Quote of the Week

Now I know smack downs. And this friends is a smack down. Don't be steppin' up on the foreign policy front...if you ain't got no back...because Z-Breeze ain't haven' it!



"Son. I was rocking peace accords when you were sippin' Yoo Hoo in your rubber diapies!"

For the TLDR set:

Zbig to Joe: "You have a such stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on it's almost embarrassing to listen to you."

-Cheers

When called to defend....

Something that is stupid and possibly indefensible, you just make shit up.



Now I am no defender of the good Reverend Sharpton, but at no point did he make any of the statements Ms. Obenshain claims. As Ta-Nehisi Coates so ably points out:

"Hey, Barack Obama has picked up another endorsement: Halfrican American actress Halle Berry. "As a Halfrican American, I am honored to have Ms. Berry's support, as well as the support of other Halfrican Americans."

"That would be Rush Limbaugh talking. The same Rush Limbaugh who we are to believe was defending Barack Obama from this mythical claim by Sharpton. Amazing."

Satire very much as a place in politics, you see, the problem here is not an issue of satire gone awry, it of simple bigotry. The whole construction of the "Magic Negro" fable is to assuage a sense of guilt. The sort of bigotry that needs a fictional construction of a people to help ameliorate feelings of discomfort. A way of saying, "I can like individual black people, but I don't have to like 'black culture'!". But here, you can read the original article (which as opposed to the lyrical milieu is actually insightful. ) written by David Ehrenstein here.

Anyway I give Ms. Hall much credit for handling the situation with grace. I would have lost it and probably went all Wayne Brady on her ass.

-cheers

They still don't get it....

I have resisted the urge to right a lengthy post excoriating the RNC and the republican party in general for validating the stereotypes directed its way.

But instead I will just say this, if they do not get the idea that Barack the Magic Negro is offensive, then they absolutely deserve their place in political purgatory, and more pointedly can just kiss my shiny black ass, if they think they will ever be getting my vote.

Which is sad, I absolutely wish there was a vibrant intellectually honest conservative party/movement. I think it is necessary to have a robust and legitimate opposition. That way you can have an honest discussion on any subject. Idelogical orthodxy is what we should be afraid of, and those who hide behind it. Not the honest disagreement borne of rigorous intellectual debate.

The republican party as it exists now is not that. It has become a cartoon.

Add to that the absolute acceptance of torture that both parties have sucumbed to, and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

The notion that the perfidy of even my home state governor, has taken precedence over the admition, by no less then the Vice President himself, that they conducted torturous acts.

Our own government admits it tortured people?

Or I guess more accurately would be our government engaged in activities that in the past we have prosecuted and exectuted individuals for doing. But what is more chilling then that is, the idea that the executive holds itself above even the Constitution, and the press ignores it?

You have Cheney, expressing both his opinion that the Presidents powers can set aside the Constitution and more disturbing that as long as the President believes he is working in the best interest of the nation then his actions are by definition not illegal.

That instead the press is busy patting itself on its back over this tripe, is illuminating.

I know that my Civics class was many moons ago, but I am pretty sure that the founding fathers intended the Constitution to bind us all and that no man or woman was above it. That the laws that constrain us, constrain us all equally.

Even if you believe that by breaking the law you are saving lives, you are still breaking the law and are subject to its arbitration and punishment.

Absolution is for the next life not this one.

Seasons Greetings

Had some computer problems over the last week that seriously impacted my Internet surfage but it seems to be fixed now.

So I thought I would drop some holiday cheer on y'all. I was looking over some old Christmas lists and came across some real gems.

Not sure which of these is more awesome...though I suspect it could be a tie....Enjoy, and have a safe and enjoyable holiday season.






And for some reason I can't help picturing Cation doing that rendition of Wonderwall...
-Cheers

Last Night.....

For the record....I hate Tyler, Scot and Woody.

With every fiber of my being.

Whoever decided it was a good idea to go out on campus deserves a good throttling about the neck and shoulders.....

Also yeah, if you wondered why Scot and I were whistling like idiots this is why....

It's like the love child of Micheal Jackson, Duran Duran, all rolled up with the uncomfortable androgyny of Peter Pan.

-cheers

Gogo Science!

I know, I know....it is just so pleasant to hear a president say such things.



If you don't want to watch the video the salient quote would be:

"Because the truth is that promoting science isn't just about providing resources -- it's about protecting free and open inquiry. It's about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It's about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it's inconvenient -- especially when it's inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. [...]

"I am confident that if we recommit ourselves to discovery; if we support science education to create the next generation of scientists and engineers right here in America; if we have the vision to believe and invest in things unseen, then we can lead the world into a new future of peace and prosperity."

This is the type of change I can believe in.

-cheers

Mired in Warrens.

The hubbub over the Pastor Rick Warren's inclusion in the Inauguration. I am of two minds on the subject, I don't really have a horse in this race but it has been lighting up the blogosphere. I recommend checking out Glenn Greenwald over at Salon. He makes an interesting argument on the subject.

Also for the the postings by Michelle Goldberg at Religion Dispatches and John Cole over at Balloon-Juice have a nice take on the various sides to that argument. Must reads.

The thing is, I think I agree with Greenwald in this regard, over the last 20-30 years "liberals" are always painted as fringe, deeply unserious, and patently unprepared for the rigors of reality. That being said, why is it when the conservative ideology that has held sway and completely failed by any available metric, it is progressives who must be conciliatory?

At no point over the last 8 years has there been even one acknowledgment from the right, that there is even a left leaning portion of the nation, except possibly to denigrate or demean. Yet once a relatively progressive ideology seems to be on the ascendancy, all we hear is how pragmatism and "reaching out to the other side of the isle" should be the order of the new day.

It may be divisive, but so what? There absolutely should be consequences for bad decisions.

If in your completely myopic pursuit of intellectual orthodoxy, you have led us to the precipice of ruin all the while telling me how foolish, naive and unserious I was. I am going to need a bit of contrite behavior on your part, before I listen to anything you say.

I am going to need to see some real intellectual rigor on their part. Not just invocations of "free market rules" and lower taxes in times of trouble.

If they want to be included they need to earn that right.

-Cheers

Less Awesome!

I wanted to just post the Table here, but the hyperlink wasn't really working in the way I liked.

Definitely less awesome.

So instead you will have to do some work and the click on the text to check out the Periodic Table of Awesoments!

Could there have been any doubt what the number one spot would be?

Also did some formatting and color changes on the site. Possibly more to come. Trying to get back on a regular post regiment, so we should get back to the weekly mishmash of current events and trans-dimensional bric-a-brac pretty soon! Besides it has been ages since we had a new word of the week!

-Cheers

*Thanks to Dr. Jones for passing this along to me.

Luddites...

It is not secret that I was extremely motivated to see Senator Obama elected president. I had many reasons for why I chose to put my time and money into making that happen, but honestly the biggest reason would probably be this, the chance at having a pro-science president/government.

In his selection of Dr. Stephen Chu, Nobel Prize winning physicist, the President-Elect had this to say:

"His appointment should send a signal to all that my administration will value science, we will make decisions based on the facts, and we understand that the facts demand bold action."

I have to echo Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly when he says:

"Now, I realize this may sound like the soft bigotry of low expectations, but we've reached a point at which hearing a president praise "science" and "facts" emphatically is so refreshing, and so encouraging, it raises hopes about the new-found importance of reality in government."

It seems like a very small thing to say. That this is such a radical departure from what has become the status quo from the Bush administration is the truly sickening thing. We have become a country of Luddites. Where dogma and ideology supersede, actual observable data. That is the world this administration has brought us to.

So yeah, I am happy that there are some real scientist heading up science agencies under and Obama administration. Not saying they will be perfect, but what has been happening has been disheartening to say the least. At a time when we need innovation and scientific know how we are sorely ill-equipped for it.

With all that being said, this little article just reminds us of what a sorry state our educational system is in .

37% of Americans can't find America on a map

--Yes I know it is satire....but tell me you didn't kind of believe it at first.....

Stuck in my craw.....

I finally have figured out what has been bothering me about the Gov. Blago debacle, it is the absolutely vacuous coverage that the media has undertaken. Everyone seems to agree that, at least, at this point no one in the Obama transition team has done anything illegal, yet that is not what they spend time reporting. Matt Yglesias over at Think Progress has encapsulated what it is that is bothering me.

New Rules

Also, what I find disturbing, is at the same time a new report was put out by the Senate, that linked many recent administration officials to detainee torture and homicide. Glenn Greenwald delves into those brackish waters.

My only question is where is the outrage for that? Our government has actively broken its own laws and abused the trust and reputation of this country yet, there is no outcry. All the pundits wish to bloviate on is the possible connections people have to the governor, not whether there is any merit to the thinly veiled assertions but that those assertions can be made. Yet they absolutely ignore, that a government sponsored report found that those running the government were involved in murder. I would think that should cause some alarm.

Now none of this is an attack on investigative or probing journalism. If nothing else the arrest of Rod is a huge point in favor of that type of jounalism. No this is more an issue of boredom on the part of the media. Obama as savior has run its course now, it is time to delve into Obama as corrupt Chicago Pol!
-Cheers

Food for your brain hole.

I know I have not commented much on the Blageovich. Not really much to say, we in Illinois knew he was the amoral bastard he has shown himself to be, before we re-elected him. So in that regard, we only have our own selves to blame for the mess we see today. Now I do have an issue with the smearing of "all" Illinois politicians because they are in the same state and may have had contact with the, you know, governor of said state.

Regardless of if the lead prosecutor says that these individuals have done nothing wrong. You are still guilty because you "may have had contact with". That is just plain silly. Of course most politicians on the state and even federal level will have had some contact with the governor of that state. It is their job after all and the people did overwhelmingly re-elect that person. The way the media has tarred anyone who has Illinois political roots, is disingenuous at best and down right malpractice at worst. It isn't like people are running to Blago's aide? The state, virtually all the pols, and anyone who isn't related to him by blood or marriage wants him to a) lose his job, b) go to jail. How much more consensus do you need? So in short I kind of feel sorry for Jesse Jackson Jr. by all accounts he as been an exemplary Representative for his constituents and was interested in the vacated senate seat (also he does at least have the qualifications to hold such a seat). But because he actually pursued that, he has been sullied by this whole affair. If you are interested in a position it is only logical that you would try to speak with the person in charge of hiring for that seat. That isn't unethical, though there are ways it could become so. From what U.S Attorney Fitzgerald has said, JJ hasn't done anything worth investigating.
----

On the auto bail-out/flame-out. I find it ironic ( in the non-humorous way), how quickly the government as a whole swooped in to provide aide for Wall Street, yet the stance and demeanor taken with the U.S Auto industry has been decidedly different. Far more criticism (which in general I applaud, but the way in which it has been applied is amazingly asymmetric) then the previous bailout received and a lot more blame placing. In particular the disproportionate vigor with which Republicans have attacked the UAW. Now that is not to say the UAW is not complicit in the current state that the auto industry is in, they are not the sole antagonist. But the general tenor is off. Different rules for white-collar industries versus blue-collar ones, is the way it is being played out in the press. This seems like very sloppy reporting.

----
Over at the Nation, Chris Hayes has an interesting piece up on Ideology vs. Pragmatism. It is a piece mainly in defense of ideology, about it's usefulness and about the moral ambiguity of that pragmatism can foster. Ta-Nehisi Coasts over at the Atlantic has some interesting analysis on the article and general observations as well, that are very much worth the read.

My basic read on the subject is this. The fetishization of Pragmatism has become a catchall and cover for those that have been wrong over the last 8-10 years. Since the current administration was so wrong on so many things, the obvious conclusion was that ideology itself was the problem not, god forbid, the ideology in question. Therefore you push for a pragmatic solution to all problems. This is not a good idea, supporting any sort of policy even pragmatism, can lead to a far to stringent orthodoxy. What we need is not people devoid of ideology, but who couple that with occasional pragmatism and most importantly exhibit a healthy skepticism of even their own ideology. Colluding with
evil acts (torture, rendition, preemptive war) purely for pragmatic reasons is not a solution, but merely a deepening of the problem.

-Cheers

Do or Do not!

Ain't gonna lie...if I had the cash...I would totally have bought it.....

Must complete with your training.

You simply can't put a price on childhood memories. But I am betting 200 thousand dollars is probably pretty close!

-Cheers

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

It's like some cosmic deity is laughing at me. I do not know how many ways to say this....

LEGGINGS....ARE.......NOT.......PANTS!!!!!!!!

Damn you LiLo....damn you to hell.

---------edit: Normally this topic could take its own post, but I needed a good counter weight to LiLo. For all my gal pals out there who are fretting getting older. A Sasha Fierce salute to you all!

Women feel Sexiest at age 34!

The age at which a women feels most sexy is 34, according to a new study, that also found those in their twenties and thirties have the most sex - 10.4 times a month on average.

This figure is double the amount middle-aged women have, which works out at just 4.5 times a month, but the research suggests the older women take more pleasure from it.

More than half - 56 per cent - said they enjoyed sex more than they did when they were younger. When asked what age they had felt most sexy, the average was 34.

Once every 3 days. Awesome. Now when I am out and wonder "where all the women at?!" I will know.




-Cheers

Video killed the Radio Star....

If you haven't checked out Tv on the Radio, then you are seriously missing out. I am sure the true hipsters out there have been rocking this Brooklyn band for a couple of years. But if you haven't they are quite the treat. Their combination of constructed dissonance and intelligent lyrics makes for a unique sound.



-Cheers

Once again....

If you haven't checked out Pushing Daisies, well I blame you for it being canceled!



How can you not bow down to the awesomeness of Kristen Chenowith!!??? How?!!!?? I ask!

And if you have not checked out Dr. Horrible's Sing a-long Blog I can't recommend it enough. Joss Whedon is gifted writer and I fear that Fox is going to screw him over again on his new show coming after the new year Dollhouse.

-cheers

Dyna-mite

Another snippet/trailer has gotten out for Black Dynamite.

edit-they pulled down the Dr. Wu vid. If I find it again I will be sure to repost it.

I am not sure if I will survive the awesomeness of this movie.

Kung-fu treachery indeed.......

Also the new trailer as well (NSWF).



-Cheers jive-ass turkeys

Pwnd!

I would also add right-wing pundits to this pile. Specially if they are maintaining that the country is still center-right.

When a majority of the American people are agitating for greater government involvement in the markets, that is most definitely not a center-right solution.

Sometimes gamer speech conveys just the right amount derision a situation requires.


*edit- I had to add this when I came across it. I found it amusing and mildly offensive but since this post was spawned by gamer speaks, I figured it was appropriate. Or for the TLDR set, dropping knowledge via GIF!

Smoot Hawley indeed!

This YouTube video has been circulating for a bit, but in case people had not seen it I thought would give it a post here.



I do think Obama tagged it correctly, "It is like they take pride in being ignorant.". No cogent argument counter, just mocking and derision.

Now I don't agree with everything Peter Schiff says in general ( he was an adviser to Ron Paul after all), but you have to give the man credit he was connecting the dots 2 years ago......

-Cheers