“America currently has no functioning democracy. ” James Earl Carter, 39th President of the U.S. “Amerika hat derzeit keine funktionierende Demokratie … Ich glaube, die Invasion der Privatsphäre ist zu weit gegangen. Und ich glaube, dass die Geheimnistuerei darum exzessiv gewesen ist. [Snowden’s revelations] wahrscheinlich nützlich, da sie die Öffentlichkeit informieren … nie zuvor dagewesene…
Category: Meaningful Labor
I Believe …
“Individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity.” Edward Snowden “I believe in the principle declared at Nuremberg in 1945 … Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace…
Civil War Hospitals, the Vagaries of History and Us
A «sad story on the evening news» which prompted the following stream-of-consciousness (and shows how exciting my Sunday nights are): A fire destroyed a home north of Murfreesboro which was used as a hospital for Civil War troops. The family who lived there was refurbishing it and lost everything. But the story caught my attention…
Homecoming
Oh, yeah. As Seen On
Good Luck.
As Seen On
Julie Ward Howe's 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation
“The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.” Julia Ward Howe “Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears! “Say firmly: ‘We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with…
Tippi and Melanie
tracylord: Tippi Hedren and her daughter Melanie Griffith As Seen On
School Closures Hit Disproportionately
The Color of School Closures Spread the [rather obvious] word: “Mass school closings have become a hallmark of today’s dominant education policy agenda. But rather than helping students, these closures disrupt whole communities. And as U.S. Department of Education data suggests, the most recent rounds of mass closings in Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia…
Pope Been-a-Nazi
Germany 1980 “Hehehehe. We sure did beat the crap outta you Poles.” “Hehehehe. Yeah, ya sure did. … Hey, wanna be Pope?” As Seen On
Woo-Hoo! Occupy the Corporations!
Susan Ohanian’s piece in « Daily Censored » needs wider distribution. Here are two highlights: “In response to a poverty rate that tops 90% in many urban and rural schools –and 1.6 million homeless children—many in schools with no libraries–education reformers at the White House, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Governors…
Woo-Hoo! Occupy the Corporations! (2013)
Susan Ohanian’s piece in « Daily Censored » needs wider distribution. Here are two highlights: “In response to a poverty rate that tops 90% in many urban and rural schools –and 1.6 million homeless children—many in schools with no libraries–education reformers at the White House, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the National Governors…
Hey! You Okay?
Fell back asleep this morning while reading. Must have been more tired than I thought. Started having dreams. Last one was about going to Dad’s funeral. For some reason, we took a train to get to the church. Also, I refused to go to the funeral on time and had to be dragged out by…
Dougal for Pope
Dougal for Pope. If there is any justice (or any god in the heavens), let it be Dougal. #FatherTed As Seen On
The Bones are Richard’s
It’s Richard Researchers in England confirmed this morning that the skeleton found underneath a Leicester car park is indeed that of Richard III, last Plantagenet king and the last king of the country to fall in battle. “There were cheers when Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist on the hunt for the king’s body, finally announced that…
Shazam!
Shazam! Gaaaaa-uhhhhh-lllleeeeeee!!!!! (But thanks for coming in out of the cold, finally!) As Seen On
Incomplete
Barack Obama “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.” [Meanwhile, his gay brothers and sisters tap their feet, waiting impatiently. Well,…
Academic Paywall Monetization Kills
The political consequences of academic paywalls “The suicide of Aaron Swartz, the activist committed to making scholarly research accessible to everyone, has renewed debate about the ethics of academic publishing. Under the current system, academic research is housed in scholarly databases, which charge as much as $50 per article to those without a university affiliation….
WoW Monkey Business
Arcanthus Scolds His Darkmoon Monkey for Being a Very Bad Monkey on the Faire’s Boardwalk. That was one pissed-off gnome. As Seen On
(quote)
Jim Horn (My aside: It’s a salient point, but my reply is, sadly, no. You are dealing with people who truly believe that collateral damage (be it in Vietnam/Iraq/etc., or Newtown) is an acceptable price that must be paid for, in the case of the former, America being #1 (whatever that means), and in the…
Opt. Out.
Opt Out! Opt out of high stakes testing and resist all “market-based reforms” that seek to privatize and destroy public education. As Seen On
Idolatry of the Ancient Mythologists
Thomas Paine I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. All … institutions of churches … appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. … The Christian theory is little else than the idolatry of…
Sounds Like … Hmmm. (tumblr)
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them….
Floating Turtle of WoW
How could no one on Azeroth know this thing was floating around for over a 1,000 years? As Seen On
As Seen On
If only our beagles were that talented … As Seen On
Jayne Cortez, RiP
Jayne Cortez: 10-May-34 — 28-Dec-12 “The poet Jayne Cortez, who has died aged 78, was unambiguous about her craft: “Words are musical – there’s nothing more to say about it. That’s it! … There is the sound of the voice … and your attitude you put on top of it.” “And if we don’t fight…
How Many Slaves Work for You?
How Many Slaves Work For You? My number was 43 … If anything, it shows that not much has changed in 150 years. Troubling that 150 years represents just … a slow beginning. Background: The history/journalist geek in me notes that today is the Sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation – it’s Jubilee Day. Five days…
3-Jun-12: Dana Air 9J-992
Dana Air flight 9J-992 collided with a power line during an emergency landing after a bird strike near Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Nigeria, at 15:43L on Sunday 3-June. 147 passengers, six crew members and ten people on the ground died.
The flight originated at Abuja International Airport, Nigeria. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, 5N-RAM, was built in 1990 and previously served with Alaska Airlines prior to entering service with Bhoja Air in January of 2009.
20-Apr-12: Bhoja Air B4-213
Bhoja Air flight B4-213 impacted a mountainside 5KM short of runway 30 at Islamabad-Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Pakistan, at 18:46L on Friday, 20-April. 121 passengers and six crew members died.
The flight originated at Karachi-Jinnah International Airport, Pakistan. The Boeing 737-200, AP-BKC was built in 1984 and previously served with British Airways and Comair prior to entering service with Bhoja Air in January of 2012.
25-Dec-12: Air Bagan W9-011
Air Bagan flight W9-011 impacted a road and rice paddy short of runway 36 at Heho Airport, Myanmar, at 08:50L on Tuesday, 25-Dec. A passenger on the aircraft and a motorist on the road were killed. 11 others were injured during evacuation.
The flight originated at Mandalay-Annisaton Airport, Myanmar. The Fokker 100 was built in 1991 and previously served with Air Littoral and British Midland prior to entering service with Air Bagan in 2005.
29-Dec-12: Red Wings WZ-9268
Red Wings flight WZ-9268 overran Moscow Vnukovo’s runway 19 and impacted the M3 highway at 16:35L on Saturday, 29-Dec. Five crew members were killed and three injured.
The aircraft was a ferry flight which originated in Pardubice, Czech Republic; no passengers were aboard. The Tupolev TU-204-100B has a seating capacity of 210 in a one-class configuration. The accident aircraft was approximately four years old. It was the first fatality accident for the Tupolev type, which first flew in 1989.
Air Canada 767 Generator Failure at YVR
The aircraft returned to the origin airport for a safe landing 110 minutes after initial departure.
Republic ERJ-175 Bird Strike at EYW
The flight leveled off at 3,000 feet and was diverted to RSW/KRSW 75 minutes after departure.
Philippine A330 Hydraulic Failure at MNL
15 minutes after departure, minus nose-wheel steering, the aircraft landed safely and cleared the runway. A replacement aircraft continued the flight, which was delayed three hours.
Lufthansa A321 Bird Strike at TXL
During the initial climb out of 08R, the aircraft struck a flock of geese; the crew leveled off at 3000, shut the number one engine down, and returned safely to 08R 15 minutes after departure.
HMS Clueless
The Voyage of the HMS Clueless Truly sailing in a world created of their own delusions. But I wish New York magazine would warn people before they post pics of Ralph Reed in a bathing suit. As Seen On
San Francisco International Airport, the TV Series
Apparently « this » was a thing … would love to see all of it!
The War on Teachers
« The War on Teachers ». Amen.
When I was 17 …
Dear Kris, As you may or may not be aware of, that wonderful time of year is upon us, or rather, you. Yes, that’s right, dear Claus, the time for you to finally earn your keep and work off some of those extra pounds Mrs. Claus has so cruelly heaped upon your lean-in-spirit frame over…
Just Like Nixon
The person I personally refer to as Joey the Rat, Pope Ben-a-Nazi XVI, announced his resignation today. A review of his greatest hits is « here ». Interesting (on many levels) that his resignation letter is addressed, not once, but twice to “Dear Brothers,” with nary a mention to, oh I don’t know, all those…
And?
“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.” —Barack Obama [Meanwhile, his “gay brothers and sisters” tap their feet, waiting impatiently. Well,…
Finally
I was the first registered Republican in my family. I cast my first vote in a presidential election for Ronald Reagan, the second for George H.W. Bush. I listened to Rush Limbaugh’s radio show, thought I was a Dittohead, and was one of the few who watched and liked his television show. I actually cried…
It is Difficult …
“How long? Not long. Because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1965 … to keep up a blog like this one, which has, at various times in the past, been chock-a-block with details and observations from our lives. Living two years back in…
The Final Passing of American Journalism
“And that’s the way it is …” Walter Cronkite It feels as if the last bit of actual journalism in America is now dead. In «What We Lose With Cronkite’s Death», Bruce Maiman sums it up pretty well: “… it’s a reminder, too, that the broadcasting style and journalistic credibility that Cronkite represents also seems…
The Right Way
“The whole world is watching what we do here. We’re going to win or lose this war depending on how we do this.” Ali Soufan The story of the United States of America joining the long and black list of nations who abuse and torture prisoners and then invent all sorts of justifications for it…
Two Right-Wing Terrorist Murders in Two Weeks
And now two right-wing terrorists have committed two political murders in two weeks. First Dr. Tiller in Wichita, a murder which was, from the point of view of the terrorists, successful in its aims. Now, an obscene attack on the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum begs the question, are we in for a Summer…
Torture
Isikoff on Torture.
Marriage Equality Arrives in Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut signed «marriage equality into law today». Equal protection under the law as provided in the U.S. Constitution was thereby affirmed by all three branches of the government. ‘Four years ago this week, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill allowing civil unions. Today, with the stroke of a pen, she abolished…
Commonality
Not sure why I’m even noting this, but it did catch my eye. Among the «5,000 most common names according to the 2000 US Census», Frank has a more common surname than I do. Our names: Lester (his) is 709th, down 111 places, 16 occurrences per 100,000 names. Mine, Pollock, is 1,420th, up 20 places,…
The Bigots' Last Hurrah
It’s a great title for a great «column». Frank Rich of the New York Times sums up very thoroughly and very presciently the status of one of America’s favorite Culture War battlegrounds/sports grounds in which people like us are kicked around like political footballs (cartoon at left is from 2004, Steve Kelley of the New…
Germans Join UN Racism Conference Boycott
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced that Germany will join the U.S., Israel and other countries in a «boycott» of the upcoming United Nations World Conference Against Racism after “a draft declaration circulated earlier this year made Israel responsible for the entire Middle East conflict, while human rights violations in Muslim countries were largely ignored.”…