Egypt

Apparently, police are terrible the whole world over.  While 'revolutionaries' torched nearly all of the police stations in Cairo, the Egyptian army moved in to protect infrastructure and historic locations; "There were no clashes reported between protesters and the military at all, and many in the crowds showered soldiers with affection."

It says a lot about a countries police force when people in the midst of a revolution would rather have their army there instead of their police.  I wonder who we'd rather have around in such a situation?

~Nic

God: to keep kids off reason

Fuck Georgia.(Or, really, just that stupid school)  This shit is obviously and clearly unconstitutional.  These are the same total idiots who want to "bring the constitution back", or whatever stupid nonsense they spout about our constitutional values.  Hey, look everyone, it's Jesus delivering the constitution to some little boy!

~Nic

Note to self

This is here so I can reflect on my post at some point.  This was in reply to a boatload of nonsense on the strib website about homeless death(s) that may or may not have happened (that we know about)

"A lot of you should be terribly ashamed of yourselves. A few "this is lib propaganda to promote more money for Dayton's" blah blah blah. Some other rambling nonsense about lazy homeless people. A college student on a cell phone in a homeless shelter is clearly proof that homelessness isn't a problem? What? Have you people lost your minds? You don't need to be a 'bleeding heart lib', or even compassionate to realize that this is a problem that needs to be solved (shame on those who downplay the fight against homelessness as utterly impossible -- apologists for immorality). It's common civility to allow people to AT LEAST be allowed to sleep on the floor of a relatively warm building instead of under a bridge -- yes, people sleep under bridges. Obviously they do this because they are too lazy to work. Right? Nice and warm behind our keyboards we are. From that vantage point, I'd rather you pompous fools keep your mouths shut instead of berating people who have.. well, nothing. But it's now en vogue to circle around people with little to nothing and offer it as proof that everyone is simply lazy."

Sorry.. I have to share this with you

Skillet - Hero 

I just fucking barfed in my mouth...  had to spit it out.. Now my baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa key sticks.  I love how "rock" wouldn't be "rock" without boatloads of vocal processing. 

"I've got to fight for what's right, today I'm speaking my mind, and if it kills me tonight, I will be ready to die"

**puke**

Don't ask how I came across this... Google is both wonderful, and dreadful.

~Nic

Glad they're feeling the pain too.

These are the people the tea party is simultaneously backing and pretending to hate.  (Often in the same sentence).  I thought millions of dollars of income a year was outrageous.  Billions??  BILLIONS?  (I like Sagan)  In a world where tiny amounts of money can make really big differences in peoples lives, especially in third world countries, this is indefensible.   The "It's their money, they earned it", which I understand but do not necessarily subscribe to doesn't seem able to apply to this even... even from a stance of trying to understand why people might believe or think certain things.. I don't know how it's humanly possible to "earn" an amount of money that eclipses the entire 2010 (nominal) GDP of Barbados (Unless one person whacking a keyboard and analyzing data is worth all of the productive work of a population of 281,968 people). 

fuck.

~Nic

Sorry...

Ronald Reagan.. The best you got?

This is only a snippet, but I'm really interested in why, exactly, republicans get such a hard-on about R.R.  His economic 'ideas' came from misunderstandings of Arthur Laffer's curve .. I mean -- as an exemplar of a good Christian he's not even the best... the dude got a divorce.  I suppose divorce's approval ratings have really sky-rocketed in the past 50 years..


Which brings me to another rambling point... This cycle I have noticed.. I am sure I am not the only one, and I might have read it somewhere (I read an awful lot of stuff).. maybe inspired by something that you readily recognize.

1. "liberal" 'movement' grows around a particular subject
2. "conservative" 'establishment' cries foul, and fights it
3.  every-day people start to realize that the "liberal" 'movement' actually sounds like a fairly decent new idea --that being forced to stay married to some dipshit who beats you and your children, for instance, is generally not fucking cool.  Or maybe my favorite: Women are not property and neither are black people
4. the "liberal" stated subject gains approval
5. the dissenters die off, or otherwise have a "revelation" or some new way to read the bible
6. the ex-dissenters ("conservative" from 2.) declare that the founders of the original movement were actually the ones who didn't want the movement to progress, and are currently guilty of going against the movement's subject (such as: "liberals WANT black people to live in the inner city on welfare, and make nothing of their lives" .. notice the several layers of misguided assumptions, outright misunderstanding, and spin?)
7. repeat ALMOST forever, until we've finally realized that we're all in this together, we don't need god to be 'moral', killing is counter-productive to pretty much everything, and we should focus on moving life and our understanding of it and the universe forward scientifically (since we no longer need to dwell on childish bullshit like trying to find goddamn Noah's Ark, and other such marvelous stupidities)

This snippet grew a bit.

~Nic

Self: to note

This is mostly so I remember and later explore this idea.  Since no one really reads this, I am sure I am not boring anyone.

Why we must protect "vitriol"
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/11/democrats-single-sharron-angle-calling-limits-speech/

Why we must simultaneously destroy "vitriol"
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/11/arizonans-rally-prevent-westboro-church-disruption-shooting-victims-funerals/

There seems to be an irreconcilable difference here.

Hooray, a bunch of goons learned a new word this last Saturday...  Vitriol - to keep kids off drugs.

~Nic 

Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act

That's actually the title of the repeal bill for the Affordable Care Act in the house.  What's next?? "Free cupcakes for all Gun Freedom Law"?  More timely would be "The Pro-Job 10 Commandments in Every Courtroom Act".

Jesus christ...


~Nic

The debt 'sealing'

Fox news poll:

 

 The national debt now tops $14 trillion, creeping closer to its $14.3 trillion limit. White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Austan Goolsbee warns that not raising the debt limit would be "catastrophic" for the economy, while Tea Party Republicans in Congress vow to fight any increase. Should Congress raise the nation's debt ceiling?

 

Should Congress Raise the Nation's Debt Ceiling?

Not sure -- I understand that borrowing is important to powering economic growth, but I don't see how piling debt on debt is a good thing. 4.71%

 

Yes -- The economy is moving forward and it's critical that the federal government be able to borrow in order to continue growth. 3.88%

 

No -- This borrowing binge has to stop and a vote against raising the debt ceiling is the first giant step toward fiscal sanity. 89.85%

 

Don't care -- What's billions when you're talking about trillions? I don't care, just make sure I have a job. 0.98%

 

Other (post a comment). 0.57%

 

 

Total Votes: 29,151

 

Where in the hell is the choice "Yes, because if we don't we won't meet our current obligations (Since borrowed money generally pays interest, and interest accumulates, therefore even without adding any spending, the ceiling will be reached with interest alone).  This type of propaganda is seen at all levels of the conservative christian dogma.

The percentages are terrifying, and fox news' (continued) refusal to to put in a proper answer in these stupid polls infuriates me.  Imagine if everything in life had such things attached to the simple "not sure, yes, no, don't care"..

scenario: 

Sir, did you enjoy your shopping experience with us today?

a.  Not Sure -- I understand that this store is awesome, but today I am incapable of realizing it

b. Yes -- This is the best store ever, and I will never shop anywhere else

c. No -- I am a complete idiot

d. Don't care -- see choice a

That's just a fun one.  Now imagine political pollsters...

~Nic

If I were an Honor(able) captain

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/video/captain-honors-edited-video

OK, So now that we're on the same page.

If I were the Captain of an aircraft carrier (See: Small city), and wanted to entertain my crew, I would probably, like with any job, run my video first past my own internal filter.  Ask myself questions such as:

1. Would I say/show this to my boss?
2. If I said/showed this to my boss, would he not fire me?

If the answer to either of these would be "No", I would refrain from putting such a thing in my video.  While being common of normal back-slapping (See: ass slapping, as in homoerotic football players who are oddly, quite homophobic.  This is an observation, 'correlation doesn't imply causation' may be ('loosely') applied.), this video would generally be something I would find myself unwilling to forward (via email, for instance) to everyone in any company I work for, let alone the boss of such.

According to the AFA (predictably), the leak of this video is proof of future 'retribution' against higher ups [in the military] who have done similar things, by those no less than "faggots" (double quote because I'm putting words in their mouths (backwards?  Yes.).. they really wanted to say faggot, but all they could muster, after running their stupid script through their own mental filter, was 'homosexuals'.  Pussies. (Q.E.D. on my prior point btw) ) are about to come streaming in.  To them, it's because they're now seeking revenge for their love of godless acts, but we all know it's because bigotry (such as the military's stance toward homosexuality), when finally upheaved, has a tendency to be reigned in ex post facto.

If I've said it once, I've said it a billion fucking times:  We don't have to be politically correct, but it's generally a good idea to not be assholes to people that we don't know. 

Please, in this year of 2011, can we bear witness to actual progress instead of jesus?  Please.  Please. Please.

~Nic

 
propaganda

prop·a·gan·da

/ˌprɒpəˈgændə/ Show Spelled[prop-uh-gan-duh]

–noun

1.information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

2.the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.

3.the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.

....