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Tue - July 8, 2008Cartoons? Comics? Graphic Storytelling?Mike Russell does "nonfiction comics"
for the Oregonian. In last weeks paper, they ran a piece he did on Cowboy Action Shooting.
He is quick to say, "I'm no Will Eisner." When he came to cover the shooting match, I don't think he was prepared to encounter a shooter with a cowboy alias borrowed from one of Eisner's fictional characters in PS magazine. Posted at 08:40 AM Thu - May 29, 2008News With MusicI got the idea for this as the big red
guns roll out to bear on Scott McClellan.
Scott said he had to get right with the truth, which he declares to be a higher value for him. My friend Roger Bertholf thundered in an e-mail about this perfidious book. He is not alone. Karl Rove declared from his Fox News soapbox that if McClellan had any qualms, he sure didn't voice them at the time. As if McClellan was ever asked his opinion about anything. The man was told what to say, he said it; that was his job. Substantive discussion of McClellan's assertions are not on offer. Discredit the messenger, rather than talk about his disturbing message. Congressman Wexler noted: “The admissions made by Scott McClellan in his new book are earth-shattering and allege facts to establish that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby – and possibly Vice President Cheney - conspired to obstruct justice by lying about their role in the Plame Wilson matter and that the Bush Administration deliberately lied to the American people in order to take us to war in Iraq," But I digress. Roger was outraged by this treachery. I responded to him in an e-mail that Red McClellan sounded like this: However, Blue McClellan might sound more on the order of: Posted at 06:27 PM Mon - February 18, 2008Contest WinnerWe have a winner in the
contest.
As you recall, the contest asked "let's make up some product names or slogans. They should be in poor taste, and likely to fly under the radar of a post-literate society." The winner: The Alferd Packer Alfresco Cook Book Only a true professional could use "bad taste" both as a defining characteristic AND a double entendre. Posted at 06:12 PM Mon - February 4, 2008Contest Entries - Day 1Entries so
far:
Adolph's Hideaway Spa Ronald Reagan's Guide to Logic and Economics Lewinsky's Spot Remover Explosive Guy Fawkes Political Meditations Jefferson Davis Loyalty Bracelets Benedict Arnold Patriot Pins Bataan Joke Book Shock-and-Awe Pickup Lines Franz Kafka Federal Courthouse Colonel Cathcart Veterans Outreach Center Romeo and Juliet Suicide Hotline Edmond Dantes Justice Center Posted at 08:51 AM Sun - February 3, 2008Let's Have A ContestOn February 1st, Reuters filed
this story:
"A chain of retail stores in Britain has withdrawn the sale of beds named Lolita and designed for six-year-old girls after furious parents pointed out that the name was synonymous with sexually active pre-teens. Woolworths said staff who administer the web site selling the beds were not aware of the connection. In "Lolita," a 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov, the narrator becomes sexually involved with his 12-year-old stepdaughter -- but Woolworths staff had not heard of the classic novel or two subsequent films based on it. Hence they saw nothing wrong with advertising the Lolita Midsleeper Combi, a whitewashed wooden bed with pull-out desk and cupboard intended for girls aged about six until a concerned mother raised the alarm on a parenting website. "What seems to have happened is the staff who run the website had never heard of Lolita, and to be honest no one else here had either," a spokesman told British newspapers. "We had to look it up on (online encyclopedia) Wikipedia. But we certainly know who she is now." Woolworths said the product had now been dropped. "Now this has been brought to our attention, the product has been removed from sale with immediate effect," the chain said. "We will be talking to the supplier with regard to how the branding came about." " With this inspiration, let's make up some product names or slogans. They should be in poor taste, and likely to fly under the radar of a post-literate society. Posted at 09:39 AM Tue - January 1, 2008The HakaA piece filed by the AP in advance of the Sugar
Bowl game between Georgia and Hawaii
notes:
"Will the Bulldogs take offense when Hawaii does its traditional Polynesian war dance before the game? " The haka seems to be spreading in an almost viral fashion. Perhaps this is cultural Darwinism at work, that a Polynesian traditional dance genre should spread so far beyond its original practice. Perhaps it would horrify patrons of the fine arts to see that survival of some forms of culture appears to be linked with success in sporting events. This started with the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby team. They have traditionally performed a haka before international matches. It has even spread to Portland. The Jefferson High School football team performs a haka before each game. After a few games, the powers that be spread the word that if the Jefferson team persisted in this, a penalty flag would fly and the Jefferson team would start the game with a 15 yard penalty. Since then they have taken the penalty at nearly every game as a badge of honor. Certainly for the All Blacks, this seems to buffalo some of the opponents. Some will refuse to exit their dressing rooms until it is over, some will turn their backs. It is interesting to note that many of the teams who shrink from witnessing it tend to lose. The teams that have succeeded against the All Blacks are those who face it. So perhaps the Georgia Bulldogs should face and oppose the Hawaii team's haka. There are some ideas about using the Georgia cultural heritage for the form of the opposition, but I am quite sure that Lester Maddox masks and axe handles would be in poor taste. Posted at 04:11 PM Thu - December 20, 2007Fire!From the AP:
WASHINGTON - Thick smoke billowed from a fire Wednesday in Vice President Dick Cheney's suite of offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. My question: Did the shredders overheat, or was the fire a way to destroy something without obstruction of justice charges? Posted at 08:04 AM Tue - November 27, 2007The Truth Is Out There. Somewhere.The news accounts claim that Dick Cheney was found
to be in atrial fibrillation in the morning, and was shocked back into a normal
rhythm in the
evening:
Doctors administered an electrical shock to Vice President Dick Cheney's heart and restored it to a normal rhythm during a 2 1/2 hour hospital visit Monday. The procedure was described as a low-risk, standard practice. Cheney, 66, went home from George Washington University Hospital and was expected back at work on Tuesday. Cheney, who has a history of heart problems, was discovered to have an irregular heartbeat around 7 a.m. when he was seen by doctors at the White House for a lingering cough from a cold. He remained at work throughout the day, joining President Bush in meetings with Mideast leaders. Problem is, this is at variance with standard procedures. When a person is in atrial fibrillation, they may form clots in their heart, which could travel and cause a stroke when cardioverted (shocked back into normal rhythm). The standard practice is to give such a patient blood thinners, anticoagulants, for a month before doing the cardioversion. So, there is something here we are not being told. Perhaps Cheney really had the onset of his atrial fibrillation a month ago and kept that secret, but couldn't keep the hospitalization for the procedure secret. Perhaps he was much more compromised by the abnormal rhythm than they are saying. Perhaps he was already fully anticoagulated. There is more to this story than we are being told. Posted at 08:03 AM Wed - November 7, 2007Pseudo-science On ParadeIn last Wednesday's edition of the
Journal of the American Medical Association, CDC researchers released a study
supporting the notion that overweight people are more likely to die of diabetes
or kidney disease, but less likely to die of emphysema, pneumonia, infection, or
injury.
This got a lot of ink, and brought out some medical heretics: Why extra fat isn't always deadly and might even help people survive some illnesses is unclear and in fact disputed by many health experts. But University of South Carolina obesity researcher Steven Blair, who says people can be fat and fit, is a believer. He called the report a careful and plausible analysis, and said Americans have been whipped into a "near hysteria" by hype over the nation's obesity epidemic. While the epidemic is real, the number of deaths attributed to it and to being overweight has been exaggerated, Blair said. This led the Keepers of the Conventional Wisdom to return fire: "This is a very puzzling disconnect," said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "That is a conundrum." And: Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society noted that staying slim tops a recent list of recommendations for preventing cancer in a report from the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research. The report was based on a review of more than 7,000 studies. The CDC report "definitely won't be the last word," Thun said. Some of the interpretations of this study in the press are laughable. I saw one that said the study showed that death rates are lower for overweight people. I am pretty sure that 100% of people die, so I am not sure what they meant by that.. Maybe some of us are making the skinny team have bad stats by defecting to their side before cashing in our chips. The whole business puts me in mind of Christine Lavin's song, Cold Pizza For Breakfast: Some people eat grapefruit for breakfast Some people eat oatmeal There are those Who are sure Granola is a very good deal But not me I don't go for that stuff When it comes to nourishment I get more than enough Nothing satisfies my taste Then sittin' down to a great big plate of Cold Pizza for Breakfast Warm Coke to wash it down (Ahhhhh) Maybe a couple of anchovies Make this meal well rounded I want Cold Pizza for Breakfast And a pinch 'o cold spaghetti will do But there's nothin' in the world that I like better than Eatin' Cold Pizza with you. My man takes me out for the evening He treats me so nice We go to the movies We go dancing We go for more than a slice Yes we order a pie We eat what we can We take the rest home That's part of the plan And in the morning when sun rise He sees that crazy look in my eyes I want Cold Pizza for Breakfast Warm Coke to wash it down (Ahhhhh) Maybe a couple of onion rings Make this world go round I want Cold Pizza for Breakfast And a pinch 'o cold spaghetti will do But there's nothin' in the world that I like better than Eatin' Cold Pizza with you Herman Tarnaur would never approve I can hear him (I can hear him - I can hear him) Spinning in his grave He could be alive eating pizza right now Except for when it came to dating women The good doctor did not know how to behave ya ya ya Herman was healthy But Herman is dead (Pizza surely didn't do him in) A Pizza surely didn't do him in (Pizza surely didn't do him in) Jean Harris is behind bars Lookin' quite sad And think, do you see what I'm gettin' at You tend to kill when you're skinny But not when you're fat So gimmie Pizza for Breakfast Warm Coke to wash it down (Ahhhhh) Maybe a couple of pepperoni Make this girl well round, ah Give me Cold Pizza for Breakfast And a pinch 'o cold spaghetti will do But there's nothin' in the world that I like better than Eatin' Cold Pizza with you Nothin' in the world that I like better than Eatin' Cold Pizza oh oh oh Nothin' in the world that I like better than Eatin' Cold Pizza With you. Posted at 10:45 PM Tue - October 2, 2007The Wild West Moved To IraqIraq reminds me more each day of the
American Wild
West.
Arid. Populated by indigenous people who didn't ask the U.S. Government for help, and who have been dying like flies ever since the U.S. Government showed up. Lawless. Hired guns. Blackwater guys shooting anything that moves, like Pinkerton men on steroids. In fact, if you read some of the stuff about steroid use by American combatants, they may well literally be Pinkerton men on steroids. Maybe some of those hair trigger reactions of theirs are the steroids talking. The analogy does seem to apply. So, if the Iraqis want to know how long it will take for the U.S. Government to give the Iraqis their land back, maybe they should ask the voice of experience -- the native Americans. Posted at 10:36 PM Wed - September 26, 2007Even Phonetic Spellings Give Him TroubleToday this news:
A quickly remedied glitch momentarily gave visitors to the UN website a version of Bush's UN General Assembly speech that included phonetic spellings for world leaders, a former Soviet satellite, and at least one capital. It may not be the easiest task to make our generated and veneered Leader appear articulate and intelligent. I don't think phonetic spellings help all that much. Sometimes they need to draw him a picture, as well. Posted at 03:08 PM Thu - September 20, 2007Blackwater Has Carte BlancheBlackwater truly has
carte
blanche.
In one modern usage of the term, it means "unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion; unconditional authority." Blackwater has basically argued that it is not subject to any legal authority. Just days before J. Paul Bremer skedaddled from Baghdad and closed up the Coalition Provisional Authority, he issued Order 17, which made private security contractors immune from Iraqi law. Blackwater has declared that its employees are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice because they are civilians. At the same time, it has claimed immunity from U.S. civil legislation on the grounds that its members are part of the U.S. Total Force. So, this week, the Blackwater team escorting a State Department convoy shot up a bunch of Iraqi civilians, killing at least 11. The eyewitnesses said no one besides Blackwater was shooting. The Iraqi government was irate. The company says its guards reacted "lawfully and appropriately" to an attack. Isn't it disingenuous to argue first that no laws apply to your organization, and then to defend its actions on the grounds that they were lawful? Seems a bit circular. Another modern usage of carte blanche is as a synonym for "blank check." Blackwater's contract with the State Department was and is lucrative. 30% of the Iraq Reconstruction funds went to private security firms. Henry Waxman claims that the State Department's IG, Howard Krongard has actively obstructed investigations of Blackwater practices and State Department expenditures. Howard's brother, A.B. Krongard, is the guy who got Blackwater their first government contract. However, the original carte blanche which emerged in 18th century France was written authority in the name of the king to take any action, without need to trouble the king with knowledge of those actions before or after. In Dumas' novel, The Three Musketeers , Cardinal Richelieu handed out cards on which were written: Dec. 3, 1627 It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has done what he has done. Richelieu With a little tweaking and padding, Richelieu's card sounds like many of the Bush policies and speeches. It is certainly their position on Blackwater. Why does Blackwater get such unlimited support and protection from the Bush government? Blackwater. Carte blanche. Posted at 06:37 PM Wed - September 19, 2007State Department Inspector General Accused Of CoverupsDavid Phinney
writes:
"The US State Department's chief investigative arm is on the hot seat for allegations that Inspector General Howard J. Krongard routinely thwarts investigations for political reasons to cover up embarrassing contracts with the US State Department and the Bush administration." Apparently Krongard tells contractors months in advance of his visits, tells them to select which of their employees he will talk to, and then report that no issues came to his attention. Henry Waxman thinks that Krongard obstructs his investigators, and when problems do actually make it into a report, Krongard censors those reports: Some of the specific allegations include the following: •Although the State Department has expended over $3.6 billion on contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, you refused to send any investigators to those countries to pursue investigations into wasteful spending or procurement fraud and have concluded no fraud investigations relating to the contracts. •You prevented your investigators from cooperating with a Justice Department investigation into waste, fraud, and abuse relating to the new U.S. Embassy in Iraq and followed highly irregular procedures in exonerating the prime contractor, First Kuwaiti Trading Company, of charges of labor trafficking. •You prevented your investigators from seizing evidence that they believed would have implicated a large State Department contractor in procurement fraud in Afghanistan. •You impeded efforts by your investigators to cooperate with a Justice Department probe into allegations that a large private security contractor was smuggling weapons into Iraq. • You interfered with an on-going investigation into the conduct of Kenneth Tomlinson, the head of Voice of America and a close associate of Karl Rove, by passing information about the inquiry to Mr. Tomlinson. •You censored portions of inspection reports on embassies so that critical information on security vulnerabilities was dropped from classified annexes and not disclosed to Congress. •You rejected audits of the State Department’s financial statements that documented accounting concerns and refused to publish them until points critical of the Department had been removed. Posted at 09:04 AM Mon - September 17, 2007Iraqi Government Revokes Blackwater LicenseFrom Reuters:
"Iraq announced on Monday it had withdrawn the license of a U.S. security firm and would prosecute employees it said were involved in a shooting in Baghdad in which 11 people were killed. An Interior Ministry spokesman said security personnel working for contractors Blackwater had opened fire after mortar rounds landed near their cars in Nusour Square in the western Baghdad district of Mansour. "By chance the company was passing by. They opened fire randomly at citizens," Brigadier-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf said. Eleven people were killed, including one policeman, and 13 people were wounded, he said." Now we will get a glimpse of whether the Iraqi government is sovereign or merely an American puppet. The Blackwater firm is a big part of the war in Iraq, offering the U.S. government boots on the ground with even less accountability than usual. Blackwater has had its snout squarely in the public trough from the early days of the Bush administration. Expect the Iraqi government to reverse course on this license revocation in a few days, after getting instructions from Fightin' George, our generated and veneered leader. One question: when did we agree to start calling mercenaries "security contractors" ? Posted at 08:25 AM Mon - August 13, 2007PrioritiesIn Minnesota, a man accused of drunk
driving has asked for the source code for the breathalyzer
which is being used as evidence against
him:
"When Dale Lee Underdahl was arrested on February 18, 2006, on suspicion of drunk driving, he submitted to a breath test that was conducted using a product called the Intoxilyzer 5000EN. During a subsequent court hearing on charges of third-degree DUI, Underdahl asked for a copy of the "complete computer source code for the (Intoxilyzer) currently in use in the state of Minnesota." An article in the Pioneer Press quoted his attorney, Jeffrey Sheridan, as saying the source code was necessary because otherwise "for all we know, it's a random number generator." It is hardly new technology: One criminal defense attorney says the Intoxilyzer is based on the antique Z-80 microprocessor." The State Supreme Court has upheld his request. So we are allowed to see the source code that convicts us of drunk driving, but we are not allowed to see the source code that counts our votes. Posted at 08:09 AM |
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