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Political Dissent and the Right Hand of Dr. Strangelove
Sunday, November 11, 2001
Why are we here? What's life all about?
Is God really real, or is there some doubt?
Well, tonight, we're going to sort it all out,
For, tonight, it's 'The Meaning of Life'.
"May you live in interesting times" is indeed a curse (but not a Chinese one). I used to scoff at that statement. What could possibly be better? The world has gotten a little too weird and too many people have returned to their primal fear/denial state.
It's not a good time to be an free thinker, is it?
I'm not enjoying weblogging like I used to. Pitas.com has become cranky and appears to be approaching crush depth. Shouting into the hurricane has gotten old and there are so many dedicated people out there who do what I do here, only better.
Booknotes, Liberal Arts Mafia, Woods Lot and Unknown News all have my envy and admiration for their bravery and tireless efforts.
I want to concentrate more on the stuff I'd originally intended to do here. Art. Design. The strange and the wonderful. Those little gems you can't find just anywhere, like the always tasty Fruitlog, the design obsessed gmtPlus9, the philosophical Bellona Times, the psychedelic technoshamanism of Abuddhas Memes, the snarky, pop cultural observations of Quiddity, the factoid worthy World New York, the righteously naked Dr. Menlo and last but certainly not least, fellow pitas people evacuate and flush, Ribbit and El Platillo Volador, all twenty-four carat examples of quality linkage.
Hopefully, I'm going to shake this funk and come back stronger.
So, look to those fine folks I've listed above along with the left hand column for some excellent stuff. If you let them be your guide, I guarantee you'll find it interesting.
Don't worry. I'll always be, as a reader dubbed me, "a self righteous little prick". I'll be back!
Anthrax culprit 'probably domestic'
Saturday, November 10, 2001
The FBI say the suspect is probably an adult male who may have referred to the US attacks in his messages only as a decoy.
He may have no more scientific knowledge than a lab technician and his equipment need not have cost more than $2,500.
He could have set it up in his garage, or in his attic.
Again, this is contrary to the commonly reported folderol that only scientific geniuses and professional medical labs could create and deliver anthrax.
Most Americans Taking Anthrax Precautions
Blind faith in government after 9/11? Hardly.
In another finding, no national figure was trusted by most Americans to give reliable information in the event of an outbreak of disease caused by a biological attack.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was trusted by 48 percent of those surveyed. He was trailed by the surgeon general with 44 percent and President of the American Medical Association with 42 percent.
Appointees without medical backgrounds were less trusted. The Director of the FBI was trusted by only 33 percent, the secretary of health and human services by 37 percent and the chief of homeland security by 34 percent.
Bush may order smallpox jabs for all
Saturday, November 10, 2001
"One of my concerns is if we were to have universal vaccination, some might lose their life," he said. "But I’m looking at all options, all possibilities."
So what are they going to do if people refuse to be vaccinated? Arrest them? Deport them? Seriously, what's next? Loyalty oaths? Mandatory background checks?
Men Get 'Bulge' Jeans to Enhance Their Assets
Saturday, November 10, 2001
This is so pathetic that I don't need to comment.
Senate Panel Approves Walters as 'Drug Czar'
Thursday, November 8, 2001
Sen. John Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat, said he had concerns about Walters, too, but voted for him for several reasons.
"First, he will be serving a president who has made clear that he is committed to treatment, and he (Walters) has said he will serve that president faithfully," Edwards said.
Bush? In favor of treatment? Since when?
I guess that's why John "The Dictator" Ashcroft is trying to smash legal medical marijuana.
Let me, a longtime citizen of the great state of North Carolina, be the first to say WTF?
What kind of glue has this guy been sniffing?
See John Edwards.
See John Edwards waffle like hell for his 2004 presidential run.
Run, John Edwards. Run!
He's not getting my vote!
(At least with Jesse Helms, you know where he stands.)
Russ Feingold sells out.
America Strikes Back: The Dumb War
Thursday, November 8, 2001
Dack.com (which I never liked) morphs into a solid warblog.
If your the type of person who eagerly spoons down everything that Bush and the Pentagon tells you, then this in not your kind of weblog.
Thanks, Le Blogeur :)
Speak No Evil
Thursday, November 8, 2001
The twin cancers of political correctness and "patriotic" groupthink are killing free speech in post 9/11 America.
Much like the Taliban regime that we're bombing, we've rapidly turned into a nation that will not tolerate dissent.
Ironic, since this nation was founded by dissenters.
Oregon Sues to Protect Assisted-Suicide Law
Thursday, November 8, 2001
John Ashcroft plays God, subverts the will of the people of Oregon and gets ready to bust doctors (with the DEA's "assistance") that are legally preventing agony and suffering.
Oregon is suing to stop him.
The law, the only one of its kind in the United States, was passed by voters twice and went into effect in 1997 after withstanding court challenges.
Gov. John Kitzhaber, a former doctor, and all but one member of the Oregon congressional delegation backed the law, including Republican Congressman Peter Defazio.
Ore. Sues U.S. Over Assisted Suicide
Suicide Bombers? I Thought You Said Suicide Doctors!
This legal action has been brought to you by the Justice Department, DEA and most especially by the FBI, spying on the public and interfering with your personal private affairs since 1908!
We're watching you!
Green light for Pluto
Thursday, November 8, 2001
Pluto-Kuiper Belt mission is approved for development funding by a US House and Senate conference committee. Yea!
Here's some interesting Mars probe stuff:
NASA Bulldozer Rovers Could Get The Scoop On Mars
Mars Balloon Inflator Tested at 35 Klicks Over Colorado
Inflating Mars
Taking A Tumble Across Mars
Wacky String Explosion at JPL Damages Car
Thursday, November 8, 2001
WARNING: Contents may explode under pressure!
Green Groups Call For Inquiry Into Missing Arctic Reports
Thursday, November 8, 2001
It's time for more fun with industry whore and wildlife hater (who also just happens to be the Secretary of the Interior) Gale Norton!
You thought I'd forgotten about her, didn't you?
Norton has drawn criticism for Senate committee testimony in which she left out scientific data from the Fish and Wildlife Service showing that drilling would harm caribou.
The Washington Post reported that Norton also added erroneous data that would have bolstered the case for drilling if it had been true.
Judge Warns He May Hold Norton, Others in Contempt
A federal judge warned yesterday that he will hold Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, other government officials and lawyers accountable for not obeying his order to reform a long-mismanaged Indian trust fund, saying they apparently misled him.
New Mining Regulations Overturn Late Clinton Rules
Roger Flynn, an attorney representing the Western Mining Action Project, called them a "a shrewd smoke screen by [Interior Secretary Gale A.] Norton and her staff to say they're going to protect environmental standards, when in fact they're taking away the authority to say no to a mine before it goes in."
Exxon Valdez appeals ruling stuns Alaskans
Exxon Mobil Corp.'s reprieve on Wednesday from a $5 billion punitive fine stunned and angered Alaskans who had sued the energy giant for punitive damages from the 1989 Valdez oil spill disaster.
Getting Back To Normal
How Bush, Cheney and the gang are gutting popular enviromental initiatives and regulations while you're distracted by the "war".
The warmongers have landed
Monday, November 5, 2001
The "Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort 'Em Out" squad may be winning the propoganda war. Also, more wisdom from Tom "Jellyfish" Daschle, leader of the Democratic Party:
Asked whether Bush would have to clear going to war against Iraq with Congress, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, remarked, "No, he certainly wouldn't have to clear it with us. He's an independent branch of government."
US Bombs Are Boosting the Taliban
Monday, November 5, 2001
Abdul Haq, who got a Taliban noose around his neck for his trouble thanks in part to the CIA's bungling and incompetence, said that U.S. bombing was a bad idea:
But the US is trying to show its muscle, score a victory and scare everyone in the world. They don't care about the suffering of the Afghans or how many people we will lose. And we don't like that. Because Afghans are now being made to suffer for these Arab fanatics, but we all know who brought these Arabs to Afghanistan in the 1980s, armed them and gave them a base. It was the Americans and the CIA. And the Americans who did this all got medals and good careers, while all these years Afghans suffered from these Arabs and their allies.
Bombing Alters Afghans' Views of U.S.
Rumsfeld Calls for Closer Ties With India
Monday, November 5, 2001
Afganistan war "won't take years", so says Donald "The Waffle" Rumsfeld. Also see Rumsfeld's rather transparent effort to play India against Pakistan:
. . . Rumsfeld vowed to stand behind India in its battle against Pakistani-backed terrorists in the disputed province of Kashmir, which has been the focus of two wars between the two countries, noting that the U.S.-led war on terrorism extends far beyond Afghanistan.
Uh, aren't the Pakistanis supposed to be our allies now?!?
US to resume defence supplies to India
The US has agreed to resume defence supplies to India and asked New Delhi to send its requirements to work out the details.
Bush Waives More Pakistani Sanctions
President Bush waived the last sanctions against Pakistan on Monday, clearing the way for a fresh infusion of financial aid to the key ally in the U.S.-led military campaign in neighboring Afghanistan
Does it make any sense to encourage and assist two militant nuclear powers that hate each other?
How Afghanistan Went Unlisted as Terrorist Sponsor
Clinton administation idiocy and another oil megacorp sellout:
Officially, Unocal refused to take sides in the Afghan conflict. But its favors to the Taliban sent a clear signal to rivals. Unocal gave the Taliban a fax machine to speed its communications and funded a job training program affiliated with the University of Nebraska that was set up in Kandahar, the Taliban stronghold in southeast Afghanistan.
Before Unocal, the Taliban "were just a bunch of wild jihadists running around. They came out of nowhere," said Richard Dekmejian, a University of Southern California terrorism specialist, using the Islamic term for holy warriors.
In a late 1997 public relations move, Unocal flew Taliban officials to tour the company's U.S. offices. They took a side trip to the beach, then flew to Washington for meetings in the Capitol and at the State Department to press their case for U.S. recognition.
fUSION Anomaly
Monday, November 5, 2001
We grok.
Innerspace meets cyberspace
Monday, November 5, 2001
Recharging your mental batteries with VR guided meditation.
Mystery space blast 'solved'
Monday, November 5, 2001
The Tunguska blast of 1908 may have been caused by a low density asteroid. It's still just a theory, but the most plausible one I've heard to date.
Thanks, Fruitlog :)
Russia Makes Painful Shift On ABM
Monday, November 5, 2001
Are the Russians ready to junk the ABM treaty?
Abortion Foes' New Net Strategy
Monday, November 5, 2001
Anti-Choice wackos spread some FUD:
"Could your job land you in jail?" the homepage asks. The site contains a list of red flags of possible illegal activities that clinic workers should look for, such as financial records written in pencil (a potential sign of tax evasion) or patients who exhibit a "dramatically different attitude" after an abortion (which could signal sexual assault).
I propose that if these people love children so much, then they should each be given one of the millions of unwanted or neglected children in this country to raise.
Amazing Virtual Sea Monkeys
Friday, November 2, 2001
That's right, a sea monkey sim!
Bye Bye Birdies
Friday, November 2, 2001
Paranoids lead to skyrocketing canary sales.
Who would have believed that headline three months ago?
Thanks, Unknown News :)
Anti-terrorist cockpit doors 'dangerous'
Friday, November 2, 2001
Two airline pilot associations think that cockpit door locks are an incredibly stupid idea. I agree.
Thanks, Have Browser, Will Travel :)
Critics Blast Bush Order on Papers
Friday, November 2, 2001
Historical obfuscation and the Tricky Dick Syndrome:
Some historians, including American University historian Anna Nelson, have suspected the Bush White House is worried about what the Reagan papers might reveal about officials now working for President Bush who also worked for Reagan. Among them are Secretary of State Colin Powell, Budget Director Mitch Daniels Jr. and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.
A Veto Over Presidential Papers
Judge rules against West Virginia high school anarchist
Thursday, November 1, 2001
A judge ruled Thursday that a 15-year-old sophomore cannot establish an anarchy club or wear T-shirts opposing the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan because it would disrupt school.
Students, you may now return to your regularly scheduled indoctrination. Do not exercise independent thought. Do not engage in organized discussion on nontrivial subjects. Do not question authority.
These actions are forbidden and will be punished severely!
If you personally witness one of these actions, it is your civic duty to narc on your fellow student(s) as soon as possible.
Supreme Court Refuses to Review Silence Law
The minute-of-silence law, enacted in 2000 makes the minute of silence mandatory for Virginia's 1 million public school pupils, and specifically lists prayer as one silent activity they might choose.
The law's preamble states its purpose as assuring that "free exercise of religion be guaranteed within the schools."
It's another beatdown for the separation of church and state.
September 11 spawns hoaxes and urban legends galore
Thursday, November 1, 2001
I'm sure you've heard many of these by now. My mom related the "Afghani boyfriend" one to me just a few days ago.
Urban Legends Reference Page - Rumors of War
Pak masses troops along border
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Says India.
Indian army planning large scale offensive against Pakistan
Says Pakistan.
Let's hope it's just rhetorical sabre rattling!
Ground Fire Foils Elite U.S. Troops in Afghanistan
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Ground fire drives off U.S. Special Forces. Again.
Uh, weren't all those airstrikes supposed to take care of that?
I've been accused of taking pleasure at the failures of U.S. military operations in Afganistan. That's not true. What I have been trying to do is point out that military briefings are mostly propoganda designed to reassure a nervous public and that our successes in this "war" have been greatly exagerated by the Pentagon and White House spinmeisters.
The military hasn't seen a situation like this since the Vietnam War and they don't like to fight people who's collective asses we can't kick in a few weeks. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.
A grim prospect: Facing ‘Vietnam with snow’
It's interesting to compare MSNBC - the corporate infotainment TV network vs. MSNBC - the website. The MSNBC TV network seems to dominated by smiling and thoughtless talking heads who will gladly parrot whatever propoganda that the Pentagon feeds them. The website, on the other hand, has posted a fair amount of thought provoking information.
Healthy Hemp in Hot Peril
Thursday, November 1, 2001
DEA cranks up for hemp stompdown.
Nudists Discriminate As Much As People With Clothes
Thursday, November 1, 2001
I have to admit, the problem that I've always had with nudism is that I don't think I'd want to see most people naked!
Trust me, you wouldn't want to see me naked either.
Mobility Study Warns Of Chronic Gridlock, Pollution
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Think about that as you drive your gas whore Chevy Suburban or Ford Expedition (all by yourself, natch, like ninety-five percent of SUV drivers) to the grocery store.
Oh wait, I forgot. The denizens of the exurbs don't think about anything that might happen more than five minutes from now.
It's time to bring back the gas guzzler tax, with a vengeance.
Missile Defense Deal Is Likely
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Waffling Russians make colossal missile defense tax dollar pork barrel look like a done deal.
Don't expect many objections from a castrated Congress.
The upside is that the ABM treaty is still breathing, for the time being and that large strategic nuclear warhead cuts may be possible. Don't worry, they'll still be plenty of nukes to blow up the world many times over!
China takes aim at the space station
Thursday, November 1, 2001
As NASA continues to suffer a severe budget squeeze, will the Chinese be allowed to join the ISS program?
Scramjet test flight fails
Thursday, November 1, 2001
Shit! Can no one build a dumb rocket booster that works?!?
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