Hand wringing

So, I looked in at Facebook and all kinds of posts about how people are "sick" and holding their kids a little tighter right now, but they'll go back to normal tomorrow.  And it should.  It's a horrible tragedy and one that we all have the most slight chance of ever experiencing.  Everyone will wring their hands and go back to normal, take everything granted.  And that's probably best b/c we can't go around living in fear, seeing a crazed killer around every corner.

It was interesting that I just read Malcolm Gladwell's book "tipping point" where he talks about mass shootings occurring in waves.  I have to wonder if this shooter got is "ok" from the sick fuck in Clackamas Oregon a few days ago?

Lots of talk about gun-control or not talking about gun-control, but hell that's not going to stop this kind of stuff.  Have you seen the war on drugs?  That's gone so well.  A war on guns isn't going to fare remotely as well considering the number of legally owned guns in this country and the Constitution.  But NO ONE is mentioning the sorry state of mental health care in this country.  The sick and twisted will always find weapons, why not treat the illness instead of the tools of the crime?  Guns exist, no one is going to ban them or take them away.  But we can treat mental illness more effectively, why not start there?

Media/NFL coverage of KC Linebacker Jovan Belcher

The networks and the players seem to forget that this guy that killed himself was a murderer.  He killed his girlfriend first.  While it's tragic, isn't it MOST tragic that he killed an innocent person.  The girlfriend barely has been mentioned, she's the victim of his violence.  Yet after a 5 minute piece on how horrible it was the Belcher was dead, the announcer finally mentioned the name of the woman he killed.  Sorry, I don't have sympathy for him.  He killed an innocent woman.  I can't weep for him, especially when everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that he was a murderer when he died.

Seems like a lot of my friends on Facebook forgot entirely 2008

Bush 2016

I wonder if the "Jeb Bush 2016" bumper stickers will be available tomorrow.

Romney speech

Solid speech Governor. Feel bad for him a bit, he's been running for 7 years. I would like politicians to heed his advice to overcome partisanship and do the country's business, but from what I've seen already tonight that doesn't seem likely.

If you can win it...steal it

We all know that polling places in cities in Ohio won't have enough ballots, poll workers, while the rich suburbs will have no lines.  I will hand it to the GOP while they steal elections these stories get very little attention from the press (Diebolt machine irregularities anyone) but the GOP propaganda arm at Fox talks about ACORN all the time as if it had ANY impact on actually voting.  The Republicans are so much better at suppressing Democratic voting and way better and crying foul and diverting attention from their illegal activities.  

It is amazing though considering Obama is "the worst President ever"  a "Socialist", A "communist", a "Muslim", an "Atheist", A "blind Adherent of Rev Wright" a "Fascist",  and "incompetent" and has "ruined America" in 4 years that the Republicans couldn't even come up with a guy that good beat such a horrible President in a landslide.  

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-29390-department_of_justice_investigating_alleged_ballot_fraud_at_clackamas_county_elections.html

Sources familiar with the incident say their understanding is that the woman filled in a straight Republican ticket on the ballots where preferences had been left blank by voters.

http://www.newsleader.com/article/20121103/NEWS01/311030020/Va-voter-fraud-probe-widens

Companies created or led by Sproul have been paid more than $3 million by the Republican party during this election campaign. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign paid Sproul’s firm $71,000 late last year for “field consulting.”

My one and only comment on Lance Armstrong...and one more

I posted this little rant on Facebook the other day and I got a ton of Likes and comments:

OK, my one Lance Armstrong post (although I still don't care about cycling and even if you're on "drugs" ...riding a bike 100 miles up the Alps is still a ridiculous feat). Since EVERYONE in cycling was apparently also doing the same drugs was HE really cheating? If cheating is about an uneven playing field (or uneven Peloton...ha Bike Nerds that's for you) or unfair advantage..if EVERYONE is do

ing the same drugs then everyone is equal. Level playing field. No cheating.

OH Yeah, for your clowns who now say you want your money back that you donated to LIVESTRONG...really? Because Lance (and everyone else ) did some PEDs, Cancer is not a problem and it doesn't deserve your money? You DO know the cause you donated to support right? It wasn't Armstrong's beach house, it was to fight Cancer. But hey, you go right ahead and get indignant b/c we all know that now that Lance has been stripped of his glories, that Cancer is not a problem anymore.
And....Scene.

and I followed up with this...

 I didn’t realize the amount of comments my little rant would generate. I guess my Klout score will be going up all while I become an “influencer” on the topic of cycling and maybe PEDs. Just wanted to point out that my rant wasn’t an impassioned defense of Lance, but more of a rant against the world of cycling which seemed obsessed with tearing down its most famous athlete. If you’re 95% of America you can name 1 cyclist, although you might remember Greg LeMond. I’m sure if you’re a fan of the sport and outside the US you may know a lot more. Seems a bit short-sighted even as you try to “clean up” the sport that’s now more famous for busting people for doping than it is for racing. 

But hey, if you’re a fan of sports and PEDs, check out the ESPN 30 for 30 (“9.79*”) on the 1988 Seoul Olympics 100m race and how it might appear all but one or two of those runners were on the juice, I’m looking at you too Carl Lewis.

Another reason that I've given up on baseball

I started losing my love of baseball with a couple of strikes (labor struggles, not Balls and Strikes) that bothered me back in the 80/90’s . Then they started Interleague play and the wildcard. Say all you want about evolution of the game and all that. The part I liked about baseball was the history and tradition. That’s all gone now. (Mr. November doesn’t have the same ring does it?)


Now as Cabrera wins the Triple Crown, something that hasn’t happened in most of our lives, word is that the Triple Crown is meaningless and he isn’t a lock for MVP. WHAT? Trout had a great year, no doubt, but all this talk of “Wins above Replacement”, “Bases per mile against starting left handed pitchers with blond wives” and such. Half the time I don’t even know what these baseball stats abbreviations are in articles I read. Tell me when a high batting average, a HR or an RBI was BAD for a baseball team?

The Triple Crown is an amazing achievement, it’s been 45 years since anyone did it. Ruth’s unbeatable HR record didn’t last that long when Maris broke it.

Saying that the Triple Crown doesn’t matter just because computers have made hits/HR/RBI unimportant is ridiculous. And an insult to Yaz, Frank Robinson, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams and others.



http://deadspin.com/5948944

Smashing Pumpkins New Album

Really digging Smashing Pumpkins new album.  For some context, I really believe that "Gish" and "Siamese Dream" were the highlights for SP.  Never liked the later stuff, just didn't have the edge I wanted.  "Gish" rocked so hard.  Still love that album.

So I heard an interview with Billy Corgan talking about the new album I listened.  He still comes off as a bit of a dick sometimes, and a bit pompous, but he's dealt with a lot of crap over the years, so I'll let some of that go.  Anyway, after the interview I noticed that Spotify had the album so I gave it a listen and I really liked what heard. Especially the first two songs.

Those two songs reminded me of "Gish" so I had to buy it, so off to Amazon I went and bought the CD.  Yes, the actual CD.

Since I received it it's been in my car CD player non-stop.  Now, I don't listen to it all the time, but I"ve probably listened to it 10 times and I like it even more.  The first 5 songs are excellent.  As I mentioned the first two have a early Pumpkins rock quality.  And at times the drumming reminds me of Jimmy Chamberlin's.  Love those first to songs.  Tracks 3 and 4 are a bit more mellow, but I like those a lot too.  Around track 6 it loses me some, but I'm going to give this one 4+ stars and I'd put it alongside Siamese Dream in terms of a SP album that I really enjoy.

Well done Billy.

When Bushed Apologized to Muslims

When Bush Apologized to Muslims...Actually Apologized, used those words..HIMSELF.  Not some tortured bullshit about how "Obama" apologized for "American Values" when a embassy official condemned hate speech (apparently the only American Value that the right-wing actually values, especially when it's aimed toward Muslims, Gay, Unions, women, dark-skinned peoples, etc)

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/13/when_bush_apologized_to_muslims/ 

In 2008, a U.S. sniper shot a Quran in Iraq, causing  an uproar. President Bush expressly apologized. “He apologized for that in the sense that he said that we take it very seriously,” White House press secretary Dana Perino said. “We are concerned about the reaction. We wanted them to know that the president knew that this was wrong.” The sniper was disciplined and the upper echelons of the military put out numerous statements trying to soothe tensions. Nobody accused Bush of “apologizing to al-Qaida.” 

God sends Hurricane to Republican Convention, he must be mad at them.

We all know that God expresses his displeasure with America with Hurricanes.  Therefore it's interesting that during Obama's presidency there haven't been any big hurricanes to hit the US ( I think the one that hit New England/New York last year was the "big one").  What's more interesting that God is sending one directly to the GOP convention.  Their use of God's name while shitting on everything Jesus stood for is probably a big part of it.

Reflections

Yesterday a friend of mine died very unexpectedly and tragically.  Early 40's leaves behind the love of his life and some great kids and countless friends.  As I'm driving around today running some errands his death seems so, I don't know, meaningless.  That's not even the right word.  The thing that gets me is that this is an event that will devastate some people and make others sad, but the world goes on.  The world always goes on.  I feel like the world should change a little even for a moment when someone passes, but it doesn't.  Even though I'm hit pretty hard by this, I still have things I have to do.  I had to go to the store, I had to take my son somewhere.  The world hasn't changed, life is going on.  It makes it seem like life is so small in the grand scheme of things.

But then I get angry reading all of the Facebook posts to his widow.  Nearly every comment is about praying and God granting comfort to her.  Where was God yesterday?  Is this part of "God's plan" to "take" him from the world at this age with so much to live for, to provide for the people who depend on him?  Or was God just looking the other way yesterday and now we expect that God is going to somehow comfort his widow and family NOW?  Why not just let him live?  Why would God step in now?  Maybe those words do give her strength and maybe it will help her get through this, but if God can do that and change her feelings, why not just stop the physical actions and situation that caused his death?

Some more of that new mainstream Republican Party thinking

For a bunch of tough guys, Republicans sure see a lot of scary ghosts around every corner.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/us/texas-judge-warning/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Remember when Obama was going to take everyone's guns? All he did for guns was enable gun owners to bring loaded weapons into National Parks.


It's this type of paranoid bullshit that leads to militiamen group and terrorism. It sure does drum up support from the fringes though.  The NRA has been scaring you Republicans with this type of bullshit for years and they laugh all the way to the bank. You guys lap this shit up like an Apple Fanboy waiting for the next iPhone.

The Classic "I misspoke" (when I clearly laid out my well thought ideology)

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/20/politics/campaign-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_t1



I LOVE LOVE LOVE that he now says he "misspoke". Misspoke is when you say of your kid's names instead of the other when asking them to pick up their dirty socks. This was a completely thought out political/medical/religious philosophy, a deeply held belief with no backing in science that he and many of his colleagues in Congress and the Republican party believe. Fortunately, when ridiculous ideas like this see the light of day (outside of press-excluded GOP fundraisers and the backrooms of GOP power) , the are shown for the idiocy and ignorance that pervades this type of God-first thinking, science be damned.

This is today's Republican Party and it's incredibly lame to say he "misspoke". This is mainstream Republican Party Thinking in 2012.

GOP loves the rule of law...when it suits them OR Bobby Jindal tries to make people remember him

I hear it a lot about "it's the law" when Joe Arpaio is rounding up landscapers in Phoenix (even while he's breaking the law himself in other ways like arresting journalists who dare print stories about him and harrassing lawmakers that oppose him, or illegally spending money he doesn't have in his budget, but I digress).


So, Mr Jindal here believes he's above the law?



Jindal going to ignore the law?

Remember when Bobby was the next big thing...right up until his disasterous response to Obama's first State of the Union. Seems so long ago.

When Mitt loved Individual Mandates

A friend said that today's decision will be trouble for Obama in November, but I'm not so sure.

I don't think it's going to be so bad for Obama, heard a recent poll that said after the health care act is thrown out (and everyone expected it to be) 68% of Americans wanted Congress/Government to do something to fix health care.




Insurance doesn't work unless the people who don't use it buy it, that's why Romney implemented the mandate in Massachusetts that was the foundation for Obama's plan. Sick people are going to be treated regardless, Obama's plan makes people responsible for funding that care, those who hate the mandate are ok with taxpayers funding all of that completely. (although they claim it's an affront to "liberty" while supporting indefinite detention of US citizens, strip searches for an overdue library book and warrantless wiretapping)

When Mitt Romney love government health plans

Smashing Pumpkin's "Oceania" first listen review

After the first listen (Thank you Spotify) this is one of my favorite Pumpkins albums since the days of Gish or Siamese Dream as it feels like the Pumpkins of old in lots of places.  The first song sounds like it came from Gish with Jimmy Chamberlin on the kit.  

If you remember my comments about the latest Shins CD you'll know when I fall in love with a band I prefer they keep on that course.  I don't need Black Sabbath doing a "free form Jazz Exploration" and I don't need the Rolling Stones to make a disco album (oh, that did happen), so I do like this "return to form" for Mr. Corgan.


 Another take...Pumpkins Review

Times are a changin

Apparently the GOP is outraged by this, but it wasn’t so long ago that the supposed “pro-family” GOP brought government to a complete standstill while it demanded that that illegal immigrant Elian Gonzalez continue to be separated from his father and remain in the USA. Times have changed.






http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/15/politics/immigration/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Atheists make better people

atheists-more-inclined-help-fellow-man-religious-people-

I think this is true, the atheists I know are generally more compassionate to their fellow human beings and are generally not told who to hate by some book or their religious leaders.  I think they tend to make judgements about people as individuals based on the merits or lack thereof of each person, not of groups based on demographic criteria.  I also think that they are more compassionate because it appeals to their sense of fairness, instead of some "obligation" or fear that they will be punished by some superpowered entity.  (I've said that before here). 

and  I'm not attacking Christians here.  I'm talking about everyone.  I've known Christians who've dedicated their lives to helping others, but I've also known "Christians" who are some of the most hateful people I"ve ever known.  I'm comparing atheists to ALL religions.  You haven't seen atheists engage in a lot of terrorism, wars, purges in an effort to make people NOT believe in their unGod.

Shins New Album "Port of Morrow"

Bands and artists evolve, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. For a guy who pre-ordered the last two Shins albums I think it’s time I accept that James Mercer is not putting out the same music that I love from the Shins first two albums. LOVE THEM, listen to them all the way through probably still once a month. My expectations were so high for “Wincing the night away” I’m not sure they could have met them and they didn’t. I don’t know that I’ve listened to that album more than 4 or 5 times total. Some say that wasn’t a departure, but for me it was. Too much synth and not enough guitars.


I got the new album, “Port of Morrow” yesterday and I’ve listened to it once. It’s clear that the Shins are a different band, or should I say that James Mercer is a different guy than he was on “Chutes” or “Inverted World”. Not bad, necessarily, but not the band I loved. More mellow, less rocking, less guitar-driven.

I'll give it a few more listens.  I like it more than I like "Wincing" already, but now that I love only half of the Shins catalog, it might be time for me to part ways.

A government program that fails half of the time...

Why would Americans want to continually support a government program that fails half of the time?


http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/21/10799069-cdc-only-half-of-first-marriages-last-20-years

That's right it's "sanctity"

Stop saying Limbaugh should be kicked off the air

The man is a vile, hateful, hypocrite, but he has every right to be on the radio.  ((side note: Comparisons to him and Bill Maher are ridiculous;  compare the clout Limbaugh has to that of Maher...it's not even close.  Limbaugh is the ideological leader of the Republican party, Maher is nothing like that.  No other citizen in America has the clout of Limbaugh within their political sphere.  So, those comparisons are dumb (See David Frum's piece).  )

But just because he's influential and the leader of the GOP, he can still say stupid shit.

That all said, this is America and Rush has every right to say stupid shit and have people pull sponsorships and point out he's a vile human being.  But no one should be demanding he be taken off the radio.  If his employers/radio stations feel he's bad for business, he'll lose his job (although I believe he'll also find an outlet for his brand of misogyny and Anything-to-beat-Obama-even-if-it's-bad-for-America rhetoric).  But when liberals whine about how he should be silenced it's just makes liberals look weak.  Argue with Rush on the merits of his stupid comments, don't "demand" he be taken off the air.  That's unAmerican.  And it totally plays into the Right Wings ridiculousness victimization rhetoric that they're so good at.

Hell, people who like Rush are going to like him no matter what, but in reality his recent hateful comments reflect poorly on the Republican Party, so let him keep talking.

Low IQ linked to prejudice...

Book learnin' is bad for business, that's why they're always deriding those "educated elites". Cuz if they get smart they're going to stop hating people that is the basis for so much of their victimization rhetoric. And how all those damn (insert demographic here) are taking away their stuff.



http://news.yahoo.com/low-iq-conservative-beliefs-linked-prejudice-180403506.html

Zany Catholics Part II

The last post came from an email discussion with my "Conservative" email buddy.  He posed the question if I was "disgusted" by other religiious prohibitions like to those of alcohol and eating pork.  It's his way of trying to prove I'm anti-Christian when he knows my feelings on organized religion in general.  I thought my retort was pretty good.

Hey Crazy...no one said "disgusted".  i said "silly".  Why do you get your panties in a twist and make shit up?

But it's funny you bring up food prohibitions because in the same page that supposedly bans boys kissing, the same book bans eating shellfish and wearing Cotton/Wool blends.  Most of man's prohibitions that are supposedly founded on "God's wishes" are equally dumb.  And please don't confuse Morality with words in a book written by a bunch of guys thousands of years ago.  You can have a since of right and wrong without relying on some dusty old book.  Killing other people is bad and not because it's in the Bible.  If you need a book to tell you that killing and stealing are bad, you probably DO need to be going to church or something at LEAST once a week.  

In Fact, I would say that atheists are generally "better" people because they act out of an innate sense of justice, an awareness of what is right and wrong not because they are simply afraid of some punishment by an unseen "God".   (Get in trouble with daddy).  If you act out of fear of punishment you're not really being "good".  You know, the whole "acting the right way when NO ONE is looking".  For people who live in fear of "God", someone is always looking.  God.  

So, 

-Justice and Morality don't come from a book written by guys who claim it's the word of God (especially when what is "moral and right" in those books is ignored most of the time.  Commandments 2,3,4,5 and 10 seem to be pretty much ignored for example)

-Religion and the various rules created by man in religions name don't have much connection to "God"

-Atheists are better people

-Prohibitions against eating pork and drinking alcohol are just as silly as celibacy for clergy

Those Zany Catholics

Now, we all know the priest celibacy thing is not in the Bible and is a relatively recent doctrine imposed by the Church to protect Church property back in the day, but I guess it shows you CAN be good at doing priest/bishop things (assuming these children are his only "Crime") and not be celibate.  Trust me, I'm not saying that he was right...he knew the rules going in and should lose his job, but it points out the silliness of the celibacy doctrine.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45871047/ns/us_news-life/#.TwS5qTWrMww 

Who got hurt by his going forth and multiplying?  He continued to do his job well enough to be a Bishop.  Apparently, celibacy isn't required for the efficent discharge of his duties.  it's clearly not required in Protestant sects, nor in Judiasm, etc.

God Loves Tebow and Bowls are a joke

Look at this line...You can't tell me God doesn't love Tebow. He puts this crap up and still "leads" Denver to the playoffs.


Denver C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT NFL RATING

Tebow 6/22 60 2.7 0 1 20.6

Someone at work was lamenting the loss of "College bowl tradition" because games were on Jan. 2 and not the first. I laughed. When the Rose Bowl stopped being Pac10 v Big10 champ every year tradition died. I was watching the "Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl" or something to that effect and they referred to the "tradition" of that game. I literally laughed out loud to myself. Bowl games have become so ridculous like UCLA not being bowl eligible (6-7 record) and appealing to get into a bowl and losing to a team that also just fired their coach. Stupid. But today all is better, with real bowl games that we've heard of before.

Go Ducks