Prayer letters

I got the damnedest (pun intended) thing in the mail today: A prayer "rug" of paper, a letter telling me to use it immediately and return it, and a form to check off my needs so this church can pray for me; when it's not busy innundating me with pleas for cash, check, money order or, let a thousand angels sing, a credit card number.
Apparently I got the version with pictures of black women in the testimonial letter, but the image of Jesus on the "rug" looks pretty caucasian, as usual. If you take it as a given that Jesus was in Palestine during the time in question, don't you think somebody would have commented on there being this strange, pasty white dude running around with Jews and Greeks and Samarians? None of whom needed a tanning booth for beautiful golden skin, a la George Hamilton. The letter advises the recipient to look into Jesus' closed eyes, which will open when you've prayed enough for them to do so.
It's not that I'm against prayer. Prayer, good thoughts, psychic karma love power or whatever is generally one of the most benign (and even alimentary) things in religion or spiritualism. (A big exception is when one prays only to hear what they want to hear: that they're a good person or doing God's will; see Bush, George W.) One of the amazing things about humans is our ability to do things that aren't easily explained, and the last thing I want to do, secular though I may mostly be, is to kill the sense of wonder one rightly feels when observing human beings or our mother, Nature.
Then again, I'm not so sure that religions, especially those on the fundamental side of things, want us to feel wonder. Shock and awe, fear of an angry God, terror that one might be having too much fun in this world and won't get to rise up out of one's clothes when the Raputre comes; these are okay by them. Was it Mencken that said something about Puritanism (and God knows we've got a heaping helping of that crap running around) being the fear that someone, somewhere might be having a good time? Or Ben Jonson? Mark Twain?
Thing is, it's one of those phrases that people repeat, misquote, paraphrase and twist so often that it's hard to know whether you've got the right citation or not. (Another is the germ of the phrase, "Today's trade, tomorrow's competition". I know I've read several versions of it, and that may just be the version that stuck in my head, but finding the source is beyond me.)
One thing I will give St. Matthew's Churches of Tulsa, Okla.: There was nary a mention of the hellfire and damnation that I might suffer if I didn't pray on the thing. To support the positivity, I would send it back, for the next recipient to use and find benefit from, but they've put identifying marks on the return envelope. I suppose Matt. 6:3 doesn't apply to prayer rugs by mail.

FilmForce: Audio Clip: Robin Williams Sings Pixar's Freedom

I will admit that sometimes Robin William's riffs just don't seem as funny as I remember him being back in the comedy club days. That being said, this is one of his better recent ones, and it's on the Disney-Pixar deal ending. "That's like Apple saying, 'Fuck the iPod!'"
FilmForce: Audio Clip: Robin Williams Sings Pixar's Freedom

And now for something completely different ...

After all that political stuff, maybe you feel like making a killer bumper sticker that uses fonts based on rock band's logos, or maybe just a mock up of that Concert T-Shirt you were too broke, lame or young to go and get yourself. If so, I got ya covered. (Via Boing Boing, probably the best damned nonspecific geek blog on the planet.)

The "World's Smallest Political Quiz"

The Advocates for Self-Government (a self-proclaimed non-profit, non-partisan libertarian educational organization) has what it's calling the world's smallest political quiz, and while the current crop of Republicans' quiz could be constructed in a single question--"Will you drink the kool-aid?"--five personal and five economic ain't that bad. In the single-point anecdotal data of my own results, it seemed accurate.

Ja, ja, left of center, high on the personal side, low on the economic, verry interrestiing. Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about... your mother. Ten points to the first to respond with the movie referenced in the previous line. Redeemable wherever PiercePoints^TM are accepted.)

Then again, it seems that political revelation is in the air. Just before the election, an acquaintance who routinely tossed her votes away on Republican candidates when she lived in Pulaski County, Ark., for several years said the Bush lies on Iraq, the economy, etc. were going to force her to vote for John Kerry; lately, my best friend, who enlisted in the Ark. National Guard at 32 , basically said, "Wait a minute! I'm a Teddy Rooservelt Republican! What the nether hell am I doing supporting this bunch of thieves?" These aren't complete reversals, or even that much of a movement toward sanity (both still blame Clinton for everything from psoriasis to heartbreak), but rather an epiphany that the current White House gang and its enablers, facilitators and funders couldn't care less about them (and the "them in this case is those making less than a cool 10 million a year). Most on my side of things are wondering "where have they been", but we have our own blind spots, so do be hatin'.

Cutest damned kids ever.

As I sit here, not sleeping, not finishing my project proposal so I can get my damned master's and stop adding to my pile of student-loan debt, I wonder why I do this, why I'm so damned hooked on journalism that I'd kill my grandmother (had she not already rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible) for a byline or, a concept that makes me shudder with excitement, a "scoop." Why I despise the local paper as mostly hacks and fume that it won't just send the publisher, editor and a chorus line over the entice me to deign to join the staff.
So that one day I might stand amongst the wreckage in Bandu Aceh or Bagdad or Birmingham, Ala., with my lack of knowledge about the intriguing indigeonous culture and tell the folks back home in red state heaven all about the unwashed and the unlucky and the wall of water? To flap my gums or my fingers about the latest crisis this administration non intelligencium has concocted to convince rednecks and racists and robber barons that by golly, food stamps is going under, the British Virgin Islands may be chaste, but they have nukes we hear? Or that Geo. W. Bush killed every Vietnamese person over the age of 12 during the Vietnam Conflict but has been too damned humble to admit it? To turn from the death of 150,000 in a ameliorable natural disaster to provide wall-to-wall coverage of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's breakup?
Gosh, I want to be a player, to get to talk to powerful people who despise me and pretend I'm their friend like that stupid ass in the Dodge commercial. To whore myself for 240 thousand dollars by knocking my own teeth out and giving Rod Paige a gum job on my radio program. To put an attorney general under 41 and the AP boss who presided over the co-op's transformation from news wire service to scandalmongers in charge of vetting the small error in the midst of a lackluster and zeal-less "scoop" (of what ... shit?) on a story that's been beaten to death and repeatedly proven to at least a preponderance of the evidence, if not beyond a reasonable doubt. That's sure to improve the news and turn around its steady march into entertainment, obsolescence and irrelevance.
But no one has a taste for truth anymore. No one wants to be told what happened back then, or what happened in Ohio last year. John Kerry talked about the thousands who were disenfranchised in that state ... then said he didn't dispute the results. Christ, that's like saying the Constitution doesn't limit liberty but that you won't oppose slavery. Widely respected reporters at national newspapers write balanced stories pitting the president's version of Social Security's status against the agency and congress and independent numbers, identifying the latter as "the president's critics" because someone not on board mentioned the data. Judith Miller still has a job. Osama bin Laden lives and is free. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is a done deal. Donald "not the army you would like to have" Rumsfeld is still Secretary of Defense.
I don't believe journalists are not capable of affecting these things; I just think we have chosen not to, that even many of the best of us stare at the juggernaught of lies and cower lest we lose our jobs, our reputations, our faith in ourselves, our happiness. And now we're part of the problem.
Sadly, after almost 75 grand plus nine years and counting of moving toward this goal of being a great journalist, of speaking truth to power and empowering democracy, of having a career in one of the few things I've genuinely loved doing, I don't have any reason ... save a tottering momentum and the glistening hope that somehow I can change things, if just a little, for the better, if I keep trying, if I keep moving.
But sometimes momentum is all I have.

Inspiration: Jon Carroll on SFGate.com

Time to make stepladders out of some bones

The Rude Pundit
The Rude Pundit hits the nail on the proverbial head here. Too many times oppositions have tried to imitate or emulate the powerful in an attempt to draw support. But coming alongside is not the path to victory&emdash;you gotta get the hell out in front of people and lead, say clearly "Here is where I stand, here is what I'm for, here is how I want to help you," stop trying to be liked and start trying to be right.
Another thing it's clearly time to do is to stop surrendering the initiative and the very language of debate to the other side. We must fearlessly call the powerful when they try to smear and elide over facts with spin, we must stop trying to play the balancing game and start recognizing that a lie and a lie a thousand time worse than the first are NOT equal. Hiding behind the disingenuous stance that both sides lie only lets those willing to tell the biggest lie rape you.

Boing Boing: ClearChannel stations gave away boob-jobs for Xmas

Boing Boing: ClearChannel stations gave away boob-jobs for Xmas
yet another example of the right-wing and of course its corporate minions finding a way to profit off sex, prurience and objectifying women.

But then again what you expect from a political persuasion and include such wonderful people as, say, Newt Gingrich?

Challenge yourself, indeed

True hero athlete / Day's theme: Challenge yourself: "

Just when we thought we had a pure and simple hero, a millionaire athlete who gave up wealth and fame to become the ideal patriot, to make the ultimate sacrifice, his friends and family complicated everything. They turned Pat Tillman into a human being . . . .

Damned good column.

Here's a local reporter who won't know about the next time Bush is in town

From the Didn't They Get the Memo About Not Having Bad News files, comes this story from the (Dubuque, Iowa)Times Herald. (Ninth paragraph and onward.)
Big props to the old vet who wanted to "ask Bush a few questions." Especially when so much of the press won't do it for him.

Good question. Good f&*#ing question.

From the NY Times Op-Ed page Op-Ed Columnist: Where by Paul Krugman:

Still, the big story isn't about Mr. Bush; it's about what's happening to America. Other presidents would have liked to bully the C.I.A., stonewall investigations and give huge contracts to their friends without oversight. They knew, however, that they couldn't. What has gone wrong with our country that allows this president to get away with such things?

You see, Paul, the Republicans have finally captured all three branches (not to mention a growing share of the fourth estate). Now they'll likely do pretty much anything to retain power. Besides, only crimes against the party matter; let the hoi polloi fend for themselves.

Salon.com | The blue dress of Baghdad

From Salon.com | The blue dress of Baghdad

Now, can we talk of impeachment? The rueful admission by former chief U.S. weapons inspector David Kay that Saddam Hussein did not possess weapons of mass destruction or the means to create them at the time of the U.S. invasion confirms the fact that the Bush administration is complicit in arguably the greatest scandal in U.S. history. It's only because the Republicans control both houses of Congress that we hear no calls for a broad-ranging investigation of the type that led to the discovery of Monica Lewinsky's infamous blue dress.

Impeachement?
Surely you jest.
That, like taxes, is only for the little people, Democrats and other nonhuman enemies of the GOP.

An example of the problem

SelectSmart.com Selectors:

1. Your ideal theoretical candidate. (100%)
   
2. Green Party Candidate (97%)
   
3. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (86%)
   
4. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (82%)
   
5. Clark, Retired General Wesley K., AR - Democrat (80%)
   
6. Socialist Candidate (79%)
   
7. Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol, IL - Democrat (79%)
   
8. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (78%)
   
9. Kucinich, Rep. Dennis, OH - Democrat (77%)
   
10. Gephardt, Rep. Dick, MO - Democrat (76%)
    
11. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (70%)
    
12. Lieberman, Senator Joe, CT - Democrat (47%)
    
13. LaRouche, Lyndon H. Jr. - Democrat (31%)
    
14. Libertarian Candidate (26%)
    
15. Phillips, Howard - Constitution (12%)
    
16. Hagelin, Dr. John - Natural Law (4%)
    
17. Bush, President George W. - Republican (1%)
    

First, these selectors are interesting things.
Second, from Kerry to Dean is only 16% difference, making the choice very difficult. I'm excluding 3rd-party candidates--I think unseating Bush and stopping the bleeding is too vital to consider a candidate without a chance. I don't think Bush won the last election, but I do think (somewhat) that third-party voters like myself made it close enough to steal.

Judge Chooses San Mateo County as Site of Murder Trial

From Judge Chooses San Mateo County as Site of Murder Trial:

By DEAN E. MURPHY
January 21, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20--Tourism officials in San Mateo County cheered wildly on Tuesday when a judge announced that the murder trial of Scott Peterson would be moved there.

Alas, for my republic, which has fallen so far as to cheer a murder trial for the money it brings!

Global War on Terrorism Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal

Global War on Terrorism Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal
The odd thing is, I might be eligible for this depending on the criteria. Damn shame the administration is trying to use a military decoration to conflate the war on terrorism with the Persian Gulf War(s).

NYT Op-Ed: One Nation, Under Secularism

From One Nation, Under Secularism By SUSAN JACOBY

"Today, many voters, of many religious beliefs, might well be receptive to a candidate who forthrightly declares that his vision of social justice will be determined by the 'plain, physical facts of the case' on humanity's green and fragile earth. But that would take an inspirational leader who glories in the nation's secular heritage and is not afraid to say so."

As much as I would like to believe this, I think Ms. Jacoby overstates the case. Too many Americans fear the reprisals some, and probably most, Christians would hand out as a result of even supporting someone of faith who dared support secularism.

Dispatches: The Military: Marines Plan to Use Velvet Glove More Than Iron Fist in Iraq

From The New York Times: Dispatches: The Military: Marines Plan to Use Velvet Glove More Than Iron Fist in Iraq:

"CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Dec. 10 � No force has a tougher reputation than the United States Marines. But the marines who are headed to Iraq this spring say they intend to avoid the get-tough tactics that have been used in recent weeks by Army units. "

More proof Marines are smarter than Army grunts. Of course, we have a lot more experience fighting "small wars" at the behest of the administration. One thing Marines pride themselves on is learning from mistakes and successes.
Lt. Gen. Conway sounds like one hell of a leader; so many in the military would have made noises like they were going to bring even more death and destruction, just to salvage ego and no matter what they had planned. To be willing to say, "We're going to try and work with the Iraqis" is a good sign for the sucess of the operation, as is sending in the Marines generally.
One last thing: Conway is too classy to make this point, but one advantage the Marines will have is that everybody is expected to have basic infantry skills, including ambushing, responding to ambushes, patrolling and operating both personal and crew-served weapons.
From MARINE CORPS ORDER 1500.51A--MARINE BATTLE SKILLS TRAINING (MBST) PROGRAM
5. Policy
a. Every Marine regardless of MOS will be taught those
fundamental combat skills needed to survive and fight on today�s
battlefield. The references contain the tasks and standards
required of Marines (private - gunnery sergeant). Sustainment of
these skills is the responsibility of commanders at all levels.
b. Combat skills proficiency is an integral part of every
Marine�s performance of duty. Commanders will consider a Marine�s
combat skills proficiency when assigning proficiency marks and
writing fitness reports.

Op-Ed Columnist: Returned to Life

From "Returned to Life" by Bob Herbert in The New York Times: "As for the work that he and his students are doing: 'Some people think it's inspiring,' the professor said. 'I think it's dismaying. Seniors in college should not be the last line of defense against an innocent person being executed.'"
Dismaying indeed. It's not that I'm against executions entirely, but to kill 2-3 innocent people out of every 10 is simply unacceptable for a civilized society.

Appeals court lets 'do not call' list go forward - Oct. 7, 2003

Appeals court lets 'do not call' list go forward - Oct. 7, 2003
And here I thought it couldn't get more confusing. Telemarketers, just close now and save us a lot of trouble.

The Do Not Call Squall - The constitutional smack-down at the heart of Do Not Call. By Dahlia�Lithwick

From Slate:The Do Not Call Squall - The constitutional smack-down at the heart of Do Not Call. By Dahlia�Lithwick:

"Well, here is one way not to think about it: The fact that 50 million Americans signed up for the list is not constitutionally compelling. Nor are the tens of irate letters-to-the-editor complaining about how annoying telemarketers are. It might seem intuitively obvious to you that the right to be left alone is more constitutionally urgent than the right to hear crap in which you have no interest. But the First Amendment exists to protect unpopular speech. Fifty million Americans probably would sign up to ban speeches against the war in Iraq or to bar Carrot Top from ever performing again. And that's why the First Amendment is not about the popularity of the speech in question."

While I made this very point recently, the Carrot Top issue could make me change my mind.

House panel: CIA�s report on Iraq shaky

House panel: CIA�s report on Iraq shaky
Intelligence chief seeks inquiry into possible leak naming agent
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PRESS SERVICES

WASHINGTON � The White House, laboring to build domestic and international support for its postwar efforts in Iraq, is facing renewed criticism about how it managed the intelligence that underpinned its case for the war.
The debate over the rationale....
There were 'too many uncertainties' in the outdated and inadequate information ....
At the same time, officials confirmed that Tenet had asked the Department of Justice to look into whether one or more administration officials had leaked information to news media disclosing the identity of a covert CIA agent. Tenet�s request was first reported by NBC News."

I believe this is called "burying the lede," but I suppose the nation's most misnamed paper deserves some credit for the kicker.

Another up, and down, for the national do-not-call list

>From the NewsHour Website via a link on AETN's home page:
[ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/donotcall_09-25-03.html ]Federal
Judge Declares Do-Not-Call List Unconstitutional
A federal judge in Denver declared a new national registry designed to
stop most unwanted telemarketing calls unconstitutional Thursday, just
hours after both houses of Congress passed legislation aimed at nullifying
another court's decision to halt the list's enactment earlier in the week.
(9/25/03)

I hope no one doubts the direct marketers are briging big money to bear on
this. I expect legal challenges until they win or die--this law smashes
thier business model all to heck. Maybe then we can look at getting
politicians and the other loopholers blocked, too.


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Price of Oil Climbs as OPEC Plans to Cut Output

Price of Oil Climbs as OPEC Plans to Cut Output
Now can we talk about renewable energy and cutting the oil ubilicus without being branded lunatic-fringe hippies?

Court Knocks Down 'Do Not Call' List (TechNews.com)

Court Knocks Down 'Do Not Call' List (TechNews.com)
The real damage was or will be done whenever DMA gets the list via discovery.

Why haven't I seen this?

Why haven't I seen an infographic on the 32 countries (by SecDef Rumsfeld's count) with "soldiers" in Iraq?
I have a hunch that it would look like those graphics seen during every Olympics where it becomes very obvious that one or two countries were getting most medals while a slew of other nations would manage to win one or two events. (Ah, for the days when national pride was measured every four years by the colored bars for the US and USSR. Of course, the simplistic worldview engendered during those times when things seemed binary is at least one root cause for the hubris that is miring our troops in Iraq.)
Surely some news outlet has this important information in an easy-to-apprehend graphic.
Update: the Coalition Joint Task Force Seven is the overarching unit and has a list that was current on May 15, paraphrased below. I count only 16 countries with "forces" committed (several are either prepared or preparing to deploy or are not exactly in Iraq) and 32 supporting financially. This isn't a force I would compare with the coalition in Gulf War I, WWII or any of the other the DoD and White House constantly compare with it.

Countries (16) supplying ground, air or sea forces, medical supplies or personnel, or humanitarian aid:
1. Albania: one infantry company
2. Australia: two C-130s of medical assets; Special Operations Forces; two frigates and one support ship for enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq; two P-3 aircraft for Maritime Patrol; 14 fighter aircraft, three helicopters, and two aircraft for airlift.
3. Bulgaria: Prepared to deploy a light infantry unit
4. Czech Republic: 50-bed Level III Field Hospital; six water purification units; a nuclear, biological, chemical consequence management unit.
5. Denmark: a three man surgical team; one coastal submarine and one frigate.
6. Italy: a Level III field hospital, with associated security personnel and water, sanitation, and civil engineering specialists; Prepared to deploy a mechanized infantry brigade.
7. Kuwait: Forces for defense of Kuwait; medical supplies; a Field Hospital with 40 beds.
8. Lithuania: a cargo handling team; four medical personnel with trauma and orthopedic surgery specialties.
9. Netherlands: Patriot batteries to Turkey to support NATO Article IV defense of Turkey.
10. Poland: an NBC consequence management unit, Special Operations Force, preparing to deploy a division and assume operational responsibility of one sector in Iraq.
11. Republic of Korea: a Medical Support Group, consisting of a 60-bed Level II+ Field Hospital; a construction and engineering support group.
12. Romania: an NBC consequence management unit; maintains additional units on a 'prepare to deploy' order.
13. Slovak Republic: an NBC consequence management team
14. Spain: one frigate and one support ship; one medical facility (Level II+, 14 beds) and one deployable Field Hospital (Level II+, 40 beds), both still at sea.
15. Ukraine: an NBC consequence management unit.
16. United Kingdom: ground forces not specified in document; 31 vessels, including destroyers, frigates, aircraft carrier, helicopter carrier, supply ships, mine counter measure forces, and submarines; 66 fighter aircraft, 14 tanker aircraft, 41 helicopters, 10 reconnaissance aircraft, four AWACS aircraft and four aircraft for airlift.

Countries (32) offering financial support:
1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Canada
5. Croatia
6. Czech Republic
7. Finland
8. France
9. Germany
10. Greece
11. Hungary
12. India
13. Ireland
14. Italy
15. Japan
16. Jordan
17. Korea
18. Kuwait
19. Liechtenstein
20. Lithuania
21. Luxembourg
22. Netherlands
23. New Zealand
24. Portugal
25. Saudi Arabia
26. Spain
27. Sweden
28. Taiwan
29. Turkey
30. United Arab Emirates
31. United Kingdom
32. United States of America.