A vision of my naked body would produce laughter or tears, not sure which.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Freak-Out About Muslim Mosque Near WTC Site
Is causing a lot of people to go ballistic. But this is tarring all Muslims as radical jihadist terrorist, which is not accurate. Christian pro-lifers were horribly upset at being accused of condoning murder because Scott Roeder killed Dr. George Tiller, but what they are saying about Muslims amounts to much the same thing.
DADT Allies
This ACLU post points to a couple of military bloggers supporting repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). I love this quote from one of them:
"If I am lying by the road bleeding, I don't care if the medic coming to save me is gay. I just hope he is one of those buff gay guys who are always in the gym so he can throw me over his shoulder and get me out of there."
Sounds sensible to me!
I sed a little off da top! - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
This is a lion cut. I had my cat Shannon groomed this way once and she looked so cute.
What's in the Foods You Eat?
From the Scout Report:
What's in the Food You Eat [pdf]
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=17032
"How many calories are in an egg and cheese muffin? A serving of grapefruit? These are pressing questions, whether they are for personal use or for someone who might be in one of the healthcare fields. The "What's in the Food You Eat" database was created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and it contains nutrient profiles for 13,000 foods commonly eaten in the U.S. Visitors can use the online search tool to look for various food products, and they can just type in words like "orange", "yogurt", or "salmon". The engine will return a list of suggested items, and visitors can also focus their search by using food codes from the Foot and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS). A guide to the FNDDS codes is also available online here for consultation. [KMG]"
Why Did North Korea Sink the South Korean Ship?
Interesting post spellling out all the theories, and that even the best of them are dubious...as Kevin Drum puts it, this is nuts by even North Korean standards of sanity.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Three Excellent New York Tiimes Columns
The Gray Lady still got it goin' on. Gail Collins takes on some of the wackier candidates running for office now, Roger Cohen discusses graphically some of the horrors happening in Iran, and Nick Kristof is outraged about an excommunication from the Catholic Church.
An Expert on What's Happening with the Oil Leak
Interesting article from an unnamed expert, but whom TPM says has a good resume on the topic.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Appalling Statement from American Family Association Official
This is one of the worst things I have ever heard. This is nasty, vicious, and, of course, not true, though the article points out the truth that this a**hole, Bryan Fischer, has twisted mercilessly. I am utterly speechless at anyone making a statement like this. It is beyond vile, beyond appalling, it is barbaric. He has the free speech right to say it. That anyone sane would avail themselves of the right to say it is enraging.
Wayne Beson: Why the Affairs of the Morality Brigade Matters
Good column. Once upon a time, a politician's sexual affairs were considered no one else's business, unless it impacted their ability to govern. The Moral Majority types are the ones that made it matter and made it an issue, and that is why, when one of them speaks out forcefully against what they consider sexually immoral and is found to act in a manner opposite his/her speech, it is considered to matter. They also tend to speak in favor of a person taking responsibility for their actions, and then are the first to whine that the liberal media is out to get them, not that they were caught doing something they themselves claimed was unacceptable. Even more important, these are the people who cause immmeasurable suffering to gay people worldwide, and for that they need to be excoriated.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Dalai Lama On Learning From Other Faiths
An op-ed piece in the New York Times by the Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader I respect most in the world, with a Desmond Tutu a close second.
Monday, May 24, 2010
NYT Article on Stieg Larssen
Larssen was the author of the Lisbeth Salandar trilogy which began with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Oddly enough I read the article tonight just after finishing my second reading of that book. The article talks about Stieg's life, the publishing sensation the trilogy has been, the disputes over Larssen's estate, and the possibility that some more unfinished manuscripts might exist.
Good Commencement Speeches
Nick Kristof shares parts of two commencement speeches that inspired him.
But … - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger?
I used to have a cat that loved to watch the swirling. He's also wander around talking to myself, and I thought he was my little scientist/philosopher.
Best Show in Texas
...seems to be the hearings about the new Texas standards for social studies textbooks. My favorite:
"The highlight, or should I say lowlight, of yesterday’s 13 or more hours of public testimony (I got to speak in hour 12) was the speaker who told us that Texas history curriculum should teach “that slavery was created by fallen angels.”
Drug Arrests and Racism
A study of arrests in New York for marijuana finds results that are hard to explain in any way other than blatant racism.
Mark Twain's Autobiography
Mark Twain's autobiography is finally being published, over 100 years after his death.
Hot Spot to Keep an Eye On
Apparently North Korea torpedoed a South Korean ship and sand it. Tension is excalating. This is a situation to keep a careful eye on.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thanks to My Family
It has been a spectacularly rotten week for me, but a good one in that so many people, my family of birth and the one of choice, have helped me through it - despite the fact that many of them have been going through their own troubles. Mark, Fran and Crystal have all been terrific, even more than usual. My boss, Lori, my brother John, and Stephen and David who keep me sane through each workday are also much appreciated. Thanks to each of you and may you always have someone to watch your back as you have mine.
Reprieve
My cat Heather, who adds so much to my life, has been having severe attacks with neurological symptoms. They have been getting worse and I took her to the vet yesterday fully expecting not to bring her home. The vet though thinks that it is worth trying to see if a different medicine will help. If it is something like a brain tumor, the new medicine won't help. But I have hope again, and meanwhile my baby is doing well. and everyday I have with her in that condition is a blessing, one I am most grateful for.
HBO Miniseries John Adams
Have now watched 5 of 7 episodes of this miniseries, and am loving it and highly recommend it. I love history, because I love understanding not only what happened, but the forces and individuals that combined to create events. History is the story of people, the great and the ordinary, and everyone in between.
The American Revolution is one of my favorite periods of history. An absolutely incredible group of people coelesced to do something so amazing. They gave voice to a set of ideals that I believe are among history's best. I don't believe we have ever yet fully lived up to those ideals, but great breakthroughs have been made that might never have happened without those men and the women who supported them. Their great tragedy was an inability to end slavery, and some of them knew it, but also knew it was beyond their ability to accomplish while being able to create the new nation.
The John Adams miniseries shows again HBO's commitment to quality programming. It is based on David McCullough's best-selling biography, and stars Paul Giamatti as John and Laura Linney as Abigai, both wonderful. A host of terrific actors play other roles, some of the most impressive being Tom Wilkinson as Franklin, David Morse as Washington, and Stephen Dillane as Jefferson.
At a time when faction is rife in our nation, I think it an excellent idea to look back and see what it was these men had in mind when our nation was founded, and to be reminded that even they did not agree on everything, and could not accomplish everything they wished. We should see that it is for us, their heirs, to strive to accomplish what they gave to us with their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor - the things they pledged to create this country.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Marian the Cybrerian Article
Nice article on the role of the librarian today. More positive than many such, and says such things about us (blush).
The Letter to Dr.Laura about the Bible and Homosexuality
...it's an oldy, but worth repeating for those who might not have seen it yet. The Snopes article is good at putting it in context, and I loved the scene in the TV show The West Wing that did something similar to the letter.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Nick Kristof on Birth Control in the Third World
I say as I have before, our pllanet is overpopulated and has too many people in poverty. Providing safe, reliable birth control helps with both.
Founding Fathers and Separation of Church and State
Ed Brayton points out the the Founding Fathers did not agree on everything, including separation of church and state.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
2 About the War on Drugs
Which has been enormously costly and ineffective. We incarcerate more people than any other country. People are dying everyday in gang wars fueled by drugs. Brayton has a sensible suggestion, which has actually worked in countries that have tried something similar:
"Drug use should be treated just like alcohol use -- regulated, taxed and restricted to adults. Drug abuse should be treated like alcohol abuse -- as a public health problem, not as a criminal problem. It's time to declare defeat and bring the troops home."
Rekers and the Damage He has Caused
The ACLU explains some of the damage George Rekers, who hired his recent traveling companion on a site for gay escorts, has done to LGBT people.
Daily Show Montage on Gay Marriage
The Daily Show is on vacation, and I guess they are trying to appease their addicts with web exclusives like this.
Orly Taitz - She Just Keeps Giving
...humorous incidents to make daily events lighter. She's the Birther Queen ditz that has sued to "force" Obama to produce his birth certificate, and been slapped with a $20,000 fine for filing a frivolous lawsuit. She is now running for Secretary of State in California.
Republicans and the Tea Party of No
Interesting article on why the GOP has evolved a strategy of saying no.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Robot Marries Japanese Couple
Interesting story and video, not that I understand any of the language in the video. Never thought that ministers might be one of occupational categories made redundant by robots!
Frank Rich on George Rekers and the Culture Wars
In this column Rich lays out how influential Rekars has been in the anti-gay crusade and how that is currently playing out in the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan.
I find it in me to be sorry that something has so terribly twisted up the psyches of people like Rekars and Ted Haggard, and argue they are a very good reason to end discrimination against gays if this is the kind of damage it does, but I despise what they have done to increase discrimination.
Krugman: Right Wing Extremism Tied to Economy
Reports that some economists have found that whenever the economy tanks the public turns to extremist, generally right wing and nationalistic, parties.
Humor: University Destroys Academic Buildings and Builds Parking Lots
If you've ever worked at or been a student at a university, this is screamingly funny.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Book Review: Who Wrote the Bible?
| Title | Who Wrote the Bible? |
| Author he res | Richard Elliott Friedman |
| Rating |   |
| Tags | non-fiction, bible, old testament, history, textual criticism |
| My mother introduced me to this book years ago and I loved it. Was reminded of it recently and decided to re-read it. Yep, still good.Friedman first talks about the history of Biblical textual analysis. Doubts that Moses wrote the Torah arose in the Middle Ages but were viciously suppressed. But the question had been raised and became more common, increasing steadily from the 17th century on. The result is that we now know much more about who wrote the Bible, when, what their viewpoint was, and when they wrote. Friedman concentrates on the Torah, or Pentateuch, and the Deuteronic books (beginning with Deuteronomy and going through Judges, Kings, and the Chronicles). There were four authors and an editor who combined the source documents into what we have today. The earliest were the J and E documents, which were then edited together. Following them were the D and P documents. All of these were written before the Babylonian exile, but the editor combined all the documents in the period of the Second Temple.Since I'm a historian, I love the history he talks about, from the time Israel was ruled by judges, then kings, broke into the separate kingdoms of Judah and Israel, the fall of Israel, and so on. Then there's the viewpoints of the different authors. The P, or Priestly, document, for example, was written by an Aaronid priest - a descendent of Aaron, who made his living through sacrifices brought to the temple. So in his telling of Biblical stories, Aaron is emphasized more, Moses is slightly denigrated, all sacrifices must come to the temple, God is just and worship must be mediated by the priests, and so on.Excellent book, and a good starting point on the topic. As follow ups I recommend books by John Shelby Spong, especially Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism, which covers the New Testament as well as the Old, and almost any of Bart Ehrman's books that concentrate on the new Testament. A friend of mine also recommends Isaac Asimov's book on the Bible. | |
|
| |
| Publication | HarperOne (1997), Paperback, 304 pages |
| Publication date | 1997 |
| ISBN | 0060630353 / 9780060630355 |
Friday, May 14, 2010
Krugman: We're Not Greece
Paul Krugman explains why, though Greece and the U.S. are running deficits of comparable size, the U.S. is in a much better position, and the implications for policy.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Georgia Tech on the Colbert Report!
Woot! We're golden now! Georgia Tech's jazz robot makes Stephen Colbert's Threat Down.
Lewis Black: Beck's Nazi Tourette's Syndrome
He may not be to every taste, but I really like Lewis Black. Here he mocks Glenn Beck for using the Nazi card so often.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Alabama Candidate Accused of Believing in Evolution
...and tries to refute the charge.
I'm sorry, but I have to hang my head in shame that the wingnuts have won this far in my native state.
Law Library of Congress Compilation of Material on Elena Kagan
Includes listing of article/books by, Congressional documents, Supreme Court oral argument transcripts, web resources, and video.
Judicial Experience Not Previously Required
This article points to the fact that many Supreme Court Justices have served without prior judicial experience, including some of the most famous such as Felix Frankfurter. There are reasons to oppose and support Elena Kagan, but let's try and be relatively civil about the process.
Palin - Law Should be Based on the Bible
...which is errant nonsense and a danger to the Constitution.
Population: Still the Major Concern
This long but very good article addresses overpopulation. I've been concerned about this issue for a long time and wondered why so little was said about it. We can't simply fill up the planet until we are standing shoulder to shoulder. There has to be land for food and shelter and there has to be clean water. There has to be land for rainforest to provide the planet's lungs and there has to be land for animals. The article points out again what has been said before... the best way to reduce population is to educated women and provide safe, affordable birth control.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
U.S. Teen Pregnancies Still Highest in Industrialized World
...which is why we need comprehensive, age-appropriate sex ed. The article lays out the negative consequences very well:
"Adolescent moms are significantly less likely to receive their high school diploma than those who wait to have children. They are more likely to live in poverty, receive public assistance, and have long periods of welfare dependency. Teen fathers are also less likely to finish high school and are more likely to have lower paying jobs than their male peers who have children at an older age. Later in life, the daughters of teen mothers are themselves at high risk of having children in their adolescent years, and their sons have a higher chance of being incarcerated than the sons of older mothers.
Teen pregnancy can also lead to poor health outcomes for mother and baby. Lack of prenatal care often leads to pregnancy complications such as low birth weight, which affects nearly 10% of babies born to teen mothers."
Rocky Horror vs. Priscilla Dance Off From the Drew Carey Show
That last video reminded me I had wanted to check and see if this particular scene from the Drew Carey Show was on YouTube, and it is. It is the most inspired bit of comedy I ever saw on that show, and it is sheer genius, though may not mean much if you haven't seen either movie. Besides, my main man Craig Ferguson is in it.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Gays Recruiting? Not so Much
Great post from Ed Brayton on the ability of gays to recruit. It's simple. If you're not gay, they can't, even if they were to try (which is pretty doubtful).
Find Info on Elena Kagan, Supreme Court Nominee
Lots of resources listed here, if you're curious about Obama's latest nominee for the Supreme Court.
What One Book Would You Make Mandatory?
Good asks this question. It is painful for a bibliophile to be limited to one, but it is kind of fun to list one and see what other people list. I'll share mine and then anyone who wants join in with theirs.
For right now, and in the current state of the world, I'd make the following book mandatory... am reprinting the review I published over the weekend. You don't have to review your book, just list why you'd make it mandatory.
| Title | Crossing the Energy Divide: Moving from Fossil Fuel Dependence to a Clean-Energy Future |
| Author Ayres, Edward H. | Robert U. Ayres |
| Rating | |
| Tags | non-fiction, energy, global warming, city planning, water, public policy, energy economics |
| This is perhaps one of the most important books published in this decade, and it is a book that addresses and offers solutions at this critical time of global warming and dwindling supplies of energy. The senior author, Robert Ayers, is a physicist and economist. The book explains some of the background of energy economics, and why so many economic models are inadequate because they don't address energy production and use. The book explains the difference between energy produced and energy services - the work the energy does. The authors show that much energy produced now is wasted, and that much of what is currently wasted can be captured and used, and that this can reduce carbon dioxide output while costing the energy consumer little, because the return on investment is so high. Moreover, it is being done now, mostly in other countries, though it is being done in a few plants in the U.S. So investments now in increased energy service efficiency can be the necessary bridge to meet our energy needs until it is possible for renewable energy sources to do so. Renewables will not be able to meet the needs for several decades. The authors also discuss other critical issues such as urban planning, transportation, water use, and more. For all the issues, they clearly lay out the issues, the needed solutions, the policy and business management changes needed to reach the solutions. The biggest problem will be that the solutions require policy changes that end the monopolies currently enjoyed by the electric utility companies, who are major political donors. Read this book. Give copies to your Congrssman, your Senator, and any CEOs you happen to know. I plan to suggest the Daily Show have the authors on, and that the Secretary of Energy read it. THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE PUBLICIZED. | |
| Other authors
| Author – Ayres, Edward H. |
| Publication | Wharton School Publishing (2009), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 256 pages |
| Publication date | 2009 |
| ISBN | 0137015445 / 9780137015443 |
The Rights We Have
There are some rights that people claim to have that they just don't.
I'd also add one that Brayton has mentioned before and that is important to remember - you don't have the right to never be offended. The opinion of someone who disagrees with you and offends you thereby is NOT a reason to censor that person's speech.
BP and the Safety Record
BP has a record on safety that isn't very good, especially considering their profits. The post also points out that such deep drilling is dangerous no matter who is doing it.
Times Square Bomber and Miranda Rights
Post from the Volokh Conspiracy through Ed Brayton that clears up some misconceptions about Miranda rights.
As for me, my main comment about Shahzad is a wish for the world that everyone who desires to commit violence be as incompetant about it.
Bill Maher on the Negative Sides of Islam and Christianity
This is one of best expressions I've seen of an American liberal secular resonse to religion, and I agree with it almost entirely... and why, yes, I did enjoy Religulous, why do you ask?:
Anti-Christian Prejudice?
"Yes, the long war on Christianity. I pray that one day we may live in an America where Christians can worship freely! In broad daylight! Openly wearing the symbols of their religion... perhaps around their necks? And maybe -- dare I dream it? -- maybe one day there can be an openly Christian President. Or, perhaps, 43 of them. Consecutively."
-- Jon Stewart
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Book Review: A Century and Some Change
| Title | A Century and Some Change: My Life Before the President Called My Name |
| Author Bates, Karen G | Ann N Cooper |
| Rating | |
| Tags | non-fiction, memoirs, autobiography, blacks, african americans, aging |
| Ann Nixon Cooper became famous when Barack Obama mentioned her in his speech the night he was elected the first black President of the United States. She voted for him at the age of 106. This book is the story of her life before that event. She was born a black (the term she preferred for her race) woman in 1902, one of eight children born to a tenant farmer and his wife near Shelbyville, TN. Her mother could read, one of the few in the area who could, and Ann remembers people coming round their house so her mother could read letters for them. Her mother died, though, when Ann was 11, and she went to live with her aunt in Nashville. There wasn't money for her to go to college, and she worked for two years until she married a dentist, A. B. Cooper, at age twenty. They moved to Atlanta where they lived the rest of their lives. He died in 1967, after their four children were grown. She lived until December 21st, 2009, outliving three of her children and some of her grand- and great-grandchildren.The book is a valuable record for historians. Mrs. Cooper was remarkable in that her great age spanned so much change, especially so for a black woman. She addresses segregation and its difficulties. She was a woman of the middle class, and knew so many black leaders, including the King family, Andrew Young, Atlanta's first black mayor Maynard Jackson and its first female black mayor Shirley Franklin. She was active in many civic organizations, including starting Atlanta's first black Boy Scout troop.The book is also a treasure because of the many photos included, which make the story more real and personal.I wish I could have known this vibrant and vital woman. | |
|
| Contributor – Bates, Karen G |
| Publication | Atria (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 224 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 1439158878 / 9781439158876 |
Book Review: Big Bang
| Title | The Big Bang |
| Author Spillane, Mickey | Max Allan Collins |
| Rating | |
| Tags | mystery, thriller, hard-boiled, mike hammer |
| I've never been a big fan of hard-boiled detective stories, and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer series was one of the defining series of that genre. I never read any Spillane before. This book I wanted to read purely because it is co-authored by Max Allan Collins, who is one of my favorite authors, especially his Nate Heller series. Mike is dropping off a report to a client when he intervenes to stop three guys from beating up a young man. By the time it is over two of the toughs are dead and the survivor is seriously wounded. It seems to be just another incidence of junkies trying to get money to feed their habit, but it may involve drug dealers fighting for territory.I kept reading this book for the plot - it is a page turner. The level of violence is bothersome, the character has traits I don't admire, and the ending of the book is extremely disturbing. I think it is meant to be so, though. The book as a whole is a strong picture of the costs of drugs to the individual and society.
| |
| Author – Spillane, Mickey | |
| Publication | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 256 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 0151014485 / 9780151014484 |
Book Review: Crossing the Energy Divide
| Title | Crossing the Energy Divide: Moving from Fossil Fuel Dependence to a Clean-Energy Future |
| Author Ayres, Edward H. | Robert U. Ayres |
| Rating | |
| Tags | non-fiction, energy, global warming, city planning, water, public policy, energy economics |
| This is perhaps one of the most important books published in this decade, and it is a book that addresses and offers solutions at this critical time of global warming and dwindling supplies of energy. The senior author, Robert Ayers, is a physicist and economist. The book explains some of the background of energy economics, and why so many economic models are inadequate because they don't address energy production and use.The book explains the difference between energy produced and energy services - the work the energy does. The authors show that much energy produced now is wasted, and that much of what is currently wasted can be captured and used, and that this can reduce carbon dioxide output while costing the energy consumer little, because the return on investment is so high. Moreover, it is being done now, mostly in other countries, though it is being done in a few plants in the U.S. So investments now in increased energy service efficiency can be the necessary bridge to meet our energy needs until it is possible for renewable energy sources to do so. Renewables will not be able to meet the needs for several decades.The authors also discuss other critical issues such as urban planning, transportation, water use, and more. For all the issues, they clearly lay out the issues, the needed solutions, the policy and business management changes needed to reach the solutions.The biggest problem will be that the solutions require policy changes that end the monopolies currently enjoyed by the electric utility companies, who are major political donors.Read this book. Give copies to your Congrssman, your Senator, and any CEOs you happen to know. I plan to suggest the Daily Show have the authors on, and that the Secretary of Energy read it. THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE PUBLICIZED. | |
| Other authors
| Author – Ayres, Edward H. |
| Publication | Wharton School Publishing (2009), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 256 pages |
| Publication date | 2009 |
| ISBN | 0137015445 / 9780137015443 |
Book Review: Tell-All
| Title | Tell-All |
| Author | Chuck Palahniuk |
| Rating | |
| Tags | experimental fiction, movie stars, murder, humor |
| This is the sort of experimental fiction some readers love and some don't. I'm in the don't category, so the fact that it is a short book quickly read was one of the high points for me. It is the fictional story of movie star Katherine Kenton, one of the biggest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, as told by her servant who is also her teacher, Hazie Coogan. It is deliberately reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard, though rather as if Sunset Boulevard were being staged by someone on acid.The name dropping that occurs on every page is rather fun, and one could spend some pleasant time looking up the names one doesn't know. It is also a funny device, and it must be admitted that the book is funny, especially when all the roles Kenton has played are mentioned and add up to a large percentage of the famous women in history, or at least the wives of famous men. We so rarely see Mrs. Genghis Khan mentioned.I had not read Palahniuk before. He is perhaps most famous for Fight Club. I don't plan on reading him again, but he is obviously more to some people's taste. | |
| Publication | Doubleday (2010), Hardcover, 192 pages |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 0385526350 / 9780385526357 |
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