans, not HuffPo readers) elected Bush, and now we're getting what we paid for. posted 05/06/2008 at 13:21:00
Dubya doesn't care much for the Constitution, so he appointed judges and Justices who are also not keen on it. We (Americans, not HuffPo readers) elected Bush, and now we're getting what we paid for. posted 05/06/2008 at 13:21:00
One need not hate FDR to remember that he was the one who tried to pack the Court with extra Justices who would favour his point of view. He also was the one who created concentration camps for Japanese Americans during WWII. FDR, the New Deal guy, did a lot of good things. But - he also did some things (like the camps and trying to pack the Court) which were not so good. These facts are easy to find (try Wikipedia or any other half-decent source on the Net).
The point is that even some presidents who are remembered fondly for their good works did some things that we now look at with horror. The bad things done by good presidents are as bad as the bad things done by bad presidents.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In a way, elections should all be tagged with "caveat emptor" - let the buyer beware. Judges hold our safety and our lives in their decisions. We must be careful that they are as free as possible from undue influences ("undue" = "not law-related"). It may not be such a great idea to elect judges, but it's also not such a great idea to have them all appointed (by the elected but evil Other Side), either, since both ways of making judges could create conflicts of interest. Federal judges, appointed but confirmed by Congress, with lifetime terms (no more campaigning!), helps keep them from succumbing to those undue influences. posted 05/06/2008 at 13:15:41
The point is that even some presidents who are remembered fondly for their good works did some things that we now look at with horror. The bad things done by good presidents are as bad as the bad things done by bad presidents.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In a way, elections should all be tagged with "caveat emptor" - let the buyer beware. Judges hold our safety and our lives in their decisions. We must be careful that they are as free as possible from undue influences ("undue" = "not law-related"). It may not be such a great idea to elect judges, but it's also not such a great idea to have them all appointed (by the elected but evil Other Side), either, since both ways of making judges could create conflicts of interest. Federal judges, appointed but confirmed by Congress, with lifetime terms (no more campaigning!), helps keep them from succumbing to those undue influences. posted 05/06/2008 at 13:15:41
One Man's Quest To Save $100 From The 'Gas Tax Holiday'
My 16 mpg SUV is the only vehicle we've got that will even get up the hill to our house without struggling. I'd LOVE to have a 4WD car that would haul some weight but run on something other than gas. In the meantime, I have no choice - I drive what I need for the farm. Also, I'm not made of money - like most folks, I'd have a tough time paying for another vehicle even if a better one was available. posted 05/06/2008 at 08:05:15
I suspect that researcher was pointing out that we got where we are by greed, and most folks are too dumb to realize that slightly cheaper gas may cost them their jobs! posted 05/06/2008 at 08:01:38
What John McCain Told Me, and What it Says About How Far He's Fallen
I haven't watched The Daily Show (Jon Stewart) since the writer's strike started (I got used to doing other things!). However, I still get their weekly e-mail - and this week, I saw that McCain will be on for the umpteenth time.
At what point will liberals stop supporting this guy by giving him free publicity? posted 05/06/2008 at 07:47:49
At what point will liberals stop supporting this guy by giving him free publicity? posted 05/06/2008 at 07:47:49
Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks
Excellent post. Thank you. posted 05/06/2008 at 07:42:11
Oil at $120, Gas Tripping $4 -- Time for Plow Horses and Buggies, Even Toed Ungulates?
I don't think my chickens, ducks, goose, and horses would like to live in town... posted 05/05/2008 at 22:11:49
If you live that close to work, you could ride a bicycle! No byproducts at all, easily stored, doesn't need food or water, doesn't need medicines, doesn't need training, etc. I'm kinda jealous!
It would take me much longer than that to ride my horse to work, and riding a bike is out of the question - my trek to work is literally uphill both ways. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth to be pushing pedals up hills that cause 4-cylinder cars to get slower (they don't have enough power to go up the hills and stay at the same speed, even when the accelerator is floored). Like I said, I'm kinda jealous - I have no option other than driving a car to work. posted 05/05/2008 at 12:59:07
It would take me much longer than that to ride my horse to work, and riding a bike is out of the question - my trek to work is literally uphill both ways. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth to be pushing pedals up hills that cause 4-cylinder cars to get slower (they don't have enough power to go up the hills and stay at the same speed, even when the accelerator is floored). Like I said, I'm kinda jealous - I have no option other than driving a car to work. posted 05/05/2008 at 12:59:07
The Simple Arithmetic of John McCain's Bogus Claims of Energy Independence
Good points! And I admit you're right that the real danger is that we'll all forget about the problem. I was driving in 1973 when the big oil embargo was imposed. There was a lot of talk about getting off oil, designing better vehicles, conserving gas on the road, etc., etc.
35 years later, I still combine all shopping into one weekly trip, shift low (manual transmission), brake gently, don't do jackrabbit starts unless I'll get run down otherwise, turn off my car if a passing train will be a long one, etc. But I wonder how many other folks do the same thing... posted 05/05/2008 at 22:19:08
35 years later, I still combine all shopping into one weekly trip, shift low (manual transmission), brake gently, don't do jackrabbit starts unless I'll get run down otherwise, turn off my car if a passing train will be a long one, etc. But I wonder how many other folks do the same thing... posted 05/05/2008 at 22:19:08
Part II:
3. If / when gas costs $8 / gallon, the money to pay for it will have to come from somewhere else in people's budgets. Housing costs are off the table - one has to live somewhere. Same for car payments, insurance, etc., all of which will still have to be paid. What's left? Buy less food, cheaper food, fewer clothes, fewer toys and books and CDs, don't go out to movies, don't eat at restaurants, turn the heat down, etc. Don't go to the doctor. These things affect the economy!
4. We could gear up on production of non-gasoline vehicles. However, people who have other bills to pay can't run out and buy a new electric (or other non-gas-swilling) car. It doesn't matter if those vehicles are inexpensive, run on tap water, can get up hills, and come in sizes useful to singles and 10-person families. Even if such wondrous cars were on the market right now, a lot of people couldn't afford to buy them.
5. In the end, the free market would suffer, since it only works if people keep buying stuff. The idea of market forces fixing everything ignores the short-term (years) effects of punishing the economy by starving it (people not buying stuff). Sure, the effects are temporary (years). I don't know about other folks, but I don't want to not eat temporarily (years).
Oh, well. Lots of ideas sound great until one thinks about them for a while. posted 05/05/2008 at 08:29:25
3. If / when gas costs $8 / gallon, the money to pay for it will have to come from somewhere else in people's budgets. Housing costs are off the table - one has to live somewhere. Same for car payments, insurance, etc., all of which will still have to be paid. What's left? Buy less food, cheaper food, fewer clothes, fewer toys and books and CDs, don't go out to movies, don't eat at restaurants, turn the heat down, etc. Don't go to the doctor. These things affect the economy!
4. We could gear up on production of non-gasoline vehicles. However, people who have other bills to pay can't run out and buy a new electric (or other non-gas-swilling) car. It doesn't matter if those vehicles are inexpensive, run on tap water, can get up hills, and come in sizes useful to singles and 10-person families. Even if such wondrous cars were on the market right now, a lot of people couldn't afford to buy them.
5. In the end, the free market would suffer, since it only works if people keep buying stuff. The idea of market forces fixing everything ignores the short-term (years) effects of punishing the economy by starving it (people not buying stuff). Sure, the effects are temporary (years). I don't know about other folks, but I don't want to not eat temporarily (years).
Oh, well. Lots of ideas sound great until one thinks about them for a while. posted 05/05/2008 at 08:29:25
This is NOT a personal attack.
Part i:
The "free market" response is valid, but it's limited and it fails to consider the collateral effects on the economy.
1. Farmers use gas (or diesel) to grow crops as well as to buy seed and livestock and transport the items produced to market. If (when) gas costs $8 / gal, food and other farm products will be proportionately affected. In other words, farmers will have to pass the cost on to consumers.
2. People who live in rural areas will still have to buy gas in order to get to work. There is no other method of transportation available to rural folks. For example, I suppose I could ride one of my horses to work, but where am I going to put him when I get there? We don't live in the 19th century any more - there ain't no hitching posts anywhere near where I work. We can't go back - cities and towns would have to be entirely rebuilt to allow for horse-driven buggies. posted 05/05/2008 at 08:26:58
Part i:
The "free market" response is valid, but it's limited and it fails to consider the collateral effects on the economy.
1. Farmers use gas (or diesel) to grow crops as well as to buy seed and livestock and transport the items produced to market. If (when) gas costs $8 / gal, food and other farm products will be proportionately affected. In other words, farmers will have to pass the cost on to consumers.
2. People who live in rural areas will still have to buy gas in order to get to work. There is no other method of transportation available to rural folks. For example, I suppose I could ride one of my horses to work, but where am I going to put him when I get there? We don't live in the 19th century any more - there ain't no hitching posts anywhere near where I work. We can't go back - cities and towns would have to be entirely rebuilt to allow for horse-driven buggies. posted 05/05/2008 at 08:26:58
Sciguy = Liberal with guns posted 05/05/2008 at 07:50:33
McCain's Reverends Right: His Faustian Bargain with Radical Christianity
Cue the organ!
Listen to the organ music during the above YouTube video. At about 7'48", Parlsey says something and tears a page from the bible - and the organ thrums. He says something else and tears out another page - and the organ highlights the move. And so on and so on.
Who says these preachers don't pander to audiences in those huge can't-see-the-guy-from-here-anyway auditoriums? They use theatrical sound effects that are straight from old radio plays like Inner Sanctum and Creaking Door - for the same reasons and for the same effects. The vocal intonations of any preacher from MLK to Parsley are to lull and seduce (eek!!) the audience, to make promote the "feel" of the event, to bring applause, and to fill the collection plate.
I'm not trying to demean folks like MLK - they were often inspiring. But - any time anyone uses a pastoral oratory style, especially if they accompany it with organ hints of doom, fer cryin' out loud, the listener is buying the mood. They buy the message later - after they've been completely snowed under.
Don't believe it? Turn on your TV and watch a few commercials. Many have upbeat music preceding the message. Some oldies but goodies: It's the real thing, I'd like to buy the world a Coke, Things go better with Coke. Americans have succumbed to marketing in everything else, why not market gods and politics with pastors and threshold music? posted 05/04/2008 at 13:18:50
Listen to the organ music during the above YouTube video. At about 7'48", Parlsey says something and tears a page from the bible - and the organ thrums. He says something else and tears out another page - and the organ highlights the move. And so on and so on.
Who says these preachers don't pander to audiences in those huge can't-see-the-guy-from-here-anyway auditoriums? They use theatrical sound effects that are straight from old radio plays like Inner Sanctum and Creaking Door - for the same reasons and for the same effects. The vocal intonations of any preacher from MLK to Parsley are to lull and seduce (eek!!) the audience, to make promote the "feel" of the event, to bring applause, and to fill the collection plate.
I'm not trying to demean folks like MLK - they were often inspiring. But - any time anyone uses a pastoral oratory style, especially if they accompany it with organ hints of doom, fer cryin' out loud, the listener is buying the mood. They buy the message later - after they've been completely snowed under.
Don't believe it? Turn on your TV and watch a few commercials. Many have upbeat music preceding the message. Some oldies but goodies: It's the real thing, I'd like to buy the world a Coke, Things go better with Coke. Americans have succumbed to marketing in everything else, why not market gods and politics with pastors and threshold music? posted 05/04/2008 at 13:18:50
Unfortunately, the Dalai Lama would turn it down. Too bad. posted 05/04/2008 at 12:57:24
That does it. From now on, I'm going to consider Obama to be WHITE with a black father rather than BLACK with a white mother. I can't be proved wrong on this, can I? posted 05/04/2008 at 12:54:33
The Dummies' Guide to Stupid Leaders and Misleading Numbers
According to the article in Business Week, there were "strong employment gains in the service sector, which rose 90,000" - and as noted, "the loss of 20,000 American jobs in April is actually good news."
Astonishing. Truly astonishing. I'm no economist, but I coulda sworn that the loss of jobs was BAD news... and aren't "service jobs" usually things like burger-flipper and house-cleaner? Having strong gains in those areas is good news?
What has the business community been drinking, and can I have some? posted 05/03/2008 at 23:21:07
Astonishing. Truly astonishing. I'm no economist, but I coulda sworn that the loss of jobs was BAD news... and aren't "service jobs" usually things like burger-flipper and house-cleaner? Having strong gains in those areas is good news?
What has the business community been drinking, and can I have some? posted 05/03/2008 at 23:21:07
Whatever You Do, Don't Get "Too Sick"
How to cut costs? Well.... lessee.... the head of the surgery dept where I used to work (a public university) made more than $500,000 per year - more than 10 years ago. I do admit that I have little sympathy for anyone who makes more than I do, but really - more than half a mil yearly? When the heads of the research departments who support the clinical departments make less than half of that?
Of course, physician salaries are almost never brought into the discussions of universal health care because everybody is terrified that no one will want to be a physician if s/he can't earn a couple of extra Mercedes each and every year. Nonsense! Let the physicians who want to make obscene buckets of money (rather than wanting to make people feel better) go to law school. Most physicians don't require obscene salaries - but if the FatDocs insist - let 'em eat law books. And if they're already physicians and can't handle living on a couple hundred thou annually, they can go ahead and leave practice. There are (and will be) thousands of new physicians coming along. We'll survive. posted 05/03/2008 at 22:51:24
Of course, physician salaries are almost never brought into the discussions of universal health care because everybody is terrified that no one will want to be a physician if s/he can't earn a couple of extra Mercedes each and every year. Nonsense! Let the physicians who want to make obscene buckets of money (rather than wanting to make people feel better) go to law school. Most physicians don't require obscene salaries - but if the FatDocs insist - let 'em eat law books. And if they're already physicians and can't handle living on a couple hundred thou annually, they can go ahead and leave practice. There are (and will be) thousands of new physicians coming along. We'll survive. posted 05/03/2008 at 22:51:24
AMEN! posted 05/03/2008 at 22:42:38
There's a big difference between "profit" and "non-profit." Non-profits don't have a "profit motive." The people who work for non-profits sure do want to keep their jobs, as do most people who work for charities, legal assistance workers, pastors, physicians, teachers, firefighters, ditch-diggers, jailers, lawyers, etc. I'd bet that the folks who work for Medicare and those who work for the IRS want to keep their jobs, too.
Of course, Medicare - imperfect though it is - is "socialized medicine," since it's paid for by the government by means of taxes. Firefighters, police, veterans, and everyone who works for a state university all have health care benefits that are paid for by their city, state, and/or federal governments - so they all use "socialized medicine." I have yet to hear any of them - or any Medicare / Medicaid recipient - turn it down, so I guess it's working well enough to get by.
Not everyone insists on making CEO-type profits, or even any profits at all. Such is life. posted 05/03/2008 at 22:37:05
Of course, Medicare - imperfect though it is - is "socialized medicine," since it's paid for by the government by means of taxes. Firefighters, police, veterans, and everyone who works for a state university all have health care benefits that are paid for by their city, state, and/or federal governments - so they all use "socialized medicine." I have yet to hear any of them - or any Medicare / Medicaid recipient - turn it down, so I guess it's working well enough to get by.
Not everyone insists on making CEO-type profits, or even any profits at all. Such is life. posted 05/03/2008 at 22:37:05
The Poems You Loved As A Kid (Yes, You Did!)
"He's free as the breeze,
He's always at ease.
He lives in the jungle
And hangs by his knees,
As he swings through trees
Without a trapeeze,
In his BVD's."
(Ray Stevens, "Gitarzan")
I can't help but remember Seuss's "I do not want green eggs and ham - I do not want them, Sam-I-Am" because my chickens lay green eggs.
-sigh- Y'know, I might have a solution for the energy crisis or a cure for cancer in my brain, but soooooooo much space is taken up by those old poems and songs... :-)
So - put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning. posted 05/04/2008 at 12:38:29
He's always at ease.
He lives in the jungle
And hangs by his knees,
As he swings through trees
Without a trapeeze,
In his BVD's."
(Ray Stevens, "Gitarzan")
I can't help but remember Seuss's "I do not want green eggs and ham - I do not want them, Sam-I-Am" because my chickens lay green eggs.
-sigh- Y'know, I might have a solution for the energy crisis or a cure for cancer in my brain, but soooooooo much space is taken up by those old poems and songs... :-)
So - put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning. posted 05/04/2008 at 12:38:29
The True McCain Health Plan: Wealth Transfer From Voters to Corporations
AMEN! posted 05/03/2008 at 08:26:04
Reagan wasn't the first - or the most vocal - to demonise "socialized medicine." The AMA (American Medical Association) has been doing that for decades. Their main concern: physician salaries.
The AMA is now in favor of some type of health care for all people, but they are absolutely against government-sponsored health care. Their members - folks like the doctors we all go to if we can afford it - support their stand against "socialized medicine." This does indeed include physicians who work at clinics supported by the government (like university hospitals and clinics), and who therefore themselves partake of "socialized medicine." posted 05/02/2008 at 14:17:14
The AMA is now in favor of some type of health care for all people, but they are absolutely against government-sponsored health care. Their members - folks like the doctors we all go to if we can afford it - support their stand against "socialized medicine." This does indeed include physicians who work at clinics supported by the government (like university hospitals and clinics), and who therefore themselves partake of "socialized medicine." posted 05/02/2008 at 14:17:14
40 Years Ago Today, The Police Tried to Kill Me At Columbia University
Let me amend that to ""Hey, Bushie! Off your tushie! You and Big Oil are way too cushy!"" :-) posted 05/01/2008 at 17:34:00
Absolutely excellent post. Thank you.
" "Hey, Hey LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?"
(Can't imagine crowds today chanting that every time the president appears.) "
Howzabout "Hey, Bushie! Off your tushie! You and the Saudis are way too cushy!" posted 05/01/2008 at 14:59:51
" "Hey, Hey LBJ, How many kids did you kill today?"
(Can't imagine crowds today chanting that every time the president appears.) "
Howzabout "Hey, Bushie! Off your tushie! You and the Saudis are way too cushy!" posted 05/01/2008 at 14:59:51
Lesbos Residents Sue Gay Group Over Using The Term "Lesbian"
Now I've heard EVERYTHING. posted 05/01/2008 at 14:51:47
Giant Squid: See All The Pictures (PHOTOS)
Too cool!
Now, do we think we can try to keep the ocean clean enough to allow that lil fella and his family and friends to survive? posted 04/30/2008 at 07:48:31
Now, do we think we can try to keep the ocean clean enough to allow that lil fella and his family and friends to survive? posted 04/30/2008 at 07:48:31
A Little Love for Big Oil
Don't they already do that? Seriously - luxury taxes and windfall profits taxes are initially paid by the corporations involved, but it's basic economics to pass those costs along to the consumer. posted 05/01/2008 at 14:43:44
This is NOT an attack on the above comment, just an addition to it.
Mass transit would work for city folks, but what about rural folks? There's just not enough mass to transit!
Around here (rural Kentucky), the rural electric companies have finally built enough lines to supply *almost* every resident with access to the grid. Lots of people don't have city water, and sewers are strictly for city folks. Mass transit isn't cost-effective for rural areas. People who live on farms (read: produce food) have no choice but to use single-family vehicles for transportation, and trucks for getting food to market.
I suppose I could saddle up one of my horses and ride to work, but where am I going to hitch him up when I get there? posted 05/01/2008 at 14:41:26
Mass transit would work for city folks, but what about rural folks? There's just not enough mass to transit!
Around here (rural Kentucky), the rural electric companies have finally built enough lines to supply *almost* every resident with access to the grid. Lots of people don't have city water, and sewers are strictly for city folks. Mass transit isn't cost-effective for rural areas. People who live on farms (read: produce food) have no choice but to use single-family vehicles for transportation, and trucks for getting food to market.
I suppose I could saddle up one of my horses and ride to work, but where am I going to hitch him up when I get there? posted 05/01/2008 at 14:41:26
With the Truckers in DC
LOL! No, you're not a bad person - just a good person with a sense of humour.
So there. posted 04/30/2008 at 14:24:46
So there. posted 04/30/2008 at 14:24:46
When I was a kid, I was taught about truck farms - farmers grow stuff and bring it to market by truck. Nobody ever mentioned that trucks need fuel, and even locally-grown foods don't get to market by magic. Nobody ever mentioned that growing food requires fuel - fields don't plant, till, or harvest themselves. Priuses are nice, but I'd bet they couldn't haul a few tons of produce from the farm to the market, and how many hybrid semis are out there?
Sometimes, when I read an article like this, I feel despair. The protests are wonderful and certainly do attract attention - then everybody goes home and nothing changes. The truckers I've known are barely making ends meet. And as noted, too many of the folks driving the trucks are blithely voting for the Repubs who have caused this current crisis. We just plain don't seem to understand the connections between who we vote for and what we get as a result.
Everything I have/use comes by truck. Even the Internet arrives by semi - how did my Net-connected computer get to me? By truck. The electricity I use for that computer? By truck (coal trucks, oil tanker trucks). The content on the Net? Written by people who wear clothes, eat food, and write on a computer - all things that arrive by truck. Sooner or later, everything we do is affected by fuel. Take away the fuel, and eventually everything breaks down. posted 04/30/2008 at 07:13:46
Sometimes, when I read an article like this, I feel despair. The protests are wonderful and certainly do attract attention - then everybody goes home and nothing changes. The truckers I've known are barely making ends meet. And as noted, too many of the folks driving the trucks are blithely voting for the Repubs who have caused this current crisis. We just plain don't seem to understand the connections between who we vote for and what we get as a result.
Everything I have/use comes by truck. Even the Internet arrives by semi - how did my Net-connected computer get to me? By truck. The electricity I use for that computer? By truck (coal trucks, oil tanker trucks). The content on the Net? Written by people who wear clothes, eat food, and write on a computer - all things that arrive by truck. Sooner or later, everything we do is affected by fuel. Take away the fuel, and eventually everything breaks down. posted 04/30/2008 at 07:13:46
Senator McCain's Economic Policies Will Fail -- Big Time
Ah, but you can't SEE people paying their taxes every day. Those lapel pins are so much easier - just attach one and become a True Patriot. Paying taxes hurts! Lapel pins don't hurt (unless you stick the pin into yourself). Keep in mind that we have become a nation of appearances rather than substance. We buy pretty, glitzy crap that looks so nice when we buy it - and we never seem to complain when the stuff falls apart after a week's use. Unless whatever we buy kills us (or our pets), we simply don't care any more.
Now, perhaps if those lapel pins had lead paint in them and sickened or killed the wearers, we might stop carping at folks who don't wear them. But all we see in the area of taxes is that the "gummint" is "gittin'" it all, and we need that dough to buy more pretty crap.
We can SEE Chinese trinkets. We can't SEE the almost-10-trillion-dollar debt (not directly, anyway). It takes thought to understand that such a huge national debt is killing the country, but thinking, like paying taxes, hurts too many of us. posted 04/21/2008 at 13:41:06
Now, perhaps if those lapel pins had lead paint in them and sickened or killed the wearers, we might stop carping at folks who don't wear them. But all we see in the area of taxes is that the "gummint" is "gittin'" it all, and we need that dough to buy more pretty crap.
We can SEE Chinese trinkets. We can't SEE the almost-10-trillion-dollar debt (not directly, anyway). It takes thought to understand that such a huge national debt is killing the country, but thinking, like paying taxes, hurts too many of us. posted 04/21/2008 at 13:41:06
John McCain, Charles Grassley Physical Altercation Confirmed By Washington Post
Oooooh, goody! Maybe Ruffy-Tuffy McCain will go beat up the nasty terrorists for us! posted 04/21/2008 at 13:51:48
Carter's Hamas Hallucination
Carter did the unthinkable - he TALKED to the opposition.
We may hate the folks on the other side of any issue, the Bad Guys may be child murderers and rapists, they may be evil incarnate, they may want to destroy God, America, and Everything - but we have to talk to them. Whenever children (or, unfortunately, adults) get mad at each other, the first thing they do is stop talking to each other. No peace - or even an uneasy truce - can be made until the opposing sides talk to each other. Talking may result in both sides going for their guns, but it may also result in an eventual peace. Not talking results in both sides going for their guns.
I'm Jewish by birth, so I'm no fan of Hamas, Hezbollah, or any other mainly-Arabic terrorist group. I'm not thrilled with some of Israel's chosen methods for self-protection, either (a WALL? Did we learn nothing from Berlin?). Still - even if we think the other side is a bunch of disgusting camel-suckers, we have to pretend we're adults and talk to them. There may never be a strong peace in the Middle East, but if the US has any power left, we should use some of it to wage peace and try to foster civility between the opposing parties.
Talking to one's enemies is not silly. It might be unproductive, but it's not silly. Reason will eventually rule - or WWIII really will start in the Middle posted 04/18/2008 at 13:59:07
We may hate the folks on the other side of any issue, the Bad Guys may be child murderers and rapists, they may be evil incarnate, they may want to destroy God, America, and Everything - but we have to talk to them. Whenever children (or, unfortunately, adults) get mad at each other, the first thing they do is stop talking to each other. No peace - or even an uneasy truce - can be made until the opposing sides talk to each other. Talking may result in both sides going for their guns, but it may also result in an eventual peace. Not talking results in both sides going for their guns.
I'm Jewish by birth, so I'm no fan of Hamas, Hezbollah, or any other mainly-Arabic terrorist group. I'm not thrilled with some of Israel's chosen methods for self-protection, either (a WALL? Did we learn nothing from Berlin?). Still - even if we think the other side is a bunch of disgusting camel-suckers, we have to pretend we're adults and talk to them. There may never be a strong peace in the Middle East, but if the US has any power left, we should use some of it to wage peace and try to foster civility between the opposing parties.
Talking to one's enemies is not silly. It might be unproductive, but it's not silly. Reason will eventually rule - or WWIII really will start in the Middle posted 04/18/2008 at 13:59:07
Political Masochism: Punishing Ourselves With Republicans
Why do we give such respect to soldiers? They violate the basic Republican credo - the Ten Commandments. What part of "Thou shalt not kill" do we, as a nation, not understand?
Disclaimer: They're acting under orders, I support the troops, blah, blah, blah. posted 04/18/2008 at 13:08:38
Disclaimer: They're acting under orders, I support the troops, blah, blah, blah. posted 04/18/2008 at 13:08:38
He Blinded Me Without Science
Great description of the Pope - and don't forget, the whole Papal entourage is VERY gay. Lots of colourful hats and robes, much flourish and ado - it's a real Liberace moment. While you're admiring him, buy some Pope Soap-On-A-Rope and cleanse those sins away! Wear a Pope Anything-But-Flat Hat and keep evil ideas from getting in! BTW - The Pope has a nice Popemobile, but why is he afraid of getting shot? Isn't he supposed to be looking forward to going to heaven?
As for Ben Stein - he's a walking and talking (and talking and talking and talking) monument to freedom of religion in the US. He can spout anything at all and not be arrested, since being an idiot is not illegal. Unfortunately, there are people who will believe him - being credulous isn't illegal, either. Of course, one can hear the same things inside mental hospitals, but those folks are crazy, right? posted 04/18/2008 at 13:43:00
As for Ben Stein - he's a walking and talking (and talking and talking and talking) monument to freedom of religion in the US. He can spout anything at all and not be arrested, since being an idiot is not illegal. Unfortunately, there are people who will believe him - being credulous isn't illegal, either. Of course, one can hear the same things inside mental hospitals, but those folks are crazy, right? posted 04/18/2008 at 13:43:00
Gibson Trounces Stephanopoulos in Crucial Debate
Well - the candidate debates weren't supposed to have candidates debating or anything, were they? posted 04/17/2008 at 21:35:18
Where Is the League of Women Voters When We Need Them?
Agreed. I've been wondering for many months - as the "debates" continued to be anything but genuine debates - whatever happened to the League's sponsorship of debates. They were non-partisan, and the moderators selected for them at least appeared to be interested in having a good debate rather than preening themselves.
Too bad. Fake debates sponsored by partisan media are part of the country's election process now, and just like so many other things designed to further splinter us as a country, they're worse than no debates. I'd rather read about the candidates in the newspaper - except that my local newspaper is so partisan that it didn't even mention the last Democratic convention. -sigh-
Hmmm.... wait a minute.... it's obvious that the current situation of for-profit "debates" and for-profit candidate slugfests is indeed helping to fracture the US. I've got it! It's a plot by the Arabs! THEY want to make sure that the US falls apart! posted 04/17/2008 at 07:34:18
Too bad. Fake debates sponsored by partisan media are part of the country's election process now, and just like so many other things designed to further splinter us as a country, they're worse than no debates. I'd rather read about the candidates in the newspaper - except that my local newspaper is so partisan that it didn't even mention the last Democratic convention. -sigh-
Hmmm.... wait a minute.... it's obvious that the current situation of for-profit "debates" and for-profit candidate slugfests is indeed helping to fracture the US. I've got it! It's a plot by the Arabs! THEY want to make sure that the US falls apart! posted 04/17/2008 at 07:34:18
Nun-Cents: or, What Would Debbie Do?
My favorite graffiti was on a bridge support on I-64 in Kentucky. I don't know if it was the work of one graffiti-writer or was just an odd juxtaposition of different people's ramblings, but it read "Elvis, Jesus or Death." That said it all! posted 04/16/2008 at 21:26:13
American Idol? That's still on?
As for the Singing Nun - I still have that first album (swiped it from my parents). The poor old vinyl thing is uncomfortable, what with being surrounded by Beatles, Stones, and Iron Butterfly albums, but it (and most of the others) survived my house burning down a few years ago. So - I can still be inspired by Dominique if'n I git tired of Gimme Shelter... posted 04/16/2008 at 21:19:32
As for the Singing Nun - I still have that first album (swiped it from my parents). The poor old vinyl thing is uncomfortable, what with being surrounded by Beatles, Stones, and Iron Butterfly albums, but it (and most of the others) survived my house burning down a few years ago. So - I can still be inspired by Dominique if'n I git tired of Gimme Shelter... posted 04/16/2008 at 21:19:32
Boston Herald Prints My Fake News as Real News
Next stop - Fox News. Everything they report is accurate, they have no sense of humour, and they're fair and balanced, so we'll be looking for you.
Oh, wait a minute. Someone will have to be the designated Fox-watcher or we'll never notice the appearance of your work there.
After that, who knows? An interview by Rush Limbaugh? Apotheosis? We'll keep our eyes open... posted 04/15/2008 at 07:23:37
Oh, wait a minute. Someone will have to be the designated Fox-watcher or we'll never notice the appearance of your work there.
After that, who knows? An interview by Rush Limbaugh? Apotheosis? We'll keep our eyes open... posted 04/15/2008 at 07:23:37
Photographing the Ninth Ward
Wow.
Please post more of those photographs on HuffPost. We need to be reminded.
Thank you. posted 04/09/2008 at 16:06:40
Please post more of those photographs on HuffPost. We need to be reminded.
Thank you. posted 04/09/2008 at 16:06:40
40 Years Later, (The Late) Martin Luther King Still Silenced
"he campaigned militantly against" - I don't think MLK campaigned militantly against anything. Vigorously, yes. Militantly, no.
Why am I picking this particular nit? Because - as Obama and others before him have said - all we have is words. All MLK had was words. He walked with his words, and he talked with his words, but he never, thank All That Be, shot anyone with his words.
RIP, Rev. King. If there were more religious folks like you around, I might still have a wee bit of respect for religion. posted 04/04/2008 at 13:00:51
Why am I picking this particular nit? Because - as Obama and others before him have said - all we have is words. All MLK had was words. He walked with his words, and he talked with his words, but he never, thank All That Be, shot anyone with his words.
RIP, Rev. King. If there were more religious folks like you around, I might still have a wee bit of respect for religion. posted 04/04/2008 at 13:00:51
Popular Stories on HuffPost
From the AP: Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a...
*** UPDATED BELOW *** President Bush has said repeatedly that he would not insert himself into the...
Utterly insane goings-on tonight on...
It's a pretty well known fact that most women - attractive women -...
Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two...
Tonight, Keith Olbermann unleashed what may well have been his...
The AP reports on Obama's swift and forceful response to Bush and McCain's criticism of...
The Tennessee GOP hasn't yet had their fill of Obama dirty tricks. A few months ago,...
***UPDATE*** Roughly five hours after making comments about...
The Democratic Party has finally decided who's going to break it to Hillary that it's time...
Sixteen tips for getting good sleep. There's a lot of advice out there about getting good...
