Month: March 2009

Geek Cred10 Comments

On The Wing: Galactica Thread

Jacob: Because as much as this episode is about the concept of home — Laura’s off-tone speech rapidly making subtext into text as clumsily as possible — it’s also about finishing the equation Sartre and Milton started: not “hell is other people,” not “myself am hell,” but something much better. Home is other people. Home is letting go of the place you only thought you were standing; the place you thought was home. And it takes the heaven ofeverybody else to get you there. (The shepherd Bodhisattva vows not to enter paradise until everybody else does first; the trick is … Continue reading On The Wing: Galactica Thread

Faith9 Comments

Column: Cruelty

Link: To the credit of many Catholics not wearing a bishop’s robes, the backlash against the actions of Sobrinho and Battista Re has been intense. It continued Sunday with an unusual rebuke from Archbishop Rino Fischiella, head of Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life, who called out his two fellow bishops for their actions. Fischiella wrote in the Vatican newspaper that the girl “should have been above all defended, embraced, treated with sweetness to make her feel that we were all on her side, all of us, without distinction.” Excommunicating those who tried to help her “unfortunately hurts the credibility of … Continue reading Column: Cruelty

Stupid Republican Tricks5 Comments

Calgon, Take Me Away

Well, to be fair to the Galtists, who DOESN’T want this: As I write this though, it occurs to me that in Rand’sAtlas Shrugged the Galt’s Gulch people ain’t coming back, no matter how badly the world needs them. They’re done with us; the creation of their utopia isn’t meant to inspire hope. It’s pretty much a big “fuck you” to the rest of the world. That’s why I think today’s “Galtists” aren’t looking to create an ideal society – they want to beraptured. Creating ideal societies that reflect your core beliefs? Too much work. They want to be whisked … Continue reading Calgon, Take Me Away

Uncategorized3 Comments

A historic (nonbinding) step forward

It’s now confirmed that PresidentObama will endorse the United Nations declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that the dearly departed Chimperor refused to sign in December. There’s still no official announcement from the White House yet. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress was still being notified of the decision. They said the administration had decided to sign the declaration to demonstrate that the United States supports human rights for all. “The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world,” said one official. “As such, we … Continue reading A historic (nonbinding) step forward

Economy4 Comments

Insurance

Is it any wonder nobody’s sympathetic to these dicks? Insurance companies say they have no choice but to honor contracts, and banks are pleading that their assets will be worth more if you just give them a little time. For anyone, especially in business, who has tried to make those same arguments to insurers and bankers, to no avail, it’s painfully rich. As in the case ofa whole fucking city, for example? Assholes. Seriously, I’ve been trying to work up something to say about AIG all week and I honestly don’t have an opinion about the bonuses. I don’t know … Continue reading Insurance

Geek Cred5 Comments

Imagine greater…in case Caprica doesn’t pan out

AsBattlestar Galactica comes to its climactic finale, many fans are desperate to soften the gaping black hole of emptiness looming afterwards. Some seek solace in looking ahead, rather, lookingbehind to the upcoming prequel, Caprica. But what ifCaprica is a dud? Worse, what if no matter how good it is, it will never see the light of day due to the wholeSyFy transition concept hitting a huge wall of FAIL? What then will we do? Allow me to offer a humble suggestion below. Sure, it’s a tad low-brow… no, I doubt theUN will host a discussion about it, but we have … Continue reading Imagine greater…in case Caprica doesn’t pan out

Uncategorized3 Comments

‘Teabag the White House’

.cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url(‘http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png’) !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;} The Daily Show With Jon StewartM – Th 11p / 10c IndigNation! Populist Uprising ’09 – The Enragening http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:220573 Daily Show Full EpisodesImportant Things w/ Demetri Martin Political HumorJim Cramer A. Continue reading ‘Teabag the White House’

So Called Liberal Media4 Comments

AP? What AP?

Newspapers manage to live without it: Q: What AP services are you missing the most? Prutsok: I just spoke with our news editor about this and there’s really nothing. It was easy, he said, when there was a three-inch hole to fill to go to AP and flow it in. It’s not much more difficult with what we have now, just a change in habits. Q: What’s been the reaction from your readers so far? Prutsok: No reaction. It’s a bigger deal to us than it is to them. Our readers couldn’t care less if we carry the same news … Continue reading AP? What AP?

Immoral Values4 Comments

Frozen Weirdo Sci-Fi Babies

I keep trying to post this in the Balloon Juice comments but it keeps getting too long.DougJ on Kinsley and Douthat (always looks like I’ve typed it wrong) wanking about IVF and stem cell research: But here’s my question: if the embryos can’t be used for research (as they would be under new laws) or destroyed (as they currently are in many cases), then do they have to kept frozen forever? Isn’t that even stranger and more science-fictiony (one argument people seem to make against stem cell research is that it’s strange and science-fictiony)? I think Kinsley is right about … Continue reading Frozen Weirdo Sci-Fi Babies

Terrorism3 Comments

Time To Think About Torture

It’s becoming an exercise in masochism, reading back over what was said in the early days of the Bush administration, back when many people still thought the president was due the benefit of the doubt.Jonathan Alter, who still gets invited to all the right parties, for example: In this autumn of anger, even a liberal can find his thoughts turning to… torture. OK, not cattle prods or rubber hoses, at least not here in the United States, butsomething to jump-start the stalled investigation of the greatest crime in American history. Right now, four key hijacking suspects aren’t talking at all. … Continue reading Time To Think About Torture

Geek Cred6 Comments

UN Panel Discussion on BSG

Via Virgo’stwittering, the UN has decided to becomeawesome: Over the course of its four seasons, “Battlestar Galactica” has been lauded for its nuanced portrayal of war, faith and morality. Since it debuted six years ago, the Sci Fi drama about a rag-tag space fleet has offered challenging fictional depictions of problems afflicting our planet in the here and now. And now a discussion of how those very issues have been handled on the show will take place at the United Nations. On March 17, there will be a “Battlestar” retrospective at the U.N. in New York and a panel discussion … Continue reading UN Panel Discussion on BSG

So Called Liberal Media3 Comments

Short Attention Span Theater

SoRomenesko’s a festival of dumbassery and wanking today, bitching about the total lack of money in the newspaper industry and how the kids today just don’t read no mores, and in between the tragic and the blatantly dishonest comesthis: For a Week, CNN Turns Its Cameras to the Economy WOW OH MY GOD A WHOLE FUCKING WEEK IT’S LIKE THEY NOTICED THERE’S NEWS THERE. Kill me now. A. Continue reading Short Attention Span Theater

So Called Liberal Media8 Comments

Kathleen Parker Continues to Find Nuts

First she discovered right-wing lunatics are exactly that. Then she discovered the Christian right was neither.Now she’s tripped over the idea that demonizing working reporters day after day, year after year, causes people to lose their respect for the press: Unfortunately, the chorus of media bashing from certain quarters has succeeded in convincing many Americans that they don’t need newspapers. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press recently found that fewer than half of Americans — 43 percent — say that losing their local newspaper would hurt civic life in their community “a lot.” Only 33 percent … Continue reading Kathleen Parker Continues to Find Nuts

Uncategorized4 Comments

Travel Advisory…

A random assortment of oddities compiled by the Missus and I while heading out to NYC for a few days: – The guy at the Milwaukee airport checking ID looked at my fair lady’s driver’s Wisconsin driver’s license and asked where she was heading. When she said I’m going to New York,” the guy said without batting an eyelash, “OK, great, enjoy the trip home.” This is guy is part of the crack crew keeping problem people off the airplane? – I don’t get as worked up as other people about the baggage fees they’ve been charging lately. That said, … Continue reading Travel Advisory…

Immoral Values7 Comments

Pushed To The Wall

Glenn Beck, still not king: BECK: But as I’m listening to him. I’m thinking about the American people that feel disenfranchised right now. That feel like nobody’s hearing their voice. The government isn’t hearing their voice. Even if you call, they don’t listen to you on both sides. If you’re a conservative, you’re called a racist. You want to starve children. O’REILLY: Sure. BECK: Yada yada yada. And every time they do speak out, they’re shut down by political correctness. How do you not have those people turn into that guy? O’REILLY: Well, look, nobody, even if they’re frustrated, is … Continue reading Pushed To The Wall

Stupid Republican Tricks2 Comments

Self-Congratulation

The road to conservative success: Yes, if it weren’t for Rod Dreher et al., conservatism would be advancing in all directions and crushing all that stood in its way. There are no problems or lacunae in “the message,” everything is fine and the comeback is just a matter of time. Whatever you do, definitely do not make any judgments about conservative celebrities, and if it all possible just suspend critical thinking all together. Self-congratulation and cheerfulness are always the best remedies for failure. I’m sure I’ve read that somewhere. Just stop thinking so hard, and everything will be fine! A. Continue reading Self-Congratulation

Political Crack11 Comments

I’ve Had It With The Earmark Debate

Honestly: And, to the embarrassment of Obama — who promised during last year’s campaign to force Congress to curb its pork-barrel ways — the bill contains 7,991 earmarks totaling $5.5 billion, according to calculations by the Republican staff of the House Appropriations Committee. Among the many earmarks are $485,000 for a boarding school for at-risk native students in western Alaska and $1.2 million for Helen Keller International so the nonprofit can provide eyeglasses to students with poor vision. I thought it was stupid when Obama and McCain yanked each other around about it, I think it’s stupid now. Congressmen and … Continue reading I’ve Had It With The Earmark Debate

So Called Liberal Media3 Comments

Relentless Marketing

The always excellent Whet Moser of the Chicago Reader: HOW CAN YOU HAVE A CHICAGO JOURNALISM TOWN HALL AND NOT MENTIONREDEYE? YOU REALLY THINK THE KINDLE—AKA THE NEWTON 2.0—IS MORE IMPORTANT???? Actually, that’s not entirely true. At the very, very end, the editor ofRedEye, Tran Ha, got up and said, basically, hey, there’s theRedEye, we’re makin’ money. There was grumbling. It was bittersweet. I’m serious as a plague about this: theRedEye is the most read paper in Chicago. Numbers whatever: I trust my eyes, which are on public transportation twice a day, and it’s everywhere. So it has to be … Continue reading Relentless Marketing

So Called Liberal Media11 Comments

McDouchey

I spend less and less time caring about political bias in journalism these days, and more and more time caring about laziness, stupidity and self-absorption: Stewart said he and Cramer are both snake-oil salesman, only “The Daily Show” is labeled as such.He claimed CNBC shirked its journalistic duty by believing corporate lies, rather than being an investigative “powerful tool of illumination.” And he alleged CNBC was ultimately in bed with the businesses it covered _ that regular people’s stocks and 401Ks were “capitalizing on your adventure.” For his part, Cramer disagreed with Stewart on a few points, but mostly acknowledged … Continue reading McDouchey

So Called Liberal Media11 Comments

Sigh

LURK MOAR: There was irony in Stewart pressing Cramer on his failings as a financial journalist. Remember when journalists learned that “The Daily Show” was a source of news for many young adults?Stewart insisted he was not a journalist, just as Cramer has insisted he is a commentator. Can I yell for a minute? Will you still love me if I yell? JON STEWART’S SHOW IS ON A NETWORK CALLED COMEDY CENTRAL WHEN HE’S ON CNN YOU CAN MAKE THIS COMPARISON JESUS H. BAKLAVA CHRIST. A. Continue reading Sigh

Uncategorized

On The Road

I’m in NYC for a convention and am with limited wireless (so much for the city that never sleeps…) Hope you all are doing well and I’ll try to get something up late tonight after dinner. In the mean time, here’s something to keep you entertained. Far and away one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen as it happened. The fact it practically kills John Elway anytime someone brings this up, well that’s just a bonus: Continue reading On The Road