"It's morning in America, Hackenbush, and you
work the nightshift."
Saturday, June 25,
2005
Hey there, She Bloggers, let's send Thought Crimes some love. They have Tild~'s graphic, there should be a link to the big list at What She Said on it, and there is a list of She Bloggers they read below.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 10:32 AM PST [Link]
Friday, June 24,
2005
As seen on What She Said, a new blog: Women's Autonomy and Sexual Sovereignty Movements. Worth watching interacting with.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 08:56 PM PST [Link]
Todd Rundgren's, um, website. Avedon says this is possibly the all-time worst site by a musical act she has ever seen. I think it's the worst I've ever seen, too. What are we supposed to do with this? Watch it go by? Unless I missed it, you certainly can't interact with it.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 08:33 PM PST [Link]
"Patrick Henry is trying a complicated experiment: taking young evangelicals who have been raised in rarefied, controlled atmospheres and training them to become political leaders without somehow being corrupted by the secular world’s demands -- or, for that matter, moving to the middle. There are already young, ambitious politicians who talk openly about their relationship with Jesus and still get ahead. Whether someone like Matthew du Mée could actually climb the Republican Party hierarchy is far from clear, however. And, if he and his classmates do succeed, the real question may be how their party changes in response to them." GOD AND COUNTRY. A college that trains young Christians to be politicians, by Hanna Rosin, The New Yorker, July 27, 2005 issue And these very very very sheltered young people are going to go into our government and make decisions that affect the whole big world, a world they've not only not experienced, but have and are actively avoiding? I realize bushco is an example of what not to do, but this is the same damn thing. Christian crazy people, let's give peace a chance. I know you're working for a world you can live in, but I'm working for a world we all can live in. Including you.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 07:40 PM PST [Link]
"America's founders knew all too well how war appeals to the vanity of rulers and their thirst for glory. That's why they took care to deny presidents the kingly privilege of making war at their own discretion. "But after 9/11 President Bush, with obvious relish, declared himself a "war president." And he kept the nation focused on martial matters by morphing the pursuit of Al Qaeda into a war against Saddam Hussein. "In November 2002, Helen Thomas, the veteran White House correspondent, told an audience, 'I have never covered a president who actually wanted to go to war' - but she made it clear that Mr. Bush was the exception. And she was right." The War President, by Paul Krugman, NYT Op/Ed, June 24, 2005 And we have to live in this nightmare until it's over... if it's ever over. Did bushco allow 9/11 happen for their own purposes? I've always thought they were just stupid and greedy, now I'm beginning to wonder if they're completely evil as well.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 01:24 PM PST [Link]
Thursday, June 23,
2005
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 02:26 PM PST [Link]
"Episode 2 is up "Show 2 on MP3 "Yay! Another show in the can. This week's topics: "Music by La Mayerson "Chronicles of Conan Vol 2 (starts at 1:45) "The Comics Code (starts at 3:22) "Desire from Digital Manga (starts at 10:30) "B.A.B.E. Force (starts at 21:10) "Neil Gorman's Comicology podcast "Comic Geek Speak podcast" Another incredible podcast by Lene Taylor at I Read Comics!
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 10:36 AM PST [Link]
And now, a California quote all the way from Canada: "'Ask the men and women who stood on top of the Trade Center. Ask them and they will tell you: pass this amendment.' "-Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham, R-Calif." Once more confirming that there is room for EVERYONE in the Golden State. Even people with ties to a defense contractor who took a $700,000 loss on the purchase of their Del Mar house while they are a member of the influential defense appropriations subcommittee, was supporting the contractor's efforts to get tens of millions of dollars in contracts from the Pentagon. Principle; I'm sure Randy Cunningham can tell you all about it. Just as soon as he finishes his séance with the dead people he's grandstanding with. As Bill Hicks said, and I paraphrase: "No one has ever died for a flag... A lot of people have died for freedom... Including the freedom to burn a flag." Dozens die in Iraq every day, gasoline is probably going to be over $3+/gallon, 44+ million without health insurance in the US, the US has kidnapped and imprisoned hundreds without the benefit of any law in the world at Gitmo, $200+ Billion down the drain for bushco's war for oil and swagger, and Randy Cunningham is worried about some cloth with a pattern on it? Callifornia, 50th District I'm looking at you, we all deserve better a better Rep than this guy. EDIT 071905: "Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Escondido, won't seek re-election next year, he announced Thursday, in the midst of a federal grand jury investigation into what some allege are inappropriate ties to a Washington defense contractor. "Cunningham said he can do his job and defend his honor... 'but I don't think I can do either of these things effectively in the midst of a political campaign.'"
Cunningham says he won't seek re-election. North County Times, July 14, 2005 Here's your chance 50th District. UPDATE 082605: Feds Disclose Interest in Congressman Home, by Elliot Spagat, AP, August 26, 2005 "SAN DIEGO (AP) - The federal government revealed publicly in court for the first time Thursday that it is seeking to seize a California congressman's home because prosecutors believe it was purchased with ill-gotten gains. "A government complaint had previously been filed under seal, but an amendment to that complaint became public when it was filed Thursday in federal court in San Diego. "The government alleges Rep. Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham, R-Calif., sold his previous home at an inflated price to a defense contractor whose company was seeking federal contracts. Cunningham, a member of two committees involved in military issues, then used that money to buy his current home for $2.55 million, according to the complaint."
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 08:33 AM PST [Link]
"The world may no longer have a swing producer of oil, but this period can probably be viewed as a swing period of history. By that I mean a period when we hoped that there was a quick and easy way to keep the oil flowing westward and found out that it wasn't so. The time is now coming when the American public won't tolerate a dozen US casualties a week, nevermind fifty Iraqis. But Americans won't tolerate $5 a gallon gasoline, either. We'll now see how the public will reconcile these intolerances." Turning Point, by Jim Kunstler Of course there's more of this and it's interesting reading. Did bushco really invade Iraq to keep the oil flowing or did they do it because they're really insane? Or both? and "Iraq is not Vietnam, all right, because there is no way the US can pull out now without severe consequences, namely the loss of our access to all the oil in the Middle East -- where two-thirds of the world's remaining oil is." I wonder. If he's thinking Iraq without the under-staffed, under-equipped, over-taxed, poorly-trained, and generally fucked-up US Military's boot on its neck (as if) will destabilize the entire Middle East, I think he's got another think coming. The US Military is what's destabilizing Iraq; the rest of the Middle East seems like it couldn't care less what's going on there. And why should they? Even if their fellow Muslims wanted to help their co-religionists in Iraq, the US would chase them out. Probably, if the US Military just left, I mean all of it and all at once and for good, Iraq would fall apart, but I don't see how that would cause the countries around it to fall apart. The closest I can get to something to compare it to is that Yugoslavia's break-up didn't destabilize Turkey, Austria, or Hungary, so why would Iraq destabilize Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria? I think those countries would probably take their own chunks out of what was Iraq, which was merely lines on a map the Brits drew on their way out, and stabilize it themselves. The jihad is against the US and the US Military, even 9/11 was partly about US troops still in Saudi Arabia 10+ years after Bush I's big adventure in the Middle East; take the salt out of the wound and it might start to heal. And then, of course, there's money, and if selling the oil means money, then they'll sell it until there isn't any more to sell. The oil embargoes or whatever they were of the mid-70s were much worse than what's happening now or happened during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. I do think seriously bad oil days are coming, but not because Iraq is going to throw the Middle East into crisis. I think we're facing $5+/gallon for gas and this will destabilize the US economy when people simply can't afford to get to their jobs. I further believe the longer the US Military is in the Middle East, the worse, not better, things will get. And, yes, the US is going to have to eat crow for decades over this, so the sooner it starts, the sooner it will end. It won't end in my lifetime, but I'd at least like to see the US do something right again in my lifetime. It's been a long five years and no end in sight. God damn bushco into whatever hell it deserves.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 12:01 AM PST [Link]
Wednesday, June 22,
2005
Jonah Hex. Oh joy, more (of my) money for Comic Odyssey.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 02:23 PM PST [Link]
"Joshua leant forward, raising his voice over the blaring music: 'Myself, when I finish drinking I just go for any girl and have sex with her. I do flesh to flesh. There is no reason of using a condom once I am HIV. I'm dying.' "Joshua was in a Zambian nightclub talking to Sorious Samura, the Bafta award- winning documentary maker from Sierra Leone. Samura had moved to Zambia to live with a family suffering from HIV and Aids and spend a month working in a hospital where more than half the patients had the disease. "Having carried the body of an infected child from his hospital to the mortuary and seen death and suffering day in, day out, Samura reacted with anger to Joshua's words. 'So you'd prefer to take more people with you?' he shouted. 'Don't you have a conscience? Can't you think you're destroying the world? You are sinking Africa.'" 'Africa's fatal sexual culture spreads Aids' Black film-maker confronts the causes of the epidemic killing millions and admits: I lived the way these men are living, by Anushka Asthana, The Observer, June 19, 2005 Medical science has to cure AIDS very soon because it's not going to cure itself. And the attitudes here and abroad aren't helping either.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 12:30 PM PST [Link]
"'It weighed 28 tons and took up as much room as 74 washing machines. It was $2.4 billion in $100 bills, and Baghdad needed it ASAP.'" ~snip~ "'Then, when the shipment date changed, officials had to scramble to line up U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo planes to hold the money. They did, and the $2,401,600,000 was delivered to Baghdad on June 22, 2004.' "'It was the largest one-time cash transfer in the history of the New York Fed.' "'Disclosure of the frantic transfer in the final days of U.S. control over Iraq came during a daylong hearing Tuesday that indicated growing worry from Congress over U.S. oversight of spending in Iraq.' "'Both Republicans and Democrats appeared taken aback by the volume of cash sent to Iraq: nearly $12 billion over the course of the U.S. occupation from March 2003 to June 2004, said a report by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), who had reviewed e-mails and documents subpoenaed from the bank.' "'The cash — a total of 363 tons, generated mostly from oil revenues — was Iraqi funds that had been held in trust by the Federal Reserve under the terms of a United Nations resolution.'" Oh looky. An oil for food scandal, Julia, American Street, June 22, 2005 Not even the biggest, baddest drug lord in history ever did this. Although I have heard they used Air Force planes now and then.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 09:41 AM PST [Link]
"In 2003 PETA euthanized over 85 percent of the animals it took in, finding adoptive homes for just 14 percent. By comparison, the Norfolk SPCA found adoptive homes for 73 percent of its animals and the Virginia Beach SPCA adopted out 66 percent. PETA's required report documenting its 2004 record is currently over 4 weeks late according to CCF." PETA kills animals, Bottomless, June 18, 2005 PETA really rakes in the donations. It's shameful that this is what they do with part of the loot. Don't give these people your money, give it to the local no kill shelter. Like the Pasadena Humane Society. EDIT 070805: More on PETA from Miktar Dracon.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 09:15 AM PST [Link]
Tuesday, June 21,
2005
Philobiblion's weekly round up of Blogging Femmes Fatales.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 06:58 PM PST [Link]
 Well, we've always had good graphics, but I think these are exceptionally good. Click on the image to see them all, t-shirts, posters, whatnot; one for every State and state of mind. Thanks, Avedon at the The Sideshow, for the link. Edit: We donate a portion of our profits to state democratic parties and/or candidates and other progressive organizations. If you have an organization that would like to use our products as a fund raiser, let us know. If you need bumper stickers for your local club maybe we can help... These are good folks. Guess I could use a new mug. And a t-shirt. And a tote bag.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 04:19 PM PST [Link]
Total respondents: 2653 Male/Female: 1823 / 759 MIT Blogging Survey Ahem, ladies. (I was number 759)
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 02:11 PM PST [Link]
Monday, June 20,
2005
Wal-Mart has a Jewish associate named A* S*. Every year he had been allowed to hang a poster of a menorah prior to Hanukkah, along with the christmas trees, Santa's, christmas cards etc. My GM took exception and had called a meeting to discuss this situation. He had it with our senior staff. I was not invited to the meeting, but happened to have stayed over in the meeting room and heard everything. The meeting started off with the managers joking about the situation and laughing about old A* and Menorahs, and his wish to have this menorah. The meeting ended with their stategy to remove the poster. And then he got fired because Walmart obviously isn't big enough for Jews and Christians. Not that you needed one, but yet another reason to boycott Walmart.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 07:22 PM PST [Link]
"It'll be interesting to see what becomes of this movie and whether it can help general audiences who don't read the comics forget the awful Batman movies of the 1990s." "Would You Like To See My Mask?", Dark but shining horror etc., June 20, 2005 Hm, I liked the Tim Burton ones. I'll probably go see this since no one is lukewarm about it. That usually means, um, something.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 02:18 PM PST [Link]
Two thousand zero zero party over. Oh, just go look. There can't ever be too many pictures of Barbara Bain.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 02:11 PM PST [Link]
"Is rape a hate crime? There are a few different definitions of hate crimes floating around. They share a few common features. The crime must be directed at a member or members of a particular social group: for instance an ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, or gender." Creek Running North, June 18, 2005 (via Sisyphus Shurgged) I never thought of rape as a hate crime, but it now qualifies for one in my book. I'm with Amanda; I blame the rapist, not the victim. Don't blame the victim, blame the victimizer. I know Steve Gillard started this scuffle writing out of his ass about that woman in Aruba, but even so, why is there so much confusion over this? Weird. Don't be confused; rape is always optional for the rapist, and it's always wrong; no such thing as mitigating circumstances, self-defense or needed raping. C'mon blog guys, think about it, watch "Deliverance," "Fortune and Men's Eyes," or a couple of episodes of "Oz," you're smart, you'll figure it out.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 04:50 AM PST [Link]
Sunday, June 19,
2005
"NEW YORK -- Former Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski and a subordinate were convicted Friday of looting more than $600 million from their company to pay for lavish parties, fancy art and an opulent Manhattan apartment that featured a $6,000 shower curtain." Ex-Tyco Execs Convicted in Second Trial, by Samuel Maull, AP, June 17, 2005 Well, at least that went right.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 09:50 PM PST [Link]
Delaware Senator Joe Biden has his eye on the white house again. He told CBS' Face the Nation he will seek the democratic presidential nomination in three years. Other than that the Presidential bar is set astonishingly, if not alarmingly low, what chance in hell does this snowball think he has of getting the nomination? Jerk.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 08:23 PM PST [Link]
"'Girls & Sports,' which will join our Saturday color comics on June 26, replaces 9 Chickweed Lane. Men and women readers rated the latter strip one of their least favorite in our most recent Comics page survey in 2003." New kids on the Block, by Kevin Kilbane, FortWayne.com, June 13, 2005 Hm.
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 07:59 PM PST [Link]
Lots of new reviews at J LHLS, including some smut that I read so you don't have to!
Posted by Ginger Mayerson @ 01:44 PM PST [Link]
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