A Violently Executed Blog |
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Any law which violates the inalienable rights of man is essentially unjust and tyrannical; it is not a law at all. - Maximilien Robespierre A Violently Executed Feed BUY SOME STUFF, MAKE ME HAPPY Contact me. Links and stuff Handshake Bloggers Damn Good Music
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Friday, June 30, 2006
Placeholder I'm hoping I'll have something to post later today. Tomorrow at the latest. Until then, a topic: While Superman and Batman are the primary characters of their movies and comics, Peter Parker, not Spider-Man, is the primary character of the Spider-Man movies and comics. Discuss. [edit] That's a "I'm trying to get something written" placeholder, not a "I'm down and can't write" placeholder, BTW. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:52:00 AM   Thursday, June 29, 2006
What Are You Waiting For? Buy The Book, Already! Hillbilly Gothic. It's in the stores, it's a good book. How good? Damn good, that's how good. I've known Adrienne since I moved to Austin, and I will therefore cop to some small degree of bias in her favor, but I wouldn't be this effusive if I was only being nice. Adrienne's got a compelling story, and she tells it well. I can't stress enough how much I'm enjoying this book - if enjoying is the right word. So much of it, her stories of growing up with depression, her self-doubts - so much of it strikes a very real chord with me. Not just because I know her, but because I've been through some of the same stuff. She's at turns painfully honest and darkly wry. Go, buy it. Now. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:44:00 AM Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The Supreme Court Says Redistricting Is A-OK Specifically, that it's perfectly fine for a state legislature to redraw congressional districts any old time they want. This opens up a whole range of Stupid Things - every time a political party gets even a hair-thin edge in a state legislature, they can completely redo the political boundaries within the state. Protections for minorities remain legal, though the Bush Justice Department isn't exactly enforcing them. Redrawing district lines that often, though will serve to effectively dampen the ability of citizens to communicate with their representatives. There will be no shared bond between a legislator and his or her constituents, as the very makeup of a district will be subject to change at the whims of the legislature. For years I've been calling for a non-partisan means of redrawing congressional districts, both to cut down on "safe" districts and to ensure more contiguous boundaries for the districts. Software is already used to help plot out districts, currently to make sure the composition of the district is as close to a solid majority for one party or the other, so it shouldn't be hard at all to reprogram the software to create several maps with certain baseline criteria for districts. (1) Districts must be, as much as possible, centered in one particular area of the state. (2) Voting Rights Acts rules regarding minority districts should be taken into consideration. There are other criteria that could easily be programmed, but just those two remove the likelihood of there being sprawling, snakelike districts that wander across the landscape from one corner of the state to the other. Redistricting shouldn't be a matter of the whims of whatever party happens to be in power this week. It's not about making sure some fatcat can continue to be reelected so he can keep sucking at the teat of lobbyists and getting automatic pay raises every year. Redistricting should be reserved for making congressional districts that serve the needs of the people. But, hey, what the fuck do I know? I'm just, you know, one of the people. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:34:00 AM Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Yeah, I'm Here I was hoping to get a piece of writing done to post today, but it's taking longer than I thought. This is me waving as I zoom by. ::waves:: posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 12:04:00 PM Monday, June 26, 2006
Don't Think I'll Be Able To Do This Every Morning Woke up at 4AM - usually, I just try to force myself to go back to sleep and toss and turn fitfully for a couple of hours, but today I went ahead and got up and went downstairs. I borrowed a treadmill from Melissa's parents in the hopes that exercise equipment in the house would encourage me to actually, you know, exercise. I got in a good 20 minute walk on the treadmill, then went on with my morning. I'm dragging a little, but not too much. If I make this a habit, I need to get to bed earlier. Which I've been needing to do anyway. But. Every day - at least 20 minutes - that's what I need. Exercise helps fight depression, and even though I'm doing better than last week, I need every weapon I can get my hands on. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:04:00 AM Sunday, June 25, 2006
Informal Poll Results A couple of weeks back, I posted a link to the infamous "mosquito ring tone", and asked folks to let me know in the comments if they could hear it. Here's the results: 31 Responses 30 human 1 cat 11 Male 19 female 1 cat (male) 4 females and 1 male did not hear sound, but reported a pressure in their eardrums 4 females and 1 male did not hear sound at all 11 females and 7 males and the cat heard the sound 7 under 18: 5 heard sound, 2 didn't 23 over 18: 13 heard sound, 5 didn't, 5 felt pressure but no sound No real correlation between age and being able to hear sound - 71% under 18 heard sound and 29% did not; 56% over 18 heard sound, 22% felt pressure and 22% didn't hear anything - 78% of adults felt sound Sex correlation: 58% of females heard sound, 21% felt sound; 64% of males heard sound, 9% of males felt it Slight, but sample size was small. Near as I can tell, the "mosquito ring tone" isn't the teenage stealth weapon they think it is. A Violently Executed Blog: Like Mythbusters, but without the blowing shit up. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 12:12:00 PM Saturday, June 24, 2006
Busy Day! Cleanup day - the kids have to clean their rooms and their bathroom, then it's off to the store to buy new banks for their allowances to go in and then home for lunch and naps for those that need them (::raises hand::). We were going to go swim today, but the rain put the kibosh on that and on weeding the garden in front of the house. Maybe swimming tomorrow, while Melissa does some research for some freelance gigs she got. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 10:23:00 AM Friday, June 23, 2006
John Carter, You're One Stupid Motherfucker Stupid or a fucking liar. Probably both. Seems that some Rethuglican congresscritters think the Voting Rights Act shouldn't be renewed, at least not without taking out specific mention of a few states that, well, kind of have a history of actively working to prevent Blacks and Latinos from voting. States like Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina.... John Carter (R-Round Rock), the shitbag that I've voted against every time I can vote against him, thinks that there's nothing to worry about any more. "I don't think we have racial bias in Texas anymore."Whaaaaaaa? As the folks at Facing South point out, there's quite a history in VERY RECENT YEARS of racial bias in Texas. The people of Tullia, TX and Jackson County, TX might disagree with Rep. "I'm the dumbest motherfucking cracker your ass ever saw" Carter. If James Byrd had survived being dragged behind a pickup truck by some white guys, he might also have some interesting things to say about Rep. Asswipe's bald-faced lie that racism is dead in Texas. It's flat-out amazing how Rep. Asswipe manages to gloss over the last several decades of outright prejudice against Blacks and Latinos. And, you know, he might not be a stupid motherfucker, but that just means he's a goddamn lying, racist motherfucker. Either way, here's hoping a swarm of botflies come lay eggs in his scrotum. It's the least that he deserves. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 10:18:00 AM Thursday, June 22, 2006
AT&T: Foursquare In Favor Of Tyrrany OK, so they haven't come right out and endorsed the Bushistas' assault on the Constitution, but they have rewritten their privacy policy. Basically, they're making the claim now that AT&T owns your data, and intends to use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process." In other words, they'll give the NSA whatever it wants, and you can go fuck yourself. The policy also indicates that AT&T will track the viewing habits of customers of its new video service -- something that cable and satellite providers are prohibited from doing.So they want to make sure they can continue to support illegal, warrantless monitoring of American citizens without having to worry about getting sued. I don't use any AT&T products or services. If you do, perhaps you should consider that AT&T has made it rather clear that they are A-OK with letting George Bush and Dick Cheney know who you talk to, what you talk about and what you look at. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:27:00 AM Wednesday, June 21, 2006
13 Moons: #7 It's here. The story is changing - once I finish, I'll have to go back and make it all fit together. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 10:39:00 AM Slept Took some chemical assistance to do so, but I slept. Currently working on a clever plan. To quote a friend, it's a plan so clever I could put a tail on it and call it a weasel. Special PS to the NSA: abhasdtkahbllgnrhsdtstrdalxuacraracsiefseiusenaerpitexoenfbaourdpteysoslahooesnwxyruottgfenooiagyaoxtgfheesl posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:29:00 AM Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Bitter, Party Of One Just did some number crunching, and a trip I had planned for the end of July will have to be postponed. I'm a little disappointed to say the least, but I want to assure the good folks in San Francisco that I'm working to lock everything in place for a trip in the fall. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 4:49:00 PM Dude, I Just Want To Fucking SLEEP I mean, seriously, what the fuck is up with this "Lie in bed for hours and stare at the fucking ceiling" bullshit? 8 hours in 3 nights. You know those, wossname, those big cables that hold up radio towers? Guy wires? Anyhoo, my neck muscles feel like some of those. Earliest I can snag some more time will probably be next week. That's if it doesn't get yoinked from me at the last minute. But, hey, I'm not all about the gloom and doom - I can look on the positive side: The hallucinations from the lack of sleep are really fucking amazing. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:30:00 AM Monday, June 19, 2006
Sofa King Cool One of the occasional readers of this blog, Al Clayton, got interviewed on NPR today. It's a great interview, but it doesn't give half a clue as to what Al's really like in person. He, Mickey and my dad are kind of the Three Musketeers of Jasper, GA - but with more profanity and fewer swordfights. Well done, Al! And hi, Pop! ::waves:: posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 5:37:00 PM Yeah, I'm Around I keep writing posts and deleting them. ::shrugs:: Counting the days to my next therapy appointment and trying not to be too much of a drama queen. Talk among yourselves. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 4:19:00 PM Saturday, June 17, 2006
My Birthday's Coming Up! And I think I've figured out what I want. A coilgun! posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:46:00 AM Friday, June 16, 2006
OK, So Today Wasn't A Mental Health Day Wound up going in to the office and I'll be taking Monday off to wrangle the older kids. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 5:18:00 PM Chickenhawkery This exchange from the floor of the US House kind of sums up the chicken Louie Gohmert (R-TX)  speaking to John Murtha (D-PA)  Rep. Gohmert: Let me close by saying some have not had nice things to say about our colleague Mr. Murtha, and others wanting to pull out of Iraq quickly. I understand the faithful visitation that he does routinely. So i say thank god for his big heart. I say thank god for his compassion. Thank god for his visits to the wounded. Thank god for his ministering to grieving families. But thank god he was not here and prevailed after the bloodbaths at Normandy and in the Pacific or we would be here speaking Japanese or German. Thank you.Gohmert is a slimy little chickenshit ratfucker, as this exchange shows. God forbid he actually engage in rational debate with Mr. Murtha, no, Rethugs can't stand that kind of heat - put any pressure on them at all and they start shrieking about Bill Clinton's penis and flip-flopping and then they break out the whiny little smears. They talk a big game, but when push comes to shove, they soil their trousers and run away. They're like those little yippy dogs that snarl and growl and bark like fucking mad, but squeal and run like hell if you stamp your foot in their direction, usually leaving a puddle of piss behind as they run. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:29:00 AM Thursday, June 15, 2006
Smoooochie, She Got Some Shit To SAY I'm not buying it! I keep seeing these ads for these Crystal Light packets that are made to just be added to a bottle of water. The whole marketing angle is that everyone needs to drink water everyday and these make it taste better.I'm cracking the fuck UP over here. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:07:00 PM Mental Health Day! Had some PTO to burn, so I left work early and I'm taking tomorrow off, too. Can you say "NAP", boys and girls? I knew you could! posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:03:00 AM Wednesday, June 14, 2006
This Shit Does NOT Happen To Fundamentalist Christians 4 arraigned on hate crime charges in assault on gay singer. Four young men suspected of beating a recording artist while yelling anti-gay slurs were arraigned on assault charges, but did not enter a plea.I mean, can you tell me the last time some Fundie got the shit beaten out of him by a gang of queers or pagans? Seriously, come on, show me one. Just one. Sounds like the assholes that beat Aviance were just run-of-the-mill thugs, but think how often they hear - from their pastors, from their friends, from society in general - that, hey, gay people aren't like the rest of society, they're a threat to the family, that they're a threat to our nation. In that environment, it's no longer "Should I harm them?" and instead, "Why not hurt them?" When sick fucks like Star Parker proclaim that gay relationships threaten the stability of the black family, when Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr, has taken a public stand condemning homosexuality as a sin against God, when the president and his allies denounce the very thought of equal rights for homosexuals, it becomes easy to mentally reclassify gays and lesbians as something less than human. Fundamentalists, as much as they whine that they're "oppressed", that they're "under attack", don't get that treatment at all. It. Just. Doesn't. Happen. Hell, you don't even have to be gay to get assaulted. You just have to look gay. Question for the class: You ever seen a Fundie backed up against a wall eagerly proclaiming their status as a pagan or atheist to escape a beating? I sure as shit haven't. Know any homosexuals that proclaim they're going to go out and get drunk and engage in some "Christian Bashing"? Me neither. This kind of thing happens all the time - the only thing that made it noteworthy for CNN was the fact that it happened to be a moderately well-known singer that got attacked. Matthew Shepard didn't leave some earnest young Christian hanging on a barbed wire fence after beating him half to death. Gwen Araujo didn't kill someone when she discovered he was keeping his faith hidden from her. Shit like this is why we need equal rights, why the GLBT community is fighting for equality. We are your sons, your daughters, your brothers, your sisters. We are your parents, your neighbors, your coworkers. All animals are equal here on the farm, right? Is it just that some are more equal than others? I don't think so. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:55:00 AM Tuesday, June 13, 2006
6/12 Domestic Disturbance The Current Feed I know this won't come as news to most AustinMama.com readers, but breastfeeding isn't much like going to the bathroom or taking a bath or having sex, and the rules we've devised to cover those situations aren't really applicable to nursing. Another hit out of the park. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 6:28:00 AM Monday, June 12, 2006
Informal Poll Can you hear this? Let me know in the comments. You folks reading this via an RSS feed or on LJ, pop over here and comment below this post. Oh, and let me know your age (you can round it to a range of 5 years or so, if you're shy). posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 4:18:00 PM Cool Game Seems Nick Lampson, the guy that's probably gonna take over Tom "Bugfucker" Delay's congressional seat, has a pretty damn funny game on the web: Delay's Dollars You get to play as Tom Delay and catch bags of money while dodging subpoenas and envelops full of criminal evidence. I've made it to level 2 so far. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:24:00 AM Sunday, June 11, 2006
Road Blog Blogging from the Texas welcome center, piggybacking their wifi. Tried to blog from the hotel last night, but their "free high-speed internet" wasn't. Another 6 hours on the road before I'm home. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:19:00 AM Friday, June 09, 2006
Now THIS Outsourcing I Can Really Get Behind I mean, it's the greatest idea since someone put those elastic waistband thingies in underwear! The Corner Office In Bangalore China, India and other emerging markets offer shareholders a virtually unlimited talent pool from which to draw chief executives. With an increased supply of candidates, a truly independent corporate compensation committee would be easily able to hire superior leaders at salaries and benefits that are a small fraction of what their American counterparts in those fancy corner offices demand.It's funny, though - I bet the fatcats and their lickspittle pawns in Congress aren't really interested in the bottom line as much as they pretend to be. They pretend to be, sure, if it's about fucking over men and women that have worked their lives away keeping a corporation running despite the best efforts of the idiots that keep getting put in charge. If it's about going back on a corporation's promise to pay a pension for the men and women that built the fucking company, they're all for "keeping an eye on the bottom line". If it's about paying CEOs what they've earned, based on their performance, though, they'll start squealing like Ned Beatty in Deliverance. Yeah, sure, I'm into "class warfare", but purely as a defensive measure - the wealthy declared war on the middle class and the poor centuries ago, and they've been the agressors all along. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:30:00 AM Good News For me, at least. Had to get a suspicious lump checked out, and the doctor says it's normal and everything seems to be in "fine working order". A load off my mind, that is. Now, off to find interesting stuff to blog. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:25:00 AM Thursday, June 08, 2006
Jon Stewart, I Love You Everyone's favorite Fake News Anchor eviscerates fatuous windbag Bill Bennett on the issue of gay marriage. What does it say about our media that Jon Stewart, a comedian, provides harder-hitting news and commentary than anything on all the high-falutin' "news" channels? [EDIT] For those that can't get the sound to play, here's the best part of the smackdown: Stewart: So why not encourage gay people to join in in that family arrangement if that is what provides stability to a society? Bennett: Well I think if gay..gay people are already members of families... Stewart: What? (almost spitting out his drink) Bennett: They're sons and they're daughters.. Stewart: So that's where the buck stops, that's the gay ceiling. Bennett: Look, it's a debate about whether you think marriage is between a man and a women. Stewart: I disagree, I think it's a debate about whether you think gay people are part of the human condition or just a random fetish. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 10:03:00 AM Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Just So You Know The previous entry's mention of Richard Cory was not a plea for help, nor was it a coded message as to my intentions. I won't name names, but you know who you are: NO, YOU MAY NOT HAVE MY COMICS WHEN I GO. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 6:40:00 PM Heh I was going to write a blog entry about the latest attempt by the religious reich to get their bigotry enshrined in the Constitution, but, really, what is there to say that I haven't already said? I mean, I know - and you know - that it's all about their homophobia, their desire to control sex in all its aspects. They're a bunch of gods-damned homophobes, narrow-minded, puny, disgusting bigots that deserve to be left on the trash heaps of history. Hanging, as they say, is too good for them. No, instead I'm going to point you at a really clever interactive adventure: Richard Cory Interactive Adventure Very well made, and there's some very tricky bits right about the middle. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:40:00 AM Tuesday, June 06, 2006
By Way Of Explanation This is a piece I've been working at off and on for a while. Some of you out there may have noticed I'm not my usual bouncy self of late. You deserve an explanation - whether you want one or not - so here it is. Possession I can understand why some people believe there is such a thing as demonic possession. I’m aware of how things should be – the way I ought to think, how a normal person feels. Meanwhile, my brain is twisting reality to something more dreary – not horrific, just flat and colorless. The death of a thousand cuts, delivered by your own biochemistry. Unable to trust my own mind, I also lose trust in the world around me. Even eating becomes a mechanical activity – I can still taste the food, but it’s not enjoyable. Everything that brings pleasure is deadened, like some kind of emotional baffle has covered it. It’s possible to recognize enjoyable things, but real pleasure is sucked out of them. It would be easy to personify that force, to make it something outside of me that’s working as hard as it can to grind me down - that’s more comfortable than the thought that my brain is pumping out the crap that does this to me. Even that, though, personifies it. My brain does this because of the way it’s wired I’ve been this way since birth or before (depending on when those particular neurons got wired). It’s just the way I am. I can see a therapist, I can take medication – either one (or, preferably, both) will help get things on the right track again. It’s hard to explain to people what’s going on in my head – when I try to talk about it, my thoughts race and I'm unable to speak. I try to say something and the words aren’t there. I get frustrated, I get angry, and then all that will burst out is the anger. At the end of it, what I needed to say is still locked up inside me. Anger is the only pure emotion I feel, sometimes. Every other emotion is covered in plastic, impossible to really feel, swathed in layers of cotton batting. The anger, though – that burns right through. It’s tempting to just let the anger flow unimpeded, to have one emotion that I can feel unalloyed, unmuffled, unrestrained. Instead, of course, I shove it down as much as I can. Letting the anger all the way out is, of course, a Bad Thing. I feel like I need a focus for my anger, and every little thing is seized upon by the anger as a casus belli. Time is spent defusing those internally as much as possible, but the more there is going on around me, the harder it is to do that. The emotional remoteness can feel like others around me are pulling away, and I want to be able to blame others, to make it their fault and not mine, to feel like I'm not to blame. But I know, rationally, that it is me. When I feel it happening, I sometimes try too hard to connect - I get too touchy or grabby, too intense, and that does push people away. It's a vicious cycle, and I still haven't figured out how to break that feedback loop. With the exception of one very, very, very shitty period in my life, during which a lot of external crap piled on top of the internal and situational crap I already had to deal with, suicide hasn’t been an option. I don’t think of killing myself, or about hurting others. What I do think about is retreat. No contact with other human beings for an indefinite period of time, or contact only on my terms. A good online friend cracks that she’s going to buy a trailer in the desert and shoot at anyone foolish enough to come within range. Some days, that sounds just fine. The depression is always there for me, though. Some days it skitters around the edges of my perception, revealing itself just enough to remind me that, though I might be free of it today, at some random time further down the line, it’ll come back. Other days, it surrounds me, drowning me in bleakness. Always. Always there. I have built up, over the years, a persona. I strive, as hard as I can, to present the world with a happy-go-lucky façade. I smile and crack jokes when what I really want to do is scream as loud as I can for as long as I can. The problem with that is that, when the façade crumbles, it’s a long slide down with no easy way to climb out. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:20:00 AM Monday, June 05, 2006
Think Of It As Evolution In Action, June 2006 Edition I'm sure you all have, at some time or another, opened a helium balloon and sucked a mouthful of the gas out and laughed at the squeaky voice produced. It's fun, but anyone with common sense also knows that one or two lungfuls of helium is enough, and eventually, you grow out of that phase and move on to more interesting things. I was, sadly, not surprised to hear about this: Two college students were found dead inside a large, deflated helium balloon after apparently pulling it down and crawling inside it, officials said."Wow! Those little balloons from the grocery store are fun, but imagine the fun if we crawl inside this huge balloon, where there's no oxygen at all and play around!" It's always sad when idiots take themselves out of the gene pool. ::sniff:: Really, I'm all choked up about it. I might even shed a tear. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:21:00 AM Sunday, June 04, 2006
Dinner Tonight - PH33R MY MAD SKILZ, YO! Dinner tonight: boiled shrimp and leek and potato fritters. Might make some baklava for dessert, if I've got the energy. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:58:00 AM Saturday, June 03, 2006
X3 - Short Review, Minor Spoilers Well, it didn't completely suck. As Melissa described it, the screenwriters criminally mis- and under- used the female characters. The Dark Phoenix storyline felt tacked on, and it seemed to take away from the more interesting story, that of the cure - a story used to much better effect in the early issues of Joss Whedon's masterful (and ongoing) run writing the comic. Pluses: (1) Wolverine, kicking ass as usual. (2) The Beast. Kelsey Grammer was well-cast, and they managed to get the balance between The Beast's inhuman agility and his hyper-intellectual mindset just right. Plus, we got an "Oh, my stars and garters!" - Best. Comics. Tagline. EVAR. (3) Mystique refusing to answer to her "slave name". (4) The scene where Angel spreads his wings (5) The scene where Magneto shows his concentration camp tattoo. (6) The opening scene, with Xavier and Magneto working together. Minuses: (1) The whole Dark Phoenix subplot. "Wow. I died, so now I must be a psychotic gothy sex ho. With bad skin." (2) The Rogue subplot, which should have been much more prominent. (3) The ending. (4) Storm, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, Mystique and Callisto - strong, interesting characters - reduced to minor supporting roles. (5) Magneto reduced to a cartoony villain without ethics or conscience. The rest of the movie fell just short of the quality of X2. It needed less plot, more storytelling. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:58:00 PM Yummies From The Farm This week, it's more beets, cucumbers, potatoes, garlic, leeks, red onions, yellow onions, basil, strawberries and garlic scape pesto. Melissa says we're definitely making this this week: Warm Potatoes with Basil Vinaigrette 1 lb red potatoes, scrubbed 1/2 c packed fresh basil leaves 1 small clove garlic 3 tbsp red-wine vinegar 1 tbsp dijon mustard 3/4 tsp salt black pepper 2/3 c canola oil Steam the potoates over boiling water until tender when peirced with a paring knife, about 15 min. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. With the motor running, gradually add the oil until completely incorporated. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Put them in a serving bowl and drizzle them with about 1/2 c of the vinaigrette. Serve warm with extra vinaigrette on the side, if you like. If you want to show up for dinner, please bring pie. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 2:23:00 PM Friday, June 02, 2006
I Love The Smell Of Fascism In The Morning From the New York Times: The Justice Department is asking Internet companies to keep records on the Web-surfing activities of their customers to aid law enforcement, and may propose legislation to force them to do so.Because snooping through our phone records isn't enough - they want to monitor every aspect of our lives. Why, you ask? It appears they're not sure: An executive of one Internet provider that was represented at the first meeting said Mr. Gonzales began the discussion by showing slides of child pornography from the Internet. But later, one participant asked Mr. Mueller why he was interested in the Internet records. The executive said Mr. Mueller's reply was, "We want this for terrorism."Looks like Mr. Gonzales just suffers from the typical Conservative Republican's obsession with things like kiddie porn, sex with animals and the like. Mr. Mueller, though, he's got his eyes on the prize - the Eternal War. We have always been at war with The details of the "proposal" (similar, methinks, to one of Tony Soprano's "proposals" - "Do what I want, or you'll regret it.") aren't explicitly clear right now, either: While initial proposals were vague, executives from companies that attended the meeting said they gathered that the department was interested in records that would allow them to identify which individuals visited certain Web sites and possibly conducted searches using certain terms.The "internet executives" quoted in this report aren't identified because they're afraid of the Justice Department, but it's obvious this bothers them - and not just from a business perspective. There is no compelling reason to think this will serve any purpose other than increasing the power of the FBI as a tool of executive harassment. J. Edgar Hoover may be dead and buried, but his tutu-clad spirit is gleefully beating its meat over the way things are going. All this and the NSA's monitoring of telephone traffic will do is provide the government with more handles to grab when they want to put the pressure on somebody. Trust me on this - at some point, we've all used phrasing in email that could be construed, by the wrong people, as treasonous. We've all surfed the web and hit sites that we hope no one else ever knows we see. This administration doesn't need any more power. It needs more power like you need a hole in the head. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:13:00 AM Thursday, June 01, 2006
To: The World Go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut. That is all. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:56:00 AM |
