A Conversation on Race: Let’s Not

On Sunday Night during the VMAs, one of my favorite singers, Taylor Swift, a pop country singer just a few months older than me who writes and performs her own songs, was giving her acceptance speech after winning the Best Female Video of the Year Award, when Kanye West randomly appeared on the stage, took [...]

Start the Weekend Open Thread

I’m having a deja-who? experience today. I’ve managed to rile up the blogstalkers but I’m not sure how.  Whatever I did I want to be sure to repeat on a regular basis, even if it wasn’t me in the first place. What are you doing while we wait for the Friday evening bad-news dump from [...]

Friday Morning: What’s Happening?

Good morning everyone! These are the news stories that caught my eye this morning. Be sure to add your own links in the comments. The All-Encompassing Health Care Nightmare Boston Globe: Democrats oppose tax in health bill To pay for the 10-year, $856 billion bill Baucus wants to tax high-value insurance plans, those worth $21,000 [...]

Excuse me?

From The Hill: At her weekly news conference, Pelosi (D-Calif.) was asked if she was concerned about whether the debate over healthcare and the role of the federal government — much of it wrapped in escalating anti-government rhetoric — could lead to acts of violence. “I think we all have to take responsibility for our [...]

Mooning an Idiot

Updated per the “physics police”: They say that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That apparently doesn’t apply to actions which fall into the category of idiotic. What is notable is that idiots acting like idiots tend to trigger those reactions more swiftly. One such example is when a person’s id [...]

Kanye West may Save Obama’s Presidency

(With apologies to Taylor Swift) Kanye West may save Obama’s presidency. When President Obama said “He’s a jackass.”, the President confirmed a simple truth about civic virtue that transcended most political boundaries. Importantly, he did so authentically. His statement was not the product of intense focus group distillation. The comment leaked (hmm) and it met [...]

What’s wrong with Obama

This is a graph from pollster.com of Obama’s favorable vs unfavorable rating going back to Jan 2008. Anyone who’s read what I’ve written about him (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) knows I think he’s an empty suit. An empty, bigoted suit, pressed by the corporations who own him. I’ve been wondering [...]

Wōden’s Day Wake-up

Those of us who practice that “old-time religion” know that today was named for the Anglo-Saxon god Wōden.  He is the pagan god of death, battle, wisdom, discoverer of the runes and leader the Wild Hunt. Obama supports extending Patriot Act provisions The Obama administration supports extending three key provisions of the Patriot Act that [...]

Is it absurd to try to weather the storm?

Is it beyond our ken to maintain a noble purpose as we guide our battered ships of state through the dark shadows of this mild squall of an economic crisis? Whom of us will risk life and limb to keep the ships afloat? Who will cast away possessions for the same purpose? Who will act [...]

Just for fun: Open Thread

Everywhere you look it’s bad news.  Some say that laughter is the best medicine and I think a good chuckle and smile are in order.  Maybe one of these links or stories will be just what the doctor ordered.  This is one of those open thread thingees. Funny & Addictive Websites * Beware: This one [...]