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Thursday, November 30, 2006
Misplaced Priorities As if we needed further evidence of how completely and utterly stupid, wrong and murderous the neo-clowns' concept of "foreign policy" can be, there's this: The gunmen came at night to drag Mohammed Halim away from his home, in front of his crying children and his wife begging for mercy.Mohammed Halim is dead as a direct result of George Bush and the GOP's obsession with Iraq. Had the proper resources been used in Afghanistan instead of squandered on the bloody, idiotic invasion of Iraq, things would be very different. Just when the full power of the US military was needed to put the nails in the coffin of the Taliban, Bush diverted those resources to Iraq, where we've spent the past 3 years in pursuit of... something. No one's exactly sure what, because the rationale keeps shifting. WMD, al qaueda, democracy, a stable government... whatever. The Taliban is a threat to Afghanistan, but they need not be. They shouldn't be. More and more, the prospect of a resurgent Taliban gaining control of Afghanistan looks possible, if not likely. And, lest anyone forget, the Taliban provded a safe haven/training area for Osama bin Laden and his followers. The Taliban (and, to a slightly lesser extent, Pakistan's security apparatus) provided funding and protection for al qaeda. So by invading Iraq, it seems Bush has given the biggest helping hand possible to the Taliban and al qaeda. Why, I wonder, does he hate America? posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 12:25:00 PM   | Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Newtie: Constitution, Schmonstitution! Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and architect of the impeachment of Clinton for infidelity (forced to step down when it was revealed that, during the entire impeachment process, he was banging one of his staffers), doesn't get it either. Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a "different set of rules" may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message. What makes it so damn amusing (in a bleak way) is that he said that at a banquet honoring people and organizations that stand up for free speech. Why, one might wonder, would Gingrich want to restrict free speech? Simple: "We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade," said Gingrich, a Republican who helped engineer the GOP's takeover of Congress in 1994. Seems Newtie's another one of the Bedwetter Brigade. "OMFG!!11!!! Teh terrurits R teh ev0l! They r in ur citeez, killin ur wimmen!" Puh-lease. Like Dennis Prager and the rest of the assclowns that represent the "best and the brightest" of American Conservatism, Newtie doesn't have any new ideas - just the same old, tired crap as before: Restrict liberty in the name of security while at the same time talking up an existential boogeyman to encourage further surrender of liberties that serve to make continued Rethug rule difficult. This is the real crime of the modern Conservative movement: They have no new ideas, they just slather some more lipstick on in hopes no one will notice it's the same old pig. Like everything else with Conservatives, look at what they whine about and the opposite is usually true. OMG! Raising taxes is teh class warfarez! - As Warren Buffet's pointed out, it is class warfare, and the rich are winning. OMG! Teh Democrats hate Americaz! - Damn you and your fight to preserve our system of constitutional government! OMG! We Crischunz R soooo oppresseded! - Your insistence upon legal protection for minorities and all faiths oppresses our need to oppress you! The Conservatives can bleat all they want about the "Liberals" not having a plan, but I'll say again what I always say in relation to that charge: The first part of any plan is identifying and correcting the conservatives' fuckups (see: Iraq, Katrina, ethics, taxes, defense, campaign finance, the PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, Habeas Corpus [suspension of]... the list goes on and on and on). Once that's done, it's time to move on to fixing the larger problems. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:48:00 AM | Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Dennis Prager: Bigoted And Stupid Dennis Prager doesn't get it. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.Exsqueeze me? No, asshat, it doesn't work like that. First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism -- my culture trumps America's culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.No, Mr. Prager, America does not decide what book Mr. Ellison gets to use. Mr. Ellison gets to decide. There's this concept we have here called "freedom of religion", and it means that our government can't force Mr. Ellison to accept any of the trappings of an particular religion. No! Really! It's right there in the Constitution, for everyone to read. Granted, as a conservative, I doubt you've bothered to familiarize yourself with that document, so I'll post the relevant bits here: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Pretty damn straightforward, ain't it, dumbass? I think so. It protects Mr. Ellison from your narrowminded bigotry masked as... well, as bigotry. Then we've got this bullshit compounding the stupid: ...But for all of American history, Jews elected to public office have taken their oath on the Bible, even though they do not believe in the New Testament, and the many secular elected officials have not believed in the Old Testament either. Yet those secular officials did not demand to take their oaths of office on, say, the collected works of Voltaire or on a volume of New York Times editorials, writings far more significant to some liberal members of Congress than the Bible. Nor has one Mormon official demanded to put his hand on the Book of Mormon. And it is hard to imagine a scientologist being allowed to take his oath of office on a copy of "Dianetics" by L. Ron Hubbard.Wow! A claim like that is easy to substantiate, so let's see if anyone's done that. I'll give you readers a chance to do a bit of googling yourselves and see if you find anything. ::hums to self:: OK, all done? What'd you find? I found this! Despite Prager's insistence that "for all of American history, Jews elected to public office have taken their oath on the Bible, even though they do not believe in the New Testament," it is clear that he is wrong. Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii, took the oath of office on a Torah in 2001. Madeleine Kunin, a Jewish Immigrant and Governor of Vermont "rested her left hand on a stack of old prayer books that had belonged to her mother, grandparents, and great grandfather" as "a physical expression of the weight of Jewish history.Well, now! Mr. Prager really ought to try that "research" thing. It's pretty damn amazing what you can learn. Like a lot of conservative idiots, Prager is so consumed with fear of the invisible "Islamofascist" boogeyman that he pisses his pants and shrieks in terror at the very mention of the word "Islam". He's a titty-baby, lashing out at almost 1/3 of the world's population because they're brown-skinned and speak and act differently from him and his fellow titty-babies. Conservatives have three main weapons they use to sway public opinion: (1) The Darkies Are Coming! - Sure, they couch it with terms like, "urban" or "the poor" or even "the welfare class", but they really mean black people. Black men that want to rape their fair-skinned, virginal daughters. Black women that have litters of crack-addicted welfare babies. Black youths that will steal their belongings, then grow up into the aforementioned black men and women. (2) The Faggots Are Coming! - They're a lot more honest about this, because homophobia is still tacitly accepted in most of the US. Gay marriage threatens the very "institution" of marriage, much more than divorce, poverty, abuse or addiction. Gays want to rape your children! Gay sex makes them feel all funny inside, and they can't stop thinking about it. (3) Islamofascists! - This is their newest, and it's replaced "commies" and "hippies". No one has been able to explain "Islamofascism" to me, nor point to a single "Islamofascist" anywhere in the world, but that hasn't stopped them from collapsing into incoherent incontinence at the very mention of Mohammed, the Koran or Mecca. Just for fun, I sometimes sneak up behind them and whisper "Jihad, baby!", then laugh as they run in circles with a huge load in the back of their pants. American Conservatism is morally and intellectually bankrupt - it depends upon slavish obediance to whoever is the Opinion Maker for the movement that day rather than reasoned thought or discussion. It doesn't matter if we were at war with Eastasia yesterday, because today we've always been at war with Eurasia, Rush and W say so! It's not about finding a way that works, it's about rejecting whatever seems new or different. They lost the election, but they're not dead yet. We've got two years to drive a stake into the heart of their bigotry. Time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:09:00 AM | Monday, November 27, 2006
Selfishness Hat tip to poputonian for posting this at Hullabaloo. Psychologists: Money is the root of anti-social behavior: Money makes it possible for people to achieve their goals without asking for help. Therefore, Vohs and her colleagues theorized, even subtle reminders of money would inspire people to be self-reliant -- and to expect such behavior from others.This jibes pretty well with what I've noticed in many (but by no means all) conservatives - the more a conservative rails about the "evils" of taxation and about the government's "theft" of his hard-earned dollar, the less likely it is that he gives a shit about the poor. As John Kenneth Galbraith said, "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness." posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:43:00 AM | Sunday, November 26, 2006
The Prestige Melissa and I went out last night and saw The Prestige. I can't recommend this movie enough. Without going into spoilers, it's the story of Alfred Borden and Robert Angier, two turn of the century stage magicians (played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman respectively) and their rivalry. Michael Caine also turns in a brilliant performance as Cutter, a designer of magic tricks. As you may have heard, there's a Surprising Twist at the end, so I won't go into too much detail, but it's an incredibly entertaining and dark film. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:54:00 AM | Saturday, November 25, 2006
Reason #4,567 That Executives Need To Be Boiled In Oil When you let executards decide who they compare to, they're going to lie. The use of peer groups to calculate executive pay has become ubiquitous in recent years. This is partly in response to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s requirement that companies compare their stock performance with a peer group in tables in the section of their proxy filings devoted to shareholder returns. Theoretically, these tables allow investors to compare their company’s performance against objective benchmarks.And this comes as a surprise? Executive pay is one of the primary drags on our economy, I think - companies are laying off workers, moving jobs overseas and even raiding pension plans to ensure that the useless sacks of shit that squat in the corner offices get an ever-greater share of money. The boards of directors are composed of executards from other companies, who are all just thrilled to engage in a little logrolling. The stockholders, supposedly the raison d'etre for all corporations, are willfully oblivious. The SEC, gutted by Bush and in the tender care of one of the very executive shitbags it's supposed to regulate, is, as always, playing catch-up. Bush probably sits and yanks his tiny, flaccid pecker as he thinks about it. Congress is still largely populated by pawns of the corporations. The media is composed of corporations now. The courts are more and more being packed with more pawns of the corporations. Something needs to change, and soon. We need to make sure the fatcats understand that they can only push things so far. If they don't learn, I'm afraid it might get messy. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 3:40:00 PM | Friday, November 24, 2006
Clean House Getting ready for our annual post-Thanksgiving leftover potluck, and we've scrubbed, scoured, swept and washed every surface in the downstairs portion of the house. New cyrtains have been installed in the living room, touch-up paint is covering the worst crayon scribbles. Let's see how long this lasts, shall we? posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 3:21:00 PM | Thursday, November 23, 2006
Obligatory Thanksgiving Post Thanksgiving morning, in just a few hours I intend to eat until I cannot eat any more, then have a bit of a lie-down. Once I'm done with that, I'll eat some more. So what am I thankful for? Turkey, for one thing. Turkey, and ovens to cook them in. Pies, that also cook in the ovens. Family. Modern communications equipment, that allows me to communicate with family I can't be with today. Cartoons, that keep the kids occupied. The Internet Tubes, where many of my Invisible Friends live. My Invisible Internet Friends. The corruption and venality and flat-out stupidity of modern conservatives, which helped make them mostly unelectable this time around. Jon Stewart. Literacy. Modern psychiatric medications. Therapy. Fermented grain and grapes. The music of Al Green. Melissa. The kids. There's more, but those're the high points. What about you guys? posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:16:00 AM | Wednesday, November 22, 2006
A List! Of Books! Yoinked from Gord, who yoinked it from Kat: "This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. Bold the ones you’ve read, strike-out the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished, and put an asterisk* beside the ones you loved." 1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien - While I still enjoy this, there's fantasy I like more these days. It's OK, but not my cuppa anymore. 2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov - It hasn't aged well for me, though it still has a special place in my heart. 3. Dune*, Frank Herbert - I loved the first book, but the quality deteriorated with every subsequent volume. 4. 5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin - An interesting take on magic and a world very different from the traditional (at that time) fantasy setting. 6. Neuromancer*, William Gibson - The first cyberpunk I read, Gibson led to Sterling and Cadigan and all the rest of that great stuff. The world Gibson created is a cliche now, but then? It was fresh and exciting and dangerous. Still feels that way when I reread it. 7. Childhood’s End, Arthur C. Clarke - Clarke's stuff hasn't stuck with me as much as other works from this period. Dunno why. 8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?*, Philip K. Dick - Oh. Hell. YES. PKD rocks the HIZZZOOOUUUUUSE. 9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley - Got about halfway through, and it just didn't work for me. I don't hate it like I do SiaSL, it's just not fun for me. 10. Fahrenheit 451*, Ray Bradbury - Prophetic allegory, in a lot of ways. SF-as-warning about a post-literate society, extrapolated from trends that are getting worse, if anything. 11. The Book of the New Sun*, Gene Wolfe - Now this is what I'm talking about. Wolfe's work is densely written, baroque masterpieces. A society that's alien and familiar at the same time. 12. A Canticle for Leibowitz*, Walter M. Miller, Jr. - One of the books I love to reread every year. 13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov - Not a bad mystery. Asimov was good at those, and while some of his stuff is incredibly dated, the pacing and plot hold up pretty well, IMO. 14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras - Anyone got a copy of this? I'm interested. 15. Cities in Flight, James Blish - Take one technological advance ("spindizzies", antigravity that can lift an entire city) and run with it all the way to the end of time. 16. The Colour of Magic*, Terry Pratchett - Not so much this one specifically, but the entire Discworld series. It's delicious satire of the whole fantasy genre, postmodern and just rollicking good fun. 17. Dangerous Visions*, edited by Harlan Ellison - Some of the stories are brilliant, some are utter crap and some you just can't remember enough of when you're done. As a snapshot of cutting-edge SF circa about 30 years ago, it's worth hanging onto. 18. Deathbird Stories*, Harlan Ellison - Some of his best stuff, barring his essays, which is where Ellison really shines. 19. The Demolished Man*, Alfred Bester - The shiznit. One of the books I aggressively push at people. 20. Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany - I'm ashamed to admit I've never gotten around to reading this. 21. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey - There was a time this rocked my world. Now? It's interesting, but... eh. 22. Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card - Liked the novella better, and like Dune, every subsequent volume has killed my love for it a little more. 23. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson - Good to read once. A "hero" that's the most unappealing, unlikable sonofabitch ever. 24. The Forever War*, Joe Haldeman - Brilliant. This, Starship Troopers and Old Man's War need to be taught as a unit in college. Three fascinating takes on warfare from three different eras. 25. Gateway, Frederik Pohl - Pohl is one of my favorite authors from the Golden Age. I met him once, and he's a mensch. He sat and talked to me, a pimply, squeaky-voiced geek, about his days in the Futurians at a con once. I didn't know who he was (I was too caught up in just talking to him to look at his nametag) until he asked to look at the books in my bag and he autographed my copy of Starburst. 26. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J.K. Rowling - I'm hooked, got to get the last of the books. Great kids' lit, the kind that's worth reading as an adult. 27. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*, Douglas Adams - Changed my life. 28. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson - I've seen The Omega Man, but never read the book. For this, I should hand in my Geek Card. 29. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice - When I was a goth-y, moody late-teener, it was interesting. Now I find it tedious and slightly less interesting than watching paint dry. 30. The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin - This, along with The Word for World is Forest, is my favorite LeGuin. 31. Little, Big, John Crowley 32. Lord of Light***, Roger Zelazny - Zelazny is one of the 20th Century's best writers, I think. The man could write. Fantasy/SF, this was my first introduction to Hindu mythology. From this, I discovered The Mahabarata. 33. The Man in the High Castle**, Philip K. Dick - Before this, the idea of alternate history hadn't even registered on my radar. Now, AU is one of my favorite subgenres. 34. Mission of Gravity*, Hal Clement - Hard SF, Clement managed to present a completely alien species in an alien environment, yet the main character is completely human in his outlook, and convincingly so. 35. More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon - I've always wondered what influence this had on the various writers of X-Men. 36. The Rediscovery of Man*, Cordwainer Smith - One of the underappreciated masters of SF. 37. On the Beach, Nevil Shute - At the time of its publication, a chilling extrapolation. Now, it's kind of quaint and dated. 38. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke - One of the best of the "Really Big Artifact" SF novels. Ignore the sequels, let this stand alone. 39. Ringworld*, Larry Niven - The best "Really Big Artifact" novel. It's a fascinating world, and Niven's "Known Space" is one of the most interesting (to me) ficitonal universes out there. 40. Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys - Never been able to get my hands on a copy, which is a shame, 'cause I love Budrys' other stuff. 41. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien - Ugh. Reads like a textbook. A bad textbook. 42. Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut - This ought to go with the other war-SF novels. Vonnegut's best. 43. Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson - Just Stephenson's use of language as reality-hacking device makes this worthy of reading. 44. Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner - I know I've read this, but I can't remember it. I need to get another copy. 45. The Stars My Destination***, Alfred Bester - "Gully Foyle is my name/Terra is my nation/Deep space is my dwelling place/Death's my destination". Take one interesting power - teleportation, or "Jaunting", fast forward a century or so and see what kind of world you've got. Now make that the backdrop for a tale of hatred, love and revenge. 46. Starship Troopers*, Robert A. Heinlein - This, along with The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, is Heinlein's best. 47. Stormbringer*, Michael Moorcock - This is the kind of antihero I like. 48. 49. Timescape, Gregory Benford - Benford's another of the Hard SF writers that I like. 50. To Your Scattered Bodies Go***, Philip Jose Farmer - I love the concept of Riverworld, and from time to time, I mull over the concept of starting a Chuch of Riverworld, the central tenet of which would be the idea that we'll all be resurrected on the banks of The River after we die. Books written before the cutoff date for this list but deserve to be included Just Because They Kick Ass: Gladiator by Phillip Wylie. Without Gladiator, there would be no Superman. Without Superman, there would be no other heroes. A Princess Of Mars (and all the rest of the John Carter series) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It's pulp, pure pulp, but for me and thousands of other SF fans, it was the gateway to a wider world of exciting adventure than we knew existed. The Lensman novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith. Thrilling space adventure, good shit. Gina, once you get through your other reading, you ought to go over this list. Except for the Terry Brooks. A root canal is more fun than Brooks. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:27:00 AM | Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Good News From Houston The janitors won! On the heels of a string of victories in Miami, Los Angeles and Boston that have resulted in dramatic gains for families, more than 5,300 janitors in Houston won higher wages, more hours, and health insurance in their first city-wide union contract. The contract will lift hundreds of janitors out of poverty, more than doubling their income within 24 months and guaranteeing secure affordable health care. Houston is the second major victory for janitors in less than a year, and is being seen as a major breakthrough in the South and for low-wage workers around the country.I'm sure in large part this was due to the shameful images of mounted cops riding down the protesting janitors. The janitors won this battle, but they still need support - charges against the janitors arrested need to be dropped, and they need a formal apology and compensation for the injuries and abuse they suffered. So keep calling and afflict some comfortable people in Houston. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:59:00 AM | Monday, November 20, 2006
| Saturday, November 18, 2006
I'm Sorry, Isn't This The 21st Century? I could've sworn we entered a new century just a few years ago. So could someone explain to me, please, why the cops in Houston seem to think this is the 19th century? Since when are janitors a bigger threat to the community than murderers or drug dealers? ...a Harris County District Attorney has set an extraordinarily high bond of $888,888 cash for each of the 44 peaceful protestors arrested last night. Houston janitors and their supporters, many of them janitors from other cities, were participating in an act of non-violent civil disobedience, protesting in the intersection of Travis at Capitol when they were arrested in downtown Houston Thursday night.Nonviolent protestors were ridden down by horse-mounted police, beaten and thrown in cells and then verbally and physically abused. “The horses came all of a sudden. They started jumping on top of people. I heard the women screaming. A horse stomped on top of me. I fell to the ground and hurt my arm. The horses just kept coming at us. I was terrified. I never thought the police would do something so aggressive, so violent.”Time to make some fucking noise, people. We won the election, but we can't let this shit stand. Houston Police Department: Internal Affairs 1200 Travis, Suite #1307 Houston, TX 77002 (713) 308-0040 Citizens' Review Committee 1200 Travis, Suite 2001 Houston, Texas 77002-6006 (713) 308-8939 Chief of Police Harold L. Hurtt Houston Police Department 1200 Travis Street Houston TX 77002 (713) 308-1600 Mayor Bill White City of Houston P.O. Box 1562 Houston, TX 77251 (713) 247-2200 mayor@cityofhouston.net Houston Area Chambers of Commerce The last is very important - call the CoC and let them know that you're certainly not interested in spending any vacation money in a city that treats nonviolent protestors like that. Mail them a letter, send a copy to the Chief of Police and the Mayor. Write letters to the editor of the Houston Chronicle: viewpoints@chron.com Shame those motherfuckers, hound them, scream at them - let them know we're watching them, and we're not going to let them get away with this. The vox populi is loud and terrifying to authroitarians. Let them hear it now. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:40:00 PM | Give 'Em Hell, Howard Howard Dean's not taking any shit from losers like Carville. Democratic chairman Howard Dean on Friday took a swipe at Washington critics who questioned his strategy of spending money in all 50 states, dismissing them as the ``old Democratic Party.''Howard Dean isn't perfect, but he's a damn sight better than the bunch of assclowns that thought collaborating with the Bushies was the way to win. Y'hear me, Hillary? How 'bout you, "Joementum"? Democrats win when they make it goddamn clear they're different from the thugs and crooks. Democrats win when they try to win. Carville whined that Harold Ford didn't win, like that one loss somehow negates the fact that the Democrats control both houses of Congress now. Carville's just pissed off because he can see his gravy train getting derailed. The high-priced consultants had 6 years to make stuff work, and they got fuck-all done. The consultants said that criticizing C-plus Augustus in 2003 was a Bad Idea. The consultants said that hammering Bush for his incompetence wouldn't work. You know what I call consultants? Shit salesmen with a mouth full of samples. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 4:53:00 PM | Friday, November 17, 2006
Curiouser and Curiouser Given the ineptitude of the Bushies and their complete and utter inability to think about consequences or anything beyond their rosy, wishful hopes for how a given course of action might end up, this doesn't surprise me much. A senior al-Qaida operative deliberately planted information to encourage the US to invade Iraq, a double agent who infiltrated the network and spied for western intelligence agencies claimed last night.Now, it might be a load of horseshit - Al qaeda has a vested interest in looking like they outfoxed the US, after all. The Neo-clowns all had hard-ons for Iraq anyway, so it's likely that even without this information, an invasion would've gone ahead. But seeing as how Iran (through Chalabi) played us for suckers in Iraq and how the Kuwaitis and Saudis have consistently bamboozled and buffaloed the Bushies, I'm inclined to believe it. It certainly fits the pattern of Bush and his gang of war criminals for them to have almost willingly let themselves be fooled. If the US was B'rer Fox, al qaeda would be B'rer Rabbit, pleading with all his might not to get thrown in that briar patch over yonder. Strategy is about more than getting your troops to the right place at the right time - it's usually about making sure you don't have to move your troops at all, about getting your opponent to defeat himself so you can win with minimal losses. We could win in any straight fight against al qaeda, but they don't have to fight us like that. All they have to do is outlast us, and by invading Iraq, we threw them a lifeline - they've got a recruiting poster and training ground all in one. Even if Nasiri's claim is bogus, it doesn't matter - it's out there, and there's lots of people that find it easy to believe that the Bushies could be that stupid. Hell, they've made that abundantly clear to us. Remember the August 6th, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing? Remember Tora Bora? Remember Katrina? And hell, I wouldn't put it past those idiots in the White House to think they were being clever when they did all this. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:44:00 AM | Thursday, November 16, 2006
What The Fucking Fuck? James Carville is either insane, stupid or working for the GOP. Why else would he start in about how terrible Howard Dean's 50-State strategy was? Why else would he insist that the Democrats gaining almost 30 seats in the house and 6 seats in the Senate shows that the RNC had a better year than the DNC? That's seriously fucked up. Granted, Carville's part of the Washington Establishment, in bed with the right, the media corporations and the inside-the-beltway leeches. His wife is nothing but a sock puppet for the Bushies. Howard Dean's strategy, something all the insiders and "experts" like Carville said wouldn't work, established that the netroots and the state parties can make the crusial difference. Carville, like all the rest of the "Cool Kids" in DC, is worried now - worried that the bloggers and the activists and the average people all over the nation might actually prefer something other than the DLC's hand-picked "centrist" candidates. Of course, he could always get a gig working for Newt Gingrich, it seems: I had lunch with Speaker Gingrich today. And he's observing these things very carefully. He didn't say whether he was going to run…He didn't say whether he was going to explore. But let's say this. He's activity engaged. He's mentally engaged in restoring on — in American politics. I had a delightful lunch with the speaker…I used to respect James Carville, but more and more, it seems he, like Lieberman and the corporate media, is part of the problem, not the solution. The sooner these assclowns (and their sleazier counterparts on the right) are consigned to the ash heap of history, the better. Seriously, I've had it with the folks that live their entire lives in a safe, priveleged bubble trying to tell me and folks like me who we ought to vote for. I've had it with Faux News' overt and CNN's covert endorsement of the status quo. I've had it with corporations squeezing America dry. I've had it with religious fanatics trying to establish a Christian Taliban regime. The problem a lot of Republicans have is that they still think the problem's the liberal elite. Me? I think the problem's the moneyed elite, period. We don't need an aristocracy, even if we elect them to office. When you hear an ostensible "democrat" telling you that activism is wrong, that bipartisanship means going along with every stupid idea the Bushies squeeze out of their ass, that the dirty rabble don't have the sense to decide who they want to lead them, then you're not listening to a democrat. You're listing to one of the goddamn aristos. They want to make sure their bread keeps getting buttered, and if that means you don't get any bread at all, well that's just too bad. There's always cake, doncha know? posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:38:00 AM | Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Who's To Blame? According to ex-President G. W. Bush, the bloggers are the reason things are so darned uncivil these days. Yep, it's the bloggers that brand their opponents traitors, engage in sneaky smear campaigns like the Swift Boaters, wiretap, torture, lie us into wars and disembowel the Constitution. It's certainly not Bush's idiot son and his gang of criminal buddies. It's certainly not slimeballs like James Baker, Rush Limbaugh, John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Tom DeLay, Dennis Hastert or Newt Gingrich that might have the lion's share of responsibility for the sorry state of our nation these days. Near as I can tell, there's not a single member of that family that's every had the guts to own up to one single thing they've ever done. Another argument against consanguination, aristocracy and letting ugly, venal people breed. Today's Republicans: Because responsibility is something that happens to the little people. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 5:06:00 PM | Progress, Sort Of I'll probably break 10,000 on NaNoWriMo this week, if I can keep up anything resembling my current pace. Still far short of the 25K I ought to be at, but progress is progress. Just got to fight the urge to edit as I go, and just get the words out and down. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:30:00 AM | Tuesday, November 14, 2006
That's What I'm Talkin' About! Senate to investigate rendition abuses Abuses carried out under the CIA's secret programme of extraordinary rendition are to be investigated by one of the Senate's most powerful committees, it emerged today.This is the kind of thing I'm talking about - while it'd be nice to see Bush and Cheney and Rice and all the rest of them getting raked over the coals, I think it's important first to establish the scope of their crimes. This'll still be painted by the doofii on the right as as attack on Maximum Leader Boosh, but it's not - it's the Senate doing its job by making sure the Executive Branch isn't fucking things up. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 10:54:00 AM | Monday, November 13, 2006
Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets In Cambodian Ring-Fight Check the URL, like I should've done last night. More explanation from the site's creator here posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 9:04:00 PM | My Wife Has A Confession To Make... Riding the Train I have a confession to make: I don't miss having a baby. When other moms of older kids sigh wistfully over their lost babies, I smile and nod sympathetically, but secretly I'm thinking to myself, "thank God that's over!" While they're waxing rhapsodic over tiny fingers and toes, I'm contemplating the joys of uninterrupted sleep and children who can feed themselves. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:36:00 AM | Sunday, November 12, 2006
Can't You Just Smell The Stupid? According to these dumbasses, John Conyers loves terrorists. John Conyers, son of a leftist Detroit union activist, represents the largest Arab population in the country. His district includes Dearborn, Mich., nicknamed "Dearbornistan" by locals fed up with cultural encroachment and terror fears from a steady influx of Mideast immigrants.OMG! John Conyers... represents his constituents! He thinks it's wrong to discriminate on the basis of ethnicity or religion! He's in the same party as Nacy Pelosi! OMG! Let's all wet our pants and run around in circles screaming!!!! What a load of shit. You'd think John Conyers had, Idunno, provided financing and training for Osama bin Laden, or provided military equipment to Saddam Hussein, or even sucked up to the royal family of the most bigoted, militant theocracy in the Middle East. Goodness gracious, everybody clutch their pearls and run for cover, because John Conyers (who happens to be black) is teaming up with Nacy Pelosi (who represents the sodomites in San Francisco) to provide checks and balances!!!!! Just fills you with terror, doesn't it? I mean, next thing you know, we'll have Congress disagreeing with the President! The judiciary might be independent! That's enough to make me drop a load in my britches, I don't know about you. Fucking asswipes. If brains were pennies, they couldn't buy a piece of Dubble Bubble. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 4:37:00 PM | Saturday, November 11, 2006
Only In Austin One of Alec's fellow students had a birthday party today, and among the activities was face painting. The face painter was a professional face and body painter, Mott Leonmo. Here's her site. The gallery is here, and if you scroll down, yes, that is Parliament Funkadelic. As in George Clinton, Gary Mudbone Cooper and Bernie Worrell. So while I got my wrist painted, we had a nice chat about the state of funk music today. That's one of the reasons I love Austin. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 1:25:00 PM | Friday, November 10, 2006
Bipartisanship Dunno about you guys, but I've been hearing that word a lot lately, usually in sanctimonious tones warning the Democrats that if they're mean to the poor, loser Rethugs, they'll pay the price. Maybe, but I doubt it. I know this is true: There's a lot of work to do to fix Bush and the GOP's Reign Of Error - we've got to find a way out of Iraq, we've got to fix the budget, help the Gulf Coast and stop the torture and illegal wiretaps. These things have to be done, and QUICK. If the Rethugs want to help with that, more power to them. If, on the other hand, they want to continue to rally around the Bushistas and obstruct progress, then they're the ones that will pay the price. The American people made it clear that they were tired of the same old corrupt, venal thugs running things. They wanted something different. So we're willing to work in the spirit of compromise and bipartisanship, but if the 'Thugs try to obstruct things, they're the ones that will lose out. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:47:00 AM | Thursday, November 09, 2006
What Kind Of Idiot Thinks This Is A Good Idea? Man injured after launching firework from bottom: LONDON (AFP) - A man was rushed to hospital in Britain with severe internal injuries after trying to launch a powerful firework from his bottom, an ambulance service spokesman said. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 1:33:00 PM | Read This My net-buddy Chris Hall has a damn fine blog, and today he's got a damn fine rant up about the GOP and sex: Fear and Loathing and Fucking No matter how cynical I get, no matter how many nauseating things that I see perpetrated in the name of morality and decency, it seems that there’s always some fucktard out there whose mission in life is to show me that there’s always just a little farther they can take things.Gitcher asses over there and read it, folks. It's some good shit. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 7:18:00 AM | Wednesday, November 08, 2006
| Well Done, I Say So the Democrats have picked up at least 28 seats in the House and 4, possibly 6 seats in the Senate. This is a good first step to ratcheting back the fascists. Funny, isn't it, how the GOP has suddenly remembered the meanings of the terms "bipartisan" and "compromise". Ain't that something? Give a bully a swift kick in the nuts and waddaya know, he's alla sudden your best friend. Just remember what I learned - a bully's not beat until he's crying and curled up in a ball on the ground. The Democrats need to kick the Rethugs a few more times to make sure they learn their lesson. They can start with some hearings on the Gulf Coast reconstruction (or, rather, the lack thereof). Some more hearings on the no-bid contracts given to Halliburton and on the Bushistas' illegal wiretaps would do nicely as well. Subpoenas requiring sworn testimony from administration officials are needed. Keep the GOP on the defensive, and take a little time to pass some good laws like a repeal of the tax cuts and a raise in the minimum wage. It's important to work on at least two fronts - question the bullshit of the last 6 years, but also take steps to move the country forward - advance some progressive stuff, even if the Chimperor vetoes it. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:33:00 AM | Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Why It Matters If A Democrat Is Your Dogcatcher Really, at that small a scale, it matters little policy-wise if your dogcatcher is a Democrat or a Republican (except, of course, if Rick Santorum decides to pick up stray dogs in your neighborhood). Here's why it matters, though: The more power a party has on a local level, the more they can influence events at a larger scale. Texas is a good example - Tom DeLay's illegal funneling of corporate money to elections for the state legislature gave his puppets the majority needed to connive with Governor Perry to gerrymander Texas' congressional maps to boost GOP numbers in the US Congress. Ask the people of Dover, PA if they liked the GOP running their school board. Ask if they liked becoming international laughing-stocks thanks to the boneheaded, theofascist "intelligent design" rule that wasted so much time and money. Party matters, especially in this election. For the last six years, the biggest gang of crooks, incompetents, thugs, bullies, thieves and flat-out ratbastards has run this country, and we're worse off than we've ever been. The GOP wasted the largest budget surplus in history, ignored warnings that might have prevented 9/11, dumped us into a pointless, murderous war in Iraq, gutted our schools, gutted FEMA, left New Orleans to drown and rot, abandoned the Gulf Coast, lied, stoen, wiretapped and tortured their way across the world landscape, leaving our nation a virtual pariah. For six years, they've done their level best to spit upon, trample and lay waste the Constitution - the bedrock of our entire nation. Your vote for the GOP is a vote that says, "Hey! You guys aren't that bad!" Here's the deal - if you support the national GOP, you are that bad. You're turning a blind eye to the biggest gang of criminals our nation's ever seen. You're saying you want the government to be run by the whims of George Bush and Karl Rove. You're saying that pandering to the nasty, twisted homophobes and race bigots among us is the best way to win elections. You're saying that it's all OK, as long as you get yours. Voting for a third party - the Libertarians, the Greens, the Lieberman Party - dilutes the opposition to the GOP. That's a mistake, right now. Right now, the Democrats are the best possible hope to stop Bush in his tracks. Right now, we have to back a party that can stop the torture, stop the theft, stop the destruction of our nation's future. The Greens can't do it. The Libertarians won't. The Democrats can, but it depends on us. It depends on getting someone other than the current crop of lying, cheating scumbags into office and then it depends on keeping those replacements honest. Today, it matters. This is a chance to stop our nation's descent into fascism and evil. There, I said it. Evil. Torture is evil. Leaving an American city to drown in its own sewage is evil. Sending American men and women to die in a pointless war is evil. Destroying a sovereign nation in that same war is evil. A vote to keep anyone from the GOP in office is a vote for evil. That's why it matters. That's why it's so important to get those cheating bastards out of office. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 8:39:00 PM | My Rough Prediction Democrats gain 20 seats in the House, 4 seats in the Senate. Whaddayou guys think? posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 1:07:00 PM | Monday, November 06, 2006
Reminder Tomorrow's the big day. If you haven't already, get your happy little ass to your local polling place tomorrow and vote. Vote for competence and vote against cronyism and corruption. If you don't vote, you better sweet-ass hope I don't hear about it, 'cause I will break my foot off in your ass. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 5:47:00 PM | Saturday, November 04, 2006
Tired Played paintball today. I hate young people, with their running and knees that don't click and their energy and all that. They suck. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 6:06:00 PM | Friday, November 03, 2006
Schadenfreude, Party Of One! Be honest, now - who was surprised by this? I mean, I certainly was! The very idea, a man that's made his name trading on vicious homophobia, a powerful GOP theocrat that's heartily endorsed the twisted anti-gay policies of the extreme right, Ted Haggard - a fundie preacher that makes Jerry Falwell look like a pantywaist - was paying a gay man for sex and doing methamphetamines the whole time! Y'know, I think it's a pretty fair bet that the more virulent a Rethug's public homophobia, the more sordid his private dealings and the more deeply closeted his sexuality. This definitely calls for some Schadenfreude Pie, methinks. posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:36:00 AM | Thursday, November 02, 2006
Finally, The Pictures Appypolly-loggies for my absence yesterday, O My Brothers. Got a sodding cold, and I'm not feeling horrorshow at all. So, without further ado, Halloween pictures: Alec, aka "Mr. Incredible":  Drew was a zombie pirate for Halloween, so I did some pale makeup on his face, then mixed some cotton balls with gelatin, karo syrup and food coloring to get a nice moist, scabby look:  Here's all 3 kids getting ready to hit the streets and get some CAAAAANNNNNDEEEEEEE: 
posted by Adam C. Lipscomb at 11:11:00 AM | |
