It's In There

The "Game" As It Is Played

2010-02-17T22:18:00.003-05:00

It's bad enough that Boehner and Cantor are such cynically dishonest 'opponents' in legislative debate, but that Pelosi feels compelled to politely respond, is, well, depressing.

Glenn Beck's 'Guru'

2009-09-30T20:39:00.000-04:00

This is worth reading in full, but to give you some excerpts of the writings of Glenn Beck's 'guru', W. Cleon Skousen:

The tendency was to sell [slave] families as units, if for no other reason [than] to keep the slaves contented. The gangs in transit were usually a cheerful lot, though the presence of a number of the more vicious type sometimes made it necessary for them all to go in chains. At the other extreme, when the Central of Georgia railroad company in 1858 equipped a Negro sleeping car to assist in the slave trade it set a standard not always maintained in a later generation. When on the block, the slave was as likely to hinder as to help in his sale. Some, out of a vain conceit in bringing a high price, would boast of their physical prowess, in which case an unwary purchaser would likely be cheated. Others would malinger, because of a grudge against owners or traders or in order to bring a low price and be put at less tiring labor. Dealers, also, adopted the tricks of horse traders to make their merchants more attractive -- the greasiest Negro was generally considered the healthiest.

....

Slave food, even if monotonous, was plentiful. Corn bread and bacon were the mainstays, with plenty of fruit and vegetables in season. In hog-killing time, countenances were unusually greasy. Clothing also was on the par with that of the poorer white people and no less adequate in proportion to the climate than that of Northern laborers. If [negro children] ran naked it was generally from choice, and when the white boys had to put on shoes and go away to school they were likely to envy the freedom of their colored playmates.

....

Numerous observers, of various shades of opinion on slavery, agreed that brutality was no more common in the black belt than among free labor elsewhere, and that the slave owners were the worst victims of the system.

....

The constant fear of slave rebellion made life in the South a nightmare, especially in regions where conspiracies were of frequent occurrence. [Emphases added]

Yeah, it's Obama who has a 'race problem.'

Idiots

2009-09-30T11:32:00.002-04:00

Reality be damned.

The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday night approved an amendment providing tens of millions of dollars to fund abstinence education programs for teens.

As the linked post makes clear, this does not work.

Kirk Cameron vs. Science

2009-09-23T22:18:00.000-04:00

I have nothing to add.

"We Can't All Marry Liza Minnelli"

2009-09-22T21:32:00.001-04:00

Awesome protest sign.

Daily Hate From Glenn Beck

2009-09-22T18:41:00.002-04:00

People are watching this. Scary.

Yes, Coming Back!

2009-09-22T17:55:00.003-04:00

Well, after my long hiatus from blogging here, I've decided that it's time to come back. The reasons for this are several.

First, I decided to join Facebook last week on a bit of a whim. My girlfriend was having fun getting back in touch with old friends, and the cynic side of me at first reacted negatively. I can be a bit anti-social, and sometimes it's nice, and much less compicated, to be a hermit. But the very next day I started to warm up to the idea. So, I signed up. The friends part has been cool, but I started enjoying posting things again. However, anyone who's used Facebook knows that there are limitations. Not that there aren't limitations to blogger, but they're much less pervasive. Anyway, I started to want to write a bit more again, and coming back to this virtual real estate seemed like the best way to start.

Second, I think I've recovered from a politics overload that had pretty much made me want to stay silent. It can feel like banging your head against a wall attempting to counter arguments that you thought would be settled months, if not years, ago. The obstinancy of the conservative movement ultimately wore me down.

Third, I got some Big Bufords at Rally's today and was stuck behind a truck with birther, World Nut Daily, etc., bumper stickers. I wanted to yell, but I knew at most it would result in getting my ass kicked. Perhaps this can get some of that out of my system in a more constructive way than yelling at random people.

I imagine that the content will not be 100% politics; I have too many interests for that to happen. Yet, the liberal victory that made me feel so great last November is in danger, and not in danger because of better ideas or rationales, but because of lies and hatred. I'm sick of it, and even if I'm only preaching to a choir of liberal friends, at least I can help raise awareness and be part of the network of millions that will, hopefully, get the Obama Administration to deliver the change we voted for.

Coming Back?

2009-07-12T18:39:00.000-04:00

I've been wondering about that.

Movin' In and Out

2006-07-04T10:15:00.000-04:00

Well, I've moved, both in the phenomenal world and cyberspace. While I've been wanting to get back to blogging, I knew something had to be different this time. I really don't think I am going to have the time to be thoughtfully political, and the politics always came at the expense of my more creative proclivities. So, imagine my pleasant surprise when I got invited to A HaHa is (N)ot Art!, a new group blog including the work of Hilton Hightower, the best half-man, half-robot, half-carnivorous ninja pirate writing on the web. We will also be joined by Ronald Polar, a questionable fellow, in my estimation.

What are my digs going to be like? I can't say for sure, but you won't be going there for straight-ahead discourse. Perhaps the best way to describe its potentialities would be to think of it as an amateur outgrowth of the Dada-John Cage-Fluxus art-stream. It's In There has been fun, but sometimes you know it's finally time to move.

Thank You

2006-06-23T11:46:00.000-04:00

Thank you, various commenters for your various comments on my last post. Be assured that QuickSauce has, in fact, been incarnated in multiple times and forms. I very well may eat my ruffage and get more regular. In the meantime, I am moving to a house 26 miles away.

But if you wish to raise your eyebrow (just one) at the strangeness of life, imagine being a 35-year old culinary naif, one sheltered enough to ask the following:

I am wanting to find out how to prepare broccoli and well, how to eat it without adding cheese. Trying to learn new healthy habits and whatnot.

Does one have to boil, steam it or can one just wash it off and commencing eating? Do you eat just the stem?

Perhaps some of my Texas friends can explain. Do they not have relish plates in Texas? Is broccoli preparation exotic anywhere in the States?

I'm not making fun. But my eyebrow raised, and maybe yours will too.

I'm not dead

2006-06-13T13:03:00.000-04:00

Recent Searches

2006-03-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

I always love to share these.

drinking shampoo (Google)

want to castrate man (Google)

"male masturbation expert" (Google)

Note that the first two searchers must have been very patient, as I do not show up among the first 100 results for those searches. However, it looks like I've got "male masturbation expert" almost to myself.

Where I Have Been

2006-03-02T18:41:00.000-05:00

Make a map.

I will confess that two of the states above are a bit sketchy, in terms of how much I have really "been there." My brief time in both Texas and Colorado was spent solely within airport property. That may or may not count, depending on your persuasion.

Via Alterdestiny

Not Only Does His Music Suck

2006-03-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

but he's got the sense of a tub of butter:

Scott Stapp[, formerly of the cock-rock band Creed,] thinks a recently released sex video showing him and Kid Rock with several strippers is meant to sabotage him.

"Obviously someone wants to hurt me and doesn't want me to be successful in my solo career," Stapp told AP Radio in a recent interview.

....

Stapp, 32, says the tape was made soon after he was divorced from Hillaree Burns.

He said he previously told his new wife about having a wild year and that she accepts the tape as part of his past.

"You think it's part of your rock 'n' roll memories," Stapp said. "I should have burned that tape."

Rule #1: if you are thinking of making a "sex tape," ask yourself, "Do I care if strangers catch a glimpse of this?" If your answer is yes, then don't make the damn thing.

Rule #2: if you are already famous, repeat Rule #1.

Funny Shit

2006-03-02T17:36:00.000-05:00

Rush Limbaugh, on Tuesday:

This is a survey, first of all, of just adults, Americans. This is not a survey of voters. It is not a survey of likely voters. It is not a survey of registered voters. It's just a random sample of "Will you answer the phone today, and I got some questions for ya." And the questions are absurd. And the questions are misleading. And the questions lie. And this poll was produced to make news. Just as they all are these days. This whole -- this poll was nothing more than a way for CBS to get its editorial position out there as a so-called news story. That's all this poll was.

....

...This is not representative of the -- of the population of the country in any way, shape, manner, or form. Nor is the fact that Bush has 34 percent. Nor is the fact that Cheney has 18. You just know that's not possible. It simply isn't possible. [emphasis added]

Too bad other polls that came out today concur. FOX gives Bush 39% and Gallup gives him 38%. True, it's not quite 34%, but it's also not exactly a refutation of the CBS poll. Of course, FOX must be "in" with those Commies at CBS.

SCOTUS Seating Chart

2006-02-01T17:10:00.000-05:00

It may be trivial, but it's interesting.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. may or may not change the Supreme Court's jurisprudence [Now, that statement's a wee bit silly - QS]. But he will shake up one aspect of court business that was unchanged for more than 11 years: the seating chart.

As the junior associate justice, Alito will occupy the end of the bench farthest to the courtroom audience's right during oral arguments. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who has sat there since October 1994, will move across to the audience's extreme left.

Kind of symbolic, too.

Quilt

2006-01-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

Early Teen Memory

2006-01-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

Years ago (we were probably in 8^th or 9^th grade), I went with A. to an NBA basketball game with a group of people from A.’s church. As is typical, the team had cheerleaders. At one point during one of the cheerleading routines, this guy a couple of rows behind us (he was probably drunk, thinking back upon the whole situation) yelled out, very loudly, “I. Want. Your. Pussyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” We still laugh about that.

Assholes

2006-01-30T18:20:00.000-05:00

"When $10 Billion Isn’t Enough" - Think Progress

Today, Exxon Mobil recorded the highest quarterly profit ever for a publicly traded U.S. company, raking in $10.71 billion in the fourth quarter of 2005. The previous record was $9.92 billion, set by Exxon in the third quarter of 2005.

....
Exxon Mobil Corp. urged a federal appeals court Friday to erase the $5 billion in damages an Alaska jury ordered the oil giant to pay for the 1989 Valdez oil spill.

Exxon attorney Walter Dellinger told a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the company should be liable for no more than $25 million in punitive damages. Punitive damages are meant to deter and punish misconduct.

You can do the math.

Washington and Tehran Agree

2006-01-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

Queers don't count.

(Washington, D.C., January 25, 2006) - In a reversal of policy, the United States on Monday backed an Iranian initiative to deny United Nations consultative status to organizations working to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

....

In May 2005, the International Lesbian and Gay Association, which is based in Brussels, and the Danish gay rights group Landsforeningen for Bøsser og Lesbiske (LBL) applied for consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Consultative status is the only official means by which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world can influence and participate in discussions among member states at the United Nations. Nearly 3,000 groups enjoy this status.

States opposed to the two groups’ applications moved to have them summarily dismissed, an almost unprecedented move at the UN, where organizations are ordinarily allowed to state their cases. The U.S. abstained on a vote which would have allowed the debate to continue and the groups to be heard. It then voted to reject the applications.

Remember that every time Bush acts like he knows a damn thing about "civilization."

Mega Reptilian Jesus W. Bush

2006-01-27T17:43:00.000-05:00

Really. The title says it all.

America's Mengele

2006-01-27T17:29:00.000-05:00

I happened upon Wikipedia's entry for chemist Sidney Gottlieb, an American of note whom I hadn't heard of. Very interesting stuff.

In April 1953 Sidney Gottlieb headed the secret Project MKULTRA which was activated on the order of CIA director Allen Dulles. Gottlieb was known for administration of LSD and other psycho-active drugs to unwitting subjects and for financing psychiatric research and development of "techniques that would crush the human psyche to the point that it would admit anything." He sponsored physicians such as Ewen Cameron and Harris Isbell in controversial psychiatric research that used unwitting humans as guinea pigs. Many people had their lives destroyed in this research financed by Gottlieb and the Rockefeller Foundation.

What strikes me about this new-to-me information is how much it reinforces my incredulity that there are people who would trust a government to not cross lines it says it hasn't. Eavesdropping on innocent Americans? Why wouldn't they? Sending people to other countries for the real dirty work to be done? Pshaw. Teaching weekend warriors abject sadism, sans the masochism? Please. The idea that those "normal" Americans we send to the White House have the same moral compass as the rest of us is naive and silly. There are exceptions to this of course, but they are exceptions.

After US president Eisenhower, in August 1960, ordered the assasination of Congolese prime minister Lumumba, secret agent QJ/WIN (Sidney Gottlieb) was sent by the CIA to deliver a tube of poisonous toothpaste, of the same brand used by Lumumba, to a CIA contact named Larry Devlin. The toothpaste was to be secretly switched with Lumumba's personal toothpaste. Devlin, however, in his undercover work had come to admire Lumumba and could not in good conscience murder him. So Devlin abandoned his CIA mission.

Some historians speculate that the CIA eventually played some role in the events that transpired in those weeks before Lumumba was murdered in January 1961. The US government has never made an official statement to the Congolese people.

....Less known was an operation within the CIA's Phoenix Program in Vietnam where a team of CIA psychologists performed mind control experiments on NLF suspects being detained at Bien Hoa Prison outside of Saigon. Through electrode implants in the brain, the prisoners were manipulated to attack each other with knives. The experiment was a failure and the prisoners were shot and their bodies burned. [emphases added]

Yes, Mengele was a doctor and Gottlieb was a chemist, but that matters little. They both were men willing to use their academic training to further not their own sciences, but the science of suffering and misery. Let's not fool ourselves into believing we don't have similar creatures among us.

Random Shit For My Homies

2006-01-23T19:53:00.000-05:00

Salmon P. Chase was the lucky face for the $10,000 bill, discontinued in 1946. Not a President.

The best thing I read today.

I finally got to see Napoleon Dynamite, and I certainly liked it.

Nietzsche quote for today, from The Twilight of the Idols:"...the concept of 'pure blood' is the opposite of a harmless concept."

Update

2006-01-19T19:28:00.000-05:00

If any of my readers are still out there, I do apologize. I've been wasting all this free virtual real estate by keeping almost silent for many months. There are several reasons for this.

First, my job requires a lot of typing and date entry. When I started blogging, this was not the case, and now that it is, I feel much less inclined to put for the effort for It's In There.

Second, I haven't been feeling especially verbal. I wish I knew why. Part of the problem is, as I believe I have mentioned, that I really hate to repeat myself, or offer refutations of Republican spin that are already plentiful in the 'sphere. It really is frustrating to see the same false claims surfacing again and again, despite efforts much more valiant than mine to counter them. I guess my position on political blogging, certainly for my voice, and not necessarily those fine writers at the top, can be summed up in one word: futile.

But that doesn't mean I can't work up some posts more regularly. Of course, my withdrawal has only made myself even less relevant. But I still have friends, and this is a good way to provide a "one stop shop" for them to know what I've been thinking about.

So, it is only 19 days into the new year, and only 7 days since my 31st birthday. Maybe I should post some shit.

Love,

The Start Of the Great Northern Police State

2005-12-07T20:32:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure, as an American of the political left, if it is comforting or frightening to read that even Canada is starting to use these tactics.

Essentially what is happening is this: Police knock on your door and ask for your consent to search your premises without a warrant. If you refuse, that is if you exercise your constitutional rights, you will be considered a suspect, and clearly subject to more rigorous, onerous, and disruptive processes of investigation. Effectively, there is tacit coercion to abdicate your rights in the face of an implied threat of considerable future harassment. People "volunteer" because of the tacit, but clear consequences of not "volunteering." [italics in original]

I always have found some solace in the idea that, if push came to shove, moving to Canada would somehow be an option. Unfortunately, it looks like our growing disregard for civil liberties is contagious.

Too Many Males

2005-12-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

As I suspected:

To study how animals respond to sex ratio bias in their population, the scientists monitored two groups of common lizards. The reptiles were kept in enclosures covered by nets to stop birds from munching the lizards.

Each lizard population was skewed to either three-quarters male or three-quarters female.

After a year, the group of mostly female lizards had grown from 73 to 118, while the population with excess males had declined to just 35.

The mostly male population became even more skewed toward a male majority, as adult and yearling females in that group died four times more often and produced three or four offspring instead of the usual five.

Of course it is only personal preference on my part, but I've always found the workplace atmosphere somewhat more, say, polluted when the men outnumber the women. It's comforting to see that other reptiles feel the same way.

It's In There Weekly

2005-12-04T19:51:00.000-05:00

Blogging is an interesting medium, to be sure. It has provided me with a free way to vent and contemplate, for friends and strangers to view at their discretion. However, there is something very time-conscious about the medium, too. What's the point in stopping by a blog if there isn't fresh material? Unfortunately, I've been feeling very laconic, and posting often is just not likely. So, for any of you still out there, I'm going to promise a weekly post, and I'll try to make them longer. But if I just provide you with an interesting "link dump," don't be too surprised, either.

Alive, Thinking, Contemplating

2005-11-15T16:58:00.000-05:00

In case anybody has stopped by and wondered, I'm not calling it quits. I've just been busy with other projects.

Another Reminder

2005-10-24T17:38:00.000-04:00

that we are all Africans.

A new genetic study supports just such a scenario and suggests that early Africans colonized the planet gradually through a series of small migratory steps.

Results of the worldwide genetic sampling project show a strong correlation between genetic diversity and geographic distance. The closer modern people live to one another, as measured along the ancient migration routes that led humans out of Africa, the more similar is their DNA.

....

The new data show that genetic diversity decreases as one traces ancient migration routes out of Africa.

"There's a very linear decrease of [genetic diversity] as you leave Africa, and it's a bit surprising that it would fit the pattern so well," Ramachandran said.

Ramachandran and her colleagues studied the genes of 53 indigenous populations around the world.

In other news from National Geographic, "Dogs Used as Shark Bait on French Island."

Violence In Cleveland

2005-10-20T19:03:00.000-04:00

This I did not know:

[The first mayor of Cleveland, John W.] Willey[,] bought a section of the Flats with plans to transform it into Cleveland Centre, a business and residential district. Willey then bought a piece of land from the southeast section of Ohio City across from Columbus St. in Cleveland. Willey named the new territory Willeyville and subsequently built a bridge connecting the two sections calling it Columbus Sreet Bridge. The bridge siphoned off commercial traffic to Cleveland before it could reach Ohio City's mercantile district. This action aggravated citizens of Ohio City, and brought to surface the fierce rivalry between the small city and Cleveland. Ohio City citizens rallied for "Two Bridges or None!" and on October 1836, they sought, violently, to stop the use of Cleveland's new bridge by bombing the western end of it. The explosion, however, did little damage. A group of 1,000 Ohio City volunteers began digging deep ditches at both ends of the bridge, making it impossible for horses and wagons to reach the structure. Some citizens were still unsatisfied with this and took to using guns, crowbars, axes, and other weapons to finish off the bridge. They were then met by Willey and a group of armed Cleveland militiamen. A battle ensued on the bridge, with two men seriously wounded before the county sheriff arrived to end the violence and arrest many. A court injunction prevented any further confrontations to take place that may have lead to an all out war between Cleveland and Ohio City.

We often associate serious violence between cities as something that happens other places, and when it did happen in America, there was a racial issue involved. Here we have a simple example of economic issues driving Americans to take up arms against the citizens of a neighboring city. Wow.

Perhaps Erik Loomis could point to other examples of such a thing, but this is the first time (that I recall; maybe I've forgotten something) I've encountered such an incident in American history.

It Means Nothing

2005-10-20T12:33:00.000-04:00

Cartoons Aren't Just For Kids

2005-10-20T12:28:00.000-04:00

Parents' group rates Fox shows as worst for family viewing

The group's president, L. Brent Bozell, said he was alarmed that the three Fox Sunday night comedies are being marketed as family friendly.

"Families should not be deceived," he said. "The top three worst shows all contain crude and raunchy dialogue with sex-themed jokes and foul language. Even worse is the fact that Hollywood is peddling its filth to families with cartoons." [emphasis added]

You would think someone who "studies" TV shows would understand that there is nothing nefarious about cartoons with adult themes. The Family Guy isn't some Trojan horse meant to corrupt young minds. Prudes are such a pain in the ass.

Post More, Worry Less

2005-10-19T17:17:00.000-04:00

It's a philosophy I'm considering.

Play With Bush

2005-10-17T18:25:00.000-04:00

In free fall. Note that you can "grab" Bush by left-clicking on him.

Via Arvin Hill's Carnival of Horror.

Substance(s)

2005-10-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

I haven't been full of substance these days, and for that, I feel a small amount of guilt. I'm still obsessive about looking at my sitemeter, so I know people still stop by. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much of a reason for you to do so.

Maybe I need a sort of 'project' to focus my use of this space. I'm still thinking about that.

But in the meantime, chew on this:

A study published online today by the Journal of Clinical Investigation reports that a synthetic cannabinoid promotes the growth of new neurons in a region of the brain called the hippocampus, which is associated with memory.

The finding that production of new neurons, or neurogenesis, can occur at all in the hippocampus is itself a relatively new discovery.

In rats the effect of cannabinoid is dramatic: Chronic high doses of the substance relieve anxiety and depression, a result attributable to the birth of new neurons.

Xia Zhang, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan and senior author on the paper, notes that the synthetic cannabinoid is about a hundred times as potent as the street drug tetrahydrocannibinol, or THC.

Still, he says, "these results indicate that smoking marijuana may also produce more neurons in the hippocampus" with similar beneficial results. [emphases added]

Now, I'm not trying to claim that smoking marijuana is risk free, but it looks as though the caricatures of "pot heads" may be wrong. Anecdotally, I've known quite a few of them, myself included, who do quite well academically. Skeptics may say that pot-smokers do well despite their drug use, but that may be a less viable claim in the wake of this research. Again, marijuana isn't perfect or exactly harmless, but to claim it is more harmful than tobacco and alcohol, both of which are legal, is getting much sillier.

Attack Of the Peanuts

2005-10-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

Oral Difference 1

2005-10-14T17:43:00.000-04:00

Columbus Day Special

2005-10-10T17:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this post doesn't really have anything to do with Christopher Columbus, but it does have to do with a European explorer (that designation sounds so quaint and innocent, doesn't it?). In a little over 450 years after his death, it looks as though we're finally reaching the goal of Hernán Cortés: the Northwest Passage.

It seems harsh to say that bad news for polar bears is good for Pat Broe. Mr. Broe, a Denver entrepreneur, is no more to blame than anyone else for a meltdown at the top of the world that threatens Arctic mammals and ancient traditions and lends credibility to dark visions of global warming.

Still, the newest study of the Arctic ice cap - finding that it faded this summer to its smallest size ever recorded - is beginning to make Mr. Broe look like a visionary for buying this derelict Hudson Bay port from the Canadian government in 1997. Especially at the price he paid: about $7.

By Mr. Broe's calculations, Churchill could bring in as much as $100 million a year as a port on Arctic shipping lanes shorter by thousands of miles than routes to the south, and traffic would only increase as the retreat of ice in the region clears the way for a longer shipping season.

In case you were looking for a "bright side" to look at today.

It does offer up a tantalizing contradiction for global warming denyers. On the one hand, they could offer this up, probably unironically, as a completely great thing that defies us "chicken littles," but in order to do so they would have to admit that global warming exists.

Objects

2005-10-06T21:28:00.000-04:00

I Did Not Know That

2005-10-06T21:14:00.000-04:00

[Douglas] Adams [was] 'discovered' by Monty Python's Graham Chapman. The two formed a brief writing partnership, and Adams earned a writing credit in one episode [of Monty Python's Flying Circus.]

I also didn't know that Graham Chapman was gay, or that Terry Gilliam was an American. God bless Wikipedia!

Sex In the Movies

2005-10-03T20:38:00.000-04:00

Study: Hollywood Doesn't Show Consequences

Hollywood might be bad for your health, according to a new study, which concludes that blockbuster movies paint a consequence-free view of sex and drugs.

....

The Australian researchers studied a September 2003 list of the 200 biggest box-offices successes of all time as ranked by the Internet Movie Database. They excluded animated features, films with G and PG ratings, and movies released or set before the start of the AIDS pandemic in 1983.

Of the 87 remaining movies in the study published Monday in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 28 contained sex scenes a total of 53 scenes in all.

Only one film 1990's "Pretty Woman," in which Julia Roberts plays a prostitute contained a "suggestion of condom use, which was the only reference to any form of birth control."

"There were no depictions of important consequences of unprotected sex such as unwanted pregnancies, HIV or other STDs," they added.

The sexiest film in quantity, if not quality was 2001's "American Pie 2," which contained seven episodes of unprotected sex in which the "only consequences were social embarrassment."

The 1992 thriller "Basic Instinct" had six sex scenes, no birth control and no "public health consequences" although death by ice pick was a threat.

I'm a bit confused. Unless these films were graphic, how would you know the sex was unprotected? I haven't seen American Pie 2, but, by my possibly skewed recollection, sex in mainstream movies is a very edited affair. You see the seduction, romping in the sheets, and a satisfied post-sex shot of the couple in bed. It's not as though they provide a play-by-play.

Aside from what films show, according to a 2002 CDC study:

Among students who are currently sexually active, a significant linear and quadratic trend was observed in the overall prevalence of condom use, indicating an increase in condom use during 1991--1999 and then a leveling off by 2001. A similar pattern was detected among female, 10th-grade, 12th-grade, and black students with the prevalence of condom use peaking in 1997 or 1999 and then leveling off.

So, unless "consequence-free" sex had a significant uptick since 1999, there appears to be no relationship between the sex in the movies and what teens do.

The moral of the story is that not every movie has to be an after school special.

Vaginas - Not At an Albertson's Near You

2005-10-01T14:49:00.000-04:00

Albertson's pulls Seventeen magazine from shelves

"Explicit" information on vaginal health has prompted Albertson's stores in Arizona and 11 other states to halt sales of October's Seventeen magazine.

Concerned about the two-page "Vagina 101" section, the chain's Intermountain Division pulled the magazines from shelves this week.

....

The magazine's section on yeast and urinary tract infections, vaginal discharge and pubic hair is meant to educate girls about their bodies.

Three pictures have stirred surprise. The first is a color drawing labeling eight parts of the vagina. The second and third are photographs of vaginas.

"We received information that some of the material was relatively explicit with regards to the female anatomy," said Danielle Killpack, the division's public affairs director in Oregon.

....

After seeing the magazine, Ricardo Salcido said he wouldn't want it on the shelves, either.

"That's graphic," said Salcido, whose 15-year-old daughter attends Sunnyside High School. "If that's supposed to be educational, that should be in school, not a magazine."

When Altagracia Rosa saw the pictures, she kept repeating, "It's dirty. It's dirty." Rosa, whose 17-year-old daughter attends Sunnyside, said she wouldn't want her child to see the magazine.

Yes, pictures of vaginas in the context of women's health is so much more harmful than the pictures of impossibly thin women in the magazines next to Seventeen. Retail chains certainly have a right to not sell something for even the most petty reasons, but if I find out that someplace near me is also so fundamentally fucked up in its policies, I won't shop there.

And some parents would just rather let the next door neighbor, with his tattered copy of Hustler, teach their daughters about their vaginas. I'm not really able to make sense of that.

Geek Time Waster

2005-10-01T10:38:00.000-04:00

If you have some time on your hands, browse through this website, STAR WARS Technical Commentaries.

You're an Actor, Jim,

2005-09-30T17:15:00.000-04:00

Not a miracle worker.

Jim Carrey is treading dangerous water. According to Variety, the funnyman is in talks to team up with director Joel Schumacher (gasp!) on "The Number 23" for New Line. The drama will feature Carrey as a man who becomes haunted upon reading a book that appears to be about his life, but ends in murder. The number 23 is woven throughout the story. The movie is scheduled to start shooting in November, giving New Line a possible summer tent pole picture to replace "Rush Hour 3," which fell apart a few months ago. Carrey must know something no one else does if he's willing to work with Schumacher again after they previously collaborated on "Batman Forever." You can easily argue that the director's skills haven't improved in the 10 years since that movie was made. Heck, you can easily argue he's never made a movie that wasn't at best mediocre in his entire career. Could this one be a dud before a single frame is shot? [emphasis added]

Well, of course it'll be a dud. If a director can make Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robert De Niro suck, Carrey doesn't have a chance. Doesn't someone manage this guy? The last redeemable film Schumacher directed was The Lost Boys, and that was 18 years ago. Ever since then, his work has been complete schlock.

The Beauty of DNA

2005-09-29T22:21:00.000-04:00

Extinct Giant Deer Traced to Modern Relative by DNA

A huge Ice Age deer with antlers spanning 10 feet (3.5 meters) has been traced to its closest living relative, thanks to DNA science.

Scientists at University College London studied DNA and skeletal remains of the extinct giant deer, or Irish elk, to construct its family tree. This is the first time this method has been used to reveal an extinct animal's living descendants, according to the study team.

The researchers found that the giant deer, which stood seven feet (two meters) tall at the shoulder, is closely related to the modern fallow deer, a much smaller species that still inhabits the former haunts of its Ice Age relative throughout Europe.

....

"The main contender had been the red deer because of skeletal similarities," said co-author Ian Barnes, an evolutionary biologist at University College London (UCL).

"There has also been some discussion as to whether the giant deer is a completely different animal, which sits on its own in that group," he added.

Now the combination of DNA analysis and bone comparisons with living deer suggests that fallow deer are the "sole living example of the giant deer tribe," Barnes said.

I have nothing really to add. I just wanted to share.

Priorities

2005-09-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

Recruits Sought for Porn Squad

Early last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director." That would be FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.

....

The new squad will divert eight agents, a supervisor and assorted support staff to gather evidence against "manufacturers and purveyors" of pornography -- not the kind exploiting children, but the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults.

"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

Among friends and trusted colleagues, an experienced national security analyst said, "it's a running joke for us." [emphasis added]

Oy.

Shit Science Journalism

2005-09-23T17:24:00.000-04:00

New evolution spat in U.S. schools goes to court

The school board says there are "gaps" in evolution, which it emphasizes is a theory rather than established fact, and that students have a right to consider other views on the origins of life. [emphasis added]

Is it too much to ask for a Reuters writer, writing about an issue that is at least in part scientific, who understands that theory and fact are not contraries? Evolution is as factual as gravity.

And look how a couple of paragraphs later, the author completely mischaracterizes "creationism:"

Opponents including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Association of Biology Teachers say intelligent design is an attempt by the Christian right to teach creationism -- the belief that God created the world -- into public schools under the guise of a theory that does not explicitly mention God. [emphasis added]

One can be, and many scientists are, able to believe "that God created the world" without holding to the tenets of creationism. Determining what happened and whether or not God had anything to do with it are two separate issues.

Could we please have a better press?

Apologies & Links

2005-09-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting much the past couple of weeks. I could have at least thrown you some interesting links. It's not as though I haven't been reading news as usual. So, here are some good things to read.

Scott, at Lawyers, Guns and Money, effectively simplifies the point of a World O' Crap post: the fact that people make movies about natural disasters doesn't in any way diminish those said people's moral standing to criticize governmental response to real natural disasters.

The Washington Post reports that, while she definitely has time to play racial damage control at the bidding of her President, attempting to encourage solidarity with other female international foreign policy leaders is beyond Condoleezza Rice's purview, or at least her schedule is too busy for them. After all, the big boys need her.

The world of fashion is shocked, shocked and outraged that the iconic 'waif' model for over a decade, Kate Moss, has done of line of coke in her time. (Okay, so I'd probaby still fuck her, given the opportunity and proper context. But that doesn't change the fact that there are some rather dishonest or stupid people at Hennes & Mauritz. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I'll have to guess at the former excuse.)
Crooked Timber: it's not just the Americans; English-speaking white governments across the Atlantic have some terro-reefer madness detrimentally affecting the clear line between thought and act.

And I'll also give you the beginning of an unfinish, for almost three weeks, post.

Erik Loomis has brought up an interesting topic: favorite guitar solos. So, I'm going to try to narrow it down to 5 favorites.

1) This is my easy pick. The one solo I wouldn't think of leaving out. Jerry Garcia's solo on "Hard To Handle" as recorded on Fallout From the Phil Zone, a nearly random sampling of live Grateful Dead cuts from different years, compiled by the bassist Phil Lesh. The recording is from 1971, and I can't find the liner notes presently, but I believe the exact date is unknown. Whatever, this particular night, the band, Pigpen included, presented a 7 minute bottle of audio bliss, shaken and about to blow. I think this is the longest guitar solo I can actively hum along with.

This question of my favorite guitar solos got much more difficult as a really started thinking about it. I'm not so certain that I can narrow it down to five.

If nothing else, I'll try to post some links in the very near future.

Need to Think of Names

2005-09-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

Overwhelmed By New Orleans

2005-09-09T17:19:00.000-04:00

Blogging has been light, and quite frankly, I think it's because all the news coming from New Orleans is a tad overwhelming to me. I don't feel as though I have much to add. This is 2005. Usually I'm able to think of how much better things generally are now than in 1905, but it's times like these that I'm reminded that we have not progressed nearly far enough in our attitudes, as a country, towards race and class. It's not a friendly reminder. What the fuck is taking so long?

Shep Smith and Geraldo Rivera

2005-09-04T22:10:00.000-04:00

If you have the bandwidth, you should really check out this clip from FOX News. Watching the difference between people on the ground and in the studio is highly illuminating. Christ, Geraldo is crying. I'm mostly glad that I don't watch TV, but this looks like the most honest reporting I've seen in awhile.

Destined For the Memory Hole?

2005-09-01T21:34:00.000-04:00

This seems like the sort of thing that people who like to think of some groups of people, or governments, as hatefully "anti-American," will either ignore, deny, or twist into something that is the opposite of reality.

Venezuela's government, which has had tense relations with Washington, offered humanitarian aid and fuel. Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp. pledged a $1 million donation for hurricane aid. (Related story: Economic fallout will be massive)

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz also called President Bush to offer assistance. The minister of petroleum and mineral resources said Monday that Saudi Arabia is ready to immediately increase its crude oil production to replace any market shortages and help stabilize world crude prices.

....

French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent messages of sympathy to President Bush. Chirac, who has famously quarreled with Bush over the Iraq war, addressed this letter, "Dear George."

Pope Benedict XVI said he was praying for victims of the "tragic" hurricane while China's President Hu Jintao expressed his "belief that that the American people will definitely overcome the natural disaster and rebuild their beautiful homeland."

Especially in the case of Venezuela, this is not the sort of behavior typical of what would be termed "enemies of the American people." Christ, a major figure within American conservative Christianity called for the Venezuelan leader's death! Still, Venezuela offers to help. Maybe it would be time to grow up and learn that people, and governments, can disagree without starting a blood fued.

Great Design

2005-09-01T20:26:00.000-04:00

Scientists Complete Genetic Map of the Chimpanzee

As predicted by preliminary studies, the human and chimpanzee genetic codes are essentially 99 percent identical, a testament to how fundamentally similar the two species remain. At the same time, it is powerful evidence that seemingly modest changes in molecular code can lead to very different stations in the web of life.

....

The human and chimpanzee genomes are distinguished by 35 million differences in individual DNA "letters" -- each the result of a tiny, random mutation -- and an additional 5 million larger differences in which entire chunks of DNA were either added to or deleted from one genome or the other.

All told, the two sequences differ by 4 percent. But three-quarters of the differences seem to be in non-functional parts of the genome, suggesting that a mere 1 percent variation makes all the difference.

Put another way, the difference between the human and chimp genomes is 10 times as great as the difference between any two humans.

Of course, little of this unexpected. Indeed, it all is predictable based upon simple concepts of evolution. What does ID predict? No one knows, because it doesn't bother to predict anything, only obfuscate causal explanations.

Still a Stoner After All These Years

2005-08-30T20:55:00.000-04:00

Busted!

Singer Art Garfunkel, who pleaded guilty to marijuana possession last year, has been arrested again on the same charge.

Garfunkel, 63, half of the legendary '60s duo Simon and Garfunkel, was pulled over on Sunday by a New York state trooper near Woodstock after running a stop sign, The Daily Freeman newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The trooper's report of the incident said a strong marijuana odor was coming from the car and a marijuana cigarette was found in the ashtray.

It happens.

Idiot

2005-08-30T18:02:00.000-04:00

I really hate using the word that is the title of this post. I do try not to insult people, but I don't think I can avoid it with this one. To be fair, I'll not repeat the name of the random person AP deemed worthy of offering an analysis of the scene. It's hardly her fault that someone at AP can't tell the difference between context and filler.

At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.

When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" -- the radio code for police -- and the crowd scattered.

[A] tourist from Philadelphia ... stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement.

"It's downtown Baghdad," the housewife said. "It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."

Wow. I wonder why people might be doing that. Stealing luxuries such as food, beverages and diapers in a disaster area! Later, the article does clarify, too late for a Philly tourist having her own "let them eat cake" moment, what the situation is.

A man walked down Canal Street with a pallet of food on his head. His wife, who refused to give her name, insisted they weren't stealing from the nearby Winn-Dixie supermarket. "It's about survival right now," she said as she held a plastic bag full of purloined items. "We got to feed our children. I've got eight grandchildren to feed."

But what's really audacious about this Philly tourist's statement, and the use of it in the article, is the claim that there are cities that do not do such things as looting in a time of crisis. Philadelphia, I assume, is above such behavior. Beyond that, how shocking that a supposedly "sophisticated," and American, city would stoop to be so low as Baghdad!

Cue the music, Pulp, "Common People:"

You will never understand
how it feels to live your life
with no meaning or control
and with nowhere else to go.
You are amazed that they exist,
and they burn so bright
while you can only wonder why.
Rent a flat above a shop.
Cut your hair and get a job.
Smoke some fags¹ and play some pool.
Pretend you never went to school.
But still you'll never get it right,
'cos when you're laid in bed at night
watching roaches climb the wall,
if you called your dad he could stop it all.
You'll never live like the common people.
You'll never do whatever common people do.
You'll never fail like common people.
You'll never watch your life slide out of view,
and dance and drink and screw,
'cos there's nothing else to do.

1) Note that Pulp is a British band, and this use of the word "fag" is explicitly refering to cigarettes, not gay men. A person should be able to pick up on that based upon the context, but one can never be too sure.

From "Esthétique Du Mal"

2005-08-29T18:50:00.000-04:00

by Wallace Stevens

XI

Life is a bitter aspic. We are not
At the centre of a diamond. At dawn,
The paratroopers fall and as they fall
They mow the lawn. A vessel sinks in waves
Of people, as big bell-billows from its bell
Bell-bellow in the village steeple. Violets,
Great tufts, spring up from buried houses
Of poor, dishonest people, for whom the steeple,
Long since, rang out farewell, farewell, farewell.

Natives of poverty, children of malheur,
The gaiety of language is our seigneur.

A man of bitter appetite despises
A well-made scene in which paratroopers
Select adieux; and he despises this:
A ship that rolls on a confected ocean,
The weather pink, the wind in motion; and this:
A steeple that tip-tops the classic sun's
Arrangements; and the violets' exhumo.

The tongue caresses these exacerbations.
They press it as epicure, distinguishing
Themselves from its essential savor,
Like hunger that feeds on its own hungriness.

"Avoiding even the appearance of impropriety"

2005-08-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

Improper Advances: Talking dream jobs with the judge out of court.

Four days before President Bush nominated John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court on July 19, an appeals court panel of three judges, including Judge Roberts, handed the Bush administration a big victory in a hotly contested challenge to the president's military commissions. The challenge was brought by Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Guantanamo detainee. President Bush was a defendant in the case because he had personally, in writing, found "reason to believe" that Hamdan was a terrorist subject to military tribunals. The appeals court upheld the rules the president had authorized for these military commissions, and it rejected Hamdan's human rights claims—including claims for protection under the Geneva Conventions.

....

...Roberts had several interviews with administration officials contemporaneous with the progress of the Hamdan appeal. One occurred even before the appeal was argued. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales interviewed the judge on April 1. Back then, it was an ailing Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, not Justice O'Connor, who was expected to retire. The attorney general, of course, heads the Justice Department, which represents the defendants in Hamdan's case. And as White House counsel, Gonzales had advised the president on the requirements of the Geneva Conventions, which were an issue in the case.

....

[T]he problem in Hamdan is not that Roberts may have cast his vote to improve his chances of promotion. We believe he is a man of integrity who voted as he thought the law required. The problem is that if one side that very much wants to win a certain case can secretly approach the judge about a dream job while the case is still under active consideration, and especially if the judge shows interest in the job, the public's trust in the judiciary (not to mention the opposing party's) suffers because the public can never know how the approach may have affected the judge's thinking.

Via Vague Nihilism.

Ground 1

2005-08-26T18:20:00.000-04:00

Another Democratic Penis

2005-08-24T18:03:00.000-04:00

The Gary Hart scandal happened when I had yet to develope any real interest in politics. I was a mere 'tween. However, in the years since, I've read many good op-ed's by this failed candidate. I can't help but think that he would have made a damn fine President. I don't think there's some inherent quality to Democratic politicians which make them more likely to philander, but what a shame. We need more Gary Harts in this party. Read what he has to say today.

What Are Submarines For, Now?

2005-08-24T17:28:00.000-04:00

I could be missing something, but I don't get this.

The independent commission reviewing a Department of Defense plan to shut or shrink hundreds of military bases nationwide voted today against closing the submarine base in Groton, Conn., and another New England naval installation that the Pentagon had said was no longer necessary.

On the first of several days of final deliberations, the nine-member commission recommended keeping open the Connecticut base and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in southeastern Maine, which provide an estimated $2.9 billion in the overall estimated savings of nearly $50 billion over the next twenty years.

....

The Pentagon plan to close Submarine Base New London in Groton involved moving its 18 attack submarines to bases in Georgia and Virginia, and in May, Adm. Vern Clark, who was then chief of naval operations but has since retired, suggested that the plan to shut down Groton was directly linked to the goal of having a smaller fleet of 41 attack subs.

We need a large submarine fleet for what? Russia's fleet has obviously taken a serious turn for the worst, and I'm not aware of China's coming anywhere close to challenging us in the naval arena. Even if terrorists got a hold of a couple of subs, for us to have 20 to 30 times more of them would be overkill. So, why is this base important enough for the independent commission to reverse the Pentagon's analysis? Nostalgia?

Knowing the Future

2005-08-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

Bush Begins 5-Day Push to Defend Iraq War:

'We can be confident in the ultimate triumph of our cause, because we know that freedom is the future of every nation and that the side of freedom is the side of victory.' - George W. Bush

It's not exactly new for Bush to make this claim, and I don't think it's new for me to make the following counter-claim, either. However, when I read this sort of teleological claptrap, I want to say, "No, Mr. President. Oblivion is the future of every nation, as it is the future of the very earth upon which those nations depend." Yes, I know that oblivion is rather far off, in all probability, but it bears mentioning.

Furthermore, how do "we," such a problematic pronoun in this context, "know" anything about the future's relationship to freedom? I suppose it's something that Bush "knows" in his "heart" (sorry for all the scare quotes, but when Bush uses words, I'm not so sure they mean what he thinks they mean), but many of us need evidence for such a claim. Do nations move, however slowly, towards an increase in freedom? Is there some 2nd Law of Polidynamics we can posit?

It would be easy enough to find countries that recently went from some flavor despotism to a semblance of democracy, especially after the Cold War. But in order to approach this 2nd Law, we need to see if we can find compelling counterexamples. First, let's look at Iran.

Bush has often expressed a wish for Iran to become a more democratic place, but I often wonder if he thinks Iranian history started in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution. More to point, does he realize that Iran already was a democracy? Or maybe he does know that, but doesn't want to bring up what has proven to be a Republican predecessor's worst long-term geopolitical blunder: Operation Ajax. Regardless of what Bush knows, Iran has not spent the last 50 years moving steadily towards more freedom. It's only managed to shift to a different form of unfreedom.

Going further back in time, it's worthwhile to consider Athenian democracy. Of course, Athenian democracy had the prominent deficiency of an extremely limited franchise. Yet, the essential question is: were the following years, including Alexander's years and Roman domination, less or more free for Athenians, in aggregate? One would have to conclude "less."

Or consider the post-Roman "Dark Ages." More or less free than antiquity?

The point is not that we're going in the opposite direction, but that these things are not so predictable. Different parts of the world experience different levels of freedom (and I'm not scrutinizing the word "freedom" too closely in this post) at different times, but there's hardly some ever-increasing role of freedom in the course of human events. We are where we are. We can hope for the best, but let's be honest: we have no fucking idea where this boat is heading, and neither does Bush.

Rest In Not-Exactly-Peace, Hunter

2005-08-20T08:39:00.000-04:00

I know; it's been six months since Hunter S. Thompson's suicide, but it looks like he's not done with bizarre gonzo journalism.

Friends and admirers of the gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson have been gathering in Aspen, Colorado for his final send-off - in a cannon shot.

The writer's ashes are to be fired from a cannon on his Owl Farm home, exactly six months after he shot himself.

Johnny Depp, who played Thompson in the film of his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, paid for the cannon.

Let's hope it goes better than the ash-scattering in The Big Lebowski.

Hang Your Collar Up Inside

2005-08-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

For those few readers who may not frequent Eschaton, today Atrios brought up the issue of withdrawal from Iraq and why it may not be gaining traction among the Washington crowd.

[C]onventional wisdom of "liberal hawks" and "liberal not hawks" regarding Iraq is basically about the same. We need to get out. The latter emphasize the importance of "getting out now" while the former epmhasize "getting out as soon as we can subject to things being better in some undefined way," but the positions aren't really so different. The "hawks" are just more wedded to the idea that we have to be able to "declare victory" while the "not hawks" think that little chest beating is not actually all that important.

But, none of these people are George W. Bush. As we know, but no one talks about, we have no intention of getting out now or ever. ....

It's time for the Biden Democrats, in one of the infinite Sunday show appearances, to raise the issue of the administration's long term intentions in Iraq. If the stubborn George W. Bush intends to leave troops in that country forever, then no talk of getting out, either on a rigid or flexible timetable, is any relevant [sic].

There are many liberals who would rather dismiss Atrios' claim regarding Bush's intentions as "Chomsky talk," but you have to consider the administration's refusal to go beyond the vague "goals" of the occupation to put forth even a rough timetable. And with the existence of euphemistically termed "enduring bases," it would be hard to deny that the military folks are planning to stay, not figuring out how to get out.

But I guess freedom reigns supreme, so maybe I should stop worrying my little head about this.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

For other R.E.M. Document references, go to Lawyers, Guns and Money on "Exhuming McCarthy."

Sick

2005-08-18T19:36:00.000-04:00

While I haven't been posting all that frequently, it has been longer than I would have liked this week. I've got this nasty cold that's making me go to bed about, oh, 2-3 hours earlier than usual. And when I'm awake I don't feel particularly motivated.

Difference 3.1

2005-08-15T20:11:00.000-04:00

Walken 2008

2005-08-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

This can't be for real. Can it?

Christopher Walken for President 2008 - Official Website.

Via Lauren at Feministe.

Reading Too Much

2005-08-12T19:59:00.000-04:00

I don't want to read too much into this, but I just found this strange. Buried on the New York Times website, as an AP story, is this:

A man was arrested after attempting to enter a parking garage across the street from the United Nations with two loaded firearms in his vehicle, police said.

Vernon Welker, 59, was arrested Thursday on charges of criminal weapons possession after officers discovered he had a rifle, a revolver, ammunition and a knife in his car, New York Police Sgt. Mary Christine Doherty said.

CNN adds that those weapons were more specifically, "a.22-caliber revolver, a .22-caliber Winchester rifle and a large knife." According to police detective Kevin Czartoryski, "both guns were loaded and ... Welker had more than 200 rounds of ammunition."

First, wouldn't the New York Times have someone covering the U.N.? Why would they think that this wasn't a worthy story?

Second, every damn Muslim suspect seems to get top billing, and here is a guy, caught under questionable circumstances, driving around in his armory, perhaps taking literal meaning of Ambassador, ahem, John Bolton's clever observation of the worth of 10 floors of the U.N. building. And barely a whisper from the "record," at this point.

As I admit, I may be reading too much into it. There could exist a late-gestational scoop that will makes all of this over-interpreting moot and foolish in the morning. But see how this story plays, or doesn't, in the days and weeks to come.

Holy and Profitable

2005-08-12T18:53:00.000-04:00

Who knew?

POINT PLACE, Ohio -- A woman who says she found Jesus when she was cooking Polish dumplings is selling him on eBay.

Donna Lee says Jesus' face appeared in a pierogi she was cooking for Easter dinner in her home in Point Place, north of Toledo. She's kept it in her freezer ever since.

....

Lee and her husband posted the pierogi on eBay with a starting price of $500.

Donna Lee says she hopes to generate the sort of bidding war that drove a Virgin Mary-emblazoned grilled cheese to $28,000 last year.

So far no bids have been placed. [emphases added]

That's some Holy object! If you really believed that you had in your hands a Holy object, wouldn't you want to hold onto it? Or at least not profit so much?

The sellars are in a paradox. The more they claim that their pierogi is Holy, the less plausible it is for them to sell it.

Next, we'll have Holy Grails on the Shopping Network.

Good News

2005-08-10T18:51:00.000-04:00

New Lemur Species Discovered

You're a good man, Microcebus lehilahytsara—quite literally. The German and Madagascan scientists who discovered the new lemur species named it for U.S. lemur expert Steve Goodman ("lehilahytsara" is Malagasy for "good man"). They announced the discovery of this and another new lemur species (not pictured) today.

Surprisingly, the scientists discovered Microcebus lehilahytsara not in some shrouded jungle but in one of the most studied rain forests on the African island of Madagascar. Then again, this good man is not much bigger than a big mouse, making Microcebus lehilahytsara all the more difficult to find.

....

The two new primate species are rare finds, bringing the total number of known lemur species to 49—all of which occur naturally only on Madagascar or the nearby Comoros islands.

Follow the link to take a look at the little thing. Remind yourself: it's a primate, too!

And the thing is, I don't feel that appealing to any sort of "designer" makes the distribution of these species meaningful. This "designer" could have just as well put them someplace else. Assuming this "designer" exists, the only way we could know its divine reasons would to be one and the same being, which is impossible. Thus, any reference to a "designer" merely produces mystery, not discovery.

However, if one were aware of tectonic plate movement, and a basic understanding of evolution, it's obvious why there are 49 species in one relatively isolated area, and not 47 in Madacasgar, with one in Norway, and the other in Cleveland.

Sure, this science news item came from National Geographic, not the newspaper, but similar discoveries are reported in the major media, though not always well. One needn't be a Ph.D. in Biology to get the basics, and these are matters which do need to be better understood. If most high school graduates understood the science of life, wouldn't that help in encouraging them to respect life and wish to preserve it?

I'm all for a good mystery. But that mystery isn't something static. I don't plan on staring into the mystery and hypnotizing myself into worshipping and making it "Holy." The mystery I like leads to discovery.

A Coup For Me, But Not For Thee

2005-08-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

Now, I'm certainly not objectively pro-coup, but let's be consistent here.

The coup was welcomed by many in Mauritania who had grown weary of Taya's harsh rule since taking power in a coup himself in 1984.

But the United Nations and European Union denounced the coup and Washington called for Taya to be restored to power. The African Union also condemned the takeover, suspending Mauritania from the 53-nation body.

On Sunday, a judge freed 21 people jailed since April 25 on charges of plotting against Taya, said Capt. Ahmed Ould Abeid, head of the central prison in the capital.

They included Mohamed Hassan Ould Dedew, spiritual leader for many Islamic activists, and Moktar Ould Mohamed Moussa, an Islamic leader who previously served as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

At least 50 more people remain in prison on similar charges. [emphases added]

So, how does one distinguish between Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the leader of the most recent coup, and longtime President Maaoya Sid'Ahmed Ould Taya?

About More Than Evolution

2005-08-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

I wholeheartedly agree with Jesse Taylor's consternation at Matthew Yglesias' dismissal of the importance of Bush's endorsement of ID and teaching the "controversy." As Jesse notes, Matt is uncharacteristically off-base.

First, Matt's claim.

[N]othing whatsoever of practical importance hinges on whether or not life on earth originated as a result of intelligent design. The theory is exceedingly silly pseudo-science, but it doesn't actually threaten anything. There is, moreoever, no reason to think it's especially crucial for the average citizen to have an accurate grasp of state-of-the-art biological theory. Most people don't understand quantum mechanics, general relativity, or any number of other scientific and technical topics and life goes on just fine.

Of course, there's little that is "state-of-the-art" about evolution. It is the basic Rosetta Stone of biological theory, from which not just ivory-towered academic biologists, but public health and medical experts draw for understanding phenomena.

But Jesse points to the larger picture of the obscuring of scientific consensus that ID is a part of.

What Matt misses is that the purpose of the creationists has never been just to delegitimize evolution or to promote religion. Look at this David Limbaugh column. He continually introduces ID as an "innocuous" addition to a curriculum, merely asking questions of "Darwinism" in the classroom. The real point isn't the focus on evolution vs. ID, but instead the propogandizing of valid science and inquiry as "afraid" of challenges. It's the same philosophy that drives abstinence-only courses, Bible classes and any number of conservative "innovations" that make education such a pain in the collective ass.

....

Long story short, it's a full court press to create a vision of the educational system as fearful and intolerant because they won't let you come and say that calling an apple an elephant is equally as valid as calling it an apple. Enough people begin to think that these poor souls are being oppressed, you create a groundswell of support for "alternative ideas" in schools, and in turn you may not be able to teach creationism, but you can teach that condoms fail 65% of the time, or that the Bible is an equal fount of scientific reason to Newton, Galileo or Einstein.

Yes, it is emblematic of certain conservatives' m.o., and it's important to remember that this doesn't just affect Americans who democratically elected anti-scientific conservatives, but people worldwide. Consider this graf from an article in the Harvard International Review:

The appropriations bill allocating FY2004 PEPFAR [The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief] money stipulated that a third of prevention and education funds had to be spent on abstinence-promoting programs, none of the money could buy sterile syringes or needles for IV drug users, and faith-based organizations should receive special priority for receipt of treatment funds. Any organization or US program thought to promote access to abortions, or to chiefly promote birth control and condom use, has lost US government funding and support. In Uganda, for instance, the government claims HIV “prevalence” dropped from 30 percent in 1990 to 5 percent today. President Yuweri Museveni, signaling his allegiance to the Bush Administration, told the 2004 International AIDS Conference that the key to success was a campaign that pushed abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage. That no doubt helped, but the country’s only long-term study shows the number of new infections in southern Uganda dropped by about 40 percent between 1990 and 2002 without any significant changes in general sexual behavior. The only factor that changed, according to the study, was the increase to an 80 percent rate of condom use between casual sex partners. [emphases added]

So, while it would be convenient to just brush off ID as an isolated example of "silly psuedo-science," which it assuredly is, we do have a dog in this fight, and letting them chip away at the respectability of science shouldn't be tolerated on any front. People's lives are depending on it.

From The Dream Songs

2005-08-05T20:23:00.000-04:00

#14

Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so.
After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns,
we ourselves flash and yearn,
and moreover my mother told me as a boy
(repeatingly) 'Ever to confess you're bored
means you have no

Inner Resources.' I conclude now I have no
inner resources, because I am heavy bored.
Peoples bore me,
literature bores me, especially great literature,
Henry bores me, with his plights & gripes
as bad as achilles,

who loves people and valiant art, which bores me.
And the tranquil hills, & gin, look like a drag
and somehow a dog
has taken itself & its tail considerably away
into mountains or sea or sky, leaving
behind: me, wag.

by John Berryman.

Blogging and Elitism

2005-08-03T20:45:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about my increasingly elitist view of blogging. To explain: what is it worth to have people writing strong opinions about things that they don't have much of a background in? While I pretty consistently avoid patently economic issues in my posts, aside from the occasional moan and groan about how this economy doesn't seem to be helping anyone I know, it is true that I dip my toes into topics about which I don't have anything near mastery.

On the other hand, I designed my undergraduate work to be fairly broad, and I carry a residue of the eclectic essayist.

Yet, I can't help but wonder if I've gotten a bit off track in my writing. The intensity of the political climate has precipitated a very political blog, with occasional comments on other things, when my original purpose (thus, the blog title, It's In There), was to offer a mix of political, philosophical, and artistic musings. In that regard, this venture has proven a failure.

But I'm still thinking of how I should retune this thing called a blog. I off-handedly commented to a friend that I wish I could only think of my friends as the blog's audience, ignoring the fact that people who are basically strangers visit often enough. She thought that sounded like a good idea, but I haven't exactly let go of my feeling of audience obligation. Sometimes, I wonder if I would just feel better offering up quotes of the day. I don't really know.

I guess I have one basic question, and it is a question I hope some of you, at least, take the time to answer: why the hell do you come to this blog? I'm not trying to be cheeky, or fish for complements. Really, what is it that you find to be of value? I'm curious. Should I stick more to topics about which I can bring in other information rather than the link and comment?

I'm not going to stop blogging any time soon, but sometimes I wonder what exactly it is that motivates me to do this, since I don't have a large audience or a thriving community of debate.

Consider this an open-ended survey question.

Difference 3.0

2005-08-03T19:58:00.000-04:00

O Tom DeLay, Where Art Thou?

2005-08-03T18:32:00.000-04:00

Brain-Dead Woman Dies After Giving Birth

A brain-dead woman who gave birth yesterday to a baby daughter at a Northern Virginia hospital died today after she was taken off life support, doctors and family members said.

....

Archie McPherson, chief medical officer at the hospital, told a press conference that Torres's husband, Jason Torres, "made the decision this morning to withdraw artificial life support systems" from his wife. It was a decision supported by doctors and other relatives because of the irreversibility of her condition.

No calling Congress back into session? No harried Presidential flight?

Separated From Context

2005-08-01T18:45:00.000-04:00

"Copulation ranges from over one hour to over six hours, averaging three hours. While a long copulation might seem like great fun, this can waste a whole day and be too much of a good thing, especially if carried out day after day over a life span that is only a few days long."

Whose sex life does this quote describe? The damselfly. The article is yet another refutation of the claim that homosexuality is "unnatural."

[A]round 17 percent of males in wild populations appear to favor same-sex pairings, while about one in six males in the lab experiments showed the same tendency despite exposure to females.

And like other gay animals mentioned in the article, such as sheep, monkeys, and dolphins, the damselflies don't appear to be going extinct due to their behavior.

If Nixon Were Pretty

2005-07-31T22:53:00.000-04:00

or second-hand smoke.

Kennedy won Congress using an array of dirty tricks and bribes that make DeLay look like a choirboy. As for Nixon, his red-baiting was legendary and actually provided the template for McCarthy's later perfection of the form (the Wisconsin Senator actually cribbed whole speeches from Nixon). He was a nasty, lying campaigner and an absolute workaholic. The two of them, in the end, were the same sort of folks. It's just that Kennedy's looks, charm and money allowed him to get away with his tactics, even be admired for them while Nixon went down in disgrace. In some ways, that's a much more profound judgment on Americans and how we treat criminals from different classes than it is a verdict on either man.

I believe Ezra, intentionally or not, hits upon something very important here. I hate partisan moral equivalence, but it's important to remember that political parties are definitely not static entities. In other words, being a Democrat now doesn't necessitate blindly revering the Democrats of yesteryear. JFK being an unethical bastard shouldn't discourage modern-day liberals from embracing his party, or encourage them to cynically appraise his rhetoric.

It is quite possible that Kennedy the myth is more important than Kennedy the historical figure. Or ask not what the Kennedy myth can do for you, but ask what you can do for the Kennedy myth.

At this point, what JFK accomplished means little or probably nothing. But his words live on as a call to a higher American calling, and to that end we should use them. We can decry his actions all we like, but that doesn't decrease the import or truth of his calls to national service.

At any rate, there is a humbling aspect to understanding that Nixon and Kennedy were very similar creatures. Perhaps, if I had read the book, I wouldn't find them as similar. But I sort of trust Ezra's instincts on this one. Unfortunately, that leads to a more pertinent question or dilemma: at what point does pragmatic idealism roll over into cynical opportunism?

It Means Nothing (Chaos Total)

2005-07-31T20:36:00.000-04:00

Not Exactly Terrorism

2005-07-31T20:08:00.000-04:00

OKC Police Report on Tinker AFB Incident

Oklahoma City police did take a July 13th report from a man who claimed to have seen two Middle Eastern look men with a possible shoulder fired missile aimed at a military plane approaching the south end of the runway of Tinker Air Force base.

"An individual called us regarding what he believed was possible individuals involved in potential terrorist activites [sic]," explained Sergeant Charlie Phillips. The report was taken at mid-morning on July 13th.

"We took the report immediately as with any type of information of that nature we get. It was forwarded to the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force who at that point took over the investigation," added the Sergeant after he made the police report available to KTOK News.

....

As KTOK has reported previously, FBI spokesman Gary Johnson in Oklahoma City said agents looked into the report and determined there was nothing to it.

Still, the story continues to have life on the Internet. And it reportedly was the cause of an alert to be issued at a Utah Air Force base. [emphases added]

Well, it looks as though this report leads to nothing, but I can't help but comment that, even if it were true, it's not "terrorism." That doesn't make the hypothetical incident a good thing, just not terrorism. Last I checked, a military plane was a legitimate target. Or it would be if we were doing the aiming, I'm sure. Unless terrorism now equals "violence committed by Middle Eastern people," the lack of a civilian target eliminates this as terrorism.

Thanks For the Psychologizing

2005-07-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

Longing for a Cuss-Free Zone

Among some people, in some social settings, the well-timed word-bomb is a knowing bit of transgression meant to flash the message: I'm no square. It shows a streak of rebelliousness, even if a mild one, in a world where rebellion has few outlets. In other words, it shows a certain cool.

"When we want to break the rules," said Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist at Stanford University, "you have these words."

But when those same transgressors get to the office, they will most likely watch their tongues, at least away from the water cooler, as they uphold the polite-society taboo. "The idea that there are no rules is a big mistake," Mr. Nunberg said. It's just that "the rules are more flexible, and we break them more often." [emphases added]

No. When I use a fucking word, I'm not trying to "be cool" or "transgressive." I'm trying to pick the appropriate word. Sometimes, a "profanity" proves to be the most effective word. I don't think I'm more hip or cool by using it. There is no "rule" I'm trying to break. In fact, there is another rule I'm following: an attempt to express something as accurately as possible.

Now, that doesn't mean that the "rules" of profanity don't affect my semiotic intent. Yes, I acknowledge the effects of "strong" language among the prudes. However, "fuck" isn't just "sexual intercourse" made offensive. It's a feel. It's a vocal boldface. Again, that may be an effect of the rules, but purely breaking the rules isn't the intent. If wishing to "break the rules" was my intent, then I'd never have a reason to say "fuck" around people who didn't espouse that rule.

And when I avoid it at work, it's not out of deference to polite society, so much as it is covering my fucking ass. There's a power dynamic at play. If I was in an office where cussing was more prevalent, I would cuss more often. This is completely unlike other taboos, which, even if I found myself in an environment where they were trangressed, I would avoid (like incest or pedophilia).

The usage of "fuck" and other profanities do have implications. In fact, I don't think I could date someone who didn't use these words, and it's not just because I like them. It is precisely because I couldn't date a prude, and avoiding these words is a pretty sure indication that you are one.

Friendly Axiom

2005-07-31T15:11:00.000-04:00

The common points of various social relations –

humors

and references –

are the dependencies of our habitation
and habitations of our thought.

It Means Nothing (Yadda Yadda)

2005-07-29T18:17:00.000-04:00

In Defense of Hypothetical Torture

2005-07-29T18:07:00.000-04:00

Fafblog! - In the Kingdom of the One-Eyed Man, the Best Wars are Blind

The Medium Lobster extends kudos to Bill Frist, who earlier this week shelved a Senate military bill simply to derail a bipartisan effort to ban "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of detainees, along with the practice of hiding prisoners from the Red Cross as "ghost detainees." As the White House has noted, to prevent the military from torturing its prisoners would be to prevent it from "protect[ing] Americans effectively from terrorist attack." Which is not to say that this is a tacit admission that the Bush administration, from the president on down, has condoned and encouraged "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of prisoners. Oh, heavens forfend! America stands against and will not tolerate torture. What Senator Frist and the White House defended this week was not torture, but hypohetical [sic] torture, a critical weapon in our increasingly hypothetical war.

I'm beginning to suspect that The Medium Lobster is really just Donald Rumsfeld in disguise. Who else could cut through the B.S. and draw the lines so clearly? Read the rest.

Is Schumer Daft?

2005-07-27T16:55:00.000-04:00

Leahy: 'Activist' Nominee Won't Get Vote

But Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who also sits on the Judiciary panel, said he was assured by Roberts on Tuesday that he would not act as an ideologue if he makes it to the Supreme Court.

"He told me flatly that he is not an ideologue and said that he shares my aversion to ideologues," Schumer said in a speech prepared for the National Press Club. "Furthermore, he said I could repeat that publicly — that he is not an ideologue."

I'm not saying that Roberts is an ideologue, but I don't see how verbal assurances establish that. And of course Roberts didn't mind Schumer's repeating that. Are there many self-described ideologues, of any stripe, out there?

Catholic Family Values

2005-07-25T19:49:00.000-04:00

Priest and His Son Are Bound by Poverty

Single and unemployed, Stephanie Collopy asked a Portland judge this month to order her son's father to increase her child support and to add their chronically ill boy to his health insurance plan.

Sitting on the witness stand in a white button-down shirt, gray slacks and blue blazer with a small gold cross on the lapel, Arturo Uribe — the 12-year-old boy's father — had an unusual defense: He is a Roman Catholic priest.

Uribe, who was a seminarian when he fathered the boy during a consensual affair with Collopy, had taken a vow of poverty and therefore had no money to support his son, he told the court. Now pastor of the 4,000-family St. Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Whittier, Uribe had never seen the boy, who was born in 1993.

And as for health insurance, Uribe said his plan — tailored for priests, nuns and brothers — didn't provide for children.

Uribe's legal argument worked.

Okay, so maybe he has a legally enforceable point. But it's fairly obvious there is some sort of moral obligation which he, and the Catholic Church, seem to be missing. And they manage to miss it more than one time.

In February 2004, Collopy mailed the Redemptorists a stack of documents, including a doctor's letter listing the boy's illnesses.

She provided the names and prices for 28 drugs her son had been prescribed over an 11-month period. She forwarded a therapist's report that detailed the family's hardships, living in a basement of a house in a working-class neighborhood in Portland and having to join a food-donation program to save money.

Collopy also handed over a report that showed she had missed 94 hours of work in 2003 to take care of her son, absences she believed cost her a receptionist job with the Port of Portland.

Two months later, Father Richard Thibodeau, then the provincial superior of the Redemptorists' Denver Province, wrote back to Collopy and said "after a great deal of reflection" the Redemptorists would offer her a one-time payment of $3,876.

"I sincerely hope this generous amount helps you make the decisions … for [your son's] well-being."

Collopy thought the check might represent a settlement and so she returned it.

"This amount does not put any sort of dent into the ongoing expenses required to raise/support [my son]," she wrote.

Thibodeau sent another letter, returning the documents and closing with, "May you have a peace-filled summer!"

Peace-filled summer, my ass! It really is amazing, isn't it? How much money does the Catholic Church put into anti-abortion politics? And it can't even take care of the progeny of one of its clergy. If I were the hell-believing type, I'd wish the Church a good time in hell with its gold-laced accoutrements.

The one redeeming thing in the L.A. Times article highlighted the reactions of frustrated parishioners.

Parishioners at St. Mary also were never told that their pastor had a son.

"I'm very, very disappointed," said Rene Desmedt of La Habra, when told about the priest's secret child and the support dispute. Desmedt, 84, has served as an usher at St. Mary for 45 years. "I never expected that. When this becomes public, there's going to be very many people really angry."

Desmedt said the church collects $12,000 to $13,000 each week from parishioners and that it could support the priest's child.

"St. Mary's Church is a rich church, in my book," Desmedt said. "We can afford it. Boy, that news is going to knock the heads off a lot of people."

Can Stephanie Collopy and her son expect them to step up to the plate?

It Means Nothing 8

2005-07-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

Editors Without Dictionaries

2005-07-23T09:55:00.000-04:00

If you're going to suggest that a Senator needs to consult a dictionary, it would be best to do so yourself.

Jestful Truths About the Cipher

2005-07-20T18:12:00.000-04:00

McCain's reaction to the Roberts Supreme Court nomination:

...I think his qualifications are quite remarkable when you look at the credentials he has. I mean, it’s right out of -- it’s right out of central casting, this guy is. [emphasis added]

I wonder. Is that not an opening for this? Not necessarily in its particulars, but close. If nothing else, it is a reminder that if central casting is calling, we've got to get to work defining his coming role before they do.

Saucer With Eyes

2005-07-20T17:28:00.000-04:00

[Note: For some reason, ever since declaring that I would be coming back to blogging, I haven't felt very verbose. Sorry. In the meantime, which shouldn't be too long of a time, here's a recent creation.]

Not a Descendant

2005-07-15T17:15:00.000-04:00

Just to nitpick Krauthammer, Theo van Gogh was not a descendant of the painter, but his brother, the more recently famous Van Gogh's namesake. You'd think that someone at the Washington Post would have caught that.

Just Like Starting Over

2005-07-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

Well, didn't I mention that blogging is a bit like smoking? Of course, I've been missing it. What egoistic writer wouldn't?

I had been having problems with the layout, so I just switched to a template. I will probably be working on customizing it soon. I have also decided to switch back to the anonymous pseudonym. Why? Well, who cares who I am? If my opinions mean something to you, well, fine.

"I'm" back. But it's not really me who's back; it's QuickSauce.

Done (I Think) [Scroll Down]

2005-06-23T19:18:00.000-04:00

if the HTML is still being effed up. I've tried to do this before (quite blogging), just like I've tried to quit smoking, and it might not work out. However, the ability to instantaneously publish a thought hasn't made the hard work of writing easier. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, writing is about revision, which is something that blogs don't lend themselve to. I'll probaby still comment on those blogs that I've commented on before. Hell, I may even comment more often. But the fact is, my writing has gone to shit in the last year and a half, and I partially blame the blogging genre. As any reader who happens to blog knows, blogging does take time and energy, and that is time and energy that I should be using better. I'm 30 now, and I want to not need a "day job" by the time I'm 40. That will involve honing my craft, spending more time reading non-news, and just generally letting things bubble up rather than spending my time reacting to other things. Don't worry, I'll still be around. (And if this parallels my smoking patterns, I'll be blogging again in a couple of weeks.)

Opening Sentence You Don't Read Every Day

2005-06-23T18:18:00.000-04:00

"Blair's hour on the world stage," The Christian Science Monitor

At the first conference of the European Movement in The Hague, which I covered for The Christian Science Monitor in 1948, Winston Churchill called for the creation of a United States of Europe to bring peace to a war-ravaged continent. [emphasis added]

That's some longevity.

Parental Notification

2005-06-22T19:17:00.000-04:00

Congress Considers Parental Notification for Contraceptives

Young women may soon have to wait five days or more before obtaining contraceptives, so that their parents can be notified. On Tuesday, a bill known as the "Parents Right to Know Act" was introduced in both the US Senate and House of Representatives (S 1279, HR 3011). This legislation would require clinics receiving federal funds under Title X to notify the parents of any minors who seek contraception at least five days before writing a prescription. It does not demand parental consent, but allows no exceptions to the notification requirement, regardless of situations of abuse or estrangement. ....

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), who introduced the Senate legislation, said "this bill does nothing but put parents back in charge of their adolescent daughters," reports CNSNews. [emphasis added]

Great. Just...great. There is point at which you've just got admit that either people like Coburn are complete idiots, or they really want more unwanted, barely supported, teen-mothered children. Maybe it's both. Because, as we all know, keeping teens away from contraception keeps them away from sex.

And the question of "put[ting] parents back in charge of their adolescent" sons isn't even on the map. [Not that I think condom sales should be more restrictive. That's just a bonus abomination.]

Foolish Trust

2005-06-22T17:14:00.000-04:00

This is really sad to me.

A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 20% of Americans believe prisoners at Guantanomo Bay have been treated unfairly. Seven-out-of-ten adults believe the prisoners are being treated "better than they deserve" (36%) or "about right" (34%).

There is absolutely no reason to take the administration's word on this issue. We have no idea how many innocent people are wasting away at GTMO. Yet, 36% believe that are being treated "better than they deserve." For what? Being Muslims?

Exhibit A

2005-06-22T07:03:00.000-04:00

Why we need "special interest" groups.

The number of registered lobbyists in Washington has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 34,750 while the amount that lobbyists charge their new clients has increased by as much as 100 percent. Only a few other businesses have enjoyed greater prosperity in an otherwise fitful economy.

....

Lobbying firms can't hire people fast enough. Starting salaries have risen to about $300,000 a year for the best-connected aides eager to "move downtown" from Capitol Hill or the Bush administration. Once considered a distasteful post-government vocation, big-bucks lobbying is luring nearly half of all lawmakers who return to the private sector when they leave Congress, according to a forthcoming study by Public Citizen's Congress Watch.

Political historians don't see these as positive developments for democracy. "We've got a problem here," said Allan Cigler, a political scientist at the University of Kansas. "The growth of lobbying makes even worse than it is already the balance between those with resources and those without resources."

The next time I hear someone bitch about liberals being beholden to "special interest" groups (i.e. organizations that deal with the issues that affect private individuals), I'm going to have to bring this up. Do you really think many of them have the resources to hire $300K lobbyists? And do you think that corporations would be paying out all this money for something that doesn't work?

[G]overnment activism has presented potential problems for business. "As government grows, unless you're right there to limit it, it can intrude in just about any industry," [lobbyist and Republican former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Robert] Livingston said. "There are agencies that love to do things and acquire new missions. People in industry better have good lobbyists or they're going to get rolled over."

Guess who will get "rolled over."

Kingdom of Heaven

2005-06-21T21:06:00.000-04:00

I have not seen the film, and wasn't really interested in it before, but I'll probably rent it when it comes out on DVD. Why? Well, Robert Fisk has written about an interesting experience viewing this movie. In Beirut.

I think that many folks would be surprised at some of the reactions that the film prompted.

[A]t the end of the film, after Balian has surrendered Jerusalem, Saladin enters the city and finds a crucifix lying on the floor of a church, knocked off the altar during the three-day siege. And he carefully picks up the cross and places it reverently back on the altar. And at this point the audience rose to their feet and clapped and shouted their appreciation. They loved that gesture of honour. They wanted Islam to be merciful as well as strong. And they roared their approval above the soundtrack of the film.

We, and American leaders of Islam, say that Islamist terrorism doesn't represent the religion, but we're rarely presented with positive examples. It's certainly not that they don't exist, but that they remain barely reported. Even someone such as myself, who doesn't in the least bit believe that Muslims are all, or even mostly, violent fanatics, still can't help but be surprised when we encounter something such as the above. We're so immersed in the negative stereotypes. Muslims who usually make it into the news are indicted on terrorism charges, or using anti-Semitic rhetoric. Sure, we might get some exposure to moderate Muslim politicians, but the every day people, just living their lives, are molded into some monolithic "Arab street." Muslims cheering for acts of respect towards others' religious customs: that's some good news we deserve to hear more about.

Nous

2005-06-20T20:08:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Teaches the Fine Points of Blacklisting

2005-06-20T18:09:00.000-04:00

I've been having a lively discussion in the comments of a previous post ("Central Asia") about the School of the Americas and its relationship to the atrocities committed in Latin America over the years. Taking a quote from the those comments, I've wondered how much it matches up with what we do know about SOA's training materials. (Aside: one of the fruits of this discussion is the fact that it has forced me to look at some of the evidence for SOA complicity in Latin American atrocities, and the case appears to be much more circumstantial than I had believed, but I'm still looking around.)

First the quote:

Professionalism means you are disciplined, you are trustworthy, you are well-trained and educated, and you protect those you are there to protect....

This was a response to my claim that I didn't want armed forces with poor human rights records to become more professional in their work. I suppose that the difference hinges on the term "professionalism." While I took it to merely be a matter of bureaucratic efficiency, the commenter was interest in an ethics of what it means to be a "professional" member of the armed forces.

So, let's take a look at what is in the Counter Intelligence Study Manual.

(from CHAPTER XXIV, DETECTING CI TARGETS)

FIGURE#2
BLACK LISTS

THESE CONTAIN THE IDENTITIES AND LOCALIZATIONS OF PERSONS WHOSE CAPTURE AND DETENTION ARE OF FOREMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE ARMED FORCES:

EXAMPLES

a. Enemy agents known or suspects, persons involved in espionage, sabotage, politics, and subversive persons.

b. Hostile para-military guerilla team leaders, known or suspects.

c. Political leaders known or suspected as hostile toward the Armed Forces or the political interests of the National Government.

d. Known or suspected leaders of enemy governments whose presence in the area of operations represent a threat the national security.

e. Collaborators and sympathizers of the enemy, known or suspects whose presence in the area of operations represent a threat to the national
security.

f. Military and civilian enemies, known or suspected of having participated in intelligence activities, counter-intelligence, security, police or political indoctrination between the troops or among civilians.

g. Other personalities identified by the G2 as of immediate detention. This could include local political personalities, chiefs of police, and municipal leaders or leaders of the enemy's government departments. [emphases added]

And in countries where wealth was unevenly distributed, you can pretty much interprit "suspected of sympathizing with the [usually left-leaning] enemy" to mean most of the poor, and certainly anyone who dares to speak up in the name of the rights of the poor. Jeez, I wonder how this could be construed as a green light to detaining, capturing, and using "coercive techniques" on labor unionists and religious groups, all in the name of "anti-Communism."

The alternative? Well, I guess I would have rather had countries to the south of us with governments that the people actually wanted, even if they were Communist, than countries with terrorized populations. Which, though I didn't intend to bring it up, brings me to admit something. I believe that the usual Cold War narrative is mythical. Our opposition to Communism is cast as a struggle against oppression in the name of freedom. However, if one were to put all the countries we have supported and opposed in a table this claim wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. The common traits of the supported group would have nothing to do with human rights, but economic ideology and national interests (ours and theirs). The oppressive criterion comes after other determinations (Have they nationalized the oil industry? Are they redistributing land?)

To claim otherwise would make Woodrow Wilson the 21st-century Nostradamus. He could hardly have cited the Stalin purges as a reason to send Americans as part of the White Army during the Russian Civil War. Stalin wouldn't come to power until 1922.

So, yeah, I believe that we started (always a childish game, but the truth hurts sometimes) the Cold War, ultimately, or at least a healthy distrust of our intentions by Communists. After all, what's with defending monarchy almost 150 years after the American Revolution? I can bet that it had nothing to do with human rights.

March of Freedom

2005-06-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

and those caught under foot.

Mukhtaran Bibi is a ... women who last year was sentenced to a gang rape by a tribal council for a crime her brother had committed. A column in the NYT says, Four men raped Ms. Mukhtaran, then village leaders forced her to walk home nearly naked in front of a jeering crowd of 300. Ms. Mukhtaran was supposed to have committed suicide.

But she didn't. She instead fought back with the help of a local Islamic leader and convicted 6 of the rapers. She decided to open two schools in her village with the money she got for compensation (not that money could ever...) because she believes the best way to stop violence is through education.

....

On Thursday, the authorities put Ms. Mukhtaran under house arrest - to stop her from speaking out. In phone conversations in the last few days, she said that when she tried to step outside, police pointed their guns at her. To silence her, the police cut off her land line.

After she had been detained, a court ordered her attackers released, putting her life in jeopardy. That happened on a Friday afternoon, when the courts do not normally operate, and apparently was a warning to Ms. Mukhtaran to shut up. Instead, Ms. Mukhtaran continued her protests by cellphone. But at dawn yesterday the police bustled her off, and there's been no word from her since. Her cellphone doesn't answer.

Afghanistan under the Taliban? Iran? Neither. Pakistan. So, according to Bush, one of the pluses of taking out the Taliban was that we could improve women's status in Afghanistan. But in order to do that, we had to make friends with Pakistan and virtually ignore the status of women there.

"But, but, but," people will say, "You're not being realistic. Sometimes we have to dirty our hands for a greater good." Unfortunately, by making these concessions and overlooking such incidents, we actually undermine whatever "greater good" we talk about. You see, we might forget about this in a couple of months (or sadly, weeks), and just lock it away as one of many unfortunate side-effects of the "Global War on Terror," but you can be damn sure that Ms. Mukhtaran and women like her will not forget. Ever. And so, when they hear reports about a "March of Freedom" and Bush's attendant rhetoric, the words can only sound hollow, mean, and cynical. It would be tough and unrealistic for Ms. Mukhtaran to say, "Oh, well! My suffering should be ignored, because, after all, at least the Taliban isn't in power. Better for the Bush Administration to overlook these things for the 'greater good.'"

It's also pretty disingenuous for people to try to cast this as a "deal with the devil." Traditionally, when you make a deal with the devil, it's your hide that has to pay out eventually, not some 3rd person who never got to take part in the deal to begin with. It would be as if Tom Walker offered to the Devil the King of England's soul for the pirate's treasure, rather than his own.