DCup has initiated a "Question of the Day" feature and yesterday's question was "What was your favorite subject in school?" I was my usual wishy-washy self and could only narrow my answer down to two subjects. Wev.
But it got me to thinking about my book larnin' days, most specifically third grade - when my family moved from one county to another, and I entered a new school. My old school was what I guess they called "progressive" back in those days (the late Hippie Era). Language Arts (aka English) and Math were not taught as regular subjects with textbooks and all that. Instead, there was a large cart in the front hall that had lessons, Math on one side, LA on the other, that progressed from "1st" through "8th" grade and which we students worked through at our own pace. By the time we moved, I had completed the Language Arts side and was mostly done with the Math.
My first day in the new school was memorable for three things. One, I couldn't understand what my classmates were saying. Although we had moved only one county over (less than thirty miles in a straight line), it was as if the students were speaking a foreign language. As it turns out, they sort of were. You see, most of the students in my new class were from "up in the hills" - as, indeed, I now was. They were the result of many generations of isolated life, and still spoke a derivative form of Elizabethan English (with a healthy dose of Scots dialect thrown in).
The second memorable thing about my new school situation was the fact that my new classroom was all white. It actually took a couple of days for this to sink in, but I will never forget when I asked the teacher where all the black kids were, and she replied, "We don't have any n*****s here." Even as an eight year old child, I knew her statement was wrong. Not factually, but ethically. The rural South in 1972... apparently, not much different from 2007, come to think of it. And that's sad.
The other thing about my new school was when the teacher, after introducing me to my new classmates, gave me my books to use for the rest of the year - including, of course, the third grade Math and English books. "Umm," I said, "I've already learned this stuff, Mrs. Wagoner." "These are the books we use," she replied. End of discussion. So, while at home I was reading Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury, in school I was forced to plod along with the class, using a textbook that was barely more advanced than "See Spot run."
As a result of this, I became quite bored in school, and decided that if they were going to treat me as an imbecile I might as well act the part (yeah, I was a snotty kid - in fact, in high school, my friends - in the Gifted and Talented class - confronted me one day and said they were tired of me using words they didn't know, and would I please knock it off).
The result of this was that by the fifth grade [correction: it was sixth grade], I was placed in the remedial reading group - despite the fact that my 4th grade end of year testing scored me at college level in all categories. A fact that neither I nor my parents found out until almost twenty years later, when my fourth grade teacher attended a performance of a play I was in, sat next to my parents, and they got to talking. It turns out that the principal told her not to tell me (or Mom and Dad) because "it might have caused problems with the other students". Sort of a precursor or foreshadowing of "No Child Left Behind", I guess.
I often wonder how my life would be different if "the powers that be" at Mulberry Elementary School hadn't opted to take, what was for them, the easy route when it came to exceptional students (and I was not the only one affected by this, by any means), because what I learned in my formative years at school was to just do what I had to do to get by, and to not push for more.
Which, I suppose, is the purpose of public education in this country. Get the herd used to not bettering themselves.
Moo.
03 October 2007
02 October 2007
Pagans, Witches AND Libruls!
Oh, My.
Just a taste of some of the political theater here in the Greater Ashevegas area! I don't have a dog in this race, as I no longer live in the city, but if you're interested in donating to "Pagans, Witches and Libruls", go to Elaine Lite for Asheville City Council.
Scrutiny Hooligans (an excellent local blog) has more of the "Carolina Stompers" campaign against Elaine.
Just a taste of some of the political theater here in the Greater Ashevegas area! I don't have a dog in this race, as I no longer live in the city, but if you're interested in donating to "Pagans, Witches and Libruls", go to Elaine Lite for Asheville City Council.
Scrutiny Hooligans (an excellent local blog) has more of the "Carolina Stompers" campaign against Elaine.
do you want your now back?
If I had to summarize the source of this ranting that we all seem so intent on venting, I'd have to say that we 're missing our now. ( I speak here in generalizations, some of us have our now, some only now and then, ( can you have your now then?), and some more than others ). Now then, as I was saying.... now what was I talking about, oh yeah...Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their now. There now, I said it.
If your planning for your future right now, or thinking about last night, you might be missing your now, or you could be lacking all together in nowknowledge. Now, now let's not get silly.
A little late for that, silly I mean, not now.
If you've lost your now, and you'd like to have it back, or if you've never had had a now and would like to try one, I now present this dissertation for your sampling.
Now don't get greedy!
If your planning for your future right now, or thinking about last night, you might be missing your now, or you could be lacking all together in nowknowledge. Now, now let's not get silly.
A little late for that, silly I mean, not now.
If you've lost your now, and you'd like to have it back, or if you've never had had a now and would like to try one, I now present this dissertation for your sampling.
Now don't get greedy!
01 October 2007
Do You Miss The Weekly World News?
You're walking through the woods on a sunny day when you notice some sort of structure ahead.
Something besides nature inhabits these woods.
What exactly have you stumbled upon, you ask yourself?
Oh, my FSM!, you think. Could this be the near-mythical Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago)?
Indeed it is, my friends. For the first time EVER, this reporter has managed to obtain photographic evidence of the habitat of the elusive Phydeaux Speaks. Unfortunately, when your intrepid reporter attempts to move closer, the vicious guard kitties are alerted to his presence.
Heart thudding in his chest, this intrepid reporter slowly backs away from the vigilant feline sidekicks, making soothing noises.
Luckily for him, the reporter escapes unscathed.
_________________________________
In unrelated news, BBC Overnight, the freakin' BBC, is wasting a whole segment on the latest Britney Spears whatever-the-fuck-she's-doing/has done-now. Aaarghh!
29 September 2007
it's gotta burn a hole in your craw
Like the man said, I'm a neofight at this gizmo here. But in the short time that I've been online I surmise that there's a lot of angry ranting along with a lot of angry ranting support.
Anybody read RULES FOR RADICALS, by Saul D. Alinski? Great book! Saul was an activist during the witch hunt days of the fifties. He was also influential in gaining a voice for the African American movement. I mention the book because it offers insight into his way of tackling the deaf ear.
Does anyone have a rough tally of how many folks out there choose to not WORSHIP the money god? Everyone that's alternatively minded, 36.5 million in poverty, the meagerly paid working class, in short everyone who is not profiting from this wacky world, and that's a lot of people. They may not all be like you and me, but we all share the common thread of oppression, and that should take precedent over all our differences. Join them in conversation.
Be nice, not angry, we need numbers. It's not so much like minds that we seek, as it is the common thread that binds us.
It's gotta burn a hole in your craw enough to step away from the keyboard, and out of your safety zone. Talk to a stranger about what oppresses them. Connect. Circulate petitions, get names, mailing addresses, ( real and virtual), phone numbers, be nice, pin point a cause, collect money and go for it. Write congress . Clog up their emails with rants. Work smart, where it will be effective. Work it will be.
Anybody read RULES FOR RADICALS, by Saul D. Alinski? Great book! Saul was an activist during the witch hunt days of the fifties. He was also influential in gaining a voice for the African American movement. I mention the book because it offers insight into his way of tackling the deaf ear.
Does anyone have a rough tally of how many folks out there choose to not WORSHIP the money god? Everyone that's alternatively minded, 36.5 million in poverty, the meagerly paid working class, in short everyone who is not profiting from this wacky world, and that's a lot of people. They may not all be like you and me, but we all share the common thread of oppression, and that should take precedent over all our differences. Join them in conversation.
Be nice, not angry, we need numbers. It's not so much like minds that we seek, as it is the common thread that binds us.
It's gotta burn a hole in your craw enough to step away from the keyboard, and out of your safety zone. Talk to a stranger about what oppresses them. Connect. Circulate petitions, get names, mailing addresses, ( real and virtual), phone numbers, be nice, pin point a cause, collect money and go for it. Write congress . Clog up their emails with rants. Work smart, where it will be effective. Work it will be.
28 September 2007
Why Am I Not Surprised?
.
To paraphrase Doc Holliday from the movie Tombstone, "Their hypocrisy knows no bounds." After pushing a resolution in Congress to condemn MoveOn.org, which the spineless and cowardly Demitasse's overwhelmingly supported, for their "Betray Us" advert in the NY Times, you would think that the Repellicans would be clamoring for the same about Rush Limbaugh and his statement that soldiers who speak out against the war in Iraq are "phony soldiers".
Color me surprised. Not a peep from the "Support the Troops" party. They truly sicken me beyond words.
To paraphrase Doc Holliday from the movie Tombstone, "Their hypocrisy knows no bounds." After pushing a resolution in Congress to condemn MoveOn.org, which the spineless and cowardly Demitasse's overwhelmingly supported, for their "Betray Us" advert in the NY Times, you would think that the Repellicans would be clamoring for the same about Rush Limbaugh and his statement that soldiers who speak out against the war in Iraq are "phony soldiers".
Color me surprised. Not a peep from the "Support the Troops" party. They truly sicken me beyond words.
27 September 2007
Things I Found on the Internets Lately
First, in the comments on Blue Gal's post, Churning, written by StardragonTheCanadian:
Wow.
Next, from Quaker Dave:
Badtux, the Snarky Penguin, has a wonderful comparison of RomneyHillaryCare -v- Medicare For All.
Rana, over at Frogs and Ravens, has a great post about environmentalism (make sure to read the comments).
That is all for now.
Time to review the Big Picture:
We are engaged in an ancient Hippie conspiracy,going back in time to the first campfires of the human race.
For as long as Civilisation continues,uninterrupted,the twentieth century of the Gregorian calendar will be known as the century when the human race learned to read and write.
The year that I was born,fully 60% of the planet was completely illiterate, which meant that the illiteracy rate was the lowest it had ever been in the history of the world!
Today,70% of all people on the planet can read,write,and do sums,which means that for the first time in human existence,the people who can sit down and read a book,write a letter,or plan a budget,are in the majority.
This small fact,unnoticed,uncelebrated,unheralded,and unsung, changes everything!
Everything which has gone before,presupposes,and requires,the existence of large numbers of uneducated people-who no longer exist.
It's all coming apart for the princes of the world,and they don't know why,nor could this knowledge save them. It is too late.
You won't see any sign of it in the MSM,but the dawn of THe Age of Literacy is already upon us.
Of every creed and none,we are the Church of the Printed Word,Universal and Triumphant,and there is none who will stand before us,and say us nay!
"All things are ready, if our minds be so."Now, soldiers, march away:
And how thou pleasest, God, dispose the day!":)
Wow.
Next, from Quaker Dave:
I would appreciate it very much if all the well-meaning folks (and the not-so well-meaning ones, too) out there who don’t want me to hear what people like Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have to say would do me the favor of letting my double-major college-educated, Master’s degree-earning, two teaching certificate- using coconut think for itself.read the whole thing at The Quaker Agitator.
[...]
See, I am an American. And unlike the average Iranian, I have the right to hear things that might offend my government, and more importantly, views which might offend me. Because I can think for myself. That’s one of the things that going to college is supposed to teach you.
Badtux, the Snarky Penguin, has a wonderful comparison of RomneyHillaryCare -v- Medicare For All.
Rana, over at Frogs and Ravens, has a great post about environmentalism (make sure to read the comments).
That is all for now.
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
You may have noticed a bit of a change in the look of the place. Starting with the name. You are now at "Phydeaux and Phriends". This is due to the fact that I am welcoming my (real world) phriend, Cunning Linguist, as a contributor at my humble interwebs home.
Mr. Linguist and I have been friends for a long time, and have often discussed all manner of topics, from how to curb Global Warming to the corruption in our political system to the relative airspeed velocities of African and European swallows.
Señor Linguist is an artist and artisan of great talent, and, if we're lucky, he may talk about those aspects of his life, in addition to his political and cultural posts. His is an intellect that I highly respect and I am "pleased as punch" to add his voice to my own, especially since he thinks differently from the way most of us do.
I hope you all will agree.
As he is a blog neophyte, I am putting his first post up for him:
Mr. Linguist and I have been friends for a long time, and have often discussed all manner of topics, from how to curb Global Warming to the corruption in our political system to the relative airspeed velocities of African and European swallows.
Señor Linguist is an artist and artisan of great talent, and, if we're lucky, he may talk about those aspects of his life, in addition to his political and cultural posts. His is an intellect that I highly respect and I am "pleased as punch" to add his voice to my own, especially since he thinks differently from the way most of us do.
I hope you all will agree.
As he is a blog neophyte, I am putting his first post up for him:
What is Civilization?
What is civilization? It's a question that I find myself asking a lot these days. Is it filling your time with entertainment? Or the convenience of jumping in your car to buy something that you don't really need? OR IS IT SIMPLY BEING CIVIL TO EACH OTHER AND THE GUY DOWN THE ROAD?
I have a question that I've been meaning to ask;
In a class oriented society such as ours, how can we hope to overcome prejudice and segregation when class by definition is segregating?
Any candidate that can answer that can have my vote!
the nature of things
So we step away from nature for the sake of civilizing ourselves, thereby creating a void that we try to fill up with stuff, activities,entertainment, whatever, it doesn't really matter what we chose to fill it with, the fact that civilization as we practice it leaves us with a burning hole to fill is the point I'm trying to make. There are numerous case studies of indigenous peoples. These studies show that they do not experience such a void. In fact there are diseases found in civilized cultures that are not found in the natural environment, such as schizophrenia and bi-polarism. Einstein's theory of relativity, we've made monumental strides towards physical health issues but we're loosing our minds in the process. I just don't think we can change the nature of things.
- Cunning Linguist
26 September 2007
"Go Fuck Yourself!" - or, More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Me
Sorry, there's no contortionist porn involved in this post. Nor is it about Dick Cheney or any other well known idiot. The idiot I'm going to talk about is myself. If you don't care to read about how dumb I am, just click yourself on outta here - I won't be offended.
As I have said, here and other places, I have a total lack of respect for money. I think it is one of the - if not the very - worst things that has ever happened to this planet, and all creatures (great and small, bright and beautiful...) that reside upon it. Religion and "Mine!" are also up there, and it's kind of a tossup as to which is actually the worst, but be that as it may....
In my hatred of money, I have well and truly fucked myself. Because in this society, one must have some, at least. Even if you live off the grid, on a self-sustaining farm (neither condition, unfortunately, describes my situation - as much as I wish they did), you still have to pay taxes, have car insurance, etc.
Car insurance. Verily, that is the problem du jour. To drive a car, one must have insurance. To have insurance, one must pay money. To have money, one must work.
Well, over the past couple of months, I have worked very little. But I, and the cats, must eat. So, what little money I have earned has gone to purchase food for myself (and the kitties). I knew an insurance payment was due... then past due... then no longer due because the policy was cancelled (due to non-payment).
I don't know. I guess I thought I could sneak myself up the road and to work (when there was work to be had) without being caught, until I could afford to get a new policy.
I was wrong. (Yeah, I know, "no shit, Sherlock")
My luck ran out this morning. I wasn't in an accident, or anything like that. But I did happen upon a license check, and helpfully went ahead and pulled over to the side of the road (since I knew I would have to anyway). The highway patrolman was very nice, even letting me drive the two miles back home (with escort - to make sure I was really just driving home).
Now I've got to surrender my license plate for 30 (thirty) days, pay a fine, and - oh, yeah - get some insurance before I can get a new plate. So, somehow, I have to figure out how to get to work (almost 30 miles away), so I can earn money not only to pay said fine, etc, but buy food for the human and feline residents of the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago)... without a car.
The worst part of it all is that this is not the first time I've done this to myself - or the second, or the third. I keep making the same stupid decisions over and over. Hell, with a record like that, I could be President of the United States! Thank FSM my mistakes don't cause thousands (millions?) of people to die, like the mistakes of some people.
I know I can't keep this up forever, working just enough to sustain myself, but I can't seem to make myself give a shit. When I do work, it is in the construction sector, for two reasons. I enjoy the work, and it's not monotonous. I've had "real" jobs in the past - even earned really good money at times - but those "real" jobs were soul-sucking. I can't stand doing the same thing, day after day, just for money.
The irony is that in my home life, I do the same thing, day after day. Wake up, start the coffee maker, turn on the computer (read email and blogs), try - lately without any success - to work on the novel I've been writing for the last four years, eat, play computer games, putter around the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago) and work on the neighbor's yard (since he won't let me pay him for living in his woods - and plugging into his electricity - I do the yard work and whatever else he needs done maintenance-wise around his house). That routine doesn't bother me. It's only when I have to do it (and the earning of money is involved) that it gets me down.
I am a seriously screwed up individual, no? (I also over-use parentheses, but that's a different topic altogether (isn't it?))
The only paying, regular, job I've ever had that didn't make want to run screaming into the night was doing theatre (both onstage and backstage), but since I have no desire to live in (or anywhere near) a big city where paid theatre gigs can be found on a regular basis, that's pretty much out.
Anyway, I'll keep y'all updated, pardon this extended ramble, and... does anybody know a way to make money online?
As I have said, here and other places, I have a total lack of respect for money. I think it is one of the - if not the very - worst things that has ever happened to this planet, and all creatures (great and small, bright and beautiful...) that reside upon it. Religion and "Mine!" are also up there, and it's kind of a tossup as to which is actually the worst, but be that as it may....
In my hatred of money, I have well and truly fucked myself. Because in this society, one must have some, at least. Even if you live off the grid, on a self-sustaining farm (neither condition, unfortunately, describes my situation - as much as I wish they did), you still have to pay taxes, have car insurance, etc.
Car insurance. Verily, that is the problem du jour. To drive a car, one must have insurance. To have insurance, one must pay money. To have money, one must work.
Well, over the past couple of months, I have worked very little. But I, and the cats, must eat. So, what little money I have earned has gone to purchase food for myself (and the kitties). I knew an insurance payment was due... then past due... then no longer due because the policy was cancelled (due to non-payment).
I don't know. I guess I thought I could sneak myself up the road and to work (when there was work to be had) without being caught, until I could afford to get a new policy.
I was wrong. (Yeah, I know, "no shit, Sherlock")
My luck ran out this morning. I wasn't in an accident, or anything like that. But I did happen upon a license check, and helpfully went ahead and pulled over to the side of the road (since I knew I would have to anyway). The highway patrolman was very nice, even letting me drive the two miles back home (with escort - to make sure I was really just driving home).
Now I've got to surrender my license plate for 30 (thirty) days, pay a fine, and - oh, yeah - get some insurance before I can get a new plate. So, somehow, I have to figure out how to get to work (almost 30 miles away), so I can earn money not only to pay said fine, etc, but buy food for the human and feline residents of the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago)... without a car.
The worst part of it all is that this is not the first time I've done this to myself - or the second, or the third. I keep making the same stupid decisions over and over. Hell, with a record like that, I could be President of the United States! Thank FSM my mistakes don't cause thousands (millions?) of people to die, like the mistakes of some people.
I know I can't keep this up forever, working just enough to sustain myself, but I can't seem to make myself give a shit. When I do work, it is in the construction sector, for two reasons. I enjoy the work, and it's not monotonous. I've had "real" jobs in the past - even earned really good money at times - but those "real" jobs were soul-sucking. I can't stand doing the same thing, day after day, just for money.
The irony is that in my home life, I do the same thing, day after day. Wake up, start the coffee maker, turn on the computer (read email and blogs), try - lately without any success - to work on the novel I've been writing for the last four years, eat, play computer games, putter around the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago) and work on the neighbor's yard (since he won't let me pay him for living in his woods - and plugging into his electricity - I do the yard work and whatever else he needs done maintenance-wise around his house). That routine doesn't bother me. It's only when I have to do it (and the earning of money is involved) that it gets me down.
I am a seriously screwed up individual, no? (I also over-use parentheses, but that's a different topic altogether (isn't it?))
The only paying, regular, job I've ever had that didn't make want to run screaming into the night was doing theatre (both onstage and backstage), but since I have no desire to live in (or anywhere near) a big city where paid theatre gigs can be found on a regular basis, that's pretty much out.
Anyway, I'll keep y'all updated, pardon this extended ramble, and... does anybody know a way to make money online?
24 September 2007
I've Only Got a (Baker's) Dozen Posts This Month And I'm Determined To Up The Total
It's been a while since I put up a test, so:
I'm not wise beyond my years anymore, being in my mid 40's. Waah.
(h/t to Emily at Incertus)
You've Experienced 68% of Life |
 You have all of the life experience that most adults will ever get. And unless you're already in your 40s, you're probably wise beyond your years. |
I'm not wise beyond my years anymore, being in my mid 40's. Waah.
(h/t to Emily at Incertus)
Lest Ye Forget
Not that I think anyone reading this blog needs to have their anger ramped up any more than it already is, but this video that I found over at FranIAm's place is, as she said, "6 minutes worth watching".
I weep for the continued existence of freedom around the world. That these money-grubbing, lying, hypocritical, and morally bankrupt people are still walking free - much less still in power - is an affront on all that the Founders of the United States of America held dear.
I weep for the continued existence of freedom around the world. That these money-grubbing, lying, hypocritical, and morally bankrupt people are still walking free - much less still in power - is an affront on all that the Founders of the United States of America held dear.
Cleaning Out Some Of The Cobwebs
Isn't that photo gorgeous? For those who don't know, that's the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Viaduct was the last section of the Parkway built, some fifty years after construction of the road began, and was necessary to protect the fragile biosphere of Grandfather Mountain.
Why do I post that picture, you may ask? Well, it's Autumn! Summer is over (according to the calendar, anyway), we have passed the Autumnal Equinox and the Sun is moving south in the sky.
If you are an Eastern US resident and you have plans to head to the Southern Appalachian Mountains (like tens of thousands of people) for the annual color show this year, don't expect anything like what you see in the above picture. It's been too dry this summer (most places) for the colors to be so vivid. Last weekend I went down to Georgia (why does Charlie Daniels come to mind), and, along the highway, leaves were already turning brown - in September... in east-central Georgia!
(Come to think of it, though, Grandfather Mountain may be the only place where the colors show up this fall, it's nearly a rainforest up there, so who knows)
Anyway, Happy Equinox, a bit late!
On another subject...
I must send out thanks to a dear online friend, who recently slipped me some bucks via PayPal. The kitties and I both thank you, and wish to say that the food the money purchased is most excellent!
Puff, relaxing in "her" box, after a filling mealLatest poll results!
The question this time was a simple "Why?" And the results are...
1 - Because
1 - Duh!
3 - Why not?
4 - A squalling cat makes no hay
Can any of you four that voted in the majority explain to me what I meant by that statement? ... Anyone? ... Bueller?
Finally...
What the hell has Hillary been smoking? Since this was Faux Noise Sunday, I didn't see it (I'd rather be thrown into a pit with a dozen hungry tigers), and the clip at Huffington Post is rather short, and I have noticed that HuffPo occasionally, how should I put this,... exaggerates things, but, dayum! Hillary's laughing like she just had a big hit of some sticky kind and Bill is making faces at her! WTP?
What the hell has Hillary been smoking? Since this was Faux Noise Sunday, I didn't see it (I'd rather be thrown into a pit with a dozen hungry tigers), and the clip at Huffington Post is rather short, and I have noticed that HuffPo occasionally, how should I put this,... exaggerates things, but, dayum! Hillary's laughing like she just had a big hit of some sticky kind and Bill is making faces at her! WTP?
I find it wonderful that there is a real possibility that the next POTUS could be a woman (waaaay past time for that bit of equality), but why does it have to be a corporate ass-kisser? The system being what it is, I don't suppose there's a chance of any other type being the front runner. So sad....
Later, Y'all!
18 September 2007
Onward, Christian Soldiers
More evidence that these people have absolutely no idea what Christ was all about:
17 September 2007
The Wheel of Time Turns...
One day back in 1995, a friend of mine handed me a thick paperback titled The Eye of the World, and told me that I had to read it. He told me that it was the first book of a trilogy, and that the story was incredible.
My friend was right about the latter - I couldn't put the book down, even though it was over 800 pages long - but he was wrong about the trilogy part. There are eleven books out now (in fact, there were five when Michael handed me the first) , with the twelfth (and final) volume partially written.
It was with great sadness that I learned about an hour ago that the author, James O. Rigney, Jr. - better known as Robert Jordan - died yesterday afternoon, after a long illness.
Those eleven massive tomes are a big part of my life. Each time a new installment came out, I would buy it, set it on the shelf and then grab book one and read all the way through. Recently, the times between publication of new books increased and I have read the series through several times - a great way to eat up a couple of weeks of reading time. And, even though I have now read the first book at least a dozen times, I still get totally engrossed in the story.
It is with shame greater than the sadness that I say to you that my first thought was, but what about the end of the story? As is pointed out in the condolences at the Dragonmount blog (Jordan's official site), now is not the time to wonder about the final book - although in a recent post, Jordan's cousin Wilson related that he and the author's wife were told the ending (as a "just in case" I'm sure), so I suppose that eventually the final book will be finished.
Selfishness aside, I am saddened that literature has lost such a wonderful storyteller. It's not hard to find those who disagree, who say that the books are plodding and long-winded, and could do with some serious editing, but I most emphatically state that I have loved every single word that Jordan put in those books.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.
My friend was right about the latter - I couldn't put the book down, even though it was over 800 pages long - but he was wrong about the trilogy part. There are eleven books out now (in fact, there were five when Michael handed me the first) , with the twelfth (and final) volume partially written.
It was with great sadness that I learned about an hour ago that the author, James O. Rigney, Jr. - better known as Robert Jordan - died yesterday afternoon, after a long illness.
Those eleven massive tomes are a big part of my life. Each time a new installment came out, I would buy it, set it on the shelf and then grab book one and read all the way through. Recently, the times between publication of new books increased and I have read the series through several times - a great way to eat up a couple of weeks of reading time. And, even though I have now read the first book at least a dozen times, I still get totally engrossed in the story.
It is with shame greater than the sadness that I say to you that my first thought was, but what about the end of the story? As is pointed out in the condolences at the Dragonmount blog (Jordan's official site), now is not the time to wonder about the final book - although in a recent post, Jordan's cousin Wilson related that he and the author's wife were told the ending (as a "just in case" I'm sure), so I suppose that eventually the final book will be finished.
Selfishness aside, I am saddened that literature has lost such a wonderful storyteller. It's not hard to find those who disagree, who say that the books are plodding and long-winded, and could do with some serious editing, but I most emphatically state that I have loved every single word that Jordan put in those books.
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.
14 September 2007
I'm So Popular I Can't Stand It!
In the beginning, was my first post (hardly memorable, but a 'milestone').
Then, the first comment.
In the fullness of time came the 1,000th visitor, and my 100th post (a 'milestone' which I didn't even note).
But today, Gentle Readers, today I have discovered that I am in the top 100,000 in the Technorati rankings!
Li'l ole me, who often has a difficult coming up with anything to post other than (yet another) dumb online test.
I'm touched. Truly. In the head.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my visitors and fellow bloggers who give me the inspiration to keep plodding along. Have some flares (as they say in these here mountains):
Then, the first comment.
In the fullness of time came the 1,000th visitor, and my 100th post (a 'milestone' which I didn't even note).
But today, Gentle Readers, today I have discovered that I am in the top 100,000 in the Technorati rankings!
Li'l ole me, who often has a difficult coming up with anything to post other than (yet another) dumb online test.
I'm touched. Truly. In the head.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my visitors and fellow bloggers who give me the inspiration to keep plodding along. Have some flares (as they say in these here mountains):
13 September 2007
Latest Phydeaux Poll Results!
The question this time was:
Do you even notice this poll?
36% of respondents said "Yes"
73% of respondents said "Cheese biscuit"
1% of respondents were apparently lost in the ether
(btw, I do know that the numbers are rounded off and that is the reason for the missing 1%)
I reckon I should have expected such terribly skewed results, with a loaded question - or rather, answers - like that. The only thing that really surprises me is that no one answered "No". Apparently the folks that didn't see the poll chose not to vote.
Hey, that's just like most Americans eligible to vote in elections!
I guess I'm also mildly surprised that no one chose "I'm from Gdansk" - it was aPolePoll, after all.
Look for another hard hitting, in depth, and totally non-scientific Poll question soon!
Do you even notice this poll?
36% of respondents said "Yes"
73% of respondents said "Cheese biscuit"
1% of respondents were apparently lost in the ether
(btw, I do know that the numbers are rounded off and that is the reason for the missing 1%)
I reckon I should have expected such terribly skewed results, with a loaded question - or rather, answers - like that. The only thing that really surprises me is that no one answered "No". Apparently the folks that didn't see the poll chose not to vote.
Hey, that's just like most Americans eligible to vote in elections!
I guess I'm also mildly surprised that no one chose "I'm from Gdansk" - it was a
Look for another hard hitting, in depth, and totally non-scientific Poll question soon!
12 September 2007
Prediction
Sometime in the very near future (probably in the next couple of weeks), a "dirty" bomb will detonate somewhere in Israel. Hezbollah (and therefore Iran) will be blamed, and the Current Occupant will, along with the Israelis, initiate a massive air and missile strike (as has been written about here, here, and here - to link to three of a multitude) taking out the nookyular, military, and governmental command and control infrastructure of Iran.
The price of crude oil will instantly shoot to $125/bbl (probably more, it hit $80/bbl today). China and Russia, who have recently signed energy agreements with Iran will not be happy - China holds a great deal of US debt and Russia has lots of nookyular warheads that are still pointed at the US.
Here in theFather Homeland, the Current Occupant will activate the "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive", declare "marshall" law, and any who dare to speak out against this heinous action will be "disappeared".
The United Nations will vote unanimously to condemn the Bush malAdministration, which will get them a one way ticket out of New York.
Kim Jung Il will use the fact that the rest of the world is distracted by all this to launch a blitzkrieg into South Korea and Seoul will become a smoking crater (possibly radioactive, but North Korea has conventional missiles that can accomplish this), ...
And Dubya will finally have his Armageddon (insh'Allah God willing)!
Should the above come to pass, I will look for each of you at whichever interment camp I end up. The password will be "Olbermann Spanish Inquisition" - or "I sit I run you up inside my cat", I haven't decided which yet.
The price of crude oil will instantly shoot to $125/bbl (probably more, it hit $80/bbl today). China and Russia, who have recently signed energy agreements with Iran will not be happy - China holds a great deal of US debt and Russia has lots of nookyular warheads that are still pointed at the US.
Here in the
The United Nations will vote unanimously to condemn the Bush malAdministration, which will get them a one way ticket out of New York.
Kim Jung Il will use the fact that the rest of the world is distracted by all this to launch a blitzkrieg into South Korea and Seoul will become a smoking crater (possibly radioactive, but North Korea has conventional missiles that can accomplish this), ...
And Dubya will finally have his Armageddon (
Should the above come to pass, I will look for each of you at whichever interment camp I end up. The password will be "Olbermann Spanish Inquisition" - or "I sit I run you up inside my cat", I haven't decided which yet.
10 September 2007
A Pome
I StumbledUpon a cool MadLib poem generator at this site, and here was my first creation!
I do believe "I sit I run you up inside my cat" is my new favorite phrase....
Oh, and in the fourth stanza, I chose only the "Phydeaux" - not the speaks - but how fekkin' cool is that that my "name" appears in full in the generated poem!?
Aaaaaand, another thing. How freaky is it that the very first page that loaded when I clicked on the Stumble button was a page dealing with writer's block? [cue Twilight Zone music]
dastardly chair's dastardly chair
"I run my hills and all the clock speaks tall;
I click my mugs and all is engage again.
(I sit I run you up inside my cat.)
The speaker go sleeping out in quiet and smelly,
And hot hill speaks in:
"I run my clocks and all the mug speaks tall;
I clicked that you engageed me into cat
And sit me gargantuan, runed me quite tall.
(I sit I run you up inside my cat.)
Phydeaux speaks from the speaker, hill's clocks click:
Exit mug and Crystal's cat:
"I run my clocks and all the mug speaks tall;
I engageed you'd sit the way you said,
But I run old and I speak your name.
(I sit I run you up inside my cat.)
I should have clockd a mug instead;
At least when cat clicks they engage back again.
"I run my clocks and all the mug speaks tall;
(I sit I run you up inside my cat.)
- Phydeaux & Sylvia Plath
I do believe "I sit I run you up inside my cat" is my new favorite phrase....
Oh, and in the fourth stanza, I chose only the "Phydeaux" - not the speaks - but how fekkin' cool is that that my "name" appears in full in the generated poem!?
Aaaaaand, another thing. How freaky is it that the very first page that loaded when I clicked on the Stumble button was a page dealing with writer's block? [cue Twilight Zone music]
09 September 2007
Yo!
Okay, so DCup called me out (in a comment on the previous post) and asked if anyone was at home.
I'm still here.
I'm just bored shitless (with the whole monotony of life) and haven't been able to come up with anything worthwhile to post. Every time an idea hits, I discover that someone else has already been there, and done it better than I could.
From DCup herself to Liss to TheCunningRunt, all of the wonderful people I read on a regular basis [see blogroll] do such a wonderful job of expressing the outrage and bewilderment that we (in the lefty blogosphere) are all experiencing that I wonder how anyone could fail to see and agree that this country and, indeed, the whole planet, is in a bad place....
Be that as it may, I found this at SAP's place:
you know me, if I don't have anything to say, I post a test!!!
Now that the summer heat is fading into autumn, I should have more vim and start posting more. Thank you for your patience (said the mortician to the bad doctor)
I'm still here.
I'm just bored shitless (with the whole monotony of life) and haven't been able to come up with anything worthwhile to post. Every time an idea hits, I discover that someone else has already been there, and done it better than I could.
From DCup herself to Liss to TheCunningRunt, all of the wonderful people I read on a regular basis [see blogroll] do such a wonderful job of expressing the outrage and bewilderment that we (in the lefty blogosphere) are all experiencing that I wonder how anyone could fail to see and agree that this country and, indeed, the whole planet, is in a bad place....
Be that as it may, I found this at SAP's place:
you know me, if I don't have anything to say, I post a test!!!
Now that the summer heat is fading into autumn, I should have more vim and start posting more. Thank you for your patience (said the mortician to the bad doctor)
04 September 2007
Scientific Polling... NOT!!
With Fredo Gonzales' resignation, the post of AG is open. Will the Current Occupant:
A) Make a recess appt. at some point
B) Nominate a lackey (Chertoff, et.al.)
C) Nominate a non-partisan
D) Leave the "Acting" AG until Jan 2009
And the votes are in!
An overwhelming 60% say that George III will nominate a lackey! 40% say he will leave the Acting AG in place until he leaves office. Oddly, no one thinks that a non-partisan will be nominated to fill the position of Attorney General.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!
The latest from Brave New Films, The REAL Rudy: Mistakes in 30 seconds:
Go here to vote for your "favorite"!
Go here to vote for your "favorite"!
02 September 2007
A Link-Laden Diatribe
A quick note to those not associated with the Occupying Regime here in the United States of America:
Please remember, as the bombs and missiles strike targets in Iran, that the vast majority of people in the US - including members of the military[dead link edited - see update below] - view this attack as immoral (not to mention illegal).
I'm afraid the above mentioned scenario is no longer a product of tin-foil hat delusion, but is a nearly unavoidable occurrence. As a nation, however, we are too distracted by the beginning of college and professional football, pennant races in baseball, the latest installment of Big Brother, and whatever other distractions the MSM can come up with, to be bothered to give a shit.
As long as corporate CEO's continue to get nine-figure salaries and cheap, lead filled toys are available at Wal-Mart, and pop singers are walking around with their privates exposed, we are content.
Your suffering - at our hands - and hatred of us do not matter.
We are the "shining city on the hill" - chosen by God, no less - and we can do whatever the fuck we want.
While the turrists may be able to cross the Atlantic and Pacific with impunity, we know that the great oceans protect us from attack by any nation-state (Canada and Mexico are mere puppets, having been lured by the promise of corporate largesse - so we have no need to fear them).
In closing, I'd just like to say how I look forward to forming an escape committee with my fellow inmates at the Blackwater-run Interment Camps that are being set up around the country to deal with us librul malcontents. You can't miss me; I'm over six feet tall, weigh close to 300#, and have a big gray beard.
If I'm not just shot outright, that is.
And my own pre-emptive strike on non-literate writers: it's "Martial Law", not "Marshall Law", you dumb shits.
UPDATE: As Brian from Incertus points out in comments, the DailyKos diary referencing the military has been deleted. A "rebuttal" of said post can be found here.
Please remember, as the bombs and missiles strike targets in Iran, that the vast majority of people in the US - including members of the military[dead link edited - see update below] - view this attack as immoral (not to mention illegal).
I'm afraid the above mentioned scenario is no longer a product of tin-foil hat delusion, but is a nearly unavoidable occurrence. As a nation, however, we are too distracted by the beginning of college and professional football, pennant races in baseball, the latest installment of Big Brother, and whatever other distractions the MSM can come up with, to be bothered to give a shit.
As long as corporate CEO's continue to get nine-figure salaries and cheap, lead filled toys are available at Wal-Mart, and pop singers are walking around with their privates exposed, we are content.
Your suffering - at our hands - and hatred of us do not matter.
We are the "shining city on the hill" - chosen by God, no less - and we can do whatever the fuck we want.
While the turrists may be able to cross the Atlantic and Pacific with impunity, we know that the great oceans protect us from attack by any nation-state (Canada and Mexico are mere puppets, having been lured by the promise of corporate largesse - so we have no need to fear them).
In closing, I'd just like to say how I look forward to forming an escape committee with my fellow inmates at the Blackwater-run Interment Camps that are being set up around the country to deal with us librul malcontents. You can't miss me; I'm over six feet tall, weigh close to 300#, and have a big gray beard.
If I'm not just shot outright, that is.
And my own pre-emptive strike on non-literate writers: it's "Martial Law", not "Marshall Law", you dumb shits.
UPDATE: As Brian from Incertus points out in comments, the DailyKos diary referencing the military has been deleted. A "rebuttal" of said post can be found here.
01 September 2007
Misty Water-Colored Meemories
When I was a lad of thirteen, my father, knowing my interest in the subject, bought me a subscription to a new publication, called Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. I still remember reading the fist issue, which looked like this:
The "Good Doctor", as Asimov was known, was my favorite author, and I loved reading his monthly essays and the occasional pieces of fiction that were included in the mag. I was also enthralled by the fact that the magazine actively sought young, new authors.
Having noticed a certain tendency for short pieces with humor or puns to be accepted for print, I wrote a short story - my first - and decided to submit it. I learned all about format and SASE and all that stuff. I don't recall if I ever did submit the story, because I don't remember being rejected, but it certainly never appeared in the pages of the magazine.
Flash forward over a quarter century to the other day. I was looking through a box full of some of my old school stuff that my Mom had kept for me, and guess what I came across. Yup. And, so, I present to you a product of my teen imagination....
First Contact
by "Phydeaux Speaks"
Anna Lee Gentry stepped off the ship and looked around the spaceport eagerly, her stomach fluttering at the prospect of her first solo assignment. After years of school and even more years of being an Associate Adjudicator, she had finally been deemed ready for the "Big Leagues". Her father, a history professor, had taught her that expression, which was from an old sport called baseball that had once been played on Earth.
The United Planets had been in existence for almost five hundred years, growing from humans only in the Sol System (in the days before Hyperdrive) to span over two hundred and fifty star systems and include over six dozen sentient species.
As a xenologist, Anna Lee spent her early professional years working with some of the masters of "First Contact", and they had always heaped praises on her for her calm, logical mannerisms. What they didn't know was that she lived in constant fear of failure.
Her parents had been disappointed in her decision to enter the Diplomatic Corps. They had hoped she would become a physician, like her mother and grandmother and great-grandmother. But the idea of being in an office and doing the same thing day after day never appealed to the headstrong girl.
Her parents had been overjoyed for her when she received the assignment to go to the newly discovered Arcana System and negotiate with the High Council about joining the UP.
"Lady Gentry?" a voice pulled her attention away from her study of the alien architecture. "I am First Warlock When. Welcome to Arcana." The tall humanoid male in flowing robes bowed to her and she returned the gesture, taking note of the protocols for her initial report back to headquarters.
"If you will come with me, my ground car is waiting to take us to the Arena," the First Warlock continued, gesturing to the waiting vehicle.
Anna Lee stared, fascinated, at the passing buildings and scenery as the car whizzed down the broad roadway. Taking her cue from the silent male, she asked no questions, merely observed. Soon, they arrived at a huge oval shaped building, and, leaving the vehicle, entered through one of the yawning portals. A short walk down a wide and dark tunnel led them to the vast expanse of grass covered floor in a structure that was much like the ancient ruins of the Roman Amphitheater.
Stopping just short of the doorway leading onto the field, the First Warlock spoke for the first time since his greeting at the spaceport, "In order for you to be recognized in Arcanian society, you must take part in a Rejuvenation ceremony. Don't worry," he added upon seeing her concerned expression, "your part is merely ceremonial."
"Of course, First Warlock," she answered, "tell me what I must do."
"Female Arcanians must, every five years, undergo a Rejuvenation, in order to maintain their faculties and abilities. The process is very simple. They simply must absorb the essence of kallah salt. The problem arises that before they can absorb the salt, they must reach a point where their reason and ability become... suspect. It is not safe to approach within a score of meters, due to the fluctuations in the female's energy fields. So," the tall humanoid concluded, "all you must do is throw a measure of the kallah salt and hit the female."
"From twenty meters away?" Anna Lee asked, with fear in her voice. "First Warlock When, I am not trained in athletics. I do not know if I can do this."
"If you refuse," When replied icily, "then you will be asked to leave the planet."
I can't let my first assignment end in failure, Anna Lee thought. "I will try," she said to the Arcanian official.
The First Warlock nodded and then led the nervous woman out onto the field. Anna Lee looked around, nearly forgetting her nervousness, at the immense crowd of Arcanian males that filled the seats of the Arena, all staring silently at three females at the far end of the grassy expanse. The females were howling and thrashing about, held relatively in place by the long chains that were staked to the ground.
The First Warlock's voiced filled the entire Arena, "Gentlemen, Lady Anna Lee Gentry of Earth!" The crowd responded by stamping their feet rhythmically, in what Anna Lee assumed was the Arcanian version of applause. More quietly, When said to her, "You will have one attempt to hit each of the females" and gestured to a youth who presented a tray with three orange sized spheres of glittering salt.
Raising his voice again, When gestured at the first female and said, "Witch Why!"
Anna Lee picked up the first ball of salt, and, shaking, took aim at the gibbering female. The iridescent sphere flew through the air and landed several feet from the target. The Witch howled and fell to the ground, twitching violently. A low murmur began in the stands.
With a stern look on his face, First Warlock When gestured at the second female. "Witch Is!"
Anna Lee wiped her sweaty palm on her tunic and grabbed another ball of the salt. Again, the sphere flew and, again, missed. Witch Is screamed pitifully and collapsed.
In a voice that would have frozen lava, the First Warlock pointed at the third female. "Witch It!" he hissed.
Trying to control her shaking, Anna Lee grasped the final ball of salt and hurled it with all her might. Time seemed to slow down as the sphere arced through the air and, blessedly, hit the gibbering Witch square in the chest.
In a tone of elation, the First Warlock announced, "I pledge Anna Lee, Gents, for Witch It stands!"
The "Good Doctor", as Asimov was known, was my favorite author, and I loved reading his monthly essays and the occasional pieces of fiction that were included in the mag. I was also enthralled by the fact that the magazine actively sought young, new authors.
Having noticed a certain tendency for short pieces with humor or puns to be accepted for print, I wrote a short story - my first - and decided to submit it. I learned all about format and SASE and all that stuff. I don't recall if I ever did submit the story, because I don't remember being rejected, but it certainly never appeared in the pages of the magazine.
Flash forward over a quarter century to the other day. I was looking through a box full of some of my old school stuff that my Mom had kept for me, and guess what I came across. Yup. And, so, I present to you a product of my teen imagination....
First Contact
by "Phydeaux Speaks"
Anna Lee Gentry stepped off the ship and looked around the spaceport eagerly, her stomach fluttering at the prospect of her first solo assignment. After years of school and even more years of being an Associate Adjudicator, she had finally been deemed ready for the "Big Leagues". Her father, a history professor, had taught her that expression, which was from an old sport called baseball that had once been played on Earth.
The United Planets had been in existence for almost five hundred years, growing from humans only in the Sol System (in the days before Hyperdrive) to span over two hundred and fifty star systems and include over six dozen sentient species.
As a xenologist, Anna Lee spent her early professional years working with some of the masters of "First Contact", and they had always heaped praises on her for her calm, logical mannerisms. What they didn't know was that she lived in constant fear of failure.
Her parents had been disappointed in her decision to enter the Diplomatic Corps. They had hoped she would become a physician, like her mother and grandmother and great-grandmother. But the idea of being in an office and doing the same thing day after day never appealed to the headstrong girl.
Her parents had been overjoyed for her when she received the assignment to go to the newly discovered Arcana System and negotiate with the High Council about joining the UP.
"Lady Gentry?" a voice pulled her attention away from her study of the alien architecture. "I am First Warlock When. Welcome to Arcana." The tall humanoid male in flowing robes bowed to her and she returned the gesture, taking note of the protocols for her initial report back to headquarters.
"If you will come with me, my ground car is waiting to take us to the Arena," the First Warlock continued, gesturing to the waiting vehicle.
Anna Lee stared, fascinated, at the passing buildings and scenery as the car whizzed down the broad roadway. Taking her cue from the silent male, she asked no questions, merely observed. Soon, they arrived at a huge oval shaped building, and, leaving the vehicle, entered through one of the yawning portals. A short walk down a wide and dark tunnel led them to the vast expanse of grass covered floor in a structure that was much like the ancient ruins of the Roman Amphitheater.
Stopping just short of the doorway leading onto the field, the First Warlock spoke for the first time since his greeting at the spaceport, "In order for you to be recognized in Arcanian society, you must take part in a Rejuvenation ceremony. Don't worry," he added upon seeing her concerned expression, "your part is merely ceremonial."
"Of course, First Warlock," she answered, "tell me what I must do."
"Female Arcanians must, every five years, undergo a Rejuvenation, in order to maintain their faculties and abilities. The process is very simple. They simply must absorb the essence of kallah salt. The problem arises that before they can absorb the salt, they must reach a point where their reason and ability become... suspect. It is not safe to approach within a score of meters, due to the fluctuations in the female's energy fields. So," the tall humanoid concluded, "all you must do is throw a measure of the kallah salt and hit the female."
"From twenty meters away?" Anna Lee asked, with fear in her voice. "First Warlock When, I am not trained in athletics. I do not know if I can do this."
"If you refuse," When replied icily, "then you will be asked to leave the planet."
I can't let my first assignment end in failure, Anna Lee thought. "I will try," she said to the Arcanian official.
The First Warlock nodded and then led the nervous woman out onto the field. Anna Lee looked around, nearly forgetting her nervousness, at the immense crowd of Arcanian males that filled the seats of the Arena, all staring silently at three females at the far end of the grassy expanse. The females were howling and thrashing about, held relatively in place by the long chains that were staked to the ground.
The First Warlock's voiced filled the entire Arena, "Gentlemen, Lady Anna Lee Gentry of Earth!" The crowd responded by stamping their feet rhythmically, in what Anna Lee assumed was the Arcanian version of applause. More quietly, When said to her, "You will have one attempt to hit each of the females" and gestured to a youth who presented a tray with three orange sized spheres of glittering salt.
Raising his voice again, When gestured at the first female and said, "Witch Why!"
Anna Lee picked up the first ball of salt, and, shaking, took aim at the gibbering female. The iridescent sphere flew through the air and landed several feet from the target. The Witch howled and fell to the ground, twitching violently. A low murmur began in the stands.
With a stern look on his face, First Warlock When gestured at the second female. "Witch Is!"
Anna Lee wiped her sweaty palm on her tunic and grabbed another ball of the salt. Again, the sphere flew and, again, missed. Witch Is screamed pitifully and collapsed.
In a voice that would have frozen lava, the First Warlock pointed at the third female. "Witch It!" he hissed.
Trying to control her shaking, Anna Lee grasped the final ball of salt and hurled it with all her might. Time seemed to slow down as the sphere arced through the air and, blessedly, hit the gibbering Witch square in the chest.
In a tone of elation, the First Warlock announced, "I pledge Anna Lee, Gents, for Witch It stands!"
31 August 2007
Funny, Sad and Frustrating All At Once
From Sherry at After the Bridge:
.
MEDICAL INSURANCE EXPLAINEDRead the rest.
Q. What does HMO stand for?
A. This is actually a variation of the phrase "HEY MOE". Its roots go back to a concept pioneered by Moe of The Three Stooges, who discovered that a patient could be made to forget the pain in his foot if he was poked hard enough in the eye.
.
30 August 2007
28 August 2007
Unhappy Anniversary
Watch these videos and dare to say this is a Christian nation, led by "compassionate" people.
From Brave New Foundation:
Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and still there are tens of thousands of families without homes. 30,000 families are scattered across the country in FEMA apartments, 13,000 are in trailers, and hardly any of the 77,000 rental units destroyed in New Orleans have been rebuilt.
[...]
There is something very specific you can do to help. Sign the petition urging the Senate to pass the Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 (S1668). The bill is expected to come to a vote after Labor Day. Its passage will be an important step toward rebuilding the infrastructure in the Gulf Coast region.
That it is even necessary to have this bill in the first place is a national disgrace.
From Campaign for America's Future:
It makes me hope that there is a God, and a Hell, so that every member of the government (from [the faux] POTUS down to dog-catcher), who promised to help the people of NOLA and the Gulf Coast and then turned their back, will spend eternity in that "lake of fire". Or better yet, waist deep in a mixture of sea water, sewage, and oil (like the poor of New Orleans in the days after Katrina hit). And include contractors and developers who have used this as an opportunity to make a fast buck - make them stand on their heads.
UPDATE: I found this at Jess Wundrun's place.
25 August 2007
Quote of the ______*
In a comment at Big Brass Blog, long-time reader tali quoted someone named "imiga," who posted a comment to an article at The Washington Post about George W. Bush. This diatribe on the stupidity of the President is worthy, so it is republished in edited form below:
I can't believe there are still folks out there believing in this imbecile who has absolutely no knowledge of history...
I cannot believe how incredibly stupid he is. I mean rock-hard stupid. Dehydrated-rock-hard stupid. Stupid, so stupid it goes way beyond the stupid we know into a whole different dimension of stupid. He is trans-stupid stupid.
Meta-stupid. Stupid collapsed on itself so far that even the neutrons have collapsed. Stupid gotten so dense that no intellect can escape. Singularity stupid. Blazing hot mid-day sun on Mercury stupid. He emits more stupid in one second than our entire galaxy emits in a year. Quasar stupid. Nothing in our universe can really be this stupid. Perhaps this is some primordial fragment from the original big bang of stupid. Some pure essence of a stupid so uncontaminated by anything else as to be beyond the laws of physics that we know.
* fill in the blank with whatever ridiculously long period of time you want.
(h/t to [and pre-quote quote copied from] The Dark Wraith)
24 August 2007
Let Me Take You Higher
Fairlane, that vituperative, vulgar, venomous - and utterly wonderful(!!!) - blogger in the Bluegrass State, has bestowed upon me an award that I hardly know if I deserve:
I am honestly floored by this. (And secretly thrilled that anyone would consider me to be inspirational! [Insert happy dance here]) That the award comes from Fairlane, who inspires me whenever I read his posts is, in my humble opinion, an even higher honor.
I simply say what I have to say, hopefully in a coherent manner, and hope that my words may make a positive difference in at least some small way. Be it making a person rethink long held preconceptions, finding out exactly how strange they are, or lighting a fire under their butt to actually do something themselves to effect positive change when I jump up on my virtual soapbox (as opposed to, say, posting a Monty Python clip), this is the purpose of my online writing.
Enough about me, however.
All of the blogs I read inspire me in one way or another. The number of blogs I read daily continues to grow, as you can see from my ever expanding blogroll (and I apologize for not commenting more often - but most times I can think of nothing to add other than a "Fuck Yeah!", or a "Yup!" - and so I don't say anything) and it's much more than just something to occupy my time. So I could honestly pass this award along to each and every one of you, as, in a way, you are all responsible for me having this award.
I would like to point out three blogs in particular, though (didn't I say enough about me?).
PoliTits - DCup is the writer I wish I was. She speaks with such a clear voice on so many wide ranging topics - from politics to family life to "marital aids". Each and every visit to her place leaves me in awe, and causes me to strive harder when writing my own posts.
The Dark Wraith Forums - Dark Wraith is a master of many things, including History, the English language, the history of the English language, and legal issues. His posts are such that you have to read slowly, and often repeatedly, to absorb the meat of the issue upon which he is expounding. And the comment threads are always a lot of fun.
Teh Portly Dyke - What can I say about PD? Awesome? Yep. Intelligent? Uh-huh. Rapidly overtaking my SiteMeter count even though she's been blogging for half as long? Hell yeah. But there's a reason for that. Whereas, as has been pointed out, I post lots of tests and videos and other fluff items, almost all of PD's posts are on truly important subjects. If you haven't visited, do so now and you'll see what I'm on about.
As I said, there are many upon whom I could have bestowed this award. But the nature of the internet is such that others will do so. And maybe along the way, introduce me (and you) to someone new and inspiring. For example, two of the four other bloggers that Fairlane chose were, up to that point, unfamiliar to me. That has now been rectified, to my benefit. Thanks again, Fairlane....
I am honestly floored by this. (And secretly thrilled that anyone would consider me to be inspirational! [Insert happy dance here]) That the award comes from Fairlane, who inspires me whenever I read his posts is, in my humble opinion, an even higher honor.
I simply say what I have to say, hopefully in a coherent manner, and hope that my words may make a positive difference in at least some small way. Be it making a person rethink long held preconceptions, finding out exactly how strange they are, or lighting a fire under their butt to actually do something themselves to effect positive change when I jump up on my virtual soapbox (as opposed to, say, posting a Monty Python clip), this is the purpose of my online writing.
Enough about me, however.
All of the blogs I read inspire me in one way or another. The number of blogs I read daily continues to grow, as you can see from my ever expanding blogroll (and I apologize for not commenting more often - but most times I can think of nothing to add other than a "Fuck Yeah!", or a "Yup!" - and so I don't say anything) and it's much more than just something to occupy my time. So I could honestly pass this award along to each and every one of you, as, in a way, you are all responsible for me having this award.
I would like to point out three blogs in particular, though (didn't I say enough about me?).
PoliTits - DCup is the writer I wish I was. She speaks with such a clear voice on so many wide ranging topics - from politics to family life to "marital aids". Each and every visit to her place leaves me in awe, and causes me to strive harder when writing my own posts.
The Dark Wraith Forums - Dark Wraith is a master of many things, including History, the English language, the history of the English language, and legal issues. His posts are such that you have to read slowly, and often repeatedly, to absorb the meat of the issue upon which he is expounding. And the comment threads are always a lot of fun.
Teh Portly Dyke - What can I say about PD? Awesome? Yep. Intelligent? Uh-huh. Rapidly overtaking my SiteMeter count even though she's been blogging for half as long? Hell yeah. But there's a reason for that. Whereas, as has been pointed out, I post lots of tests and videos and other fluff items, almost all of PD's posts are on truly important subjects. If you haven't visited, do so now and you'll see what I'm on about.
As I said, there are many upon whom I could have bestowed this award. But the nature of the internet is such that others will do so. And maybe along the way, introduce me (and you) to someone new and inspiring. For example, two of the four other bloggers that Fairlane chose were, up to that point, unfamiliar to me. That has now been rectified, to my benefit. Thanks again, Fairlane....
Lamp Induced Wanderings
There was a time, not so long ago, when all a person had for light at night was a few candles, a lamp if he were lucky, and the light from the fire on the hearth. Back in those days, people rose early and retired to bed not long after the sun set in the west - not because they had worked hard all day on the farm, which they most assuredly did - but rather because there is not much one can do in the semi-darkness of lamplight (and most of those things take place in bed anyway - wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean?).
These words which you are reading have been transcribed from paper and were written - late at night - by lamplight. For over three hours now I have been sitting in the semi-darkness our ancestors experienced every night of their lives. A storm blew through these hills - a primeval force of wind, rain and lightning - and the electricity that we all take for granted vanished in a flash. [Transcribing note: I understand that thousands of folk in the Chicago area are currently without power due to a similar storm]
As I sit in the lamplight, I stare at the darkened screen of my monitor and - as often happens when the unexpected occurs - I am forced to see things in a different... well, light.
The light, in fact, of a hurricane lamp, which I keep at hand for just such occasions. When one lives out in the boonies, one has a recurring experience of being without power. Especially during a time of drought, when trees are weakened and the wind is more likely to topple one onto a power line.
Darrell King (Rev. Isaiah Sims), Wes Martin (Dan'l Boone) and Mark Woodard (Dr. Geoffrey Stuart) in Horn in the West
Some years ago I lived in Boone, NC and for several summers was a cast member of the outdoor drama Horn in the West. Horn tells the fictionalized story of the first European settlers (meaning, in actuality, invaders) in the mountains along what is now the North Carolina - Tennessee border, and how they joined the cause of Liberty against the tyranny and oppression of the British Crown - in the person of George III.
I wonder, do many people in America today ever think about how solitary the existence of these mountain folk was? And not just the people living in these ancient mountains, but the vast majority of the people on the continent?
Today, we think nothing of getting in our cars and driving to the next town for business (or pleasure). We travel at 65 (or more) miles per hour on the Interstate highways. For example, I have dear friends who live a little more than 40 miles from the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago), and I try to visit them as often as I am able (and have the bucks for gas to get there and back). It takes about 45 minutes to get from here to there.
Back "in the day" it would have been a full day's travel - or more. And yet our forebears, despite the extreme isolation under which most lived, banded together and fought for freedom.
The settlers living in the High Country and the easternmost Cumberland plateau were relatively untouched by the war raging in the flatlands to the east until the British major Patrick Ferguson issued a statement that said, in part, "Therefore, if you do not desist in your opposition to the British arms, I will march my men over the mountains, hang your leaders, and lay waste to your country with fire and sword." Under the leadership of Col. John Sevier, they formed the Overmountain Men(wiki link, but it's accurate), marched across the mountains and were instrumental in the defeat of the British at the battle of King's Mountain ( a bit west of Charlotte).
Today, by contrast, we sit at our computers, log on to “friendly” blogs, and bitch and gripe about the oppressions and repressions of our current government - in the person of our very own George III.
The spirits of the Overmountain Men, and all others who have fought (and died) for the cause of Liberty, are angry at us for our relative complacency. What will it take for us to get off our McAsses and do something?
These words which you are reading have been transcribed from paper and were written - late at night - by lamplight. For over three hours now I have been sitting in the semi-darkness our ancestors experienced every night of their lives. A storm blew through these hills - a primeval force of wind, rain and lightning - and the electricity that we all take for granted vanished in a flash. [Transcribing note: I understand that thousands of folk in the Chicago area are currently without power due to a similar storm]
As I sit in the lamplight, I stare at the darkened screen of my monitor and - as often happens when the unexpected occurs - I am forced to see things in a different... well, light.
The light, in fact, of a hurricane lamp, which I keep at hand for just such occasions. When one lives out in the boonies, one has a recurring experience of being without power. Especially during a time of drought, when trees are weakened and the wind is more likely to topple one onto a power line.
Darrell King (Rev. Isaiah Sims), Wes Martin (Dan'l Boone) and Mark Woodard (Dr. Geoffrey Stuart) in Horn in the West
Some years ago I lived in Boone, NC and for several summers was a cast member of the outdoor drama Horn in the West. Horn tells the fictionalized story of the first European settlers (meaning, in actuality, invaders) in the mountains along what is now the North Carolina - Tennessee border, and how they joined the cause of Liberty against the tyranny and oppression of the British Crown - in the person of George III.
I wonder, do many people in America today ever think about how solitary the existence of these mountain folk was? And not just the people living in these ancient mountains, but the vast majority of the people on the continent?
Today, we think nothing of getting in our cars and driving to the next town for business (or pleasure). We travel at 65 (or more) miles per hour on the Interstate highways. For example, I have dear friends who live a little more than 40 miles from the Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago), and I try to visit them as often as I am able (and have the bucks for gas to get there and back). It takes about 45 minutes to get from here to there.
Back "in the day" it would have been a full day's travel - or more. And yet our forebears, despite the extreme isolation under which most lived, banded together and fought for freedom.
The settlers living in the High Country and the easternmost Cumberland plateau were relatively untouched by the war raging in the flatlands to the east until the British major Patrick Ferguson issued a statement that said, in part, "Therefore, if you do not desist in your opposition to the British arms, I will march my men over the mountains, hang your leaders, and lay waste to your country with fire and sword." Under the leadership of Col. John Sevier, they formed the Overmountain Men(wiki link, but it's accurate), marched across the mountains and were instrumental in the defeat of the British at the battle of King's Mountain ( a bit west of Charlotte).
Today, by contrast, we sit at our computers, log on to “friendly” blogs, and bitch and gripe about the oppressions and repressions of our current government - in the person of our very own George III.
The spirits of the Overmountain Men, and all others who have fought (and died) for the cause of Liberty, are angry at us for our relative complacency. What will it take for us to get off our McAsses and do something?
23 August 2007
22 August 2007
Strange, I Thought I was Abby Normal
You Are 67% Strange!
Based on your score, it seems you do have a healthy dose of strangeness. You aren't THAT far out, but you are somewhat bizarre. Congratulations on being different and having some quirks. It makes you an interesting person!
How Strange Are You?
Quizzes for MySpace
17 August 2007
Tagged By a Monkey!
Dr. Monkey von Monkerstein, that is. And several days ago, as well. That's what I get for not spending all my time online, reading blogs....
Don't get me wrong, I lurve Teh Interwebs - and all the great blogs. It's just been so fucking hot this week, and I've had real world (personal) concerns keeping my attention.
Okay, I've been playing Rise of Nations pretty much non-stop. That's just the way I roll - when I play a game, I play a fucking game and woe be unto anything that interferes with that (you know, like earning money, etc....).
Aaany-way, I've been well and truly tagged by Dr. Monkey with a four-square meme. Here 'tis:
Four jobs I've had or currently have in my life:
1 - Landscaper: I needed work and a friend of mine said, "Come to work with me. I know how to get you hired." Turns out the owner of the company was so scatter-brained that when my friend told him that I'd been working for the "Not A Clue" Landscaping Company for the last two months, he just nodded and asked how I liked it. I worked there on and off for six years....
2 - College Tutor: At a community college, I was the "infield utility" tutor. Which meant, I knew a little about everything (as opposed to a lot about any one thing), so when a student needed tutoring in a subject that none of us tutors really knew a lot about, I got the gig. I tutored a group of nursing students in Anatomy and Physiology (hey, I've got both!), Business Math to a Haitian exchange student who spoke only French (which I don't speak - but, as "they" say, math is the international language) - and also taught him the basics of English, and other odd subjects.
3 - Bartender: Another job I got just by being there. I was sipping my screwdriver at my favorite watering hole, when the owner found out that one of the bartenders left town. He asked, "Do you know how to mix drinks?" "Sure," I lied. The next night I started work. I worked there on and off, the same six years I worked (or didn't) for Not A Clue Landscaping.
4 - Head Shop Operator: I was driving down Blowing Rock Road in Boone, NC one day, and a pink Jeep forced me into a parking lot. It was the owner of the local head shop, who wanted me to work for him and open a new location in the city of my choice (which is how I ended up in Asheville). The best thing that ever happened at that gig was when I added "Ask about our naked shopper discount" to the ad copy one week, in an attempt to generate some buzz. I had no idea there were so many people willing to get naked for a discount on a purchase. Good times....
2 - Can - a - da! Can - a - da! Can - a - da!
3 - ....
4 - I hain't never been nowhere else.
2 - Seriously, I've always had an urge (as yet unfulfilled) to live in Alaska.
3 - Or Canada ( BC or the Yukon). Yeah, I'm fuckin' crazy, why do you ask?
4 - The Scottish Highlands is also very appealing, and I like mutton, which would be a bonus.
2 - Barley's Taproom in Asheville has the bestest Beefalo burger! They also have an awesome White Pie (that's a pizza for those not in the know).
3 - I really like rice. If I were forced to eat only one food item, well... rice.
4 - Sweet corn, if prepared correctly. To properly prepare sweet corn, one must have the water boiling in the big iron pot hanging over a fire next to the garden before the corn is picked. When the boiling's done, add a little bit of butter, little bit of salt. If you've never had truly fresh sweet corn, I feel sorry for you.
2 - Albert Einstein. He was so far outside the box in his thinking, that for all practical purposes there was no cardboard in his universe. We seem to be lacking people like that in today's world as well.
3 - Nikola Tesla. A scientific genius whose discoveries are still not appreciated fully, he was more concerned with invention than money. This is an attitude that is nearly dead in today's world.
4 - George W. Bush. Seriously. He's proof positive that no matter what a moronic, immoral imbecile you are, you can still (pretend to) be President of the United States.
2 - Hamlet's Mill by Goirgio de Santillana and Herta von Dechend.
3 - Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan.
4 - The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.
That's it, friends.
Oh, I tag DCup, Teh Portly Dyke, Jennifer, and Icaia.
Don't get me wrong, I lurve Teh Interwebs - and all the great blogs. It's just been so fucking hot this week, and I've had real world (personal) concerns keeping my attention.
Okay, I've been playing Rise of Nations pretty much non-stop. That's just the way I roll - when I play a game, I play a fucking game and woe be unto anything that interferes with that (you know, like earning money, etc....).
Aaany-way, I've been well and truly tagged by Dr. Monkey with a four-square meme. Here 'tis:
Four jobs I've had or currently have in my life:
1 - Landscaper: I needed work and a friend of mine said, "Come to work with me. I know how to get you hired." Turns out the owner of the company was so scatter-brained that when my friend told him that I'd been working for the "Not A Clue" Landscaping Company for the last two months, he just nodded and asked how I liked it. I worked there on and off for six years....
2 - College Tutor: At a community college, I was the "infield utility" tutor. Which meant, I knew a little about everything (as opposed to a lot about any one thing), so when a student needed tutoring in a subject that none of us tutors really knew a lot about, I got the gig. I tutored a group of nursing students in Anatomy and Physiology (hey, I've got both!), Business Math to a Haitian exchange student who spoke only French (which I don't speak - but, as "they" say, math is the international language) - and also taught him the basics of English, and other odd subjects.
3 - Bartender: Another job I got just by being there. I was sipping my screwdriver at my favorite watering hole, when the owner found out that one of the bartenders left town. He asked, "Do you know how to mix drinks?" "Sure," I lied. The next night I started work. I worked there on and off, the same six years I worked (or didn't) for Not A Clue Landscaping.
4 - Head Shop Operator: I was driving down Blowing Rock Road in Boone, NC one day, and a pink Jeep forced me into a parking lot. It was the owner of the local head shop, who wanted me to work for him and open a new location in the city of my choice (which is how I ended up in Asheville). The best thing that ever happened at that gig was when I added "Ask about our naked shopper discount" to the ad copy one week, in an attempt to generate some buzz. I had no idea there were so many people willing to get naked for a discount on a purchase. Good times....
Four countries I have been to:
1 - USA! USA! USA!2 - Can - a - da! Can - a - da! Can - a - da!
3 - ....
4 - I hain't never been nowhere else.
Four places I'd rather be right now:
1 - Some place cold.2 - Seriously, I've always had an urge (as yet unfulfilled) to live in Alaska.
3 - Or Canada ( BC or the Yukon). Yeah, I'm fuckin' crazy, why do you ask?
4 - The Scottish Highlands is also very appealing, and I like mutton, which would be a bonus.
Four foods I like to eat:
1 - Take two slices of homemade bread, a huge tomato fresh from the garden, slather on some Duke's Mayonnaise (yes, I'm a true Southerner) and a little bit of salt. Fresh food from the garden is the only thing I like about Summer.2 - Barley's Taproom in Asheville has the bestest Beefalo burger! They also have an awesome White Pie (that's a pizza for those not in the know).
3 - I really like rice. If I were forced to eat only one food item, well... rice.
4 - Sweet corn, if prepared correctly. To properly prepare sweet corn, one must have the water boiling in the big iron pot hanging over a fire next to the garden before the corn is picked. When the boiling's done, add a little bit of butter, little bit of salt. If you've never had truly fresh sweet corn, I feel sorry for you.
Four personal heroes, past or present:
1 - Mahatma Ghandi. Producer of fine rice - oh, wait, that's not right. Ghandi (and those who have followed in his footsteps, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.) was able to effect change through non-violent means. We are sadly lacking in people of that caliber these days.2 - Albert Einstein. He was so far outside the box in his thinking, that for all practical purposes there was no cardboard in his universe. We seem to be lacking people like that in today's world as well.
3 - Nikola Tesla. A scientific genius whose discoveries are still not appreciated fully, he was more concerned with invention than money. This is an attitude that is nearly dead in today's world.
4 - George W. Bush. Seriously. He's proof positive that no matter what a moronic, immoral imbecile you are, you can still (pretend to) be President of the United States.
Four books you've just read or are currently reading:
1 - Bard by Morgan Llewellyn.2 - Hamlet's Mill by Goirgio de Santillana and Herta von Dechend.
3 - Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan.
4 - The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.
That's it, friends.
Oh, I tag DCup, Teh Portly Dyke, Jennifer, and Icaia.
14 August 2007
12 August 2007
Unexpected
Thanks to Teh Portly Dyke's post, Trollz Antidote: Part #2, I am in a Python mood (go read her post to find out why). In honor of the moment, I present the following classic of comedy:
Bad Choices in Advertising
I was just checking my SiteMeter stats and this was the top banner ad (click image to enlarge):
It's never a good idea to have the word "rollover" included in an ad for a car...
.
It's never a good idea to have the word "rollover" included in an ad for a car...
.
11 August 2007
Welcome to the Peerage!
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: His Exalted Highness Duke Phydeaux the Evanescent of Yockenthwait Walden Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
UPDATE: I forgot to tip my fedora to JackGoff (yes, that's his real name) whence camest this gem. Also, I'm trying to decide whether "Peculiar" is meant to mean 'odd' or 'particular'. Whaddya think, folks?
10 August 2007
Constitutional Convention in the 21st Century
So I have decided to further develop my previous post, as I honestly believe that something must be done to correct the "ship of state" as it continues to wander off the course that the Founding Fathers intended. Freedom is being attacked from both outside and inside the country, and, while I don't have children of my own, I fear for the next generation (this, despite claims by the Christianists that agnostics have no morals).
An aside on "Christianists": why do they ignore or deny the words of Christ? As regular readers know, I do not ascribe to any religion and, as an agnostic, believe that one cannot know whether 'god' exists. I do, however, have a working knowledge of the teachings of JC - having been raised in the home of a Methodist minister, how could it be otherwise - and, to a lesser extent, knowledge of the teachings of non Judeo-Christian belief systems. As I have said before, one can believe the message without worshiping the messenger or subscribing to a set of religious rules. The Christianists (and all fundamental extremists) just don't get this....
Anyway, that is a topic for another post. I'm here today to expand on the possible topics for a new Constitutional Convention. First, let me restate the ideas that I put forth in the previous post:
Taking them one (or so) at a time, we have:
This nation was created out of a rebellion against the excesses of a king. 231 years ago, the majority of the colonies in North America rebelled against their oppressive ruler, King George III of Great Britain. In their Declaration of Independence, they compiled a long list of grievances to explain this action.
Today, we, the inheritors of that rebellion, suffer under the oppression of another George III. First, there was George Washington, then George H. W. Bush, and now George W. Bush. It is time to once again take up the banner of rebellion.
Just as in the first American Revolution, this rebellion must be initiated by those most effected by the excesses of the "monarch". The most wide reaching effect of the current morally bankrupt malAdministration is the attempt to establish a "unitary executive". This is an unconstitutional idea nurtured by
Dick Cheney ever since his old boss Richard Nixon overstepped the bounds and was cut off at the knees (politically speaking).
I can't say that I know Cheney's mind on this matter, but I believe he wishes to establish this precedent in order to further increase the profit margin of his cronies - and himself. And without the interference of those pesky little Congresscritters, the executive branch can award no-bid contracts and create signing statements to further fill the overflowing coffers of Halliburton, Exxon/Mobile, etc., etc..
How is this any different from a king granting charters or bestowing nobility (with the concomitant overlordship of the serfs in the Duchy) to his preferred pals?
Hand in hand with this goes the following proposal:
Most of the desecration of the Constitution that has occurred during the reign of the new George III is directly related to the attempt to establish the doctrine of the unitary executive. Even the implementation of the "Patriot" Act (and has ever there been a more oxymoronic name?) by the compliant - and cowed - 107th Congress was a bowing to the wishes of the Executive Branch (and Cheney).
Nearly every single thing that has followed that questionable decision (and the list is way too long and depressing for me to go into) has been a slap in the face of, if not a downright illegal attempt to subvert, the Constitution - up to, and including, the recent syncophantic update of the FISA laws. If these corruptions of the Constitution are not rectified, it will mean the end of the nation that Washington, Jefferson, Adams, et. al established 231 years ago - even though the name, United States of America, will live on.
This one is, I believe, a no-brainer - especially in light of the Great 2000 Election Month Debacle. For those of you who may have forgotten, more people voted for Al Gore than for Dumbya. The Constitution, as it stands, grants the "several states" the ability to allocate electoral votes as they wish, and 48 of the 50 have gone with a "winner take all" system. This has had the effect of disenfranchising a huge minority of voters in those states.
As a personal example, my (blue) vote for President has never really counted - simply because I live in a red state. And it wouldn't count even if 49.999% of the population of North Carolina voted for the Democrat - the Republican candidate would still get all fifteen electoral votes.
There are those who criticize this idea because it would mean that the mega blocks of California (which, pet peeve, is not the "largest state" - that would be Alaska - but rather the most populous one) and New York electoral votes would no longer be cast for the Democrat. Tough shit, I say. If the majority of the country votes for a specific candidate, that candidate wins!
The reformation/elimination of the Electoral College also ties into this proposal:
As I said in this post, the two-party paradigm has got to go. The George Washington farewell address linked in that post is very informative with respect to the desire of the man who some people view as the Founding Father of the country.
If anyone objects to this idea, simply point them to Washington's own words.
The "money" quote from Washington's speech is:
An objection I foresee to the implementation of these two alterations to the political process would be that no candidate would ever receive a majority of votes in a Presidential election. My response is: So what? In today's political landscape, less than half of the potential voters even bother to go to the polls, so the President is elected by a portion of a portion of the population of the United States.
What would be more accurately representative of the desires of the nation as a whole would be a Parliamentary setup, such as Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, and India, etc. have. We could either go with the option of coalitions (as those nations do) in order to choose the next head of state, or simply say that a plurality "wins" the election. Personally, I would prefer the former to the latter.
This idea would do as much, I believe, towards eliminating the corrupt nature of politics as any other one thing that could be done. By implementing draconian term limits, we would tend to get candidates that have the interests of the people as a whole - rather than the promotion of ideology or corporate profits, which is what we have today. In other words, we would have a Congress made up of servants of the country rather than servants of personal power or industry.
An obvious objection to this idea would come from people who have long serving Representatives or Senators. Again, a personal anecdote. You may remember Jesse Helms, who was a Senator from North Carolina for... well, it seemed like forever, but was "only" 30 years - and he's probably no longer a Senator only because he suffers from debilitating disease and chose not to run in 2002. During an argument with a dear friend of mine, who was a Helms supporter, I asked how said friend could continue to vote for a man who represented an ideology that was anathema to the friend's personal beliefs. The friend responded by saying, "Helms has influence that benefits the state."
Basically, my friend was willing to see other friends vilified and "othered" in exchange for pork barrel benefits. To quote the Bible, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Matthew 16:26)"
In the comment thread to my earlier post, sbgypsy said (I believe in response to this topic):
I agree with everything except term limits set in stone. If we'd had them then, FDR would never have been able to give us what he did. I think that recall ability - grassroots recall ability - would be sufficient, without term limits.
I suppose I didn't make myself clear in the statement (or else I'm misinterpreting her comment). I am not proposing limiting the President to one term, but saying that the length of each single term be redefined as no longer than four years. The inability of the current Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Dumbya is all the argument I need in favor of the concept of "no confidence" and, as she said, recall.
If, on the other hand, her comment is referring to term limits on congresscritters, I still stick with my belief that we need citizen legislators rather than professional politicians. As I said in a comment thread somewhere out there on the Interwebs, there is a plethora of good people in this country who would put the needs of the many over the wants of the few.
(If sbgypsy should return and wish to further discuss this, I would be more than happy to do so - as the (fictional representation of) Stephen Hopkins - Rhode Island delegate to the Second Continental Congress - said "I've never seen, heard, nor smelled an idea that was so dangerous it couldn't be talked about" [from the movie 1776])
These three ideas all go hand in hand to reform the election process. Also from the previous post's comment thread, Lynn said:
I dont think in a general way, looking over your list, that extreme regulation is the answer to all. I dont think for example that restricting the length of time that people can campaign makes sense. Seems like it would, but a shorter campaign time benefits the rich and hurts people who need to work a long time to raise money and gain notoriety. Your idea hurts the poor and the obscure.
I disagree with that, because if all private money were banned from the system and only a set amount of government funds (from that box you may or may not check on your tax forms) were equally distributed among each of the candidates (both presidential and congressional - although I would give the presidential campaigns a much larger share, due to the national aspects of the campaign), and equal access to media provided - remember, the public owns the airwaves, after all - then the playing field would be leveled, not tilted toward the rich.
I think we're all already tired of the 2008 Presidential Campaign, and the election is still fifteen months away. Frankly, I'm surprised that someone hasn't already declared to be a candidate for the 2012 election. Or the 2016. That may sound ridiculous, but it's where things are heading. The way things are now, a five year old could declare her intentions to run for President in 2040 and begin campaigning. Imagine the name recognition she'd have by the time the election rolled around!
Keep in mind that all of this (with the exception of the reader comments quoted) is merely the ideas in the head of this old dog. What I would hope to see is a discussion among people - a trading of ideas and playing off each other's thoughts - in the hopes of actually doing something to change the corrupt and unfair system that we have now, rather than just bitching and moaning about it.
I now open myself to comments and criticisms from my adoring public (both of you).
ETA 12 August 2009: Since I originally posted this, I switched to a different commenting system. The original comments on this post are located here.
An aside on "Christianists": why do they ignore or deny the words of Christ? As regular readers know, I do not ascribe to any religion and, as an agnostic, believe that one cannot know whether 'god' exists. I do, however, have a working knowledge of the teachings of JC - having been raised in the home of a Methodist minister, how could it be otherwise - and, to a lesser extent, knowledge of the teachings of non Judeo-Christian belief systems. As I have said before, one can believe the message without worshiping the messenger or subscribing to a set of religious rules. The Christianists (and all fundamental extremists) just don't get this....
Anyway, that is a topic for another post. I'm here today to expand on the possible topics for a new Constitutional Convention. First, let me restate the ideas that I put forth in the previous post:
- Re-establish the limitations on the Executive Branch (meaning, destroy the idea of a unitary executive).
- Reform and, hopefully, eliminate the Electoral College (vote totals are no longer carried via horse courier to Washington).
- Codify term limits (a total of three for Representatives and two for Senators, thereby eliminating the "professional politician"). Jefferson, Adams, and other Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, not careerists.
- Re-establish pre-existing Constitutional guarantees that have been usurped by the Current Occupant and his malAdministration.
- Alter the term of office of the President to no longer than four years and establish the concept of "no confidence" votes.
- Ban all private (personal and corporate) donations to political campaigns. One person, one vote - no extra clout for being wealthy.
- Require that media outlets provide free, equal, and limited time to all candidates during the campaign cycle.
- Reform the party system to eliminate the built in safeguards against the formation of viable additional parties. Democracy is not binary!
- Shorten the length of the election cycle. No candidate may express an intention to run for office more than one year before the election date, and may not file for office more than six months before the primary; primaries are to be held no more than two months before the general election.
Taking them one (or so) at a time, we have:
Re-establish the limitations on the Executive Branch (meaning, destroy the idea of a unitary executive).
This nation was created out of a rebellion against the excesses of a king. 231 years ago, the majority of the colonies in North America rebelled against their oppressive ruler, King George III of Great Britain. In their Declaration of Independence, they compiled a long list of grievances to explain this action.
Today, we, the inheritors of that rebellion, suffer under the oppression of another George III. First, there was George Washington, then George H. W. Bush, and now George W. Bush. It is time to once again take up the banner of rebellion.
Just as in the first American Revolution, this rebellion must be initiated by those most effected by the excesses of the "monarch". The most wide reaching effect of the current morally bankrupt malAdministration is the attempt to establish a "unitary executive". This is an unconstitutional idea nurtured by
Dick Cheney ever since his old boss Richard Nixon overstepped the bounds and was cut off at the knees (politically speaking).
I can't say that I know Cheney's mind on this matter, but I believe he wishes to establish this precedent in order to further increase the profit margin of his cronies - and himself. And without the interference of those pesky little Congresscritters, the executive branch can award no-bid contracts and create signing statements to further fill the overflowing coffers of Halliburton, Exxon/Mobile, etc., etc..
How is this any different from a king granting charters or bestowing nobility (with the concomitant overlordship of the serfs in the Duchy) to his preferred pals?
Hand in hand with this goes the following proposal:
Re-establish pre-existing Constitutional guarantees that have been usurped by the Current Occupant and his malAdministration.
Most of the desecration of the Constitution that has occurred during the reign of the new George III is directly related to the attempt to establish the doctrine of the unitary executive. Even the implementation of the "Patriot" Act (and has ever there been a more oxymoronic name?) by the compliant - and cowed - 107th Congress was a bowing to the wishes of the Executive Branch (and Cheney).
Nearly every single thing that has followed that questionable decision (and the list is way too long and depressing for me to go into) has been a slap in the face of, if not a downright illegal attempt to subvert, the Constitution - up to, and including, the recent syncophantic update of the FISA laws. If these corruptions of the Constitution are not rectified, it will mean the end of the nation that Washington, Jefferson, Adams, et. al established 231 years ago - even though the name, United States of America, will live on.
Reform and, hopefully, eliminate the Electoral College (vote totals are no longer carried via horse courier to Washington).
This one is, I believe, a no-brainer - especially in light of the Great 2000 Election Month Debacle. For those of you who may have forgotten, more people voted for Al Gore than for Dumbya. The Constitution, as it stands, grants the "several states" the ability to allocate electoral votes as they wish, and 48 of the 50 have gone with a "winner take all" system. This has had the effect of disenfranchising a huge minority of voters in those states.
As a personal example, my (blue) vote for President has never really counted - simply because I live in a red state. And it wouldn't count even if 49.999% of the population of North Carolina voted for the Democrat - the Republican candidate would still get all fifteen electoral votes.
There are those who criticize this idea because it would mean that the mega blocks of California (which, pet peeve, is not the "largest state" - that would be Alaska - but rather the most populous one) and New York electoral votes would no longer be cast for the Democrat. Tough shit, I say. If the majority of the country votes for a specific candidate, that candidate wins!
The reformation/elimination of the Electoral College also ties into this proposal:
Reform the party system to eliminate the built in safeguards against the formation of viable additional parties. Democracy is not binary!
As I said in this post, the two-party paradigm has got to go. The George Washington farewell address linked in that post is very informative with respect to the desire of the man who some people view as the Founding Father of the country.
If anyone objects to this idea, simply point them to Washington's own words.
The "money" quote from Washington's speech is:
However combinations or associations of the above description [of the rise of political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
An objection I foresee to the implementation of these two alterations to the political process would be that no candidate would ever receive a majority of votes in a Presidential election. My response is: So what? In today's political landscape, less than half of the potential voters even bother to go to the polls, so the President is elected by a portion of a portion of the population of the United States.
What would be more accurately representative of the desires of the nation as a whole would be a Parliamentary setup, such as Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, and India, etc. have. We could either go with the option of coalitions (as those nations do) in order to choose the next head of state, or simply say that a plurality "wins" the election. Personally, I would prefer the former to the latter.
Codify term limits (a total of three for Representatives and two for Senators, thereby eliminating the "professional politician"). Jefferson, Adams, and other Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, not careerists.
This idea would do as much, I believe, towards eliminating the corrupt nature of politics as any other one thing that could be done. By implementing draconian term limits, we would tend to get candidates that have the interests of the people as a whole - rather than the promotion of ideology or corporate profits, which is what we have today. In other words, we would have a Congress made up of servants of the country rather than servants of personal power or industry.
An obvious objection to this idea would come from people who have long serving Representatives or Senators. Again, a personal anecdote. You may remember Jesse Helms, who was a Senator from North Carolina for... well, it seemed like forever, but was "only" 30 years - and he's probably no longer a Senator only because he suffers from debilitating disease and chose not to run in 2002. During an argument with a dear friend of mine, who was a Helms supporter, I asked how said friend could continue to vote for a man who represented an ideology that was anathema to the friend's personal beliefs. The friend responded by saying, "Helms has influence that benefits the state."
Basically, my friend was willing to see other friends vilified and "othered" in exchange for pork barrel benefits. To quote the Bible, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Matthew 16:26)"
Alter the term of office of the President to no longer than four years and establish the concept of "no confidence" votes.
In the comment thread to my earlier post, sbgypsy said (I believe in response to this topic):
I agree with everything except term limits set in stone. If we'd had them then, FDR would never have been able to give us what he did. I think that recall ability - grassroots recall ability - would be sufficient, without term limits.
I suppose I didn't make myself clear in the statement (or else I'm misinterpreting her comment). I am not proposing limiting the President to one term, but saying that the length of each single term be redefined as no longer than four years. The inability of the current Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Dumbya is all the argument I need in favor of the concept of "no confidence" and, as she said, recall.
If, on the other hand, her comment is referring to term limits on congresscritters, I still stick with my belief that we need citizen legislators rather than professional politicians. As I said in a comment thread somewhere out there on the Interwebs, there is a plethora of good people in this country who would put the needs of the many over the wants of the few.
(If sbgypsy should return and wish to further discuss this, I would be more than happy to do so - as the (fictional representation of) Stephen Hopkins - Rhode Island delegate to the Second Continental Congress - said "I've never seen, heard, nor smelled an idea that was so dangerous it couldn't be talked about" [from the movie 1776])
Ban all private (personal and corporate) donations to political campaigns. One person, one vote - no extra clout for being wealthy.
Require that media outlets provide free, equal, and limited time to all candidates during the campaign cycle.
Shorten the length of the election cycle. No candidate may express an intention to run for office more than one year before the election date, and may not file for office more than six months before the primary; primaries are to be held no more than two months before the general election.
These three ideas all go hand in hand to reform the election process. Also from the previous post's comment thread, Lynn said:
I dont think in a general way, looking over your list, that extreme regulation is the answer to all. I dont think for example that restricting the length of time that people can campaign makes sense. Seems like it would, but a shorter campaign time benefits the rich and hurts people who need to work a long time to raise money and gain notoriety. Your idea hurts the poor and the obscure.
I disagree with that, because if all private money were banned from the system and only a set amount of government funds (from that box you may or may not check on your tax forms) were equally distributed among each of the candidates (both presidential and congressional - although I would give the presidential campaigns a much larger share, due to the national aspects of the campaign), and equal access to media provided - remember, the public owns the airwaves, after all - then the playing field would be leveled, not tilted toward the rich.
I think we're all already tired of the 2008 Presidential Campaign, and the election is still fifteen months away. Frankly, I'm surprised that someone hasn't already declared to be a candidate for the 2012 election. Or the 2016. That may sound ridiculous, but it's where things are heading. The way things are now, a five year old could declare her intentions to run for President in 2040 and begin campaigning. Imagine the name recognition she'd have by the time the election rolled around!
Keep in mind that all of this (with the exception of the reader comments quoted) is merely the ideas in the head of this old dog. What I would hope to see is a discussion among people - a trading of ideas and playing off each other's thoughts - in the hopes of actually doing something to change the corrupt and unfair system that we have now, rather than just bitching and moaning about it.
I now open myself to comments and criticisms from my adoring public (both of you).
ETA 12 August 2009: Since I originally posted this, I switched to a different commenting system. The original comments on this post are located here.
08 August 2007
OMG Zombies!
I can't imagine that any of my visitors don't visit C&L (which means you've already seen this), but I had to post the following:
http://view.break.com/345028 - Watch more free videos
http://view.break.com/345028 - Watch more free videos
06 August 2007
In Which We Gather To Correct the Wrongs
Over at Shakesville (currently in "hurricane" mode at Shakespeare's Sister), there's an open thread on what to do now that a large chunk of the Democrats in Congress have dropped to their knees and unzipped Dumbya's fly.
My initial comment was to call for a new Constitutional Convention, and I was asked, " Fair enough, but what ideas do we bring to the convention?" These were the first few things that came to me:
Criticisms or expansions on the ones I've come up with?
Suggestions as to how we can actually make this happen?
My initial comment was to call for a new Constitutional Convention, and I was asked, " Fair enough, but what ideas do we bring to the convention?" These were the first few things that came to me:
- Re-establish the limitations on the Executive Branch (meaning, destroy the idea of a unitary executive).
- Reform and, hopefully, eliminate the Electoral College (vote totals are no longer carried via horse courier to Washington).
- Codify term limits (a total of three for Representatives and two for Senators, thereby eliminating the "professional politician"). Jefferson, Adams, and other Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, not careerists.
- Re-establish pre-existing Constitutional guarantees that have been usurped by the Current Occupant and his malAdministration.
- Alter the term of office of the President to no longer than four years and establish the concept of "no confidence" votes.
- Ban all private (personal and corporate) donations to political campaigns. One person, one vote - no extra clout for being wealthy.
- Require that media outlets provide free, equal, and limited time to all candidates during the campaign cycle.
- Reform the party system to eliminate the built in safeguards against the formation of viable additional parties. Democracy is not binary!
- Shorten the length of the election cycle. No candidate may express an intention to run for office more than one year before the election date, and may not file for office more than six months before the primary; primaries are to be held no more than two months before the general election.
Criticisms or expansions on the ones I've come up with?
Suggestions as to how we can actually make this happen?
05 August 2007
Nixon -v- Bush/Cheney
This is the latest video from Ava Lowery (Peace Takes Courage). If you're not familiar with her work, go to her site, spend some time, and, if you can, donate.
From the YouTube comment thread (commenter: freeman1888):
I couldn't say it better myself.
.
From the YouTube comment thread (commenter: freeman1888):
Ava shows us a time when the press had the COURAGE to actually report the NEWS, instead of what they have become today.... A bunch of US Magazine wannabes or, partisan hitmen/women with large salaries and no moral fiber.
I love that this is taught to us by a 16 year old!! It gives me so much faith that the future of the USA is not really doomed as long as young folks like Ava (and my kids), are around. Keep up your good work Ava, you are an inspiration to us all.
I couldn't say it better myself.
.
Let's Hear it For "the Man"!
(Photo gleefully stolen from The Asheville Disclaimer, click on pic to embiggen)
The Asheville couple who were recently arrested for "flag desecration" (Petulant has the initial news report) have had all charges dropped.
For a full on write up and rant, go see Dr. Monkey's post.
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