Ok, folks, the day has arrived. Five Before Chaos is officially leaving Blogger. For those of you that have the blogspot address bookmarked, please change it to http://www.fivebeforechaos.com. You can also get there by clicking on the link above.
It's a much better designed blog, a lot easier on the eyes, and as I start to get to know Wordpress better, it will get even better. It's neatly organized, and you can even get new FBC postes emailed to you through feedburner. Eventually I'm hoping to add some good photo albums as well as some music for you to listen to.
And the good thing is, all of the original stuff from this Blogger-based site is over there, so you don't need to come back here to get it. I'll probably keep this one up indefinitely, but as of today, it will no longer be updated. Please let me thank all of you for making this a great place. It's just the beginning, my friends. On to the future!
FIVE BEFORE CHAOS HAS OFFICIALLY MOVED TO A BIGGER AND BETTER PLACE! PLEASE CLICK THE ABOVE BANNER TO GET THERE, AND DON'T FORGET TO BOOKMARK THE NEW LOCATION. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!Friday, May 4, 2007
FIVE BEFORE CHAOS 2.0 UP AND RUNNING!!!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
FBC might be moving to Wordpress
I'm seriously thinking about moving FBC over to to Wordpress from Blogger, there's just a lot more features over there. I haven't decided for good yet, it's a work in progress. you can have a look at it here. Please let me know what you think. I'm not settled on a template or anything, so what you see there is not necessarily how it will end up looking.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Leahy already throwing down gauntlet for next A.G.
The L.A. Times is reporting that Senator Leahy, in anticipation of a possible Gonzales resignation and continued stonewalling in regards to the testimony of White House officials, is saying that his committee (judiciary) will not hold confirmation hearings for any potential future nominees unless Karl Rove and other White House aides testify about the firing of U.S. attorneys to clarify whether "the White House has interfered with prosecution."
Of course, whether it be because of that special channel of communication he has with the Almighty, the years of coke and alcohol abuse, or just sheer stupidity/brain damage, Bush more than likely will dig in and keep Gonzales on. But as Elizabeth Holzmann reports, it very might well be in Bush's own personal interest to not let Speedy Gonzales go:
All this is reminiscent of the Watergate scandal. In 1973, as the coverup was unraveling, the Senate imposed a condition on the confirmation of President Nixon's nominee for attorney general, Elliot Richardson. Richardson's predecessor had resigned because of Watergate troubles. Concerned that the Justice Department would not get at the truth, the Senate insisted that Richardson would name a special prosecutor to investigate Watergate. Richardson duly appointed Archibald Cox.With a new Bush/GOP related atrocity coming to light nearly every day, who knows where this one may go? Regardless, its reassuring to know that Bush isn't going to have it easy either way on this particular matter.
The rest is history. Cox's aggressive investigations led to the prosecution of top administration officials and the naming of Nixon as an unindicted co-conspirator in the coverup. When Cox sought White House tapes of Nixon's conversations with his staff, the president had him fired, unleashing a firestorm of protests. Americans demanded that a previously reluctant Congress start impeachment proceedings against Nixon. Congress complied; the House Judiciary Committee, of which I was a member, voted for impeachment, and Nixon resigned.
Aspects of this history could easily repeat themselves. The Senate could demand, as it did in 1973, that a new attorney general appoint a special prosecutor, and this could again have dire consequences for the White House.
A new special prosecutor would have many questions to investigate.
Beware Best Buy's "Geek Squad"
As you probably know, I'm no a fan of big box type stores. Not just because they tend to be atrocious corporate citizens (such as Wal-mart and Circuit City) but often, large selection aside, they're not always that cheap, and more often than not, the people that work there don't seem to know dick about what they're selling (in particular when it comes to computers). I'll pop into a Best Buy now and then just to see what's new, and then if there's something worth getting, I'll get it online substantially cheaper.
Now, this will come as no surprise to any of you who have been here for more than five minutes, but I'm quite the geek. I've built my last three computers from scratch, and I've never paid a dime to have anything fixed on them. But many people do, and apparently, a popular route to go is Best Buy's "Geek Squad", a cleverly marketed repair service. Anyways, I was just surfing and came across this big, interesting expose about the Geek Squad. If you're considering them for computer help, you might want to have a look at this article. which is written by a former "Geek Squad" employee who dishes the dirt on all of the rather questionable things the Geek Squad incorporates into their service (such as erasing your hard drive because they're under quotas instead of fixing the problem, grabbing your porn pictures, etc.).
Lest you think it's the ravings of a disgruntled employee, speaking as one who knows the ins and outs of diagnosing and fixing PC's, I think this guy is on the level. Beware. And let me just add, fixing common software and hardware problems aren't nearly as difficult and daunting as you think they are. Most problems can be fixed with a little patience and an hour or so of digging around on many of the great resources on the web. You really don't need no stinkin' "Geek Squad". Trust me on that one.
Some good news for the environment...
I have few good things of note in regards to the environment today. It comes as no surprise to many of the readers here that the Bush Administration has made it part and parcel to bend the scientific findings to fit its policies, whether it be silencing climatologists on the severity of global warming, effectiveness of contraception, you name it. Science is yet another reality-based inconvenience to the administration. Thankfully, two things have happened to turn back the tide a bit.
First off, the AP is reporting that one of the people responsible for manipulating the science is resigning:Julie MacDonald, deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, submitted her resignation letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, a department spokesman said Tuesday.
Good riddance. And as you probably know, a goal of the right-wingnuts has long been to dismantle the Endangered Species Act, because for these people, the needs of the economic world always take precedence over the needs of the natural world. Nature is only measured by the amount of money to be made on it, which is one of the fundamental problems of capitalism. Anyways, Bushco is trying to get some new rules passed that would radically weaken the ESA. Thankfully, it seems like some Senators are going to put the brakes on it...
MacDonald resigned a week before a House congressional oversight committee was to hold a hearing on accusations that she violated the Endangered Species Act, censored science and mistreated staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The inspector general's report said MacDonald tried to remove protections for a rare jumping mouse in the Rocky Mountains based on a questionable study, and reduced by 80 percent the amount of streams to be protected to help bull trout recover in the Pacific Northwest.
MacDonald also pressured the Fish and Wildlife Service to alter findings on the Kootenai River sturgeon in Idaho and Montana so dam operations would not be harmed, the report said.A Bush administration plan to change rules of the Endangered Species Act protecting American wildlife drew pointed questions on Wednesday from five U.S. senators, who called the proposed changes "troubling."
The Senators have sent a letter asking some important questions of the Secretary of the Interior. Now, before some of you jump down my throat about impeachment and supplemental bills and such, there is no denying that there is finally some sort of semblance of oversight going on in the Senate and House. I am well aware that it is not yet at the level we want it to be, but between the Gonzales matter, the recent Tillman/Lynch propaganda hearings, and a host of others, it is quite apparent that there is finally some oversight happening. Let's just hope it continues and escalates.
Environmental activists raised alarms about the draft rules change last month, saying the revisions would weaken the act so much that about 80 percent of the 1,300 species now on the endangered list would lose protection.
The National Audubon Society's Mike Daulton criticized the Bush administration. "The public is clamoring for conservation solutions to problems like energy and global warming and what they're getting are half-baked ideas like gutting the Endangered Species Act and shutting down wildlife refuges," Daulton said in an e-mail.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
FBC now in vanilla...
I spent the evening messing around with the layout and fixing some things. I tried a 3 column layout, but it was too damn cluttered. I fixed the links in the blax/spag dropdown menus so they all work, and also put the labels in a dropdown for less clutter. Got rid of the 'last 10 Visitors' thing. And finally (and this took a while to get it right), you'll see "Dark or Light" over on the left. If you click the second one, you'll get a different color scheme. I think it will remember it, too, so when you come back it will stay at your chosen color. Enjoy.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
MySpace: Redefining "Cool".
Well, then. this changes everything. All that Christian rock that sounds outdated by about 10-15 years isn't cheesy, it's "cool", as are those women's hairstyles with the poofy bangs. Thanks, MySpace.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Hard work....
They say Nero fiddled while Rome burned...
White House photo by Eric DraperFriday, April 27, 2007
Is VT GOP's "Support the Troops" Resolution a Poison Pill?
crossposted at Green Mountain Daily
By now, in our fifth year of Iraq war fatigue, no single term has been bandied about and abused as "Support the Troops". Part of it has its origins in guilt about the way returning Vietnam Vets were treated by certain people. And naturally, no matter how much one may or may not support what the troops are actually doing, I hope it's still safe to say that we support them as human beings in a difficult situation. And many of us reading this blog know that the best way to 'support the troops' is to remove them from harm's way and bring them home as soon as humanly possible.
Unfortunately, the Bush Administration, as you all know, often views the troops as nothing more than props and political pawns. They talk about 'supporting the troops' every chance they get, yet their policies do anything but, whether it be the Bush-McCain-Lieberman escalation, the atrocities at Walter Reed Hospital, cuts in Veteran's services, insufficient body armor, you name it. I'm sure you're well aware of them. Yes, it's criminal.
So, today I was a bit stunned (but not surprised) to read in the Times Argus that the VT GOP is proposing a resolution that will declare "full support to our troops and their mission in conducting the War on Terror." The TA reports that "The bill seeks to designate May 6 as "Vermont Vets for Victory Day" and coincides with a six-day support-the-troops rally beginning on May 1 through several communities, including Rutland, Chester and Bennington." It's not as simple as it sounds, however...
As it stands, this resolution is not a good one. First, there is the ever-so-subtle insinuation that only good Republicans "support the troops". But the larger problem is it's basically putting one of the biggest lies about the war into a public legislative record : that the Iraq War is part of the "War on Terror" (or more appropriately as Borat would have called it, the "War of Terror"), and it's trying to get the Dems to sign off on that. Gotcha!
Many in the GOP are still obviously drinking the Bush Krazy Kool Aid:David Ayer, a Republican activist from Barre who helped organize the upcoming support-the-troops tour, said Republicans may be open to some language changes, but insisted that the resolution is nonpolitical and has nothing to do with the Iraq War.
Yes, those comments demanding they be taken out of harm's way are just so 'demoralizing', aren't they? Maybe to those few who still love this war. Only thing missing was the 'so we don't have to fight them here' line.
"I defer to the experienced veterans who have been on the ground and have been fighting the war," he said. "They tell me that the war in Iraq is the war on terror. We are fighting terrorists there."
He added that it is important for the troops to know that Vermonters support them.
"It's demoralizing for them to hear some of the comments made concerning the war," he said.
But the absurdity doesn't stop there. One of the propagandists leading the complementary 'Vets for Victory' tour is none other than retired Lt. Col. Steve Russell...an Oklahoma man who founded a pro-war organization of the same name. He travels the country now urging people to continue supporting the four-year-old conflict.
Yet another war hawk completely unhinged from reality. VT Democrats have already raised concerns about some of the language in the bill, and I'm sure some of them also smell the 'gotcha!' in this resolution. Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with passing a resolution simply thanking the troops for their service and sacrifice. It is just imperative that it's wording doesn't include something proliferating well-discredited ideas, something the GOP has mastered until recently.
Russell, who traveled to Vermont earlier this year to speak opposite of peace mom Cindy Sheehan during the Senate Iraq War debate, was one of troop leaders who helped capture Saddam Hussein in December 2003.
In his speeches, Russell justifies the invasion of Iraq because he believes that Hussein was actively trying to make a nuclear bomb and ordered his military to smuggle other weapons into nearby Syria. (emphasis mine - JD)
That assessment puts Russell at odds with the Iraq Survey Group, the multinational fact-finding group that searched the country for weapons of mass destruction. The group's 2004 report stated that Hussein had abandoned his nuclear program in the early 1990s and a 2005 revision declared it unlikely that officials moved weapons into Syria.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Take a Hard Ride
Well, this is interesting. Whod'a thunk there's be a film that could be both a spaghetti western AND a blaxploitation flick? An Italian production directed by Antonio Margheretti, 1975's Take A Hard Ride, actually fits the bill. It stars Spag Western legend Lee Van Cleef, as well as three of the biggest blaxploitation stars: Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, and Jim Kelly, who also starred in the hilarious (but not a comedy) Three The Hard Way.
The three of them yet again 'join forces' to deliver an $86,000 bankroll that is also desired by a bunch of other people, most notably a bounty hunter named Keifer (Van Cleef). That's the plot in a nutshell. And, for the most part, breathtaking scenery aside, this film was pretty lame. Lots to poke fun at, however, so here it goes.
Jim Kelly plays a mute Indian with a tiny afro who karate kicks people in the nuts! Yeeeah, boy!The acting was horrible. Brown, Williamson, and Kelly were never known as acting heavyweights, and it's quite apparent here. Williamson does his typical pimp/hustler talk, smoking those long thin cigars that he has in every movie you've ever seen him in. Brown looks like he's struggling to remember his lines, and mercifully, Kelly's character is mute. Van Cleef looks like he'd rather be elsewhere, as though he's disgusted with himself for even being in this film.
Sensing his career was quickly coming to a close, Van Cleef decided to finally kick back and let his hair grow.This one was actually filmed in the Cayman Islands, something to do with a rider in Jim Brown's contract - a tax dodge, perhaps?
Fred Williamson and Jim Brown debate the merits of Brown's trouser snake having such a prominent role in a Spaghetti Western. Would Leone or Corbucci go for it?Like I said, aside from the beautiful scenery and the novelty of the particular cast, there's not really much to like about this film. Even the stock spag western cliche of the camera zooming in to dramatic closeups on faces is overdone. I can actually tell you how many pores Jim Brown has on his nose. There was one laugh-out-loud scene worth mentioning. Williamson's character goes over a 700 foot or so waterfall, and the scene is comprised of a very obvious dummy tumbling down the falls interspersed with a screaming Williamson thrashing around in a swimming pool or jacuzzi or something. I almost pissed my pants.
Dumb movie critic tagline for this one: 'This one's so bad, be sure to 'take a hard ride' away from it!"
Here's the way-too-serious trailer...
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Impeachment resolution defeated in VT House
I had to meet a friend for lunch to day in Montpelier, and then sauntered over to the Statehouse to catch the impeachment proceedings in the House. It was defeated, 87-60. I'd like to offer a big thanks who stood up for accountability and voted for the resolution. Odum has the roll call at GMD here.
Yes, as others have noted, it was inspiring, and it truly was a case of democracy in action. But I left rather pissed.
The VT blogosphere was on hand... from who I could see, Norsehorse, Snarky Boy, GMD, Carpetbagger Report and yours truly were all there to report on the carnival. The house was packed, as you can see from the photo I took.
There were people of all kinds in the crowd on hand (over 300) to do that 'democracy' thing that seems to be in short supply lately. The Republican speeches were pretty pathetic, ranging from Tom Koch (Barre Town) keeping consistent and speaking out against it on procedural grounds, partisanship and everything but the kitchen sink. Not surprising, because that guy, when not trying to pass laws forbidding driving-while-flute-playing pretty much opposes anything good that ever gets presented, regardless of the issue. Another Repub whose name I didn't catch acted as though the various misdeeds of Bushco were somehow still in doubt, then rehashed a bunch of statements from prominent Dems from almost ten years ago. Others just looked annoyed.
But the one that got me pissed more than anything was from a Democrat (once again, I didn't get a name-if someone has these names please put something in the comments and I'll revise) who gave the tired excuse of how the legislature had many other areas of important business to address, and didn't have time for this. Wrong on two accounts...first off, the only 'time' taken was already in progress. Second, this has been one of the least productive legislatures that I can remember in recent memory. Other than avoiding confrontation with Douglas with a big bendover on issue after issue, I'm hard pressed to think of anything substantial to come out of the Statehouse this year, short of the resolution to end the war. Nothing involving healthcare. A meager proposal on property taxes. What are they spending so much time on? The bill to help small farmers process meat on-site so they can sell at markets and restaurants is a great bill, but is it a real time-stealer?
Although I was a bit disappointed, I didn't think this was going to pass. House Speaker Gaye Symington, one of the more spineless speakers in recent memory (someone quipped 'bad as he was, at least Walter Freed (R) got some things passed, fer Crissake') has shown an astounding lack of leadership on the issue, as with most issues. This is the only explanation that makes sense, because it's not like these people were going to face some harsh electoral consequences back home for supporting it. And I suspect they're not going to face anything harsh for not supporting it either. Real leadership would have enabled it to happen beyond just the traditional lefty Dems, same with the "Death With Dignity" bill.
Admittedly, although I support it wholeheartedly, I'm not as impassioned as some are in regards to the impeachment thing, probably because I know better than to hope that Congressman Welch is going to ride in on his white horse and actually do something about it. Perhaps he's too preoccupied with making friends in Washington and not making waves with Pelosi.
The larger issue here for me is the astounding lack of leadership from the Democrats in the Statehouse. They have the numbers to go on the offensive against Douglas, and don't. Instead, we hear Ann Cummings talk about "sending the governor something he can sign." Perhaps I wouldn't be so astounded if they had a supermajority for 20 years and were just getting complacent and lazy. But that's not the case. There is a serious leadership vaccuum in the Statehouse right now. Symington needs to go. The question is, who in the Dem party machine is going to be courageous enough to take that step and point it out?
Jaga Jazzist - Animal Chin
I recently discovered and am still digesting a band from Norway called Jaga Jazzist. Now, I have sort of a love/hate relationship with electronica music. J.J. seems to blend elements of uptempo electronica rhythms with serious jazz composition, something quite rare. It's not always easy to get into, but I'm warming up to it. Here's the vid for their "Animal Chin"... starts of kinda Zappa-ish then gets kinda strange. Enjoy.
Another great reason to live in the Northeast.
As much as I love the wide-open spaces of the American West, I take comfort living in the northeastern U.S., because even if the religious right whackjobs managed to get more power (thankfully, looking less and less likely lately), I think that they'd hit a wall as soon as they hit New York state, maybe New Jersey. N.H. just passed civil unions, without a court order. New York is considering gay marriage. As I type this, the masses are congregating at the VT Statehouse demanding that the impeachment resolution passes the House of Reps.
Now that's not to say we're immune from it. The cave dwellers were out in full force during the civil unions debate back in '00, and we still unfortunately have 'my-insanely-tight-pucker-cracks-diamonds-at-the-mention-of- "the free market" John McLaughry, and paranoid wingnut Paul Beaudry of TrueNorth Radio. But at least in Vermont, if you're a far-right whack job, you're marginalized, and rightly so.
Anyways, to get on another tangent, one of my atheist criticisms is that religious liberals and moderates don't do enough to fight the extremist elements. I found a rare exception, and a great story, as well. Over at Talk to Action, an organization that includes many religious moderates intent on keeping a leash on the Religious Right, there's a great piece about how the new governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, is standing up to the christofascists and rejecting federal grant money to pay for "abstinence only" education in the public schools.The money was previously funneled by then-GOP governor Mitt Romney to a project of the anti-abortion group, A Woman's Concern -- whose medical director the controversial Dr. Eric Keroack; recently resigned from the Bush adminstration under a cloud. Although many polititians have feared standing-up to the religious right's abstinence only tide, Massachusetts joins eight states have refused the restrictive federal grant money -- and a dozen others considering it -- rather than teach unscientfic, bogus and counterproductive approaches to sexuality. A Woman's Concern is the chain of antiabortion "crisis pregnancy centers" that employed Dr. Eric Keroack, whose crackpot medical views were controversial at the time of his appointment to a federal family planning post, from which he recently resigned, apparently due to investigations by state Medicaid officials.
It's really about common sense and living in a reality-based society. Sex rocks. Kids are going to have sex, so it's important that those who do are educated to make the right choices and stay safe. Part of the problem is the fearmongerers think we're all as stupid as they are. They really don't get 'cause and effect' down too well. They assume that giving kids an HPV vaccine (which I have to say I am not necessarily for, for other reasons) wil 'encourage' kids ot have sex. RU-486 (the abortifacient pill) will 'encourage' people to have sex. Teaching kids about birth control will 'encourage' people to have sex. Um, no. Sex is fun. That's usually what 'encourages' people to have sex. And one could make the valid argument that keeping it in a 'taboo' nature also encourages kids to pluck the forbidden fruit. That's why countries who are more open abut sex end to have fewer abortions and teen pregnancy rates. Hats off to Gov. Patrick for bringing some sanity and common sense back to Massachusetts.
Christofascist Idiot Watch Update! April edition
Yep. They're still here. But so am I. You may have heard of a right-wing hate-group called the 'Concerned Women for America'. It's yet another brain-dead organization hellbent on imposing a literalist Biblical worldview on the rest of us. Science is just another satanic tool to these people (although did you ever notice how many people that take fertility drugs and have quintuplets seem to be fundies? Apparently, they're blind to the fact that 'God's will' was for them not to reproduce - but that's another story). A look at their 'care issues' page shows such nuggets of wisdom such as, "Populating the earth is a mandate from God, not a threat to humanity," and "Western Civilization has willingly chosen to exchange the faith and logic of a Biblical worldview for an irrational secularism based on an unthinking and cruel relativism." "Faith and logic of a Biblical worldview? Uh, ok.
CWA was formed by Beverly LaHaye, wife of Tim La Haye, co-author of those wacky dominionist "Left Behind" sci-fi novels that are always hot sellers to the discriminating literary critics who buy their books at Wal-Mart. And like most far-right hate groups, they are obsessed with gay sex.
Anwyays, I saw something interesting on Americablog yesterday, about a man named Stephen Bennett. He's one of those nutballs who believes you can 'pray away the gay'. He oughta know, he used to be one himself. And he's also a spokesman for CWA. And as the Americablog post points out, he's a batshit insane racist, as well. Turns out he's promoting the work of crazy white supremacists on YouTube.
Now, I've often asserted that although not all conservatives are racist, most racists tend to be conservative. And the common defense that those cons fall back on is if something doesn't fit the textbook definition of racism (meaning if it doesn't actually involve one explicitly declaring that their race is superior to another), it's not racist. Insititutional racism doesn't exist (perhaps it's too complicated for them to understand). Heck, by their definition, Imus' comments weren't racist, because he just said 'Nappy headed ho's', not "White players are superior to nappy headed ho's". Perhaps taking pride in being part of the "privileged" race really blinds one to it. Funny, then how they love to play the victim. Whether it's how 'white Christian males are under attack' or whatever the horseshit line of the day is, these people typify the crybaby, whiny victim.
Anyways, I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I really have to wonder if the CWA are 'concerned' at all about their spokesman's views. Considering how they've mastered the use of the Bible as a cudgel of hatred, I seriously doubt it.
UPDATE: The filmaker's YouTube account has been suspended.
Name that Movie takes a break...
Now that I finally stumped Bill Simmon with last week's NTM, my life is complete, I'm selling all of my possessions and moving to Tanzania. Well, no, not really. But I am downgrading my Name that Movie feature to an occasional occurrence.
Anyways, last week's movie was 1971's 'Play Misty For Me', starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. it was his first film as a director, about a studly jazz DJ who has a one-night stand with a woman who becomes rather unhinged and quite dangerous when she realizes it was just a one-nighter. It was a great, suspenseful movie. Oddly enough, two people guessed 'Vanishing Point'.
The photo was Eastwood's hip pot-smokin' DJ buddy Al Monte, played by James McEachin. I had to smudge the call letters on the microphone, for they were for jazz radio station KRML. Considering that their brand new current studio is in the 'Eastwood Building', I figured it might be a bit of a giveaway.
The trivia questionabout 'Weather Report'? A scene takes place in the movie at the real Monterey Jazz Festival, where Cannonball Adderly and his band are performing. The keyboardist was Joe Zawinul, who later went on to form the popular fusion band, "Weather Report", with saxman Wayne Shorter.
Monday, April 23, 2007
VT: Impeachment Rally in Statehouse, Wed. 4/25
The VT Senate has signed off on the impeachment resolution, in no small part to the continuos pressure from activists. Now it's time to put the squeeze on the House of Reps. Details here. Read the comments for more info.
The New Federal Farm Bill: Why it matters.
You might remember a while ago that the VT delegation had a hearing on the new Federal Farm Bill that is currently up for reauthorization. I'd like to point you now to this piece in the NYT by Michael Pollan, author of the bestselling 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', that lays out in no uncertain terms how important the farm bill really is. It affects many levels: public health, nutrition programs, many aspects of the farming industry, and the environment.
Some of you might remember back during the so-called 'Republican Revolution', as they began to wage their war on the poor, then Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX and T&A movies) made a comment along the lines that 'America is the only country where our poor people are fat'. Now, insensitive as it was for Gramm to say so, in a sense he did have a point. As you've heard me lament before, there's something really wrong with the system where only the rich can afford to eat healthy. As Pollan writes: A few years ago, an obesity researcher at the University of Washington named Adam Drewnowski ventured into the supermarket to solve a mystery. He wanted to figure out why it is that the most reliable predictor of obesity in America today is a person’s wealth. For most of history, after all, the poor have typically suffered from a shortage of calories, not a surfeit. So how is it that today the people with the least amount of money to spend on food are the ones most likely to be overweight?
So how does this tie into the farm bill? Subsidies, baby. Subsidies, proving once again the idea of a 'free' market is nothing but a myth:
Drewnowski gave himself a hypothetical dollar to spend, using it to purchase as many calories as he possibly could. He discovered that he could buy the most calories per dollar in the middle aisles of the supermarket, among the towering canyons of processed food and soft drink. ... he found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips but only 250 calories of carrots. Looking for something to wash down those chips, he discovered that his dollar bought 875 calories of soda but only 170 calories of orange juice...he concluded that the rules of the food game in America are organized in such a way that if you are eating on a budget, the most rational economic strategy is to eat badly — and get fat. [The farm bill] which comes around roughly every five years and is about to do so again, sets the rules for the American food system — indeed, to a considerable extent, for the world’s food system. Among other things, it determines which crops will be subsidized and which will not, and in the case of the carrot and the Twinkie, the farm bill as currently written offers a lot more support to the cake than to the root. Like most processed foods, the Twinkie is basically a clever arrangement of carbohydrates and fats teased out of corn, soybeans and wheat — three of the five commodity crops that the farm bill supports, to the tune of some $25 billion a year. (Rice and cotton are the others.) For the last several decades ... U.S. agricultural policy has been designed in such a way as to promote the overproduction of these five commodities, especially corn and soy...The reason the least healthful calories in the supermarket are the cheapest is that those are the ones the farm bill encourages farmers to grow.
Pollan then goes on to show how the needs of big agribusiness are often contradictory to the needs of public health. It even determines what foods your kids will eat for lunch at school (ever wonder why there's always Tater Tots? - certainly not because of all the nutrition they don't have). It also affects world poverty, as well, for when we are able to sell crops for less than it costs to grow them, that often can determine the fate of Mexican corn farmers and Nigerian cotton growers, and whether they lose their farms and move to the city, exacerbating the poverty already rampant there.
You'd think something this important would be something to rally around, but due to the technical jargon and back room deals, it usually passes, unnoticed except by the few that stand to benefit the most from it (certainly not you or I).
Pollan is optimistic, however, that change may finally be around the corner, due to the increasing awareness of the environmental community, the development community, and the public health community. But most importantly, he insists that real change is not just going to come from changing our eating habits; we need to get our hands dirty and start taking notice of agricultural policies, and concentrate our activism there: A grass-roots social movement is gathering around food issues today, and while it is still somewhat inchoate, the manifestations are everywhere: in local efforts to get vending machines out of the schools and to improve school lunch; in local campaigns to fight feedlots and to force food companies to better the lives of animals in agriculture; in the spectacular growth of the market for organic food and the revival of local food systems. In great and growing numbers, people are voting with their forks for a different sort of food system. But as powerful as the food consumer is — it was that consumer, after all, who built a $15 billion organic-food industry and more than doubled the number of farmer’s markets in the last few years — voting with our forks can advance reform only so far. It can’t, for example, change the fact that the system is rigged to make the most unhealthful calories in the marketplace the only ones the poor can afford. To change that, people will have to vote with their votes as well — which is to say, they will have to wade into the muddy political waters of agricultural policy.
I've mentioned it before.. for truly radical change to happen, we need to not just 'practice' democracy, we need to start living it.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Last minute legislative action! IRV up for vote in VT Senate.
My apologies for getting this to you last minute, but those of you who are in support of Instant Runoff Voting (the voting system in which you mark off your candidates in order of preference instead of just one) are probably well aware of it never seeming to get out of committee in the VT legislature. Well, tomorrow (4/20) it is getting a vote in the full Senate.
If you are indeed in support if this bill, it is important for you to get in touch with your Senators tonight and tomorrow morning and ask them to support this bill.
The full text of the bill can be found here. It's S.0108. You can find the contact information for your Senators here.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
FBC hits 10,000
Well then... I had my 10,000th visitor in the last few hours, someone from Ontario, Canada. Took me a year for 5,000, and only another 4 months to hit 10,000, so something's working. Thanks for stopping by.
Run, Man, Run (Corri, Uomo, Corri)
Last night I watched the third Spaghetti Western by director Sergio Sollima, 1967's Run, Man, Run (Corri, Uomo, Corri), the first being The Big Gundown and the second, Face to Face. This film is actually the sequel to The Big Gundown.
Thomas Milian returns as the knife-wielding Mexican bandito, Cuchillo. As the film begins, we see him returning from the adventure in the first film, where his bride-to-be Dolores (Chelo Alonso) is waiting to get married. Somehow, Cuchillo ends up in jail and happens to be sharing a cell with some poet named Ramirez, who is just about to get out, where several people are plotting his assassination, because as it turns out, he's one of the revolutionaries working for Juarez against Diaz (we're talking Mexican revolution here). He offers Cuchillo $100 dollars to break him out and to accompany him to a town in Texas, where 3 million dollars in gold is stashed, to be used for the revolution. They break out, returning to Ramirez's hometown, where he is killed by a bandito that he used to run with who is also interested in the whereabouts of the gold. As he breathes his last breath, he gives Cuchillo a newspaper with a clue as to the whereabouts of the gold.
Tomas Milian returns as Cuchillo
Donal O'Brien as Cassidy also wants the gold. Who doesn't?
Ok, as far as the Sollima westerns, although by no means a bad film, this is definitely the weakest of the three. Milian plays Cuchillo a lot lighter than he did in The Big Gundown. It never reaches the slapstick stupidity of the "Trinity' films, however. It's just that the edginess he had in the first film is missed in this one. After watching several B-grade spag westerns since the last time I watched a Sollima film, I can most definitely say that his are definitely in the upper echelon as far as quality, although still not within the range of the Sergio Leone films.
Bush Administration Interrogation technique, circa 1913
I will say this - Sollima most certainly has a great eye for filling up the frame, as you can see in the reviews of the last two films, as well as this one. Whether it be the placement of the characters in the landscape...
Or the landscape itself...
all of his films are visually spectacular in that regard. He makes the most of the familiar Almerian landscape, as well as some shots in some snowy montains in central Italy. My only complaint in this regard is the town set has a very movie set/theme park to it. It looks too new and clean. Overall, the acting was pretty good, Milian plays it light but not venturing into the overacting he is often known for. The soundtrack is listed as being by Bruno Nicolai, but was actually by Ennio Morricone.
The widescreen release from Blue Underground looks and sounds great, with English and Italian language tracks. I watched it in English because the sound was a bit better and the voiceovers were good. It had some great extras, featuring trailers, an old late '60's documentary (38 min) on Italian westerns that shows them filming a few great films, as well as another 18 minute piece featuring present day interviews with Sollima and Milian. As usual, like in every other interview I've ever seen with him, Milian is arrogant as hell, emphatically letting us know how 'fucking talented' he is. Okay.
Overall, not a bad film as far as the genre goes, and it's great looking but if you're going to watch a Sollima western, I'd start with The Big Gundown or Face to Face (if you can find them), then check this one out.
More runaround from Shumlin and Symington on impeachment
The impeachment meeting at the Statehouse that I mentioned earlier in the week happened yesterday. No surprises, just more of the usual runaround from Pete Shumlin (who walked out) and Gaye Symington. I couldn't make it, but if you're interested in what happened, check out coverage from The VT Guardian, Snarky Boy and Peter Freyne, and Blazing Indiscretions.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
China will not follow U.S. energy consumption model
Now, it' s off of a Chinese newswire, so like our own propaganda, I would take it with a grain of salt, but there was some encouraging news coming out of China in regards to the future of their energy policies. In a nutshell, they say they are not going to follow the U.S. model, for it would be disastrous:
Xu pointed out that westerners account for only 15 percent of the world's population but used the lion's share of the world's energy to power their industrial processes.China cannot follow the wasteful western model, said Xu, but would have to invent a cleaner, more effective energy consumption model of its own.
Let's hope that this is actually true. If it is, even the commies are ahead of Bush on this one.
Fingers in the Pot: the exploitation of the VA Tech Massacre
Now, not trying to diminish this tragedy of immense proportions because of the loss of so many innocent human lives, but as this tragedy unfolds, I wanna ask my readers to witness the other tragedy here - exploitation from all sides of the political spectrum.
First, there's the obvious - the news networks running this 24-7 for the next few weeks, as they put all sorts of sensationalist spin on it and rake in the bucks, while failing to ask even one important question. Bush will use this one to try to curry favor for him and his sinking ship, and quite possibly use it as an excuse for more infringements on civil liberties. And of course, the media will not even question how a few contrived words from a president who is knee-deep in the blood of innocents in violence and is less popular than dogshit will somehow make anything better.The gun-control crowd will once again use it to advance their agenda (which IMO, the problem lies with our fetish-like obsession with guns and violence more than the guns themselves) and some jerkoff in the NRA will talk about how this might have been prevented if some of the students were packing heat (they can't use the 'stop illegal gun sales' angle because it seems at this point they were obtained legally). The racists will obsess over the fact that the shooter was an Asian (while conveniently overlooking the fact that he was a legal immigrant). We'll hear tons of talk about 'prayer' in the media, yet not one person will question either if perhaps this was 'God's will' or the silliness in praying to a God who enabled it to happen in the first place (kind of like asking your dad to forgive you after he beat the living shit out of you for no reason). And of course, the Religious Right will once again blame this on our increasingly secular culture, perhaps throwing another dig at the gay community like they did on 9-11.
And very few Americans will even bother to ask why this kind of thing seems to happen so much here. Our culture is sick, and there doesn't seem to be a doctor who wants to look at the illness itself... they can't seem to see past the symptoms.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Some housecleaning...
I wrote quite a bit today and realized how daunting it must be to show up here and scroll through all of this text. So I added a blogger widget that will allow you to just read a few paragraphs of the long posts, and then read more if you click 'Read More...", all with the convenience of not having to reload the entire page.
Also added Blazing Indiscretions to the Vermont blogroll. Enjoy.
Paul Krugman and a lesson for the dysfunctional VT Dem legislature
crossposted at Green Mountain Daily.
There was another great article today by the NYT's voice of reason, Paul Krugman, called 'Way Off Base'. It's basically addressing something that's been on our minds for quite a while, the notion that the public is way ahead of the curve on the issues that Dems are cautiously supporting, yet the Dems still fail to get that, as if they're really afraid of some political liability in challenging a president less popular than recently thawed dog-poop in the snowmelt on a Hubbard Park trail.
Democrats don’t have the same problem. There’s no conflict between catering to the Democratic base and staking out positions that can win in the 2008 election, because the things the base wants — an end to the Iraq war, a guarantee of health insurance for all — are also things that the country as a whole supports. The only risk the party now faces is excessive caution on the part of its politicians. Or, to coin a phrase, the only thing Democrats have to fear is fear itself.Exactly. I've said this before, especially when dealing with DLC types who preach moderation and accomplish nothing but enabling the president and his allies. They need to stop behaving like it's October of 2001. The GOP has nowhere to go but backwards:
Normally, politicians face a difficult tradeoff between taking positions that satisfy their party’s base and appealing to the broader public. You can see that happening right now to the Republicans: to have a chance of winning the party’s nomination, Republican presidential hopefuls have to take far-right positions on Iraq and social issues that will cost them a lot of votes in the general election...And that brings me to my second part. The stunning lack of any accomplishment from this veto-proof Democratic VT legislature. Impeachment gets scuttled. Nothing but a meager proposal for property tax reform. We were lucky to get the anti-war resolution. Last session's Catamount healthcare was like a band-aid that still fails to address the larger problem. What the hell are they doing up there?
Republicans will, for a while at least, be trapped in unpopular positions by a base that’s living in the past. Rudy Giuliani’s surge into front-runner status for the Republican nomination says more about the party than about the candidate. As The Onion put it with deadly accuracy, Mr. Giuliani is running for "President of 9/11.”
Is it laziness? Timidity? Do some Democrats apparently not realize what having a large majority means? Apparently Washington County Senator Anne Cummings doesn't have a clue. When not busy knitting in committee meetings, she shared this nugget (on VPR) in regards to the greenhouse gas tax bill that would put a surcharge on fuel oil:
(Dillon) Cummings says the goal is two-fold: First get something the governor can sign.First, get something the governor can sign. Great place to start the negotiation, huh? What exactly does Douglas have to concede when presented with that sort of position?
(Cummings) "There's a great deal of concern that a tax of that kind would be vetoed, and we would then end up with nothing."
Now, personally I think this particular bill, although well-intentioned, was a bad idea and should not have been introduced in the first place, considering how many Vermonters are already struggling to pay their fuel bill. But I use it because Cummings' response is really emblematic of the problem, most notably in regards to some of the other matters in the legislature.
Considering the current makeup of the legislature, it's Governor Douglas who is the one that should be asking for concessions here, not the other way around. Regardless of the issue, the Dems should be forceful and put forth the best possible legislation, and then have the Governor do the negotiating so he won't have his veto overridden. Not the other way around. It's all about the positioning, and to get back to Krugman's point, if the Dems decided to push through a BOLD proposal for universal healthcare, for example, and they just might find that they're not really being extreme at all. Sure, they're going to piss off corporate apologists like John McLaughry, Big Insurance/Pharma and a few conservatives, but by and large they'd be lauded for the courage and as an added bonus, if they frame it correctly, could paint the gov as a tool for corporate interests, which he most certainly is. Most importantly, they'll have taken action on an important issue and worked towards a solution instead of just perpetual hand-wringing.
And the Dems' inaction does not let you or I off of the hook, either. So many of us talk a good game when it comes to democracy, but we need to not just 'practice' it, we need to get good at it. Go to these committee meetings. Talk to your legislator and look him/her in the eye and tell them to show some courage and that you will support them strongly when they do. And that you will make a stink when they don't.
Having a supermajority shouldn't mean sitting on ones ass and not doing anything. It doesn't mean being drunk with power either, as the national nightmare of Republican rule exemplified. It means taking action. It's time to start putting Douglas on the ropes. Now.
Under the radar: "Teaching the Bible"
Another thing worth drawing your attention to, in regards to our beloved culture war against the Religious Right. If you saw Time mag a few weeks ago, there was an article about how Biblically illiterate many Americans are. Anyways, there are increasing calls for the teaching of the Bible in a strictly historical, non-religious context, under the pretense that religion aside, it is an important historical book that should be taught as part of a well-rounded education.
See, the problem is finding teachers that are able to do that, for most that are willing to seem to be unable to inject the subtle or not-so-subtle proselytizing, as this LA Times article suggests, which is part of a larger article about the not-so-enlightened folks in Texas who are considering requiring Texas schools to offer this as an elective:"When teachers don't have solid training in biblical studies and 1st Amendment issues, then they fall back on what they know from prior knowledge," Chancey told state legislators last week. "Courses end up being sectarian, often despite their best intentions."
And interestingly enough, to get a better mindset of who is behind this, it's Texas state congressman Warren Chisum (rhymes with 'jism'). You might remember him as the nut who was passing around anti-evolution propaganda to his colleagues authored by an organization that believes that Copernicus was wrong, and the earth really is the center of the universe.
He said one teacher showed students a PowerPoint presentation titled "God's Road Map for Your Life." Included was a slide called "Jesus Christ Is the One and Only Way." Another teacher taught students that NASA had found a missing day and time that corresponded to a biblical story of the sun standing still. One school showed "VeggieTales" videos, which feature computer-animated Christian vegetables that talk.
What's really struck me is how many of the Religious Right really want this class taught. It doesn't make sense, simply because nothing makes an atheist easier than when one analyzes and studies the Bible strictly from a historical context. It's what sealed the deal for me. When one sees all of the glaring inconsistencies and the dubious nature of the circumstances of its authorship, it suddenly becomes a lot harder to take seriously, other than a work of historical fiction. That is not to say one cannot still find it inspiring, or that their religion is somehow invalidated (unless, of course, it's one that takes the Bible literally, as many do). So those who say they want this in there for reasons other than subtle proselytizing are full of shit.
At least WorldNutDaily columnist and action star has-been Chuck Norris is honest about the agenda. He describes it as "your first step to getting God back into public school", and the big problem he has with it right now are these 'five unnecessary changes' that a mainstream liberal Christian group are proposing:
Funny, because those are all the things that would actually insure that it is taught in an academic, non-religious context. It's like the 'Intelligent Design' non-debate. They think that your kids should all think like theirs do, and they know what they advocate does not pass academic scrutiny whatsoever, so they try to put it under the radar. Makes me proud and relieved to live in the state with the second highest percentage of citizens with no religious affiliation (21%). And it is important to always remember that when these people accuse you of objecting because you fear that they may be right, make sure you correct them and let them know you fear them because they are wrong. Keep an eye out.
Vermont: Let's kick it up about impeachment.
For those of you following the Vermont impeachment matter, you probably know that the two people in the legislature that could make it a reality, Senate Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin and House Speaker Gaye Symington, are dragging their asses in order to not make it happen, citing other priorities and such. When considering how little the legislature has actually accomplished this year, one seriously has to wonder what those other priorities can be. And this is rubbed in even worse, considering that Shumlin time and time again expresses support of the impeachment measure, yet refuses to back it up with words. Now, Green Mountain Daily and VT Impeach have been covering this quite a bit, so you can get more background on it over there, but I do want to draw your attention to this message from Dan DeWalt, one of the pivotal citizens adding the impeachment, another call to arms, of sorts:
We are looking at at least 40 citizens coming to Montpelier to demand impeachment action next Tuesday. You folks could turn that 40 into 100, and an interesting news day could be changed into a sea of change. Folks just need to show up at the statehouse cafeteria this Tuesday April 17 at 10 am, (if they come later, it will work too). They will be given information about what they can accomplish there, talking points and assistance in getting an appointment with a rep, and in general everything they will need to be comfortable and effective. they can email letsgoflyakite@yahoo.com for more info.
Rude Pundit on why the religious right will continue to tank.
The Rude Pundit takes on Tony Perkins and his hate-group, the Family Research Council:
With one exception, for Perkins and the FRC, it's all about the fucking. Same song, next verse with these people, all the time.
"It is a wonder that educated men and women, ambitious to serve their country, can be blind about issues like the sanctity of human life, marriage and the family, the Islamist and homosexual threats," Perkins whines. "This is an hour in which God-fearing Americans must be extremely alert and stay very close to the Lord." The headlines have been against conservative Christians lately, with the public deciding, in large numbers, that the shit evangelicals care about is worthless, and Perkins is goin' hardball: "Our nation is in serious jeopardy. God will separate the sheep from the goats on Judgment Day, but here and now each of us is called to be a lover and advocate of Truth." And then Perkins gives the Super-Duper Prayer Team a good reacharound: "Your ministry as a prayer warrior could not be more important."
Wal-Mart abandoning organics PR campaign
Wal-Mart has been trying really hard to get some more upscale customers, not an easy task considering they're in the news just about every other day for some hideous display of corporate abuse. And one of the things they've tried is to start selling organic produce in their supermarkets. Of course, anyone who truly follows food issues just saw it for what it was - another greenwashing PR stunt. Much of the organic stuff was big agribusiness 'organics' and some were even from China, where who the hell knows what passes for organics there.
Well, apparently it's not working. MSNBC is reporting that Wal-Mart is scaling back on its organic plans, in some instances cutting them out completely. And it seems to be failing for several reasons. First, the average organic buyer isn't falling for it, and aren't going to be lured into Wal-mart just to save a few bucks. I think it's because many people who actually take the time to learn about organic foods are well aware that it's also about the scale of the operation, and don't trust foods from China or from Dole Corporation. Social and corporate responsibility do matter to many of these consumers.
There's a ton of info on Dole out there, but this one from 'Coop-America' sums up why many organics fans aren't buying what Wal-Mart is selling:It may follow Chiquita in banana sales, but Dole is the reigning world leader in fresh fruit and vegetable production. Dole's image revolves around the health and nutrition of its food, but nowhere does the company mention the poverty and ill health suffered by agricultural workers to bring Dole goods to the world. In Central America Dole's reputation for destruction derives from the poisoning of thousands of workers by the dangerous pesticide dibromochloropropane, also known by the brand names Nemagon and Fumazone. In 1979 the chemical was banned in the US when it was suspected of causing sterility, miscarriages, birth defects, and cancer when inhaled or absorbed throught the skin. Dole and other companies allowed workers in Central America to continue using the pesticide without warning of the devastating effects. Fruit and vegetable producers suffer from low prices dictated by multinationals, and banana producers have been especially hard-hit by what is perceived as a "race to the bottom." When it comes to Dole and agriculture, Co-op America says workers and the environment need your support.
Another corporate predator. And as the MSNBC article points out, the economy of scale of many organic farms isn't fitting in with Wal-Mart's economy of scale for the cheapest possible products:Consider the case of Organic Valley Family of Farms in La Farge, Wis., one of the country's largest cooperatives of organic farmers. When demand for organic milk soared two years ago, rival Horizon Organic Dairy offered to sell to Wal-Mart for 15% below Organic Valley's price. Wal-Mart expected a similar reduction from Organic Valley, but instead the cooperative pulled out. "Looking for ever-lower costs comes at a real cost to sustainability," says George Siemon, Organic Valley's chief executive. "To have consistent supply, you have to change the paradigm of thinking and think about long-term partnerships."
Wal-Mart is never going to get the socially conscious consumer, upscale or not, because those consumers are well aware that Wal-Mart by its very nature is not a good corpoate citizen, and in order for it to continue to exist, it never can be. But perhaps if the 'Left Behind' books, NASCAR everything and the other low points of American culture weren't so achingly prominent in a visit to Wal-Mart, some of the less socially conscious upscale buyers would have a reason not to go to Target. But then Wal-Mart would lose its main demographic. So it's probably best for them to just stick with that already huge part of the pie. And I'm not saying this from some liberal elite horseshit angle, although it may sound that way. It's the very real fact that these consumers inhabit two very different worlds, and are not exactly compatible with each other from a marketing sense. It's brie vs. Velveeta.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Interesting Piece on Evangelicals
Wanna point you to a good piece I just read in the International Herald Tribune about evangelicals, "Letter from Washington: Evengelical Christians feared, but multifaceted". It's a pretty balanced piece that looks at two faces of the American evangelical movement, the homophobic, hateful James Dobson faction and the somewhat more compassionate Rick Warren side.
Not surprisingly, the word 'evangelical' conjures up a negative image for most Europeans who, for the most part, have outgrown religion in many parts, especially the rather immature, irrational kind practiced by most evangelicals. And negative for more than a few Americans, too. Interesting tidbit:
A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll last year found that more than one-fifth of Americans would not vote for an evangelical Christian for president, far more than those who ruled out a Jew or a Catholic.Well, that's promising, but remember.. almost nobody would vote for an atheist, so we have a ways to go on that one. Aside from that, the article does lay out the stark differences between the two factions:
Warren and Dobson are a microcosm of the controversy and confusion over the role evangelical Christians play in American social and political life. Warren is about inclusion and hope. Dobson is about exclusion and polarization.And they're both still fundamentally wrong from where I'm standing, although if the Dobsons would give way to the Warrens, we undoubtedly would have a kinder (if not necessarily wiser) nation. Have a read, it's a good one, it's not a hit piece or anything.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Brattleboro Reformer: Worst president ever.
As a contrast to the droolin' fools who write the editorial page at the Caledonian Record, the Brattleboro Reformer came out with both guns 'a blazin' today: stating the obvious, that Bush is the worst president ever. And they're not letting any of the the players in Vermont off of the hook, either:
History will not look kindly on House Speaker Gaye Symington for her insistence that her chamber must focus on "important matters" and that the House "does not have the time" to deal with impeachment.Hear, hear! And of course, the editorial ends with the important question still as of yet unresolved:
History will not look kindly on Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, who has talked loudly about impeaching Bush and Cheney, but won't pursue the issue as long Symington says no.
History will not look kindly on Sen. Bernard Sanders, and his successor in the House, Peter Welch, as well as Sen. Patrick Leahy, for treating impeachment as if it were a barrel of toxic waste. Short-term political considerations apparently are more important than the Constitution, which they took an oath to uphold and defend.
Does Vermont want to go down in the history books as standing up to the worst president ever? We, the people of Vermont, have the chance to affect the outcome of this story. We must seize this opportunity.
Krugman on the Theocrats
It's often been said that the Religious Right does indeed have an agenda to install a theocratic government. This is often met with the response along the lines of it is a crazy conspiracy theory and all they really want is more recognition of religion in public life. And then they continue to peddle the bullshit line that our (mostly deist) Founding Fathers intended this to be a 'Christian nation'. Yeah, right.
Paul Krugman's got a great piece on how deep those theocratic tentacles really go into the government. And this is the money quote:
The infiltration of the federal government by large numbers of people seeking to impose a religious agenda — which is very different from simply being people of faith — is one of the most important stories of the last six years. It’s also a story that tends to go underreported, perhaps because journalists are afraid of sounding like conspiracy theorists.
But this conspiracy is no theory. The official platform of the Texas Republican Party pledges to “dispel the myth of the separation of church and state.” And the Texas Republicans now running the country are doing their best to fulfill that pledge.
And for those that still think it's a crazy liberal conspiracy theory, let me quote you the darling of the right and one of the most corrupt, sleazy politicians of the modern era, (who also typifies the male, white, Christian, victimized crybaby archetype) Texas Republican Tom DeLay:
Ahead of the 2000 presidential race, he outlined a vision where "we march forward with a biblical worldview, a worldview that says God is our Creator, that man is a sinner, and that we will save this country by changing the hearts and minds of Americans.And don't forget this nugget:
"Ladies and gentlemen, Christianity offers the only viable, reasonable, definitive answer to the questions of 'Where did I come from?' 'Why am I here?' 'Where am I going?' 'Does life have any meaningful purpose?' " DeLay said. "Only Christianity offers a way to understand that physical and moral border. Only Christianity offers a comprehensive worldview that covers all areas of life and thought, every aspect of creation. Only Christianity offers a way to live in response to the realities that we find in this world -- only Christianity."Gee, doesn't sound like there's any agenda there, does it? I'm optimistic that normal rational people, secularists and liberal/moderate religious types are finally waking up to this fact. Anybody that truly takes seriously the notion of 'liberty' should be concerned, regardless of where they are on the political spectrum.
The Secret: New Age Stupidity and the 'Law' of Attraction
The problem is that neither the film nor the book has any basis in scientific reality. The Secret, Byrne states, lies in a New Age idea called the “Law of Attraction”: that similar things attract each other, so positive thoughts bring positive things and negative ones bring negative things. Of course, in physics, it is opposites that attract, but never mind that: according to Byrne, our thoughts send out vibrations that the universe (or some unspecified power) can somehow decipher and respond to. Therefore, goes the dubious logic, we have only to think very hard about the things we want, and we will get them. If you want to lose weight, Byrne writes, you’ll first have to accept that “food is not responsible for putting on weight. It is your thought that food is responsible for putting on weight that actually has food put on weight.” If that example leaves you scratching your head, author Lisa Nichols, featured in the film, explains that “Every time you look inside your mail expecting to see a bill, guess what? It will be there. You’re expecting debt, so debt must show up. . . . Every day you confirm your thoughts. Debt is there because of the Law of Attraction. Do yourself a favor: Expect a check!” Doesn’t that make sense? According to The Secret’s economic insights, the problem is not our bills or debt; the problem is that we are expecting those pesky bills! One wonders how much time Oprah spent skimming the book before agreeing to promote this half-baked twaddle. There’s also an ugly flipside: if you have an accident or disease, it’s your fault. There is of course a grain of truth to this: if a drunk wanders onto a highway and is hit, it’s likely his fault; if a lifelong smoker gets lung cancer, it’s likely her fault. But is everything we experience of our own making? If an airplane crashes, does that mean that one or more of the passengers brought that on himself? Do soldiers killed in Iraq simply not think enough positive thoughts? It's crazy how these people make up their own 'laws' that usually run in direct contradiction to how scientific laws really work. Homeopathy is based on the same thing, the false notion that 'like cures like'. If a particular substance gives you hemorrhoids, ingesting a tiny, subatomic amount of it (often referred to as a 'ghost' molecule), will cure the ailment. Of course when you point this out, people just talk about some experience they had where the homeopathy 'cured' some ailment of theirs and completely disregard the placebo effect or the very distinct possibility that the symptom just went away on its own, as is the case with many ailments. Then they accuse you of working for the AMA. The fact that this is a bestseller isn't surprising. Critical thinking skills are not really taught in the schools, and many people have an astounding lack of understanding of cause and effect, as well as the high occurrence of coincidence in our everyday lives. Instead of being aware of these things, we're stuck with people who insist that 'God must have done it/was speaking to me' or 'the positive/negative vibrations I sent out made it happen.' Looking at this really reveals why this country is in such a sorry state of existence. We have huge swaths of 13th century thinking in a 21st century universe.
As I've lamented before, even though living in VT spares me the frustration of living with the sheer idiocy so prevalent in the Bible Belt, and the luxury of being to be an outspoken atheist and not having to hear people constantly ramble on about their beloved Sky Fairy, the downside is that there's a ton of hokey New Age b.s. up that is quite prominent up here. Astrology, 'energy healing', homeopathy and a host of other pseudoscientific garbage seem to be widely accepted by parts of the culture. Granted, it's not as harmful as having a bunch of dominionists running around, but it's still frustrating.
Speaking with some of these people is sometimes like speaking to a small child who hasn't developed a sense of reasoning yet. One of the common things I've heard is the power of positive vibes and thinking. Now, I don't mean metaphorically. I mean there are people that believe if you think positively about something, even something completely detached in any way from you, if enough people have those groovy thoughts, it will affect the outcome. Sure.
So I got an email today form the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry talking about some bestselling book that Oprah is plugging now, called 'Secrets', by Lisa Nichols. The article is called 'Secrets and Lies':
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Buh-bye, Imus
CBS to Imus: Yer Done. Now that wasn't too hard, considering Imus' hateful comments are well-documented. Now if they can just do something about Glen Beck...
Watch the LGF crowd piss and moan about this again, because white men are soooo persecuted in this fine country of ours, right? Poor Imus was just a victim. And also watch them try to make this about Sharpton (who I don't like either). Black people are apparently only responsible for the actions of other black people. And all those nasty rappers. Problem is, Sharpton and 50-cent didn't say those words. Imus did. Of course they're gonna be pissed. He's one of them. And Sharpton now says he's got his sites trained on the hip-hop scene. We'll see where that goes.
I'm sure FOX will hire Imus, or perhaps he can be Malkin's monkey sidekick now.
UPDATE: After sleeping on this whole Imus thing, I have to say, to be honest I'm sort of torn because of the free speech issue at hand here. I feel no sympathy for Don Imus whatsoever, any more than I would for George Wallace. It is also made more complex by the notion that part of why he got the axe was because people of color who worked at NBC and CBS actually expressed their concerns about it. I can't say that I'm upset at the idea of one less raving bigot on the air, but there's still something about this that doesn't sit right with me. I think the Rude Pundit really sums up the same thing I'm feeling about this, more or less.
The really messed up thing which is much harder to address is the fact that this idiot has such a huge audience. That's where the real problem is.
More on the coming evangelical split
crossposted at Green Mountain Daily.
I'd like to point you to a great piece by Paul over at Alien and Sedition today, called 'It's Not the Liberals Who Should Worry About Evangelicals'. I think that Alien and Sedition is one of those great blogs that really excels at serious, thoughtful analysis of the conservative movement from many angles, and I encourage you to add it to your list of daily reads.
Now, if you follow these kinds of issues like I do, you may have noticed in recent months a bit of a rift in the evangelical camp, between the war-mongering, xenophobic, sex-obsessed faction and the quieter faction who actually take Jesus' philosophy regarding social justice seriously. Their side encompasses many things that many of us on the lefty side hold dear: environmental stewardship, world peace, and eliminating poverty. Granted, there are still fundamental differences, but there is at least some common ground.
Taking much from an article in the N.Y. Review of Books, Paul seems to believe that there is a coming rise of moderates from the evangelical side, who are not necessarily nutso fundamentalists. And, as someone pointed out in the comments of the Kos cross-posting of this article, if the Dems are able to appeal to those common ground issues, the Republicans truly have a lot to fear, because they are left with nothing but the extreme right-wing base, which is not exactly a sustainable way of keeping power. The key is for the Dems to not go overboard with the God talk, because then they're going to lose the support of those who hold secularism and rational inquiry in highest regard.
It just goes to show how screwed up some of these people are when talking about the GOP '08 roster, it still seems like a pro-choice candidate has no chance in hell of getting the nomination. With all the serious problems in the world that affect every single person, this obsession with holy wars, the well-being of pre-humans, and which orifice a penis ends up in may eventually do them in. Although they're not dead and buried yet, and I still am not convinced the Dems are going to turn everything around (especially as long as the DLC types have any kind of influence, which, thankfully is also on the decline), I think what we are witnessing now is the beginning of another long trek into the political wilderness for the GOP, and the next time they come out of it, it's going to be harder to pull this kind of stuff off. One can only hope.
Breaking: Idiot Townhall Pundit has irrefutable proof of zombie Jesus!
Well, not really. Heck, not at all. It's just when an article starts off with such an idiotic sentence such as : "Liberals detest the historical fact that Jesus Christ arose from the dead," what else could I say? Now putting aside the fact the existence of no real 'evidence' whatsoever (and the author offers no real evidence either, just the usual faith-based b.s.), and conflicting, inconsistent accounts within the Gospels, let this 'liberal' respond. I don't detest the 'historical fact' of Zombie Jesus' existence any more than I detest the 'scientific fact' that the earth was created 10,000 years ago in seven days, with man in its present form.
I detest the fact that there are a ton of people stupid enough to believe these things uncritically or unquestionably. Gives all of us humans a bad rap.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Name that Movie
Ok, Bill Simmon is now 5 for 5, which makes me think he's the only one coming here and doing this. Nevertheless, I am a glutton for punishment.
Last week's movie was Bruce Beresford's 'Black Robe', a 1991 film about a French missionary's journey up the St Lawrence River to go and convert the Huron Indians. It is a truly top notch film, with amazing scenery, incredible story, and first rate acting, probably in my top-10 films of all time. I'd highly recommend it. The Obligatory Stupid Trivia Question about the Vermont connection? Well, the guy in the phoo is explorer Samuel de Champlain, he who our famous lake is named after.
Ok, here's this weeks movie:
Name, year, and director, please. Now, I've finally figured out that my Obligatory Stupid Trivia Question more often than not ends up being a hint. That hopefully stops today. The only thing is to just remember the connections in these questions are often very tangential. What is the connection between this movie and Weather Report? Take that, Bill.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Reagan, 'Operation Coffeecup' and the Origins of the War Against Universal Healthcare
crossposted at Green Mountain Daily
One of the many things that helped bring the conservative movement into power was the ability of the operatives to give the illusion of broad grassroots support of a particular issue, when in actuality, it was basically a coordinated illusion. It's still a rather popular technique today, hence we have front groups such as Working Families for Wal-Mart, or the power utilities-funded Citizens For Sensible Energy Choices.Since so much of that the cons try to do would fall flat on its face were it laid out for the public to see clearly, this is one of the most effective ways of getting support for an issue - giving the illusion that one's fellow citizens support some toxic policy position.
RJ Eskow has a great piece over at Smirking Chimp that lays out a history of the war against universal health coverage, something that goes way back, complete with red-baiting from of all places, the American Medical Association (AMA). And this shouldn't come as a surprise, but one of the pivotal figures responsible for laying down the foundations of this conservative nightmare we've been living through for the past two decades, Ronald Reagan himself, had a vital role in the initial fake grassroots campaign which eventual led to the demonization of 'socialized medicine' which is still a major impediment to serious healthcare reform in this country.
As Eskow reports, the AMA has had a long history of opposing any sort of stet-funded medical system, all the way back to 1939. Harry Truman started to take action, but had to retreat due to a successful anti-Socialist campaign. So as the 1960's started, a few programs were incrementally added. It was at this point that the powers that be started to get worried.
Enter Reagan and what was known as 'Operation Coffeecup', the original 'front group". As Eskow reports:Enter the AMA. As Skidmore and Larry de Witt recount, Ronald Reagan was hired as part of a covert campaign to undermine support for Medicare and Medicaid. "Operation Coffeecup" was born.
Needless to say it was successful, and brought the term 'socialized medicine' into the public consciousness, replete with visions of Stalin wearing a stethoscope, and today the healthcare crisis is worse than ever. Not to mention the other horrible result of all of this:
Reagan recorded an LP (or "long playing" record), "Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine." The AMA sent it to the "ladies' auxiliary" of the Medical Association in each county (unthinkable as it is now, medicine was so male and gender roles so different that each county had a "ladies' auxiliary" for doctors' wives.)
The "ladies" were instructed to "put on the coffeepot," play the record for their friends and fellow physicians' wives, and then get out the stationery (scented, no doubt) so that each of them could write personalized letters to their Senators and Congressmen. (Yes, they were called "Congressmen" then, even if there had already been some heroic women among them.)
There was no public announcement of the recording, or of "Operation Coffeecup." The idea was to make it seem as if the letters were spontaneously written by distressed citizens. Portions of the recording were also reportedly broadcast as radio commentary.The "Socialized Medicine" record was Ronald Reagan's first venture into political speech. It didn't just represent smart, well-funded political strategy. It also launched a career that in turn brought about the conservative revolution. Reagan's efforts in "Operation Coffeecup" were so well-received that he was invited to give a speech for Barry Goldwater at the 1964 GOP Convention.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Dick Cheney, turd-eater
I had my coffee coming out of my nose this morning. Nothing has typified the bullshit-completely-unhinged-from-reality spin that Dick Cheney puts on the abominations he's responsible for than this one from 100 Monkeys Typing.
And if anyone sees zombie Jesus today, tell that bastard he still owes me 10 dollars.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Thursday, April 5, 2007
National Day of Climate Action 4-14: Step It Up
Vermonters - F.Y.I.
Step it Up - A National Day of Climate ActionAlso, if you'd like more details, check out this post at GMD.Don't miss a fun opportunity to get involved and participate in Montpelier's `Step it Up' climate action day.
What: Hosted by VNRC, the Association of Vermont Recyclers, National Wildlife Federation and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, the event includes speakers, music, maple creemees, a march to the State House and appearances by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and state Senator Peter Shumlin.
When: Saturday, April 14, 2007
Where: Morse Farm in East Montpelier (1168 County Road), followed by a march (or shuttle bus ride) to the State House in Montpelier.
Why: To push for bold and meaningful climate change action from lawmakers locally and nationally.
For more information visit www.vnrc.org or www.stepitup2007.org or call 802-223-2328.
