9/17/11

Time for President to declare war on GOP

House GOP rejects Obama jobs proposals - CBS News: "(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders say they are rejecting President Barack Obama's jobs proposals to rebuild schools and blighted neighborhoods, and help keep state and local employees on the job."

The President has hit the same wall he knew was there all along. He needs to say pass this bill and mean it, the whole bill. Make them vote it up or down. If they will not introduce it, have the people force them to. This is the last straw. Even a centrist like myself will have no respect and will contribute not one red cent to a campaign that does not have a record of having engaged this fight without compromise unless it is these puling criminals begging for some face saver when they have agreed to an up or down vote. Make them vote it through or vote it down, Make the matter clear to all. Everything else is obfuscation smoke and mirrors.

Global Online Privacy

Big Oil and Gas Con The US and We Buy It

"Despite generating $546 billion in profits between 2005 and 2010, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP combined to reduce their U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees over that time.
"Just in 2010 alone, the big 5 oil companies reduced their global workforce by a combined 4,400 employees, while making a combined $73 billion in profits."

More (Pdf)




Global Online Privacy

Touche

Is the government creating or killing jobs? | government, jobs, creating - Afternoon letters - The Orange County Register: "All the pomp and circumstance is fine and dandy, but until the government starts helping people who build things instead of just the people sitting up in high-rises who pick-and-choose who to loan money to, our economy will continue to decline."


Global Online Privacy

Let your jaw drop and say a prayer

Death toll in Reno air crash rises to 9 | PressDemocrat.com:

"RENO — The death toll in the terrifying crash of a World War II-era plane during a Reno air race has risen to at least nine people, including the pilot and eight spectators, authorities said Saturday."

And then think twice. These kinds of accidents are not common, but they are out there.


Global Online Privacy

I say let's let the whistles blow

Oh Beautiful Transparency -- Wherever Did it Go - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"America
America
What has become of you
I say let's let the whistles blow
It's time to face what's true"

Whole lyric at link above.

Who called mainly least and lost

Jesus Called the Least and Lost - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"Who called mainly least and lost
Who said the poor are blessed
Who shed tears
For children tossed
Aside
By those who claimed
The sacred name"

Continues at the link above.

Granderson homer on 13th pitch to vault Yanks to lead over Toronto

No sportswriter I but hey.

Update: Yanks now lead 7-6 as the 8th begins.

Could be a big day.

UPDATE TWO

The big day being Mariano's 601st save, written as a fait accompli in faith

I shall let this stand if he succeeds.

Global Online Privacy

Support Elizabeth Warren

ActBlue — The online clearinghouse for Democratic action.:

Scott Brown is a nice guy but we need muscle in the U.S. Senate.


Global Online Privacy

If you have some talent and have used it, you can probably make money writing.

A Review of Many Ways in Which I Have Made Money Writing and an Emerging Point of View - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"Writing for money in itself is one thing. Writing for a mission is another. Writing creatively is another. Combining these three things is the supreme hat trick."

Global Online Privacy

Instead of 40 acres and a mule

Obama High Speed Internet Grid Could Turn Economy Around - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com: "If You Do Nothing More Sir Than the Grid/ the Future Will Thank You for What You Did"

Instead of 40 acres

And a mule

Gigabytes

Live anywhere you please


Global Online Privacy

Look into the eyes of those oil-soaked birds

God's Spark is in Everyone - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"God's spark is in everyone

This is a burden that would sap the life of most
For we would then acknowledge
That where life is
God is
The spark in all of life"

Global Online Privacy

He is often seen striking passing cars, buses and trucks. (Short Story)

The Image that Will Never Appear - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com: "How a Crazed Writer Failed to Create the Images Needed to Give Substance to His Crazed Visions"

A sort of meandering piece about things close to my heart.

Global Online Privacy

The Untold WTC Story

Who Else Wanted to Do Away with the World Trade Center — BagNews:

"A 1962 protest against plans to construct the World Trade Center in Manhattan. A cardboard sign on an open casket reads: “Here lies Mr. Small Businessman – don’t let the Port Authority bury him.” In the end, the protests of these “Radio Row” businessmen helped little. Soon thereafter the wrecking ball arrived, and a total of 325 businesses were leveled to make room for what at the time was the biggest construction project in the history of the United States."

There's much more to this.
Global Online Privacy

What goes around

Guernica / Under the Table: "An American living in Cuba discovers Havana’s black-market epicurean scene."

I have little doubt that casinos will return to Havana one day. What some call change I call oscillation.

Global Online Privacy

What are ontological values

New Tao Posts: The Tao set forth the values of this world:

If one proceeds from experience, one can deduce that the values that underlie all other values are first non-idolatry which leaves the ultimate free to be what it is without presuming to know all the answers and without giving first place to lesser deities human and imagined. Then democracy in terms of universal rights and equality accorded to all persons. Then tolerance as the necessity of accepting and not judging the behavior of others. And finally helpfulness as the human element in the great commandment - not humiliating with charity but enabling with constructive assistance. These values are ontological precisely because on reflection they are seen to be the engine of continuity of our universe. They are both sign and fruit of the mind's meanderings.


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Ethiopia Stumbles on the Human Rights Front

Ethiopia must end crackdown on government critics | Amnesty International: "All five have been vocal in their criticism of the government, and had recently undertaken public or written activities calling for reform.

At least 100 opposition politicians and five journalists have been detained in Ethiopia since March. All have been accused of terrorism-related offences. "

This is retro stuff. Ethiopia should know and do better. All nations should.


Karma occurs when there's excess beyond the pale of fairness

Proportionality Nightmare - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"Karma occurs when there's excess beyond the pale of fairness

How many wars have we fought

Do we fight

When we have so far exceeded in lives and casualties

Taken

The initial wrong that we sought by war to right"


Global Online Privacy

Just to be clear

ShortFormContent at Blogger: Why Beyond Pattern Language: "Quality of Life: The quality of life in our drug and consumer society is egregious. Parts of our society are dysfunctional. My proposal is for voluntary residence in cyber-communities where people assent to the same degree of rules that might be proposed by a co-op or even a landlord. The structure of a cyber-community and the actual structure of dwellings discourages all sorts of criminality."

In any community of 10,000 we now have policing and other security operations. A cyber community would have similar security. The only difference would be a safer environment and a healthier social structure with such features as being able to walk to work and school, to sit in one of many squares and park settings easily reached by foot, and to enjoy face to face contact with some confidence that you are on friendly turf. Car free cyber-communities are the wave of the future.




Global Online Privacy

Since I didn't explain

ShortFormContent at Blogger: Why Beyond Pattern Language: "Security Realism: Weather daunts. We are not immune from attacks anywhere. We fear crime in neighborhoods. The cyber-community proposed addresses each of these huge issues. "

1. Daunting weather - we can live anywhere in the USA and do whatever we need to do without being in a cyclone lane. Our cyber-communities will be compact and strong enough to withstand most nasty weather. We can stop building where we live where it is subject to predictable flooding.

2. Protection against both crime and terror attacks would facilitated by the levels of security needed to have access to a cyber community and by the the car-free nature of the community. Plus the ease of surveillance by eyes trusted to ferret out dangers.

The current interstate system can be the network next to which we build new cyber-communities in relatively weather-safe areas. Their stadium-like nature and advanced construction will be a double protection in addition to the safe location.

This is a mouthful I know

ShortFormContent at Blogger: Why Beyond Pattern Language: "Economic Realism: To supplant the car the living space must become the new car, a mass produced, modular unit of many varieties which can be put together in innumerable ways to make the dwellings of the future. This increases by at least five times the reach of the current auto industry. We will decline as an economy until this is realized."

I know it sounds crazy but think about it. We need a do over on space. Our notions of space are entirely dictated by options rather than necessities. There is nothing that says floors must be hard, that furniture cannot be part of basic construction, that rooms should not be transportable or replicable because a model not a stand alone. There is nothing that says today's construction workers and carpenters cannot be the people that mass produce the modular units that will be the easily replaceable spaces that we tie together onsite in tomorrow's cyber cities.

Global Online Privacy

I would say not furious but laughing at

10 Signs God Is Furious With the Right | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet:

The Right is involved in futility and self-satire and though some will eventually go to jail they will probably go to the prisons that cater to the delicate.

The Tao set forth the values of this world

The Tao set forth the values of this world
To set the ends creation would achieve
And conscious life is now discovery
Of what they are and that our choice is free

He is a near-parody of 60's political types

Markman: A Film About Jesus:

"REX WILLIAMS (40's) arrives in an archetypal VW van. He is a near-parody of 60's political types: a blue denim vest covered with peace signs and buttons, jeans colorfully patched. Rex sees Kelly and the cameraman interviewing WATTERS:. He runs to his car and extracts a placard which says: "MAYOR BLAIR SINS!" He moves toward the interview.

ANGLE ON Tiger Ward arriving. He opens his glove compartment. We see a German army officer's hat with an iron cross. From beneath it, Tiger extracts a plastic envelop containing a small assortment of pills. Tiger gets out, pockets the bag, and spots REX. He wanders over casually and looks him up and down.

TIGER: Didn't you hear?

Rex looks back with a mixture of fear and contempt.

TIGER: (cont.) Abbie Hoffman is dead."

Global Online Privacy

The Not So Hidden Downside of Facebook

Facebook: Hot, Not, Or Lukewarm? [OPINION]:

"In my household, Facebook is still the dominant social platform: three out of four household members use it exclusively. I use Twitter and cross-post to Facebook (which may annoy anyone who subscribes to me on Facebook and follows me on Twitter). Yet each one of my family members spends part of his or her Facebook time grousing about the service. The constant changes, the ever-more-convoluted privacy settings and the surprise interface updates lead to endless frustrations. My wife, in particular, just wants to “post and go,” but recent update changes make that virtually impossible."

If the Omnipotent God should somehow change

The Grass Roots Church:

"If the Omnipotent God should somehow change, if He should countenance a cocktail or laugh or somehow break the mold, the Universe would crumble and Gaylord Ravenal, the riverboat gambler, would win at last, with a puff on his thin, black, heretical cigar and a flick of his ill-gotten watch chain."

Global Online Privacy

Our President will win the Hispanic vote in a walk

Obama pushes jobs plan as help for Hispanics - Topix:

"Courting Hispanics while promoting his new jobs plan, President Barack Obama on Wednesday told a black-tie Latino audience that his $447 billion package of tax cuts and public works spending would put more money in the pockets of Latino workers and business owners and increase opportunities for Hispanics."


Global Online Privacy

Christopher Alexander and contemporary urban design are bumping against one another

Beyond Pattern Language: Where uniformity meets redemptive disorder:

"Christopher Alexander and contemporary urban design are bumping against one another
And Christopher is not exactly winning the contest"

Global Online Privacy

8,000,000 ways to say the same thing (Short Story)

The Vampire Takeover that Failed - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"You need to hear this.

It concerns vampires. I suppose you think of these creatures as horror figures. Yes. And perhaps you have trembled in suspense as the story moves toward the moment of truth. All that blood being sucked away.

Well, this story has none of the usual features. It also happens to be true. No other vampire stories can make that claim."

Global Online Privacy

Expertise leads to sclerosis

Expertise leads to sclerosis
Lust for credit creates a narcissistic culture
The only value of expertise is communal
As part of a whole
The only value of credit is the 
Illusion of originality
In a world where
Discovery is never more than
Revealing what is true

Global Online Privacy

Capital Punishment is what tacky cultures do

Standing in Solidarity with Troy Davis » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union:

"But this execution date is different. This time, Troy has no pending appeals and nothing new to file; it's the end of the line. Only five people can stop the execution: the members of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. You can still urge them to act."

Cap tip Will Campbell


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Each day gives birth to possibility


Each day gives birth to possibility.
The sum of poet’s prophecy and faith
Is Abba’s inner all-sufficiency.
So have an eye for progress on this earth,
And breathe in Abba’s presence as you go.
And you will walk the road of victory,
And know more than the theologians know.

Stephen's Remarkable Kindle Store

Communities of the future will need to be car-free

Rebuilding Means Starting Over from Scratch - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"Communities of the future will need to be car-free, concentrated developments that combine most of the attributes we look for in a city.

These communities will need to contain up to 10,000 people in order to be economically viable. Most services and commercial establishments will be within walking distance. Many public spaces will have multiple uses.

Such communities will require the creative skills of architects, designers, planners and inventors working together to ensure that they are as ecologically self-sufficient as possible."

Global Online Privacy

When blood tells the people transgress

3quarksdaily: Tribal Rights vs. Racial Justice:

It's maybe pompous to write such a headline
But I am sitting here listening to Foster The People
And going through my sources and reading all of this
Blood related race stuff
But from the time I gave up diapers
I knew that reality wise we are one
There is not a drop of blood that tells a damned thing
Other than types that cross every boundary there is
The value democracy defines the way we need to relate
The idea that this needs debate is a sign
That the media are not willing to move beyond vapid binary arguments
That lead nowhere

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