Wrinkled Mind

Bush Officials Objected To Awarding Medal To J.K. Rowling Because Harry Potter Books Promote Witchcraft

2009-09-29T08:15:00.002-04:00

Umm...I ain't got the words.

Think Progress Bush Officials Objected To Awarding Medal To J.K. Rowling Because Harry Potter Books Promote Witchcraft

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A Ramble

2009-09-29T07:36:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted here since 19 June, and for a number of reasons. From the end of April to the beginning of July, I wrote and/or revised my poems (or, as many as I could), then I turned 40. I spent a few days adjusting to that fact, then leapt head-long into preparing for Fall classes. The fall semester is now a couple weeks old. I find the fruits of those labors paying off in minor, but none the less, important ways. I'm still waiting to hear from literary magazines about the poems I sent, which comes as no surprise, since that's how they operate: slowly.

I sat down here to write "something." "Anything." Honestly, I don't know what to say, which is rare. Put as succinctly as possible, I'm lonely. Terribly lonely. That is hardly the full tale, but it will (mabye) suffice. It seems that almost all of my time is spent working. I have, recently, enjoyed several outings to bars and coffee shops that seem to have eluded me in recent months but, I spend much of my time either in class or at home, and usually feel I am missing something in both places. I cannot figure out what is missing. Time? I certainly don't have enough of it, and giving up sleep for the sake of any sort of "productivity" has proven in the last 24 hours to be detrimental to my health. I came home from work sick, having cancelled my last class yesterday, and slept for something like 14 hours.

As I type, newly arrived cold air (that so many people seem to love, unable to contain themselves upon considering the upcoming "winter sports" season) settles into the hinges and pullies in my hands; reason 42 I hate winter: pain. But that isn't the only reason this is a rambling mess.

I don't know what to write. In the past, I've posted politics, humor, social injustice, and even gaming related articles. When I posted regularly, two or three times per day, I actually enjoyed a readership of 16 people in three or four countries. That was pretty cool. Now, I don't know. And I'm not going to ask. I tried that once, and received three responses. In fact, few people give a shit about this blog. The internet sports millions of them, so why would anyone bother reading this. My wife follows it, but that's only been a recent development, and I don't think I've posted anything since she signed up. Of course, I published the blog for three years before she did that. And no, sweetheart, I'm not sniping at you. I'm not sniping at anyone. I'm not even writing to anyone.

I find that, because I have so much in my head and, for the most part, only my cat to talk with at length, everything is jumbled. It's difficult to focus on things for long enough to write an article of any length (or interest). For example, I have given a lot of thought latley to several academic subjects, from pedagogy to university bureaucracy--which I can never spell correctly, and I'm not going to look up--to law to mead making to how to organize the piles of papers and books strewn throughout my apartment. I can't stick with any of it. I don't know what my fluxuating emotional state or my current run-down physical state has to do with the problem, but I'm sure they're involved.

Mostly, I want to sleep. Mostly, I don't want to be here.

Mostly, I seem to have lost my thread.

The Meth Labs Of Tulsa

2009-06-19T03:16:00.000-04:00

Tulsa meth labs since January 2008. See the really heavy concentration at the top-ish center? My parents and sister (and her husband and two kids) live kinda right in the middle of that blob. Yay.

The Iranian People Show Their Balls

2009-06-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

This is really an amazing set of events unfolding in Iran. This is, in essence, revolution.

As an American who lived the last eight years of his life under the Bush Administration, under dark clouds of controversy about election results (and, as we all now know from the recount completed after the coup was accepted, he didn't win in 2000), I have to wonder where our courage went? Maybe into masterbatory elation so many Americans feel when watching Fox News or reading Us or People magazines? I don't know.

As the video progresses, there is a scene in which several security officers (cops) are detaining and striking a protester with batons. Just watch the left-bottom of the screen. In America, when we see cops beating a person for no apparent reason, we stand around and record it on cell phones or say "c'mon, leave him alone." We watch. With our fingers up our asses. Maybe long years of relative freedom have helped us forget that "the officials" work for us, regardless of whether they are carrying guns and tazers; that their job is not to beat the hell out of one of us because we didn't pull over quickly enough or because our hair is long or one's skin is black. A branch of government that treats everyone like a criminal, that criminalizes as many aspects of daily life as possible so that it may prosecute those regular aspects of daily life as crimes, is corrupt. It's just nice, once in a while, to see large masses of people standing up to that kind of tyranny. Too bad we just have to watch it on television.

Cop Ego Vs. Paramedic with Patient

2009-06-14T01:51:00.000-04:00

In Episode 83,370 of Ego-Driven Police Bullshit...this week...from my home state of Oklahoma (in fact, not far from where I grew up), somebody gets his little "ego" in a twist. The video is lengthy, but what happens is worth noting: Officer "Obie" stops an ambulance because it didn't pull onto the shoulder when he came up behind it, then passed it with great ease, at about 90mph. Some points to keep in mind:

A. 1 young white OHP officer.
B. 2 black paramedics.
C. There is a patient, I repeat, PATIENT IN THE AMBULANCE.
D. Several witnesses arrive. One is the patient's husband. He's a tad "put out," and it's rather a miracle he didn't get involved, physically and, likely, end up on the world news.
E. The young, aggressive, stupid cop decides to begin cursing at the paramedics on, approximately word #3o. Of course, you and I can be arrested if we say "fuck" in front of a cop; not "too" the cop, just in ear-shot.
F. The young, aggressive, stupid cop decides the way to handle the situation is to scream at the paramedics.
G. The young, aggressive, stupid cop decides to attack. The paramedics. Who are carrying a patient.
H. This is all on video and audio.
I. Nothing is going to happen to the cop for this because, of course, he has been "going hot to help the county out," which is so sweet and kind. Note, of course, he arrives on that particular "hot" scene, and never exits his vehichle. So, of course, he went and created his own scene.
J. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is not going to press charges against the paramedics.

Of everything to give one pause in the above list, it's that last one that makes me cringe most. The cop attacked the paramedic. The cop cursed the paramedic. The paramedic was trying to do his job; you know...the saving people's lives by treating them en route to a hospital job. The officer didn't know the condition of the patient, but it didn't bother him a bit to make her wait 15 minutes while he waved his ego in everyone's faces. How kind and thoughtful that the OHP won't be pressing charges against the paramedic. That seems to me as assinine as the guy Dick Cheney shot on a hunting trip apologizing to Dick Cheney for the trouble he was causing. Or a good samaritan who gets arrested...

Politics, Poetry, and the Pathetic

2009-05-26T02:32:00.000-04:00

Ruth Padel, who is hardly a household name, and Oxford's first female professor of poetry, resigned after admitting she'd slung feces at Derek Walcott, once of the finest poets of the late 20th century, in order to get the job for which they were both finalists. This is sad in many ways. To begin, she was the first woman to hold the position at Oxford. Ever. What a wonderful occassion! much like Carol Ann Duffy's being appointed to Britain's first woman Poet Laureate. Wonderful!

And yet...

Rivalries between artists have existed for centuries, and some of these rivalries have been famous and/or infamous, and between very talented, intelligent people one might allow oneself to be fooled into thinking were "too big" for such trivialities. But, to quote the comedian, John Pinette, "nay, nay, my friends." One must only be reminded of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry in hip-hop we see today; this is not new, and those of us active in the world of the arts know this quite well. In Shakespeare's sonnets, for example, we find four "characters": 1) the speaker, 2) the young nobleman, 3) the dark lady, and 4) the rival poet. Many of the British Romantics engaged in what was, at least, friendly rivalry. Dante Allighieri had so many rivals, both political and artistic, that he ended up banished. Having said this, very often, these rivalries actually improve the art because the rivals constantly try to "one-up" each other and, as a result, all parties involved become better poets (and usually friends).

But even these poetic rivalries are recent. If we follow the string of time further into the spool, we find that the composition and/or recitation of poetry, especially epic poetry like that of Homer, was once considered an event worthy of the various olympic-styled games held in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. And, sometimes, they came to blows.

Somehow, the behavior of Padel is seedier than a direct punch in the testicles. Maybe it seems so because it is underhanded; it isn't, after all, like she challenged Walcott to a duel (either with pistols at 50 paces, or verse at 50 lines...which would have been awesome). And, as the article points out, if poets of the past had been cast aside because of their unsavory habits, we would have few poets. Or painters. Or novelists, or playwrights, or actors, or sculptors. I'm not defending sexual harassment, here. I'm attacking a politicaly correct, over-moralizing western society that is willing to cast one of the late 20th century's finest poets to the wolves for trying to get laid (albeit with no grace and less tact, especially in reducing a grade for being refused...that's just bad). Did he handle both the documented situations badly? Yes. Is he an asshole? Maybe. It is difficult for me to say, since I've never met him. The two incidents (nine years ago and 25 years ago) were asshole behavior, to be sure.

But whether Walcott is an asshole isn't the point. Whether he's a lecherous old man isn't the point, either. By most standards, many of the finest poets who ever lived have been less than admirable as people. Padel is playing a base, pathetic role, for which she will have lost any respect she might, thus far, have earned. Her behavior is pathetic because, had she not resorted to these methods, he would have gotten the job based on their abilities.

Moment of Cool #3: Banned Book Library

2009-05-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

and it's being kept by a high school kid. In a locker.

If I had a lot of money, I'd pay this kid's way through college. And buy him/her a car. Or something.

Moment of Cool #2

2009-05-21T02:38:00.000-04:00

A woman explains why she prefers "the outsized male." That is, fat guys. Yay me!

WoW Detox

2009-05-20T04:13:00.000-04:00

Don't think World of Warcraft is addictive? More than 40,000 people disagree with you. I'm one of them.

At another time in my life, I used drugs. For two years, I drank half a gallon of whiskey a day. One morning, I simply stopped using the drugs. Another morning, I stopped drinking. With both of these things, I just decided, "no more," and that was "it." I don't have what psychologists refer to as an "addictive personality." This method, however, does not stand up where cigarettes and World of Warcraft are concerned. I honestly believe it will be easier to quit smoking that it will be to quit WoW.

I left World of Warcraft for 83 days: from Friday, 13 February, until today. Today, I re-started my account for one reason: to pass off guild leadership to someone else. Ironically, he had already been elevated to Guild Leader, apparently by Blizzard's people. He didn't even know it until I told him. Now, I have a month of WoW paid for, and I honestly don't know whether I can NOT play it. Maybe I should cancel the account, delete my characters, and uninstall the game.

The problem is that, deleting Chadonnah (lvl 80 Tauren Badassed Warrior) and Cneomaeg (lvl 80 Badassed Orc Hunter, and his trusty companion, Aefensceop) is a little like killing friends. I spent almost 3 years building them. I chose names that MEAN something.
Chadonnah is the Oto-Missouri word for "hello."
Cneomaeg is the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) word for "Cousin."
Aefensceop is the Anglo-Saxon word for "Evening Singer."
I created detailed histories and complex personalities for these characters. They are so special that, among the 11 million players with World of Warcraft accounts (each of which is allowed 10 characters on each of the dozens of servers) I am proprietor of the ONLY character named "Chadonnah" and the ONLY character named "Cneomaeg."

And now, I'm going to annihilate them.

I started playing this game because my friends played this game. In fact, when I purchased the very computer on which I am typing right now, one of those friends showed up at my house within hours to oversee the installation of the game. Virtually all of my real life friends at that time played WoW, as did many of my real life acquaintances, though I did not know this at the time.

So, how much REAL LIFE time did I spend logged in to World of Warcraft? From 18 September 2006 until now?
3,746 hours. I will let you figure out whatever mathematical horror you wish from that number.

The truth is, I love World of Warcraft. But I can't play it any more. I played two hours this evening, and I can already feel my mind numbing...after having spent 83 days re-building that mind in the real world.

Moment of Cool #1

2009-05-15T01:55:00.000-04:00

This is the first installment of something I call "Moment of Cool." These will be very short entries with links to something interesting, usually a subject quickly read or viewed, so that you can move on with your day.

Moment of Cool #1: Arguably, the oldest human figure sculpture ever found. It's of a woman, of course.

Explorer-Scouts Train in Post-9/11 Law Enforcement Methods

2009-05-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

Something that few people know about me is that I am an Eagle Scout. I was, during my 12 year association with the Boy Scouts of America, an Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, and Assistant Scoutmaster. As I advanced through the Boy Scout Ranks of "Star" and "Life," the two ranks immediately preceeding "Eagle," my Scoutmaster thought it prudent to "hold" me; to slow my advance so that his son might be the first Eagle Scout in our troop. To shorten a long story, my fellow scout was not first; we enjoyed a joint award ceremony at which I was "pinned" first, in no small part because half the council's leadership attended and was ready to rebel against my Scoutmaster if he pinned his son before he pinned me. Everyone, and I mean 'everyone' knew I'd been held back for two years, while the other guy made his way through the ranks. So it goes. It doesn't matter, anyway, and this isn't the point. I still have my uniform, my patches and merit badges, my first Boy Scout Handbook. The point is that I know what I'm talking about, here.

This NY Times article disturbs me very much. I have defended the Boy Scouts of America for almost 30 years against people who asked questions like, "isn't that a para-military organization?" I always answered that anything resembling para-military activity was just exercises in self-discipline and/or a bunch of boys being boys and playing soldier.

I remember once, at Scout Camp during the summer, a number of the camp staff dressed as "terrorists" and weilded uzi-water-guns during a "take-over" the dining hall in which we all sat eating bad camp food, the idea being to show us kids what it would be like if a group of terrorists attacked our camp. To my knowledge, the only times anything like that ever happened in North America was in a bad Chuck Norris movie and a bad Patrick Swayze movie, both filmed as thinly veiled Cold War propaganda.

I also remember that, at around that age, boys with a little power tend to abuse that power because, well, they're just boys. I knew plenty of Patrol Leaders, Senior Patrol Leaders, Assistant leaders who, when given a little power over their fellow scouts, abused those who'd voted them into their offices with impunity. We learned quickly (I was guilty of such a mistake, once, until a 13 year old brought me up short) that leadership was given to us not as a weapon of control and status, but as a tool we were to use for the mutual improvement of each troop member; not as a platform of power for a few, egotistical children who were picked on in school for being Boy Scouts in the first place, but as a ladder on which we all could climb together, as equals. We taugh each other these lessons about friendship, leadership, Democracy, fellowship with all people, and much more.

But here, we have Boy Scouts being trained to weild guns, trained to make arrests, trained to assault busses and buildings. For real. In the county where they are being so trained, according to the Times, “This is about being a true-blooded American guy and girl,” said A. J. Lowenthal, a sheriff’s deputy here in Imperial County, whose life clock, he says, is set around the Explorers events he helps run. “It fits right in with the honor and bravery of the Boy Scouts.”

No it doesn't.

It fits right in with the honor and bravery of properly trained and supervised soldiers and police officers. The "honor and bravery" of a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Explorer Scout has nothing to do with military or para-military activity. And I remember the lessons. Below, for your perusal, a few of those lessons. It's been over 20 years, but I didn't have to look any of this up as a refresher. Read them carefully. You will not see "a Scout is a good cop" or "I will do my best to kick ass."

The Scout Oath: "On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, and obey the Scout Law. To help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

The Scout Law: A Scout is...Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
The Scout Motto: Be Prepared
The Scout Slogan: Do a Good Turn Daily

This program offends far more of these points than it "fits right in."

This is pre-school.
This is para-military training.
This is encouragement for entry into the military and police forces.
This is a program that teaches children how to push other people around, literally and figuratively.
This is a facsist's wet dream.

As if It Weren't Bad Enough, Welcome to Personalized Children's Books

2009-04-29T08:42:00.000-04:00

An advertisement for this website popped up on my Facebook margin, and I couldn't help but click on it; not becuase I was interested in a purchase, but because I had to find out whether this was is appalling as I feared.

It's worse.

Personalizing a story, whether it includes characters from Sesame Street or worn out cartoons about dogs, should not be left up to some corporate entity. Creating stories for your children, whether they include Scooby Doo or aliens from the planet "Friendly," is a parent's job, a parent's responsibility, and is both a bonding and learning/teaching practice in which humans have engaged since our species came down from the trees and started walking upright. Historically, stories passed from parent to child become family inheritance; legacies passed down from parent to child for centuries. But here, we find it entrusted to "Memorable Treasures," a company whose name is so trite that, if one's gag reflex is not automatically triggered, one has spent far too much time wandering through Jo-Ann Fabrics or Michael's, mesmerized by the "craft" section wherein one might purchase pre-printed cross-stitch patterns or toilet paper holders. At least some these abominations require the consumer to spend time and effort. These books do not; they require that you fill in a few blanks spaces with your child's "information," if you can remember it.

Some of you, gentle readers, have already thought to yourselves, "hey, it's a different world and parents are busy people trying to make a living these days and who has time to make up stories for their kids?" If you're going to bother reproducing, you may as well spend the time raising your children. This doesn't include nannies, sitters, and day-care. Each of these services have their functions, but one of those functions is not to raise your children. It isn't their job; it can't be their job. Their job is to keep your children from dying while you're off making lots of money and contacts or getting your next facelift or keeping your golf date. This doesn't include school teachers whom, for some reason, most of the American people have decided should be saddled with raising your children. Not the school's job. Not the teacher's job.

I know this may sound crazy but, instead of spending so much time raking up money to spend on a "lifestyle" or "appearance," (like "appearing to give a shit about your children"), try making a life, first. And make this life for your children. This means telling them stories (even if you're a crummy storyteller) and giving them a sense of family, connection, trust, and joy in that kind of relationship. That way, when your golf swing has gone arthritic and your face just won't lift any higher...that is, when you've become as cartoonish and fictional in real life as you made yourself, and your children, by turning your family life into an easy-to-ignore "treasured memory," you won't have to wonder why the kids never call.

Why Soya May Actually Suck

2009-04-26T22:27:00.001-04:00

This one's kinda for the guys...

There is a part of me that wants to laugh uproariously. I've been saying for a very, very long time that soy, in its many, varied, and processed forms, is not a valid replacement for other forms of protien; that is to say, some occassional dead animal isn't a bad thing.
I'll admit readily that there are some really wonderful dishes that include tofu. I am forced to admit this because, over the last six months, on a couple of occassions, I found myself rolling my eyes with pleasure at the deliciousness of a few meals which, as it turned out--and as I was unaware until afterward--contained tofu. What can I say? Yummy is yummy.
Nonetheless, the very existence of "soy milk," for example, is baffling to me, since soy does not produce milk. It produces juice. But I digress.

According to a study that appears in the U.K.'s Daily Mail, among other problems, soy products lower testoterone. As my bald head bears witness, I have no testosterone problem. I have it by the gallon. But those of you who don't enjoy elevated testosterone levels might want to be more conscious of the negative effect of soy products.

Wait...what am I saying?! Testoterone is the chemical in the body that induces virility...you know...keeps you off viagra at age 30...keeps your muscles from deteriorating early...

On second thought, my vegan and vegetarian friends, keep eating tofu and other soy products. In fact, gorge yourself on the stuff. And be sure your lady has my phone number. Chances exist that she may, almost, nearly, kinda consider calling me.

Quitting: Any Ideas?

2009-04-24T04:33:00.003-04:00

I am considering deleting this blog, and I would like some opinions about whether I should. Even if you're a regular reader and hate everything about this blog, I'd like to know. At least that would mean someone was reading it. (If you are one of these, I'd like to say 'fuck you, pal,' in advance. Just wanted to get that out of the way, just in case.)

If you look at past posts (over the last four and a half years) you'll find I've been kind of a badass in terms of "calling" a number of things, from war crimes which will likely go unpunished, to social trends, to problems with American education.

I've tried to keep friends and the occassional drop-in reader (and a few regulars I had for a while) informed about those news worthy pieces that slip through the corporate media cracks (or are crushed under their heels). I'm not a conspiracy theorist or an uber-left anti-everything person; I've just been calling things as I saw them, sometimes with commentary, sometimes without. The latter especially when I thought the item spoke for itself.

I've tried to inject humor, audience-specific and very generalized, to varying degrees of success.

I've lapsed into inactivity, become active, then lapsed again.

The nearly 6000 hits have occurred over the last 18 months or so since I added the counter. 6000 isn't bad, is it? I mean, I'm not Huffington or anything. I don't do the advertising thing.

And I've considered maybe creating a different, more focussed blog that deals specifically with Ypsilanti stuff. Or maybe just a "daily poet" blog. Or an "I'm a giant, worthless shit" blog. But I probably won't.

Anyway, you're input would be appreciated. I'm going to leave this post up for a couple of weeks. Please leave a comment or something, so I have some rough idea of how many people bother visiting this thing. If, after that time, I have nothing, I'm going to erase it.

Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Tony

Chinese police training manual offers tips on the best way to beat up offenders - Telegraph

2009-04-24T04:13:00.000-04:00

What? Nooooo, not our good friends (trade-deficit-weilding-debt-owning/us-owning Chinese! Say it ain't so! Well...at least our police are nothing like that...right? (The video ain't pretty.) I say, our police...our police...

Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?: Scientific American

2009-04-24T03:43:00.000-04:00

Uh, yeah. Probably so. Why do you think I've been trying to put together a self-sustaining organic farm for 25 years (and failing miserably, I might add)?

Senate Leaders Opposes Interrogation Inquiry Panel

2009-04-24T03:36:00.000-04:00

Bullshit. A war crime is a war crime. Maybe the country needed Ford to pardon Nixon. I don't know. But this is Bush Administration sanctioned torture. Shouldn't Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney, and Rove be held to some kind of standard? They all knew about it. I'm not saying they should hang, but come on...

Naked Wizard Taser Brawl At Coachella: Not Work-place Safe

2009-04-24T03:31:00.000-04:00

The man was naked. He wasn't really doing anything to endanger anyone. And these pigs tazer the shit out of him. I'm not sure, but it seems to me that three or four of those 150 people standing around might have done something other than yell at the cops; maybe step up and offer to escort the guy home? I don't know.

And "law enforcement" wonders why people fear them...

Disinformation or Educational Materials: Thoreau's Civil Disobedience as Useless

2009-04-24T01:47:00.000-04:00

Read the first paragraph.

Read the first sentence.

Pay attention to the part that reads, "for most of us there are not many occasions when it can actually be used."

Is this son of a bitch kidding?

Nope.

The Pulitzer-winning investigation that dare not be uttered on TV - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

2009-04-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

And now for something every bit as infuriating...wait...most of my loyal readers already know this. What loyal readers? Oh yeah. You all fucked off, I guess.

Columbine truth 10 years on

2009-04-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Few remember it. Here are a couple of other dates to throw at your kids.

12/7/41
4/19/95

I almost assure you two more blank stares. Just like you'll get from people in 25 years about 9/11/uh...what year was that?

The Associated Press: Marilyn Chambers Dies at 56

2009-04-15T01:10:00.000-04:00

It's a damn strange thing. You experience the "usual" icons from your youth die, and by that I mean sports greats, great artists, and never think about those who were part of your adolescent fantasies. Then, one of them dies. If Eric Zimmerman were alive, he'd be sad for a week.

Sofas Making Aussies Sick: Shouldn't be a Surprise Where They're Made

2009-04-12T02:07:00.000-04:00

Okay, damn it. Say it with me...

STOP BUYING CHINESE SHIT.

Why? Let's see...toys, drywall, sofas, et cetera, and so on, and so forth, ad infinitum.

And yes. This means stop shopping at Wal-Mart and Target. And anywhere else that sells garbage made in China. Maybe the cliche chickens are coming home, folks.

Between deadly goods, forced labor, and one of the most corrupt governments on earth, maybe it's time...I dunno...to start making and buying our own stuff again. You know, bring an end to the depression we're in (don't fuck with me, you know it's true) and actually produce goods again?

From Salon: The Girl Who Made It Good to Be Bad, Helen Gurley Brown

2009-04-12T00:48:00.000-04:00

I think of my delicious, feminist, red lipstick-wearing, cleaveage showing feminist, feminist wife.

Exposed Partiers Turned Away

2009-04-12T00:45:00.000-04:00

...because nobody in college has ever seen a breast. Gasp.

Pupils taught the meaning of swear words during sex ed class (From Wiltshire Times)

2009-04-12T00:43:00.000-04:00

Because, after all, they're not going to learn them elsewhere. Nor do they have friends inside or outside school who know what the words mean. Nor do they know older kids in the neighborhood who use the words. Or their parents. Or television. Or movies. Fucking asshole administrators. Fucking stupid parents. And parents wonder how it is that their children know so much more than they. Here's a suggestion: if one tries to keep up with what children are saying, as much as what they are doing, then we'll all have a far more meaningful, educational, and responsible population. At least, that's my opinion. If you don't like my opinion, you can fuck off, too.

Postal Service to Close Offices, Seek Retirements (Update2) - Bloomberg.com

2009-03-20T20:09:00.000-04:00

If we have fewer postal workers, that means less mail is delivered. That means less communication and, what we'll get, will be slower.

All they'll have to do then is make internet access more difficult.

Teens capture images of space with £56 camera and balloon - Telegraph

2009-03-18T20:08:00.000-04:00

This is pretty sweet. A group of Spanish kids used a weather balloon and a $100 camera to take pictures in the stratosphere.

Assholes Having to Clean Their Own Shit...

2009-03-18T19:52:00.001-04:00

DEAR GOD!!!! She had to wash the car and mob the floor! HERSELF! AHHHHGGH!HHTHUGIOnonono...fucking assholes.

And the award for the Most Degrading Advert To Women goes to... | Mail Online

2009-03-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

I can see how the "winner" is a bit much. After all, it's just an ass. A nice ass, but only an ass, after all and, as such, an objectification. The "spaghetti" ad...I don't even see the point of the ad. BUT, the Roman flavored, Romulus-Remus-she-wolf coffee ad is really cool, if one views it from an historical/mythological point of view. I get the feminist complaint about it, but I think that it's one that also kind of defies politics...except for that whole "we're selling you something" part.

Men's Sex Lives May Suffer as Waistlines Expand

2009-03-10T12:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, that's it. I'm losing weight actively, starting right bloody now. You can get in the way of my spare time, you can get in the way at the grocery store. You can get in the way of my sleep. Go ahead...shorten my life expectancy. But you don't get in the way of this. If I think too much with my other head, so be it, but not this. (Please read this with the appropriate tongue in the appropriate cheek...hmmm, tongues...)

Police bracing themselves for 'summer of rage' against economic crisis - Telegraph

2009-02-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

This can't possibly be good.

Some Teachers Left Behind and A Big Lie

2009-01-09T17:01:00.006-05:00

Not that I think anyone reads this blog any longer, but I still feel the need to post things. For example...

I checked the mail this afternoon and discovered a letter from the United States Department of Education (USDE). Like many Americans, I borrowed money to go to college. Had I not done so, college would simply have not been possible. Ever. I am the first generation of my family born outside of sharecropping. After he left the cotton fields of Arkansas, my father went to work for a railroad, from which he recently retired. He never made more than $32,000 per year during the 30 or so years he worked for them. He raised four kids on that money. Since my 18th birthday, he has given me a total of $3500, and I thank him for all of it, sincerely, because I know that was all the financial support he and my mom could afford.
I worked 50+ hours per week as an undergraduate, spent four years paying the minimum student loan payments to SallieMae, then went back to college. I took a Master of Fine Arts (a terminal degree in 99.9 percent of the world), during which time I was forced--if I was going to attend graduate school at all...ever--to take more student loans. My father, my government, my advisers, my teachers, all repeated, over and over, a mantra that resembled, "take the loans." So I did. I did so because I was earning a terminal degree; because I was going to teach in a university and earn a sufficient income with which to repay the student loans. Then I took a lectureship at the university where I currently teach. The university refused--and continues to refuse, ten years later--to recognize my degree as terminal. Their "reason" is that I do not teach "in the field" specific to my terminal degree. Never mind the tenure-track faculty who teach outside their degree fields (there are many of them); their degrees are terminal. It appears that I'm a special case.
My repayment amount for my student loans is now $180,000 (based on interest that will accrue over the life--interesting word choice--of the $69,000 in loans. On the graduated (I pause to chortle) plan, I begin by paying $461 per month. This number rises over the years until, during the last stretch, the payments are almost $700.00 per month.
I bring home--that is, after taxes, union dues, etc.--about $1920.00 per month. My rent (for what is, truly a glorified motel room) is $700, which leaves $1200.00 per month. Other bills that I've managed to accrue--credit cards, a car payment, phone bills, etc.--amount to the remainder, plus more; that is to say, to make my bills each month, I require that my wife write me a regular check for about $200 to cover everything. (She takes care of groceries, gasoline, and other necessaries from her meager pay working two jobs. She gratduated from college, too.)
At my father-in-law's suggestion, I looked into the USDE's loan forgiveness program. I mean, seriously...does anyone in their right mind think that, on top of the bills I have now, I'm ever going to be able to make student loan payments of the abovementioned magnitude? I thought that maybe there was some way good old Saint Education and I could work something out, especially since I've dedicated my career, my fiscal well-being, and the best years of my life--so far--to teaching 17-25 year-olds how to read & write well and critically. After all, some of my former students have gone on to win teaching awards and business awards. Some have become attorneys. Many have gone on to graduate school, pursuing Ph.Ds and other professional degrees. I wonder how much economy-pumping I've helped engender by dedicating myself to this pursuit...

Anyway, the loan forgiveness program...

It turns out, that those of us in higher education are explicitly barred from anything resembling student loan forgiveness. If I were a $65,000 per year tenure-track professor, I would not likely be upset by this. After all, that's more than twice as much as I get paid and, honestly, $400-500 per month isn't quite so destructive when one's income allows for such payments. But I am a full-time lecturer. In fact, because my university refuses--for very bad reasons--to acknowledge that my degree is terminal, I'm ranked on the lowest rung of full time lecturers. I teach 15 hours per semester (3 composition courses--which faculty in other departments often refer to as "the trenches" when they wince at my response to "what do you teach?"--and one writing-intensive literature course), and gross barely $27,000 per year.
And I'm barred from student loan forgiveness. Medical professionals aren't barred. Even though I am one of the people who teaches them how to write a complete, concise sentence. K-12 teachers aren't barred, even though I'm responsible for teaching them how to write a complete sentence and not destroy the intellectual lives of their youthful charges.

And they really think I'm ever going to be able to repay this?

I used to tell my students--mostly working class kids who, and this should sound familiar, are the first in their families to get a shot at a college degree--that, if they couldn't afford college, take the student loans; the education will pay for itself. I don't say that, any more. Now, I sing the praises of the college drop-out. I tell them that a college degree isn't necessary to be "successful," no matter how they define "success." I encourage them to educate themselves in libraries and with like-minded friends at coffee shops.

In America, among the many false bills of goods we sell to others--and are sold ourselves--we sell our kids a false bill of goods concerning Education. From early childhood onward, Americans are throttled by blunt voices repeating "you must go to college" for this or that reason. Then we charge them a fee to take entrance exams, for which many purchase preparation guides. Then they pay a fee to apply to universities, not to mention tuition and fees while they attend. If they want to go to graduate school, they repeat the process for more entrance exams, more guidebooks, more fees. And, all the while, we tell them that the education will pay for itself. That with the degrees comes the "success."

It is all a lie. It is a business meant to make profit. Much like the now-demolished credit industry, the education industry sells to anyone with a hungry mind, and it sells on credit. What better investment, they tell us, than in your self? What better investment can one make than in one's own education?

If you want to "fix this economy," it wouldn't hurt to fix the education industry. In fact, I have several suggestions:

1. Forgive all current student loan debt. My money should be going back into the economy to help bolster the nations economic health, right?

2. Make education in America's public universities free-of-charge to anyone intelligent enough to maintain passing grades.

3. Cease treating public universities like corporate entities. They are not companies. They are schools.

Most people know that many changes need to be made, and most people know what those changes are. And all of the changes are connected to money and power. The old saying, "only in academia do so many work so hard for so little" is true. A good start may be to remove the money-grubbing corporate mentality.

The etiquette of gaming like a MAN

2008-12-28T03:49:00.000-05:00

This is hysterical.

I disagree with the "bard" item. Shakespeare TOTALLY PWNT ORCS!!! I got video!

Jumbo snow globes + sunlight = consumer hazard - Yahoo! News

2008-12-28T03:38:00.000-05:00

Cuz Snow-Globes suck. Always have, always will.

Disco fever is back - Times Online

2008-12-28T03:32:00.000-05:00

I was a kid when disco--and the wild party-lifestyle that accompanied it--arrived and went away. I remember watching the adults smoke weed, get drunk, and have lots of sex. I was just old enough to think, "boy, I can't wait until I'm old enough to do that." Then AIDS showed up and the disco ball dropped on everyone's heads with resounding crash. Then I moved to Oklahoma and was stuck there for a long time.

Cheney's Shocking Admissions on How Close He Came to Nearly Destroying the Country | | AlterNet

2008-12-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

That sound you hear is not ice crackling outside. It is the snapping of my teeth as I grind them.

New jobless claims surge to 26-year high | Reuters

2008-12-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays...

Teachers Arrested for Sex with Students - TeacherCrimes.com

2008-12-21T17:38:00.000-05:00

Yeah, this is linked again immediately because I am now amazed...I didn't realize how many k-12 teachers actually did this stuff. They're all old enough to know better. Some of them are very attractive. Mostly, it's the sheer numbers. On the left hand side of the page is a state-by-state listing...interesting.

Nurses Turning to Prostitution in Alarming Numbers

2008-12-21T17:29:00.002-05:00

Because people get burned out on giving a shit 24/7. Nurses, it seems...I wonder how many teachers become prostitutes. Man, if our students found out what we did in our off-campus time...

of course, what happens to teachers is that we give a shit 24/7 and, instead of "cutting loose once in a while," we become lonley, poverty-stricken introverts who are expected to "behave" and teach your kids how to go out and live the American Dream. Add to this that we're making shit pay and teaching you (or your kids) how to go out and make two or three times as much money as we EVER will. I forget the line, and I forget the movie, but I heard one in which an actor says they couldn't wait to get a job where random assholes blow them shit all day. Yeah, that's teaching.

But when we get a little too drunk at a back-room bar we had to discover or create for ourselves while trying to avoid you or your kids, everyone is suddenly "OMFG, you're unworthy." There is, of course, a list of rules and standards to which teachers are held, and to which nobody else must adhere; but they all reserve the right bitch about us if we break one of their holy, bullshit commandments. Actually, they excercise the right. Often.

There used to be a set of "rules for teachers" that circulated around the internet that showed numerous, practically inhuman rules teachers had to follow 150 years ago. The rules now are unwritten, and every bit as barbaric and dehumanizing.

I can feel the black sludge of being an old man ooze onto my skin, and I'm not 40 yet.

Having said all of this, there is kind of a limit. I mean there are some really, really stupid teachers in the world. For example...or a lot of examples...

Global Orgasm Day

2008-12-20T00:41:00.000-05:00

Don't forget, kiddies!

Swinging with the American dream - Bild.de

2008-12-20T00:38:00.000-05:00

NOT WORKPLACE SAFE MATERIAL...HINT: IT'S ABOUT SEX, BUT IT ISN'T PORN.

if you open this very interesting article from Bild.com at work, don't blame me later.

Having offered the above notice, enjoy the read.

workforce_rpt02.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2008-12-18T10:44:00.000-05:00

So, what does this say?

40% of English faculty in 4-year universities are "adjunct."
68% of English faculty in 2-year colleges are "adjunct."

Adjunct = Part time.

The suggestion has always been, especially among tenure-track faculty, that adjuncts aren't as good as they are.
The suggestion has always been, especially among administrators, that adjuncts aren't as dedicate to their field as tenure-trackers.

And then, there are the full-time Lecturers. Me, for example. I am, it is suggested, not dedicated to my field, nor do I "produce." Why don't I "produce." Becuase I teach three freshman writing classes every semester, and get paid less than a manager at a fast food restaurant. It's as if "Tenure-track" = "poor baby, take all the time you need." Sure, they work hard. No doubting this; I don't have to sit on committees. I would, but I'm not allowed.

Really, I don't know what the hell this means. I should have been a farmer. But I've never had the money to buy the land and now, there's a depression on.

Адажио Adagio: A Short Film

2008-12-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

This is beautiful. Very Russian, and very beautiful.

Local paper fails to report Obama's victory - KJRH.com

2008-11-12T00:37:00.000-05:00

This happened in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Sapulpa is the county seat of Creek County; I am from Creek County, and spent a great deal of time in Sapulpa when I was young.

And people "back home" wonder why I left...

tards.

15 Second AR-15 Rebuild.

2008-11-02T01:42:00.000-05:00

She's 11 years old...

the AR-15 is an assault rifle...

does this bother anyone else, or is it just me?

Eagleburger Blisters Palin: "Of Course" She's Not Ready

2008-11-02T01:18:00.000-05:00

When your own people say it's bad, it's probably bad.

McCain Camp Buses In School Kids To Fill Crowd

2008-11-02T01:16:00.000-05:00

Worse than I thought, and I suspected it was pretty bad; I thought it was "just" camera angles to hide the lack of attendees.

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis - Sweet Georgia Brown

2008-11-02T01:30:00.000-04:00

Lovely

Fully Nude Female Prisoner Forcibly Strip Searched by Ohio male cops

2008-10-27T00:17:00.001-04:00

Like I have to say a fucking thing?

By the way, pay attention to the fact that she was convicted of Misdemeanor Resisting Arrest Charges.

Lou Dobbs: Major Public Concerns Of Martial Law In The U.S. & Army Denies Claims

2008-10-26T23:50:00.000-04:00

Get your boots ready.

Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control" : Information Clearing House - ICH

2008-10-08T20:04:00.000-04:00

It is illegal. It has been illegal for a very long time. Have you even heard about it?

Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1 - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times

2008-10-07T23:24:00.000-04:00

I thought this was the job of the National Guard; that this is why we have a National Guard--to provide defense and aid during national disasters. But wait, the National Guard has been gutted and sent to Iraq.

Does anyone else sense something wrong with this? And this started on a week ago.

I talked to a friend who lives in a quiet little part of New Jersey tonight. He was driving to the grocery store.

Guess who was manning an arc-light illuminated checkpoint checking "papers"...

Brad Sherman on the Bailout Bill

2008-10-03T12:29:00.000-04:00

Martial law? Well, why not? Make us afraid of ______________!!!! NOW!!!!!

hey, it worked for the Nazis.

YouTube - AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka on Racism and Obama

2008-10-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

While this is a speech about Obama, basically, the speech also addresses labor movements and the proletariat mind in regard to race. I've been saying for years that we are in a class struggle, not a race struggle, and corporations are going to do as much as possible to keep us from seeing that this is so. Trumka, when he's not campaigning for Obama in the speech, hits on exactly that point. It is that point that is the reason for posting this, but it's a pretty good speech for other reasons, too.

YouTube - Goldman Sachs Bribed Senate To Pass Bailout Bill

2008-10-03T11:46:00.000-04:00

This video is a bit longer than it needs to be. The maker spends the first half showing the House of Representatives arguing against the bailout bill, and it should; but it does so longer than needed, only because 80% of us opposed it, and most of us know exactly why. But it picks up steam when the footage of various Congressional "leaders" start talking. It is this that makes the video worth watching. As is this one.

Jack Cafferty On Sarah Palin

2008-10-02T16:34:00.000-04:00

Thanks Jack. I thought I had hallucinated that.

YouTube - Professor Wikipedia

2008-09-30T08:10:00.000-04:00

My colleagues wonder why I think Wikipedia is less than a "brilliant innovation for educators." Have a laugh on me.

YouTube - CBS Sarah Palin interview

2008-09-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

She just has nothing.

$700 Billion Is Sought for Wall Street in Vast Bailout - NYTimes.com

2008-09-21T03:27:00.000-04:00

Because helping the homeless, funding NCLB, health care, maintaining roads, keeping people in their homes, helping those of us who want actual HOUSES, and a host of other really good ideas are liberal "welfare" and "entitlements."

This is "economic recovery."

And the bastards will get away with it, too.

Crying to Mama

2008-09-20T18:32:00.002-04:00

The representative from Ohio has the floor's attention. It should have all of our attention.

Rest In Peace, Richard Wright

2008-09-17T11:04:00.002-04:00

All our gods are mortal, in the end.

McCain softens his opposition to AIG bailout - Yahoo! News

2008-09-17T10:24:00.000-04:00

I post this, not because McCain flip-flopped, which he did, but because I see a problem with the Federal Reserve bailing out AIG. It's the Federal Reserve. It is now in the Insurance Business without pretense, without shadow-politics. It's in the open now. And lest we forget, the Federal Reserve is not actually the government. It's about as "Federal" as the Postal Service; that is, it's a private company that controls our money--how much there is of it, how much it's worth. And the problem with that is, among other things, our money is not really worth much these days. We are trillions of dollars in debt to other countries and, oddly, to the Federal Reserve. And now they're in insurance. Does this strike anyone else as dangerous? Further, I heard someone on CNN say that the government was bailing out AIG, and that the Government was going to own something like 85% of AIG. THE FEDERAL RESERVE IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT. This seems to me a perfectly good time for someone to explain that to the American people. Oh look, someone has. And someone else has, too.

The End of the World?

2008-09-09T20:08:00.004-04:00

If something goes wonky with this, the party starts at my house.

She Knows Sarah Palin

2008-09-06T12:52:00.002-04:00

This is a link to a Snopes verification of a "rumored" letter, written by someone from Wasilla, AK, who has known VP candidate Sarah Palin for years. Snopes has verified it as authentic.

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you angry."

Confesssions of an RNC Security Guard

2008-09-06T12:26:00.001-04:00

I found this on Salon.com (as noted above), and felt that, since many of my loyal readers do not read Salon (though they should), I'd re-post it here.

Not As Many Protesters as Anticipated

2008-09-06T12:24:00.002-04:00

If anyone was curious about why there were fewer protesters at the RNC than expected, well, here's one reason. I'm also going to post something else from Salon.com. It's the article in which this, and other interesting reading, were discovered.

Standard Fox Twist

2008-08-25T18:07:00.003-04:00

So, poor Griff is "giving them a chance" to speak, to use their "freedom of speech." The do so but, according to Fox News, they are not. Why? Because when they utilize said freedom, it isn't quite what Fox wants to hear. "Fuck Fox News" is not difficult to hear. Sounded like they were "speaking" to me.

An Interesting Point About McCain

2008-08-23T02:37:00.002-04:00

An interesting question about McCain raised on Alternet. It might even be a good point. Be sure to read the linked article they include about McCain and the "red button," which is also interesting. I'd comment on both, but I'm exhausted. And you're smart.

Neo-Slavery

2008-07-11T11:07:00.003-04:00

This is an interesting piece, and I have no doubt the book is equally fascinating. I'll have to give it a read. One thing I know, already, is that the the hardships endured by freed slaves after the Civil War were not endured by them, alone. It wasn't a matter of "color," but a matter of "class," as so many things are.

Down 50% or Thereabouts

2008-07-11T11:03:00.002-04:00

Fred and Fanny...

this is huge. I wonder how many people really understand what this means...

Because He Feels Our Pain?

2008-07-11T11:01:00.001-04:00

Well, shit. I guess that one's been used. Time to get a little more backstroke practice, Mr. McCain.

Where the Hell is Matt?

2008-06-20T20:46:00.003-04:00

I know that nobody will see this for a while, but I thought it was too beautiful to pass up. I know nothing about it. It may be an advertisement for something but, not knowing, assuming that it's just "some guy named Matt" doing his "thing," it becomes a beautiful thing.

Rights and Liberties: Tupperware-Style Taser Parties

2008-01-31T13:26:00.000-05:00

A Taser to match your lifestyle...

Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28

2008-01-23T00:16:00.000-05:00

What a waste.

MilkandCookies - Focus Group Fraud: Fox News and Frank Luntz

2008-01-08T12:57:00.000-05:00

Fuck You, Frank

MilkandCookies - NY Kissing Train

2007-12-18T14:54:00.000-05:00

I want a turn... :(

H. R. 1955 (Referred-in-Senate)

2007-12-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

HR 1955. This is the bill where Freedom of Expression goes to die. Now is not the time to be silent.

"Those who surrender liberty for security will have neither." Benjamin Franklin

This Guy Hit 60

2007-12-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

I wonder what his reaction was when they announced Burning Crusade, and he found out that his 60 would be just another level.

Alexander Cockburn: Jackboot State Stubs Its Toe in Ann Arbor

2007-12-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

This happened IN TOWN. WE LIVE HERE. DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THIS in the A2 News? Michigan radio?

NO. WE DIDN'T. Do you wonder why? Don't think on it too long...

Let me repeat...

THIS HAPPENED HERE

Gunmen release first video of ‘forgotten’ British hostage - Times Online

2007-12-05T11:20:00.000-05:00

Interesting choice of armament...

Is 'Golden Compass' 'selling atheism to kids'? - CNN.com

2007-12-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

WHAT?!?!?! You're selling something to KIDS?!?!?! That's unheard of! Who would EVER do such a thing!?!?!

TheStar.com | Technology | Tasers: the next generation

2007-12-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

Because this is a good idea? Was it ever a good idea? Let's ask UCLA students about it. And do we think it might be a well-known incident? People outside UCLA sure know about it.

Al Franken: Bill O'Reilly's Swedish Study

2007-11-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

Why Al Franken loves Bill O'Rielly.

Ever Worked Around Outside Security?

2007-11-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

I have. Usually, they think they're cops and, too often, they act that way.

Calls in Sudan for execution of Briton - Yahoo! News

2007-11-30T10:31:00.000-05:00

I'm a liberal about a great many things. These are the events that make me, on occasion, conservative. They want to execute this woman because the students in her class wanted to name their class "pet" "Mohammed." At the risk of writing many, really bad, ranting words, I will end this entry now.

Chinese Tiger Has Nothing in the Tank

2007-11-28T14:24:00.000-05:00

And when a nation needs resources this badly, they usually invade something. This is dangerous, and can not end well.

Slashdot | U.S. House Says the Internet is Terrorist Threat

2007-11-28T11:24:00.000-05:00

Free Speech! Some restrictions may apply. For a limited time only.

wcbstv.com - Montclair State Unveils Mandatory 'School Phone'

2007-11-27T14:42:00.000-05:00

Pardon me? WHO the hell thinks this is a good idea? And don't say, "it promotes student safety." That's a little like saying that "every teacher packing a 9-millimeter promotes student safety."

Every student can be tracked, subject to advertising they don't want to see, eaves-dropped and, lest we forget, everything they or their teachers say can be recorded. Now, let's put that into perspective...and this isn't the only case of this sort of thing...

Toccata and Fugue in D minor

2007-11-26T12:43:00.000-05:00

Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D like you may never have seen it. And I mean "seen."

Paul sings Nessun Dorma

2007-11-26T12:06:00.000-05:00

He won, by the way...

Virginia Heffernan - The Medium - Sesame Street - Television - Internet Video - Media - YouTube - New York Times

2007-11-20T13:58:00.000-05:00

You've got to be kidding me. First, "ho ho ho" is shat upon because it may be offensive, now Sesame Street is unsavory? Get bent, censors!

FOX Attacks Decency

2007-11-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Fascinating video, this. What took me aback, especially, is the bit wherein newscasters are discussing murders in Florida. The video they provide as background is...astounding (?)

YouTube - Stevie Wonder Drum Solo

2007-11-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

At first, the "real drummer" thinks Stevie Wonder is "cute." ahhh, honey look the blind guy is going to try and play some drums. By the end, the "real drummer" hopes he has a job.

MilkandCookies - Drummer vs Beatbox

2007-11-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

Presenting....

My new favorite drummer...

In Iraq, Conflict Simmers on a 2nd Kurdish Front - New York Times

2007-10-23T15:36:00.000-04:00

Some day, when you're looking back at all of this, don't say that nobody told you it was coming.

All About Jazz - The Definitive Resource for Jazz Music

2007-10-17T14:51:00.000-04:00

So, for those folks who are trying to figure out what the hell I (or most of my friends) just said, here's a guide. It's hip and you'll dig it.

Democracy Now! | Turkish Military Shells Northern Iraq & Amasses 60,000 Troops on Border as U.S.-Turkey Relations Deteriorate Over House Vote on Armen

2007-10-15T18:42:00.000-04:00

Uh-oh.
See the fan.
See the feces.
See the feces headed for the fan.
Do we really want American troops standing around waiting to get caught in the middle of this?
Bringing them home now might be a damn fine idea.

Income-Inequality Gap Widens - WSJ.com

2007-10-13T10:41:00.000-04:00

I was talking about this with my classes yesterday. We were talking about the Robert Reich essay concerning the same topic, which he wrote some 15 years ago. For those of you who pay no attention to history, last time this happened, a "big deal" called The Great Depression followed shortly afterward. That was a bad time. You might look into it, and get ready to eat Lard Sandwiches and pay $18/lb for apples.

AlterNet: Environment: The Hidden Health Risk of Cell Phones

2007-10-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

No shit. I think I wrote a blog entry covering this about eight months ago. Now it's big news. Yay me.