Poll time. Which do you prefer:
the gay magazine Paree spread?
tom portraying himself in the movie "magnolia".
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tom Cruise: Masked Crusader For Thye ShortBus
the gay magazine Paree spread? tom portraying himself in the movie "magnolia".
Greg Palast On Bush And Our Future
from greg palast comes this new, scary thought about president bush's visit to the middle east. some of it i knew, some i imagined in fevered dreams, a bit i had no idea about.
"Bend over, pull out your wallet and kiss your Abe ‘goodbye.’ The Lincolns have got to go - and so do the Hamiltons and Jacksons.
Those bills in your billfold aren’t yours anymore. The landlords of our currency - Citibank, the national treasury of China and the House of Saud - are foreclosing and evicting all Americans from the US economy.
It’s mornings like this, when I wake up hung-over to photos of the King of Saudi Arabia festooning our President with gold necklaces, that I reluctantly remember that I am an economist; and one with some responsibility to explain what the hell Bush is doing kissing Abdullah’s camel.
Let’s begin by stating why Bush is not in Saudi Arabia. Bush ain’t there to promote ‘Democracy’ nor peace in Palestine, nor even war in Iran. And, despite what some pinhead from CNN stated, he sure as hell didn’t go to Riyadh to tell the Saudis to cut the price of oil.
What’s really behind Bush’s hajj to Riyadh is that America is in hock up to our knickers. The sub-prime mortgage market implosion, hitting a dozen banks with over $100 billion in losses, is just the tip of the debt-berg.
Since taking office, Bush has doubled the federal debt to more than $5 trillion. And, according to US Treasury figures, on net, foreign investors have purchased close to 100% of that debt. That’s $3 trillion borrowed from the Saudis, the Chinese, the Japanese and others.
Now, Bush, our Debt Junkie-in-Chief, needs another fix. The US Treasury, Citibank, Merrill-Lynch and other financial desperados need another hand-out from Abdullah’s stash. Abdullah, in turn, gets this financial juice by pumping it out of our pockets at nearly $100 a barrel for his crude.
Bush needs the Saudis to charge us big bucks for oil. The Saudis can’t lend the US Treasury and Citibank hundreds of billions of US dollars unless they first get these US dollars from the US. The high price of oil is, in effect, a tax levied by Bush but collected by the oil industry and the Gulf kingdoms to fund our multi-trillion dollar governmental and private debt-load.
The US Treasury is not alone in its frightening dependency on Arabian loot. America’s private financial institutions are also begging for foreign treasure. Yesterday, King Abdullah’s nephew, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, already the top individual owner of Citibank, joined the Kuwait government’s Investment Authority and others to mainline a $12.5 billion injection of capital into the New York bank. Also this week, the Abu Dhabi government and the Saudi Olayan Group are taking a $6.6 billion chunk of Merrill-Lynch. It’s no mere coincidence that Bush is in Abdullah’s tent when the money-changers made the deal just outside it.
Bush is there to assure Abdullah that, unlike Dubai’s ports purchase debacle, there will be no political impediment to the Saudi’s buying up Citibank nor the isle of Manhattan.
So what? I mean, for the average American about to lose their job and their bungalow it doesn’t matter a twit whether it’s Sheik bin Alwaleed who owns Citibank or Sheik Sanford Weill, Citi’s past Chairman.
It’s the price paid to buy back our money from abroad that’s killing us. Despite the Koranic prohibition on charging interest, the Gulf princes demand their pound of flesh, exacting a 7% payment from Citibank and 9% from Merrill. That hefty interest bill then pushes adjustable rate mortgages into the stratosphere and pushes manufacturing into China by making borrowing and energy costs impossible to overcome. Forget the cost of health care: General Motors’ interest burden quintupled in just two years.
As the great economist Paddy Chayefsky wrote in the film The Network:
“The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back. … It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity…. There are no nations, there are no peoples. There is only one vast and immense, interwoven, multi-national dominion of petro-dollars. … There is no America. There is no ‘democracy.’ The world is a business, one vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work.”
In 2005, the US consumer paid Arab and OPEC nations a quarter trillion dollars ($252 billion) for oil - and the USA received back 100% of it - and then some ($311 billion) via Gulf nations’ investment in US Treasury bills and purchases of US businesses and property. Bush’s trip to Abdullah’s tent is all about this vast business of keeping this petro-dollar treadmill spinning.
The Bush Administration, rather than tax Americans to cover our deficits or make the banks suffer the consequences of their predatory lending practices, is allowing the Saudis to charge us big time at the pump with the understanding they will lend it all back to us - so the party never has to stop.
It has been reported that the President’s Secret Service men traveling with him seemed embarrassed by the eye-popping loads of diamond and gold gifts which they have to carry back for President Bush. They need not feel they have taken too much from their hosts: Bush has assured Abdullah that the King can suck it back out through our gas tanks."
Greg Palast is the author of The Network: The World as a Company Town, in the New York Times bestseller, Armed Madhouse. Hear Ed Asner read from the book and the film ‘The Network’ at www.gregpalast.com
"Bend over, pull out your wallet and kiss your Abe ‘goodbye.’ The Lincolns have got to go - and so do the Hamiltons and Jacksons.
Those bills in your billfold aren’t yours anymore. The landlords of our currency - Citibank, the national treasury of China and the House of Saud - are foreclosing and evicting all Americans from the US economy.
It’s mornings like this, when I wake up hung-over to photos of the King of Saudi Arabia festooning our President with gold necklaces, that I reluctantly remember that I am an economist; and one with some responsibility to explain what the hell Bush is doing kissing Abdullah’s camel.
Let’s begin by stating why Bush is not in Saudi Arabia. Bush ain’t there to promote ‘Democracy’ nor peace in Palestine, nor even war in Iran. And, despite what some pinhead from CNN stated, he sure as hell didn’t go to Riyadh to tell the Saudis to cut the price of oil.
What’s really behind Bush’s hajj to Riyadh is that America is in hock up to our knickers. The sub-prime mortgage market implosion, hitting a dozen banks with over $100 billion in losses, is just the tip of the debt-berg.
Since taking office, Bush has doubled the federal debt to more than $5 trillion. And, according to US Treasury figures, on net, foreign investors have purchased close to 100% of that debt. That’s $3 trillion borrowed from the Saudis, the Chinese, the Japanese and others.
Now, Bush, our Debt Junkie-in-Chief, needs another fix. The US Treasury, Citibank, Merrill-Lynch and other financial desperados need another hand-out from Abdullah’s stash. Abdullah, in turn, gets this financial juice by pumping it out of our pockets at nearly $100 a barrel for his crude.
Bush needs the Saudis to charge us big bucks for oil. The Saudis can’t lend the US Treasury and Citibank hundreds of billions of US dollars unless they first get these US dollars from the US. The high price of oil is, in effect, a tax levied by Bush but collected by the oil industry and the Gulf kingdoms to fund our multi-trillion dollar governmental and private debt-load.
The US Treasury is not alone in its frightening dependency on Arabian loot. America’s private financial institutions are also begging for foreign treasure. Yesterday, King Abdullah’s nephew, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, already the top individual owner of Citibank, joined the Kuwait government’s Investment Authority and others to mainline a $12.5 billion injection of capital into the New York bank. Also this week, the Abu Dhabi government and the Saudi Olayan Group are taking a $6.6 billion chunk of Merrill-Lynch. It’s no mere coincidence that Bush is in Abdullah’s tent when the money-changers made the deal just outside it.
Bush is there to assure Abdullah that, unlike Dubai’s ports purchase debacle, there will be no political impediment to the Saudi’s buying up Citibank nor the isle of Manhattan.
So what? I mean, for the average American about to lose their job and their bungalow it doesn’t matter a twit whether it’s Sheik bin Alwaleed who owns Citibank or Sheik Sanford Weill, Citi’s past Chairman.
It’s the price paid to buy back our money from abroad that’s killing us. Despite the Koranic prohibition on charging interest, the Gulf princes demand their pound of flesh, exacting a 7% payment from Citibank and 9% from Merrill. That hefty interest bill then pushes adjustable rate mortgages into the stratosphere and pushes manufacturing into China by making borrowing and energy costs impossible to overcome. Forget the cost of health care: General Motors’ interest burden quintupled in just two years.
As the great economist Paddy Chayefsky wrote in the film The Network:
“The Arabs have taken billions of dollars out of this country, and now they must put it back. … It is ebb and flow, tidal gravity…. There are no nations, there are no peoples. There is only one vast and immense, interwoven, multi-national dominion of petro-dollars. … There is no America. There is no ‘democracy.’ The world is a business, one vast and ecumenical holding company, for whom all men will work.”
In 2005, the US consumer paid Arab and OPEC nations a quarter trillion dollars ($252 billion) for oil - and the USA received back 100% of it - and then some ($311 billion) via Gulf nations’ investment in US Treasury bills and purchases of US businesses and property. Bush’s trip to Abdullah’s tent is all about this vast business of keeping this petro-dollar treadmill spinning.
The Bush Administration, rather than tax Americans to cover our deficits or make the banks suffer the consequences of their predatory lending practices, is allowing the Saudis to charge us big time at the pump with the understanding they will lend it all back to us - so the party never has to stop.
It has been reported that the President’s Secret Service men traveling with him seemed embarrassed by the eye-popping loads of diamond and gold gifts which they have to carry back for President Bush. They need not feel they have taken too much from their hosts: Bush has assured Abdullah that the King can suck it back out through our gas tanks."
Greg Palast is the author of The Network: The World as a Company Town, in the New York Times bestseller, Armed Madhouse. Hear Ed Asner read from the book and the film ‘The Network’ at www.gregpalast.com
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Get Right With Mike
just when you thought the evangelical hordes of the right wing of the republican party couldn't get any zanier, along comes the rev. mike huckabee with another installment of "Insane People Say The Darndest Things":
“[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’s what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards,” Huckabee said, referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Huckabee often refers to the need to amend the Constitution on these grounds, but he has never so specifically called for the Constitution to be brought within “God’s standards,” which are themselves debated amongst religious scholars.
well, if you read the link therein you will find a valid argument against making ours a theocratic government. and you will find that homo sex ain't the only problem we got re: getting into heaven.
for example, from another pensito review piece:
Abomination: Eating Leftovers
Leviticus 19:7: “If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination.”
The Bible says that eating three-day-old leftovers and being gay are equivalent sins.
so, there. all little kiddies and old biddies are going to hell. as are adulterers (that covers just about every evangelical preacher of any reknown), cheaters, folks with haughty eyes, them that eats snakes and birds and centipedes, liars, sunday workers (kiss your paperboy goodbye), it just goes on.
and these should all be written into the U.S. Constifriggintution if an amendment banning gay marriage is. so, vote for mike. get right with the lord. and save the country from the likes of me...uh, and you. and you and you and you. yeah, and you in the corner there. and you and you and you....
“[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that’s what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards,” Huckabee said, referring to the need for a constitutional human life amendment and an amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Huckabee often refers to the need to amend the Constitution on these grounds, but he has never so specifically called for the Constitution to be brought within “God’s standards,” which are themselves debated amongst religious scholars.
well, if you read the link therein you will find a valid argument against making ours a theocratic government. and you will find that homo sex ain't the only problem we got re: getting into heaven.
for example, from another pensito review piece:
Abomination: Eating Leftovers
Leviticus 19:7: “If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination.”
The Bible says that eating three-day-old leftovers and being gay are equivalent sins.
so, there. all little kiddies and old biddies are going to hell. as are adulterers (that covers just about every evangelical preacher of any reknown), cheaters, folks with haughty eyes, them that eats snakes and birds and centipedes, liars, sunday workers (kiss your paperboy goodbye), it just goes on.
and these should all be written into the U.S. Constifriggintution if an amendment banning gay marriage is. so, vote for mike. get right with the lord. and save the country from the likes of me...uh, and you. and you and you and you. yeah, and you in the corner there. and you and you and you....
Friday, January 11, 2008
White vs. Night
well, kiddies. isn't this going to be a fun democratic campaign for the presidential nomination? you have two fronrunners: barack obama and hillary clinton.
one is a black man with a light history of political experience. the other is a white woman with a light history of political experience (not counting her time as fist lady), but who is heir to a two-term political "dynasty".
the others (well, john edwards) can only hope to be a burr in the side of whomever needs his votes added to theirs in order to catch whoever's in front of them or to distance themselves from whomever's breathing down their necks.
and the battle has already been couched in words: change vs. experience.
do we stick with the tried and untrue (clinton) or opt for the unknown and unknowable (obama)?
or is it really that complicated? i, for one, think that the issue at hand for most democratic voters is a much simpler one. one that reflects not the voter's need to understand the inner workings of a health care plan that couldn't pass muster within the hallowed confines of a congress working for the insurance companies and that clinton intends to resurrect (having learned her lesson in the 90's).
nor do i think that the issue is about which candidate will bring the troops home from iraq by the earliest possible date.
nor do i believe that abortion, homosexual rights, immigration legislation, the leaning of the supreme court or federal prosecuters or free trade or universal health care (slightly different from that which clinton endorsed as fist lady) or global warming will play a significant factor.
no, i think that when it all gets boiled down most voters will be swayed by one of two things:
black vs. female.
it will have almost nothing to do with the candidate's stances on anything.
it will have almost everything to do with how black obama is; or, more specifically, how black he is not. being black will get a lot of black votes. being too black will lose a lot of white votes.
and it will have almost everything to do with how female clinton is; or, more specifically, how feminine she is not. being female will sway a lot of female voters. appearing emotional and easy to break down will lose a lot of male votes.
and the political machines are already in high gear exploiting this. the rev. jesse jackson has stated that clinton's tears (during a recent q and a session) "need to be analyzed". in other words, he is putting out the inference that she faked them in order to appear a bit more feminine (and human).
andrew cuomo (a big clinton backer) used the words "shuck and jive" to describe obama's supposed inability to answer hard questions about the issues of the day. these words are being touted in the press (as expressed to them by clinton campaign aides) as subtly racist.
we can expect the campaign process to get much uglier as we venture further into the primary season. and i don't think that the pr machines on either side will shy away from playing the race/gender card at any given opportunity while ignoring the fact that neither candidate is willing to giving any real hint as to what their real actions will be once assuming office or how they expect to overcome the entrenchment of the house of representatives and the senate against change of any sort that doesn't line the pockets of lobbyists and special interest groups.
at least, the republicans are up front with respect to their lunacy. their campaigns are all about who believes in god the most and who can kill the most muslims and who can pass on more money to those who need it the least(the only exception being ron paul, but since he's supported by david duke and other likeminded individuals representing extremist fringes of our society...i'll pass). to wit:
mike huckabee: hates the federal income tax and the irs and would institute a 23% sales tax nationwide, okay with the iraq war, loves lower taxes for the rich, once discoed with paul reubens, but wouldn't pardon him.
mitt romney: loves bush, hates gays. by bush, i mean the president. by gays, i mean anyone who isn't a mormon (or mer-man!) and stays in the closet. loves lower taxes. loves killing terrorists unless they're white, loves lower taxes for the rich. once drank coffee, but claimed he didn't swallow.
john mccain: loves bush (both kinds), loves the iraq war, wouldn't have it any other way (though, not too long ago, he was slamming bush over the iraq fiasco), loves lower taxes for the rich. twice kissed a guy on the mouth, claimed they were both animatronic cpr dummies and it was all was taken out of context despite what the dummies may have told the press.
rudy giuliani: loves the iraq war, hate gays, loves bush (the other pink meat), loves 9/11 (i mean really loves loves looooves 9/11 in a cheat on your wife sort of way). moved his mistress into the family home before he and his wife were divorced. children (his) don't really talk to him.
ron paul: hates the iraq war, loves lower taxes for the rich, loves .50 calibers and bigass machine guns in every home, doesn't much care for non-whites and homosexuals. married a blonde woman, because, "there was something, i don't know, eva braun-ish about her".
so, what's the skinny here, democratic lads and lasses? to dine in the dark or pick the chick? because, no matter what the average person says, i believe that is what it comes down to. as low and ignorant as it is.
note: idealists, cast your vote as you will. symbolism is great. i may just do it myself. but know that your doing so means you've given up on the two-party system. doesn't mean you're wrong. but you'd better be out there publicly giving your all to help usher in a new era. otherwise, you're pissing up the rope i'm hanging onto. and i will kick your ass if my hands get wet.
p.s. for those of you deciding between obama and clinton, obama is the one the conservatives are most scared of. while they will say publicly that clinton is the most to be feared , because she is a clinton, the pr points being put out to fox news are those that attack obama. his color, his ethnic background, the madrassa that he didn't actually attend and the u.s. flag pin he decided to not wear after a while have been the main talking points that fox news has pushed. with clinton they just bring up the soiled dress and her masculinity. she plays the game much more than he does. and the conservatives and fox news hate him for it. the fact that he has boycotted fox news since early 2007 says a lot.
one is a black man with a light history of political experience. the other is a white woman with a light history of political experience (not counting her time as fist lady), but who is heir to a two-term political "dynasty".
the others (well, john edwards) can only hope to be a burr in the side of whomever needs his votes added to theirs in order to catch whoever's in front of them or to distance themselves from whomever's breathing down their necks.
and the battle has already been couched in words: change vs. experience.
do we stick with the tried and untrue (clinton) or opt for the unknown and unknowable (obama)?
or is it really that complicated? i, for one, think that the issue at hand for most democratic voters is a much simpler one. one that reflects not the voter's need to understand the inner workings of a health care plan that couldn't pass muster within the hallowed confines of a congress working for the insurance companies and that clinton intends to resurrect (having learned her lesson in the 90's).
nor do i think that the issue is about which candidate will bring the troops home from iraq by the earliest possible date.
nor do i believe that abortion, homosexual rights, immigration legislation, the leaning of the supreme court or federal prosecuters or free trade or universal health care (slightly different from that which clinton endorsed as fist lady) or global warming will play a significant factor.
no, i think that when it all gets boiled down most voters will be swayed by one of two things:
black vs. female.
it will have almost nothing to do with the candidate's stances on anything.
it will have almost everything to do with how black obama is; or, more specifically, how black he is not. being black will get a lot of black votes. being too black will lose a lot of white votes.
and it will have almost everything to do with how female clinton is; or, more specifically, how feminine she is not. being female will sway a lot of female voters. appearing emotional and easy to break down will lose a lot of male votes.
and the political machines are already in high gear exploiting this. the rev. jesse jackson has stated that clinton's tears (during a recent q and a session) "need to be analyzed". in other words, he is putting out the inference that she faked them in order to appear a bit more feminine (and human).
andrew cuomo (a big clinton backer) used the words "shuck and jive" to describe obama's supposed inability to answer hard questions about the issues of the day. these words are being touted in the press (as expressed to them by clinton campaign aides) as subtly racist.
we can expect the campaign process to get much uglier as we venture further into the primary season. and i don't think that the pr machines on either side will shy away from playing the race/gender card at any given opportunity while ignoring the fact that neither candidate is willing to giving any real hint as to what their real actions will be once assuming office or how they expect to overcome the entrenchment of the house of representatives and the senate against change of any sort that doesn't line the pockets of lobbyists and special interest groups.
at least, the republicans are up front with respect to their lunacy. their campaigns are all about who believes in god the most and who can kill the most muslims and who can pass on more money to those who need it the least(the only exception being ron paul, but since he's supported by david duke and other likeminded individuals representing extremist fringes of our society...i'll pass). to wit:
mike huckabee: hates the federal income tax and the irs and would institute a 23% sales tax nationwide, okay with the iraq war, loves lower taxes for the rich, once discoed with paul reubens, but wouldn't pardon him.
mitt romney: loves bush, hates gays. by bush, i mean the president. by gays, i mean anyone who isn't a mormon (or mer-man!) and stays in the closet. loves lower taxes. loves killing terrorists unless they're white, loves lower taxes for the rich. once drank coffee, but claimed he didn't swallow.
john mccain: loves bush (both kinds), loves the iraq war, wouldn't have it any other way (though, not too long ago, he was slamming bush over the iraq fiasco), loves lower taxes for the rich. twice kissed a guy on the mouth, claimed they were both animatronic cpr dummies and it was all was taken out of context despite what the dummies may have told the press.
rudy giuliani: loves the iraq war, hate gays, loves bush (the other pink meat), loves 9/11 (i mean really loves loves looooves 9/11 in a cheat on your wife sort of way). moved his mistress into the family home before he and his wife were divorced. children (his) don't really talk to him.
ron paul: hates the iraq war, loves lower taxes for the rich, loves .50 calibers and bigass machine guns in every home, doesn't much care for non-whites and homosexuals. married a blonde woman, because, "there was something, i don't know, eva braun-ish about her".
so, what's the skinny here, democratic lads and lasses? to dine in the dark or pick the chick? because, no matter what the average person says, i believe that is what it comes down to. as low and ignorant as it is.
note: idealists, cast your vote as you will. symbolism is great. i may just do it myself. but know that your doing so means you've given up on the two-party system. doesn't mean you're wrong. but you'd better be out there publicly giving your all to help usher in a new era. otherwise, you're pissing up the rope i'm hanging onto. and i will kick your ass if my hands get wet.
p.s. for those of you deciding between obama and clinton, obama is the one the conservatives are most scared of. while they will say publicly that clinton is the most to be feared , because she is a clinton, the pr points being put out to fox news are those that attack obama. his color, his ethnic background, the madrassa that he didn't actually attend and the u.s. flag pin he decided to not wear after a while have been the main talking points that fox news has pushed. with clinton they just bring up the soiled dress and her masculinity. she plays the game much more than he does. and the conservatives and fox news hate him for it. the fact that he has boycotted fox news since early 2007 says a lot.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
huichol huichol huichol
huichol art (yarn and bead) is now legal to export from mexico. the huichol people live high up in the sierra madres and their art reflects their religion, which is mainly comprised visually of maize, the blue deer and peyote. traditionally, shamans go on vision quests aided by peyote and then try to put into art the visions they saw. i've bought a couple of pieces so far for myself from a group that practices fair trade with the mountain huichol and helps them to maintain their autonomy. below is a picture of a yarn painting i just bought for my father on his 81st birthday.
it is non-traditional in the sense that it was made for trade and it doesn't depict maize, blue deer or a peyote button. but it is a celestial equinox and that plays a large role in the lives of the huichol. some day i will win the lottery or get a kickass work bonus or find a creaky, leather tanned, botoxed sugar mommy and i will purchase some of the more intricate work i've seen done. some day, perhaps, i will be able to actually visit the huichol to watch their work and their ways and witness a 3000 year old way of life that has managed to maintain its integrity and dignity in the face of unstopped encroachment by younger and hungrier cultures whose sole intent has always seemed to be that of total conquest. the mexican government was the one that stepped in to protect the huichol from outside interference by labeling them a living historical artifact. it was only when the huichol began to suffer at the hand of drought (or something, i'm making this up as i go) that fair trade co-ops asked to be let in to trade with the huichol (money, seed, flour, whatever it was the huichol might need) for their art.
below is the yarn painting i own. absolutely amazing. drawn by hand with yarn 1/16" wide and laid onto a beeswax/resin compound, it must take amazing patience to create.
it is non-traditional in the sense that it was made for trade and it doesn't depict maize, blue deer or a peyote button. but it is a celestial equinox and that plays a large role in the lives of the huichol. some day i will win the lottery or get a kickass work bonus or find a creaky, leather tanned, botoxed sugar mommy and i will purchase some of the more intricate work i've seen done. some day, perhaps, i will be able to actually visit the huichol to watch their work and their ways and witness a 3000 year old way of life that has managed to maintain its integrity and dignity in the face of unstopped encroachment by younger and hungrier cultures whose sole intent has always seemed to be that of total conquest. the mexican government was the one that stepped in to protect the huichol from outside interference by labeling them a living historical artifact. it was only when the huichol began to suffer at the hand of drought (or something, i'm making this up as i go) that fair trade co-ops asked to be let in to trade with the huichol (money, seed, flour, whatever it was the huichol might need) for their art.below is the yarn painting i own. absolutely amazing. drawn by hand with yarn 1/16" wide and laid onto a beeswax/resin compound, it must take amazing patience to create.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Looking For Backers
Item:
New Parental Control Unit
Use:
Stopping Babies From Crying, Inducing Nap Time
Cost:
Unknown At This Time
Status:
Planning Stage
how many of you have endured the endless crying, mewling, whining and general stubbornness of the average american baby? how many of you have had to stop everything to pick it up, hold it, cradle it, rock it and cater to its every whim?
how many of you have suffered a loss of sex and/or sleep due to a baby's demands on your time?
how many times have you said to yourself:
"if only i had a way to stop my precious baby from crying at inopportune times, like when i'm trying to do the nasty?"
"if only that damn brat would shut up i could study for my GED."
"how, if it won't stop that goddamn bleating, will i ever convince mr. moneybags to have sex with me and accidently knock me up thereby relieving me of all future monetary worries?"
"mom said she'd have her revenge and i guess this is what she meant."
"i need a tv with higher volume."
"AA didn't tell me about this."
"i miss my bar friends."
"dear god, just one fucking night..."
"i'm feeling really pro-choice right now."
"duct tape! where's the fucking duct tape?"
"so, let's try two parts bourbon to one part milk."
"is there a CSI episode that covers this?"
"i have a new-found empathy for britney right now."
"you know, honey, in china they sell the girls to stupid americans."
well, this is your salvation. now is your time. today you can change your life. henceforth, you can be liberated from your chains of childrearing, freed from your baby bondage.
with my simple revolutionary invention you can return to the life you once had and still want.
need an hour to shop or rest or party or sex it up or read or get with mr. lucky and his d cell carnival? want an extended moment of quiet? craving that extra cigarette? needing to slip down to the corner bar for a double irish car bomb?
here it is. here is the golden ticket to your new freedom, to your magic carpet ride out of this craptastic life of slavery at the grasping hands of an infant no smarter than the average house spider clinging precariously to the corner of a hermetically sealed room.
presenting the latest in homecare help, primal child repression, kiddie outburst suppression, we give you:
TAZER TOTS
featuring a low level voltage, this handy homehelper will put you back in the driver's seat when it comes to personal space and private time.
TAZER TOTS
at a low low hit of 1000 volts it will put your little loved one down for a nap for no less than two hours depending on weight. if that's not enough, the TOT has an adjustable volt-o-meter ranging from 50-10,000 volts. practice makes perfect and, with this added feature, you can find the ultimate voltage needed to keep your kid quiet.
don't have children yet, but think this is a good item to have? buy it and check it out on your partner. 5,000 volts has been proven in the prison system to induce erection, but not to kill. 2,500 volts right on the money and the little lady can have fun and know that her beautiful offspring are protected and prepared.
TAZER TOTS
the TAZER TOTS will come in a velvet lined case, complete with sterile wipes. measuring at 8" by 1", it's both intimidating and not too large. it comes with a money back guarantee and limited replacement warrantee. use voids all agreements. we will check all returned equipment with UV light.
TAZER TOTS
invest now. get in at the ground level. we expect orders in the millions. this is a surefire item. expect to see this on every "as seen on tv" commercial, QVC, in the Martha Stewart magazine, on Oprah and the Colbert Report. this is groundbreaking, history making.
be the first to to say that you had a hand in shutting up the next generation until they actually had something to say. help bring back civility and respect for one's elders in this century before the pre-pre-teens can utter anything more than "ow-zzzzz....."
TAZER TOTS
do it for the breeders. do it for yourself. do it for the children.
just do it.
New Parental Control Unit
Use:
Stopping Babies From Crying, Inducing Nap Time
Cost:
Unknown At This Time
Status:
Planning Stage
how many of you have endured the endless crying, mewling, whining and general stubbornness of the average american baby? how many of you have had to stop everything to pick it up, hold it, cradle it, rock it and cater to its every whim?
how many of you have suffered a loss of sex and/or sleep due to a baby's demands on your time?
how many times have you said to yourself:
"if only i had a way to stop my precious baby from crying at inopportune times, like when i'm trying to do the nasty?"
"if only that damn brat would shut up i could study for my GED."
"how, if it won't stop that goddamn bleating, will i ever convince mr. moneybags to have sex with me and accidently knock me up thereby relieving me of all future monetary worries?"
"mom said she'd have her revenge and i guess this is what she meant."
"i need a tv with higher volume."
"AA didn't tell me about this."
"i miss my bar friends."
"dear god, just one fucking night..."
"i'm feeling really pro-choice right now."
"duct tape! where's the fucking duct tape?"
"so, let's try two parts bourbon to one part milk."
"is there a CSI episode that covers this?"
"i have a new-found empathy for britney right now."
"you know, honey, in china they sell the girls to stupid americans."
well, this is your salvation. now is your time. today you can change your life. henceforth, you can be liberated from your chains of childrearing, freed from your baby bondage.
with my simple revolutionary invention you can return to the life you once had and still want.
need an hour to shop or rest or party or sex it up or read or get with mr. lucky and his d cell carnival? want an extended moment of quiet? craving that extra cigarette? needing to slip down to the corner bar for a double irish car bomb?
here it is. here is the golden ticket to your new freedom, to your magic carpet ride out of this craptastic life of slavery at the grasping hands of an infant no smarter than the average house spider clinging precariously to the corner of a hermetically sealed room.
presenting the latest in homecare help, primal child repression, kiddie outburst suppression, we give you:
TAZER TOTS
featuring a low level voltage, this handy homehelper will put you back in the driver's seat when it comes to personal space and private time.
TAZER TOTS
at a low low hit of 1000 volts it will put your little loved one down for a nap for no less than two hours depending on weight. if that's not enough, the TOT has an adjustable volt-o-meter ranging from 50-10,000 volts. practice makes perfect and, with this added feature, you can find the ultimate voltage needed to keep your kid quiet.
don't have children yet, but think this is a good item to have? buy it and check it out on your partner. 5,000 volts has been proven in the prison system to induce erection, but not to kill. 2,500 volts right on the money and the little lady can have fun and know that her beautiful offspring are protected and prepared.
TAZER TOTS
the TAZER TOTS will come in a velvet lined case, complete with sterile wipes. measuring at 8" by 1", it's both intimidating and not too large. it comes with a money back guarantee and limited replacement warrantee. use voids all agreements. we will check all returned equipment with UV light.
TAZER TOTS
invest now. get in at the ground level. we expect orders in the millions. this is a surefire item. expect to see this on every "as seen on tv" commercial, QVC, in the Martha Stewart magazine, on Oprah and the Colbert Report. this is groundbreaking, history making.
be the first to to say that you had a hand in shutting up the next generation until they actually had something to say. help bring back civility and respect for one's elders in this century before the pre-pre-teens can utter anything more than "ow-zzzzz....."
TAZER TOTS
do it for the breeders. do it for yourself. do it for the children.
just do it.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Merry Chris-, er Solst-, uh Day (Late)
allegedly from 1960:
heh. my late christmas present to y'all.
heh. my late christmas present to y'all.Wednesday, November 21, 2007
"JACKSON, Mo. -- A collision with a semi-trailer truck seven years ago left 52-year-old Deborah Shank permanently brain-damaged and in a wheelchair. Her husband, Jim, and three sons found a small source of solace: a $700,000 accident settlement from the trucking company involved. After legal fees and other expenses, the remaining $417,000 was put in a special trust. It was to be used for Mrs. Shank's care.
Instead, all of it is now slated to go to Mrs. Shank's former employer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc."
(go here for the entire Wall Street Journal article)
can anyone say single payer health care? while i understand the recouping of certain unneeded costs by insurers and employers if the costs are found to be ridiculous and/or frivolous, i cannot in any way understand this. and, yes, it could happen to you. or me. this is our future. more and more loopholes to allow companies and CEO's a larger slice of our money at our expense, all made legal by our government and our Supreme Court.
and they will get away with it, too, because we as a nation have become inured to the machinations of those in power. we expect to be screwed and they know it. we have turned deaf and dumb to even the most egregious of crimes perpetrated by the very individuals we elect to the halls of congress and the presidency in an effort to pretend that life is good, rosy, not smelling of the very shit we are being drowned in.
what is the line? "if you are going to lie, lie until you're blue in the face". so long as we don't bother to delve too deeply into the actions of our "leaders" the easier it becomes for them to rely on that.
it's time to wake up, smell the bullshit, and do more than simply say "i voted". because voting doesn't seem to be doing much anymore.
Instead, all of it is now slated to go to Mrs. Shank's former employer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc."
(go here for the entire Wall Street Journal article)
can anyone say single payer health care? while i understand the recouping of certain unneeded costs by insurers and employers if the costs are found to be ridiculous and/or frivolous, i cannot in any way understand this. and, yes, it could happen to you. or me. this is our future. more and more loopholes to allow companies and CEO's a larger slice of our money at our expense, all made legal by our government and our Supreme Court.
and they will get away with it, too, because we as a nation have become inured to the machinations of those in power. we expect to be screwed and they know it. we have turned deaf and dumb to even the most egregious of crimes perpetrated by the very individuals we elect to the halls of congress and the presidency in an effort to pretend that life is good, rosy, not smelling of the very shit we are being drowned in.
what is the line? "if you are going to lie, lie until you're blue in the face". so long as we don't bother to delve too deeply into the actions of our "leaders" the easier it becomes for them to rely on that.
it's time to wake up, smell the bullshit, and do more than simply say "i voted". because voting doesn't seem to be doing much anymore.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
You Want Lies With That, Mister?
so, let's see here. blackwater mercenaries gun down something like 16 unarmed iraqis, get backed by the bush administration who claim it was defensive fire, then they get investigated by the FBI and the FBI finds that blackwater mercenaries actually did kill innocent iraqis and it passes the benchmark into murder. hmm, sounds like blackwater is in the shit, right? done and done. no more free handouts, bad doggie, no bisquit.
but, oops. just the other day comes this:
"Presidential Airways, Inc., an aviation Worldwide Services company (d/b/a Blackwater Aviation), Moyock, N.C., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract for $92,000,000.00. The contractor is to provide all fixed-wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger, cargo and combi Short Take-Off and Landing air transportation services between locations in the Area of Responsibility of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. This contract was competitively procured and two timely offers were received. The performance period is from 1 Oct. 2007 to 30 September 2011. "
Presidential Airways is the aviation wing of blackwater. so, blackwater is under investigation for, well, murder and it is still receiving contracts to operate in, huh, countries other than iraq, but still either border iraq or are in the general area.
and, then, there's this:
"During today’s House Oversight Committee hearing on the performance of State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) revealed that Krongard’s brother — former CIA Executive Director A.B. “Buzzy” Krongard — sits on Blackwater USA’s board. Krongard vehemently denied the allegation, calling it an “ugly rumor”..."
what the fuck...
but, oops. just the other day comes this:
"Presidential Airways, Inc., an aviation Worldwide Services company (d/b/a Blackwater Aviation), Moyock, N.C., is being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) type contract for $92,000,000.00. The contractor is to provide all fixed-wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger, cargo and combi Short Take-Off and Landing air transportation services between locations in the Area of Responsibility of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. This contract was competitively procured and two timely offers were received. The performance period is from 1 Oct. 2007 to 30 September 2011. "
Presidential Airways is the aviation wing of blackwater. so, blackwater is under investigation for, well, murder and it is still receiving contracts to operate in, huh, countries other than iraq, but still either border iraq or are in the general area.
and, then, there's this:
"During today’s House Oversight Committee hearing on the performance of State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) revealed that Krongard’s brother — former CIA Executive Director A.B. “Buzzy” Krongard — sits on Blackwater USA’s board. Krongard vehemently denied the allegation, calling it an “ugly rumor”..."
what the fuck...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Hey Chinese Subs: La La La, We Can't Hear You!
The uninvited guest: Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced
When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed.
At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world's only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders.
That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory.
(good thing we're the world's only superpower and our ability to detect really, really big machines with really, really big bombs is as good as our ability to detect toothpaste tubes weighing more 3.5 ounces at airports)
Bush's bishops: Exit Iraq now
President Bush’s church, long at odds with him on matters of public policy, called on the United States and its partners today to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq immediately.
(i was born, baptised and raised a methodist and have never been very comfortable with the national leaning towards conservatism. christ was a radical, condemned by almost all, so it should be that a church who claims to follow his teachings should truly follow it and not fear the label. yet, mostly, this church has. so, it's nice to read that it is breaking with some of its old blindness)
When the U.S. Navy deploys a battle fleet on exercises, it takes the security of its aircraft carriers very seriously indeed.
At least a dozen warships provide a physical guard while the technical wizardry of the world's only military superpower offers an invisible shield to detect and deter any intruders.
That is the theory. Or, rather, was the theory.
(good thing we're the world's only superpower and our ability to detect really, really big machines with really, really big bombs is as good as our ability to detect toothpaste tubes weighing more 3.5 ounces at airports)
Bush's bishops: Exit Iraq now
President Bush’s church, long at odds with him on matters of public policy, called on the United States and its partners today to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq immediately.
(i was born, baptised and raised a methodist and have never been very comfortable with the national leaning towards conservatism. christ was a radical, condemned by almost all, so it should be that a church who claims to follow his teachings should truly follow it and not fear the label. yet, mostly, this church has. so, it's nice to read that it is breaking with some of its old blindness)
Friday, November 09, 2007
So, Uh, Like Stay Healthy And Insurance Will Protect You?
One of the state's largest health insurers set goals and paid bonuses based in part on how many individual policyholders were dropped and how much money was saved.Woodland Hills-based Health Net Inc. avoided paying $35.5 million in medical expenses by rescinding about 1,600 policies between 2000 and 2006. During that period, it paid its senior analyst in charge of cancellations more than $20,000 in bonuses based in part on her meeting or exceeding annual targets for revoking policies, documents disclosed Thursday showed.
Two hugs equals two days of detention for 13-year-old Megan Coulter. The eighth-grader was punished for violating a school policy banning public displays of affection when she hugged two friends Friday.
Two hugs equals two days of detention for 13-year-old Megan Coulter. The eighth-grader was punished for violating a school policy banning public displays of affection when she hugged two friends Friday.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Lookin' For Some Wheels
"NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With oil prices setting records over $90 a barrel - and $100 looking ever more likely - experts say there's a good chance drivers will see $3 gasoline before the end of the year."
heh. where do these people live? because i want to move there if they haven't seen $3 a gallon gas yet.
"But so far drivers have been lucky. The national average price for gasoline has risen barely one cent, going from $2.81 last month to $2.82 this month"...
the cheapest i see on my way to and from work is $2.95. and, yes, i know that fresno and the valley always have higher averages than most of the rest of the country due (in part) to the massive amount of trucking that rumbles through here.
so, does anyone know anyone who sells mopeds for relatively cheap? i am now officially in the market for one.
heh. where do these people live? because i want to move there if they haven't seen $3 a gallon gas yet.
"But so far drivers have been lucky. The national average price for gasoline has risen barely one cent, going from $2.81 last month to $2.82 this month"...
the cheapest i see on my way to and from work is $2.95. and, yes, i know that fresno and the valley always have higher averages than most of the rest of the country due (in part) to the massive amount of trucking that rumbles through here.
so, does anyone know anyone who sells mopeds for relatively cheap? i am now officially in the market for one.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Ah Wilderness!
ah, camping. the great outdoors. fresh air. pitting one's will against the ambiguous evil of nature. battling the elements mano a mano. guy stuff. man way. ugh!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
DUR???
Bush: 'I make a lot of decisions'
By DEB RIECHMANN -- Associated Press Writer
(Updated Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 2:36 PM)
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) Give the man a microphone and he'll talk about anything. For 76 minutes, President Bush prowled the stage Wednesday in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, giving a speech and answering questions about everything from his opposition to tax increases to his veto of a bill to expand children's health insurance.
But he covered a lot of other ground, too.
Bush gave an intriguing description about what happens when businesses expand, as was the case here at a company run by a woman.
"You know, when you give a man more money in his pocket - in this case, a woman - more money in her pocket to expand a business, they build new buildings. And when somebody builds a new building, somebody has got to come and build the building.
"And when the building expanded, it prevented (sic) additional opportunities for people to work. Tax cuts matter. I'm going to spend some time talking about it," the president said.
He offered a pointed description of his job.
"My job is a decision-making job. And as a result, I make a lot of decisions," the president said.
He elaborated on that point later.
"I delegate to good people. I always tell Condi Rice, 'I want to remind you, Madam Secretary, who has the Ph.D. and who was the C student. And I want to remind you who the adviser is and who the president is.'
"I got a lot of Ph.D.-types and smart people around me who come into the Oval Office and say, 'Mr. President, here's what's on my mind.' And I listen carefully to their advice. But having gathered the device (sic), I decide, you know, I say, 'This is what we're going to do.' And it's 'Yes, sir, Mr. President.' And then we get after it, implement policy."
Bush, known for his impatience when fellow leaders rattle on, acknowledged he was doing the same himself in his opening remarks.
Members of the audience snap pictures of President Bush, front foreground, during his speech in an event sponsored by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007 in Lancaster, Pa.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais -- AP Photo
"I'll be glad to answer some questions from you if you got any," he said. "If not, I can keep on blowing hot air until the time runs out."
Asked about global warming, he gave a lengthy account of alternative fuels.
"I'm not quite through," he said near the end. "And it's a long answer, I'm sorry. It's called filibustering." After one answer about American views of the Iraq war, Bush said sheepishly: "I think that was your question, wasn't it? The answer was so long I lost track."
He had some fun with a woman who seemed slow on the draw when Bush called on her.
"You want a little chance to collect the thoughts, you know? I mean we're talking national TV here, you know?" he said.
"I actually wrote it down so I wouldn't get flustered," the woman said.
"It didn't work," Bush said.
Bush gave an upbeat assessment of being president, despite polls showing the public overwhelmingly disapproves of the job he's doing.
"I told somebody behind stage, this has been a joyous experience being the president," Bush said. "My buddies in Texas just simply don't think I'm telling them the truth. But it is."
He forgot that he had promised a question to a woman. "When you're getting over 60, sometimes your mind slips," said Bush, who is 61.
Finally, he decided he had said enough.
"And I got to go, I hate to tell you. You're paying me too much money to be sitting here talking."
(huh??? can anyone who speaks "drunk president" please translate this?)
By DEB RIECHMANN -- Associated Press Writer
(Updated Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 2:36 PM)
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) Give the man a microphone and he'll talk about anything. For 76 minutes, President Bush prowled the stage Wednesday in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, giving a speech and answering questions about everything from his opposition to tax increases to his veto of a bill to expand children's health insurance.
But he covered a lot of other ground, too.
Bush gave an intriguing description about what happens when businesses expand, as was the case here at a company run by a woman.
"You know, when you give a man more money in his pocket - in this case, a woman - more money in her pocket to expand a business, they build new buildings. And when somebody builds a new building, somebody has got to come and build the building.
"And when the building expanded, it prevented (sic) additional opportunities for people to work. Tax cuts matter. I'm going to spend some time talking about it," the president said.
He offered a pointed description of his job.
"My job is a decision-making job. And as a result, I make a lot of decisions," the president said.
He elaborated on that point later.
"I delegate to good people. I always tell Condi Rice, 'I want to remind you, Madam Secretary, who has the Ph.D. and who was the C student. And I want to remind you who the adviser is and who the president is.'
"I got a lot of Ph.D.-types and smart people around me who come into the Oval Office and say, 'Mr. President, here's what's on my mind.' And I listen carefully to their advice. But having gathered the device (sic), I decide, you know, I say, 'This is what we're going to do.' And it's 'Yes, sir, Mr. President.' And then we get after it, implement policy."
Bush, known for his impatience when fellow leaders rattle on, acknowledged he was doing the same himself in his opening remarks.
Members of the audience snap pictures of President Bush, front foreground, during his speech in an event sponsored by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007 in Lancaster, Pa.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais -- AP Photo
"I'll be glad to answer some questions from you if you got any," he said. "If not, I can keep on blowing hot air until the time runs out."
Asked about global warming, he gave a lengthy account of alternative fuels.
"I'm not quite through," he said near the end. "And it's a long answer, I'm sorry. It's called filibustering." After one answer about American views of the Iraq war, Bush said sheepishly: "I think that was your question, wasn't it? The answer was so long I lost track."
He had some fun with a woman who seemed slow on the draw when Bush called on her.
"You want a little chance to collect the thoughts, you know? I mean we're talking national TV here, you know?" he said.
"I actually wrote it down so I wouldn't get flustered," the woman said.
"It didn't work," Bush said.
Bush gave an upbeat assessment of being president, despite polls showing the public overwhelmingly disapproves of the job he's doing.
"I told somebody behind stage, this has been a joyous experience being the president," Bush said. "My buddies in Texas just simply don't think I'm telling them the truth. But it is."
He forgot that he had promised a question to a woman. "When you're getting over 60, sometimes your mind slips," said Bush, who is 61.
Finally, he decided he had said enough.
"And I got to go, I hate to tell you. You're paying me too much money to be sitting here talking."
(huh??? can anyone who speaks "drunk president" please translate this?)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
here's your shadow government.
Cheney to address secret group
The conservative Council for National Policy will meet in downtown Salt Lake
if that doesn't say it all, i don't know what does. no press, no public, no leaks as to where or when they'll meet or what they'll talk about or who will be there. the second coup in preparation? it takes two to finish one, you know.
Cheney to address secret group
The conservative Council for National Policy will meet in downtown Salt Lake
if that doesn't say it all, i don't know what does. no press, no public, no leaks as to where or when they'll meet or what they'll talk about or who will be there. the second coup in preparation? it takes two to finish one, you know.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
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