Ok the pix thing was a fun break. I think of it as a summer recess. Thanks for contributing. At least now we have a sense of who we each are, visually, now that we have an idea of our thought process. Moving forward….
Afghanistan: U.S. death toll now demands a surge? ( http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200807/s2302552.htm?tab=asia) How timely! Pacification succeeds in Iraq…troop pull out…but wait!? Time to rotate back into Afghanistan? Huh? In other words, reality rears its ugly head and the once epicenter of the “war on terror” has become a deadly flytrap because of the surge and the zero-sum nature of this war.
Stop the presses: a new terror warning!!! Al-Libi back in the game. Thought we had this evil-doer? Hmmm? How convenient! ( http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330940794&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter)
Meanwhile, Obama still ’splainin’ Wes Clark’s totally right-on remarks about McCain, and McCain now ’splainin’ Phil Gramm (through a surrogate): http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215330940794&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
Gramm was not totally off base. Look around! Is it because I work in La Jolla, or does it seem that there are a shitload of Gen Y’s, Gen X’s, and plain old yuppies still driving hemi’s and having a gay ol’ spending spree? I’ll answer my own question: yes, it’s because I work in La Jolla, where the sale of Campari and Italian sparkling water mask the “other” America as John Edwards put it, exposing Gramm’s, McCain’s and the Repug’s world view while the Toledo’s, Akron’s, Davenport’s, Biloxi’s, and Calexico’s whither and die on the vine.
That’s the essential issue at this moment in political/cultural history. Do we really give a shit about the “little guy” or is it business as usual? Obama? You tell me. His disturbing “move to the center” on issues like Palestine and FISA leave me gasping. Clearly the situation calls for fundamental, radical reform, not a tweaking of the Chimp’s faith-based bullshit. You Dem’s have been sold a bill of goods. You deserve your Feinstein’s and Hoyer’s, alternating bartenders at Good Time Charlie’s Bar and Grill, ignoring the dram shoppe laws ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dram_Shop ) and secretly slipping a little Kool Aid into the slushy. F*** ‘em all. As Dylan once said “All is phony” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T-5gxUIz4Y)
Why do you think I’m posting photo’s on this website???!! Because I don’t want to address the throbbing tumor that keeps me awake at night. Enjoy your weekend.
Hi Stacy,
Not all dems have been hoodwinked by Obama, (right Virginia?) but for those of us who aren’t thrilled with his move to the center have no choice but to vote for him. About a week ago I was verbally beat up by a “friend” (a dem) for pointing out three things about Saint Obama: 1) That expanding the office of faith-based initiatives isn’t cool; 2) His vote on FISA; and 3) he’s seemed to be softening on Iraq by virtue of the language he is now using. In all fairness, he’s gone back to the 16 month timetable to start exiting the troops, but he is silent about Iran. And, what about Afghanistan?
It’s so important for us to be critical of our own as well as our adversaries. We have to let them know that they can’t keep making promises and then changing their minds when it becomes convenient. But most dems say stupid things like, “he’s just doing what he has to do to win.” I’ve read the so-called experts and they pretty much agree that he should stay true to his base. Saint Obama isn’t going to be the answer to all our problems. Let’s just face it now folks.
Either Hillary or John Edwards would be better, but this is the type of thing you get when you vote with your emotions. There were some good little tidbits in the UT this weekend. One was a cartoon and a little blurb saying something along the lines of, “After the presidency, we should vote for Obama for Supreme Being,” The other was an editorial on Satuday saying that Obama’s move to the center isn’t our imagination. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080712/news_lz1e12chavez.html
I disagree with you Stacy on the fact that American’s are whiners. I’ve had to give up Starbuck’s, buying lunch at work, pedicures and leg/bikini waxes in order to pay for gas and groceries, but do you hear me whining?
Comment by Lorelei — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 11:03 am
The type of people who decide what goes on the cover of the New Yorker Magazine keep me up at night. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
American’s who show blatant contempt and disregard for The Constitution by allowing the erosion of it time and time again keep me up at night.
Most mainstream media and their participation of the psychological sheephearding of the right keep me up at night.
That facts and common sense never trump law DEFINITELY KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT.
Hell, I haven’t slept since 2000!
Wondering how that adoreable, burrito butt loving Jorge will keep you in line this week also keeps me up at night, but I don’t mind that so much.
Comment by Rita in Mission Beach — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 1:08 pm
Oops, I almost forgot. It is perfectly ok to mix the unpleasant with the pleasant, so here’s another pic for cheer’s sake!
http://www.autocult.com.au/img/gallery/T7K53RKB.jpg
Comment by Rita in Mission Beach — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
Obama’s vote for Bush’s fascist FIZA bill was quite disturbing. Let alone him trying to kiss ass & appealling to these so called “middle of the road” voters. And this is coming from a guy who’s going to vote for Obama this November.
Comment by Spinorex32 — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
Stacy Taylor and Company:
A little trivia (”three roads” at the crossroads of conversation), assuming this entry will be posted to the real stacytaylor.com blog in a timely manner (as opposed to shunted to an assimilation hid away until archival time?), the following etymologies are somewhat illuminating:
The word ‘sarcasm’ comes from the Greek root ‘sark’ which means to “bite.” Sarcasm merely needs to create a shudder of recoil.
The word ‘satire’ comes from Latin ‘satira’ that meant “medley” like ‘satis’ or ‘satus’ meant “full” as in a hodgepodge assembly of vices or follies.
Whereas ‘parody’ from Greek ‘para-‘ beside and ‘oide’ song was that that could create a burlesque or ridicule affect via the sense of irony or humor.
It sounds like the New Yorker fits all three original meanings.
Nevertheless, information consumers need to have the intuitive intelligence to discern the likely intent of the producer of art or wit-—and that is asking a lot from an American audience—-because few people really want to talk about how mediocre is the average American mind.
But personally I identify with the word ‘cynical’ from ‘kynos’ which means “dog”. But not the nice dog that has been treated well. Rather the dog that had rocks thrown at him, and was chased by mean kids, and who had to scrap his way from meal to meal since there was no dog dish laid down on a regular basis.
so I cynically can not believe that an intelligent human being would take the polling of NewsWeek MSM seriously one way or another-—given the job of the mainstream media very much seems to be to get Americans to believe there will be a “close” election, in order to provide for an opportunity for a stolen election. But then that is just the sneer of a very cynical pessimist.
Comment by Darrell North Park — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
i predict the New Yorker cover will be hanging on fridges allllll across America. it will become a classic.
i think its funny, unlike his FISA vote, his groveling to AIPAC, his climbing in bed with apocolyptic jesus creeps.
the fact that a VERY tiny sliver on Wingnutdom will see it as confirmation of thier crackpot beliefs ADDS a layer of funny.
no ‘there” there, move along, find something better to whine about……..
Comment by mutt — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
At the moment Obama’s caught in a bit of a catch 22. He could’ve stayed the lovable liberal of six months ago and had the right compare him to Joseph Stalin or he could tack towards the center and take the heat from the base lefties. We all know which option he went for. I don’t agree with faith based intiatives or pissing on the fourth amendment any more than anyone else here but if the faith based stuff gets a few votes from people who formerly thought of him as the son of Bin Laden then I suppose I can forgive him. I sure as heel won’t vote for McCain, and I’m even a Navy vet. With all the heat Barack’s bee taking lately(and though I’m still a big supporter I will say some was deserved) thank the lucky stars for that pasty putz Phil Gramm’ comment, gift wrapped and ready to go on a DNC commercial in October. I spend over sixty dollars in gas to go to a job that doesn’t pay shit while racking up student loan debt in hopes of gettin g a degree that elevates me from dead end job hell. Yeah, guess I’m a whiner…Hey GrammCracker, meet me in North Park some time, I’ll give you a reason to whine yourself.
Comment by Justin — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 8:23 pm
Stacy, I feel your pain. FWIW. In the long run, it will probably all work out….sigh
Comment by Kathleen — Monday, July 14, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
I recall Obama saying we should send more troops to Afghanistan several times a long time ago, so he was right about that, and he was right about the invasion of Iraq being a bad idea, too. I agree he’s been moving to the center and disappointing his base, tho. He must be under pressure somehow to do this. I wish Edwards was still in the race myself. He was the best choice, but he lost because he got a $400 haircut. But it’s okay for McCain to propose tax cuts that reduce his personal tax liability $300,000+? Maybe he needs the tax break because Cindy spends $700,000 a month on her credit card. They have no clue what it’s like to have to cut back on expenses to pay for gas or groceries. They are the ones in a “fantasy.” But I have a hunch McCain is going to win the election! The media just gives him a pass on everything and most people vote based on what info they get from cable news or a short campaign commercial. That’s what keeps me awake at night. As far as the New Yorker cover, unfortunately, the rednecks are just going to look at the pic on the cover and agree with it as they pass it in the liquor store without ever reading the article. That’s what’s wrong with it.
Comment by goodgolly — Tuesday, July 15, 2008 @ 11:40 am
Sitting here quietly trying to master my new computer and the unfamillar Icons that go with it.I finally was able to enter back into the Taylor world and was struck at how thoughts of disgust and dispare this chosen second comming candidate has heaped on us with his predictable change of possissions and how we hoped that, this time he wouldn’t. Alas. Virginia, there is no Santa Claus or savior fairy. Recieved my packet of Obama bumber stickers today and was anxious to adhere them to my rides but was sad after I did so. This time I was enthuastic in voting for a person of conviction and principals, What a fucking downer.
Comment by knifemaster — Tuesday, July 15, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
Cynicism, meet Skepticism.
A healthy skepticism invigourates the body, & staves off the vapours & miasmas that lead to taking powerful people at face value.
It renders one immune to will- sapping blandishments. Saves a LOT of time & grief.
As things look now, if we are to credit a wide range of polls, Obama is closely tied w/ McNuts.
This isnt because, as Stacy said quite forcefully, of a magazine cover but because he is loosing support based on principle.
Its the Dems to loose (at which time they go back to being Dims, sorry, Lorelei) and history gives us every indication they will manage the seemingly impossible feat.
To the Republics lasting damage.
the Dems have GOT to understand something: they are getting votes because they ARENT repubs, not because they ARE dems. But, no. We’ll hear (maybe, they are so goddam dumb they can blow this, remember)) talk about mandates for extravagance , as opposed to an outraged response by the voters to excess.
Comment by mutt — Tuesday, July 15, 2008 @ 2:00 pm
at least he’s consistant: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1823145,00.html
obamas top foriegn affairs advisor in the tank for AIPAC. Disreguard the blather about the Bush 1/Clinton “peace process”, its precisely that that put us where we are today.
i thought there MIGHT be some good daylight on this issue between him & the ghastly Clinton, but evidently not.
I just dont get the reason for this mindless lockstep with Zionism, its done the US absolutely no good whatsoever.
But no crushing disappointment- read my above missive…..
Comment by mutt — Wednesday, July 16, 2008 @ 7:01 am
Amongst the things that keep me awake at night is adressed by Cole:
http://www.juancole.com/2008/07/obama-on-iraq-and-afghanistan-friendly.html
We gotta get away from this notion we can just butcher people at will. Enough. jeez.
Comment by mutt — Wednesday, July 16, 2008 @ 7:12 am
Follow-up on Afghanistan violence from NPR:
U.S. Pulls Out Of Embattled Afghan Base
American forces on Wednesday withdrew from a remote outpost in northeastern Afghanistan days after Taliban militants tried to overrun the base, killing nine U.S. soldiers.
NATO played down the significance of the withdrawal, but Taliban militants are sure to claim victory in driving foreign forces out of the wooded valley, close to the Pakistani border.
“Such posts are established and removed when they are not serving a purpose,” NATO spokesman Mark Laity said.
Taliban militants briefly breached the incomplete defenses of the newly established base in the Wanat district of Kunar province on Sunday. Hours of fierce fighting ensued that killed nine U.S. soldiers and many more insurgents.
It was the biggest single loss of life for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since 2005.
http://www.npr.org/newsinbrief/index.html
Comment by goodgolly — Wednesday, July 16, 2008 @ 8:49 am
Ha, ha, Paul Krassner’s blog on the Huffington Post re the Obama cover:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-krassner/fear-of-fun_b_112624.html
Oh, no! That New Yorker cover is going to ruin everything for Obama. This is the tipping point. Now he’ll never get elected. I’m so disappointed. I had such great hopes. What can I do? Cancel my subscription to the First Amendment?
Fear. It’s all about fear. I’ve always been instilled with fear by TV commercials. From the woman who was afraid that her mother-in-law would disapprove of her because she couldn’t see the reflection of her face in a dish, to the man who’s afraid that he has restless penis syndrome.
And now I have such great fear of a dumbed down public. You know, those who still believe there was a connection between 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq. They’re going to believe that an editorial cartoon is an actual photo of Barack and Michelle.
What’s next? A cover showing Jesse Jackson cutting off Obama’s nuts? Maybe the New Yorker can redeem itself by publishing an image of John McCain singing “Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.” Nah, that concept would be too far fetched. I’d have to cancel my subscription to real life.
If McCain wins the election because of this misunderstanding, I promise I’m going to move to Dubuque. Sorry, I don’t mean to whine. It’s just that I never ever thought that in my lifetime I would see a president of the United States who was half-white. And now the dream is over. Dang!
Comment by goodgolly — Wednesday, July 16, 2008 @ 9:23 am
“restless penis syndrome”!! Cure for that is a mate who can snap your neck like a dry twig…..but anyway, here’s another piece from a generally reasonable source about the ever expanding nitwit war, now being touted by Ob. (No, Virginia, Hillery is STILL far worse!)
And this from someone who, but a very short time ago, was suggesting that there was some “hope” being offered, reminiscent of “half the way with LBJ”.
Obama Wants to Shrink One War, But Expand Two Others
By Tom Hayden
AlterNet
July 16, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/91645/
Comment by mutt — Thursday, July 17, 2008 @ 6:37 am
I recall Obama saying we should send more troops to Afghanistan several times a long time ago, so he was right about that, and he was right about the invasion of Iraq being a bad idea, too. I agree he’s been moving to the center and disappointing his base, tho.
It seems like almost a year ago I was pretty excited about Barack Obama’s tough stance on Afghanistan. He even made the chimp flinch and say he loved the idea of commando raids on Taliban hotspots. Well that was just the bugle call of more war games. I soon cooled off. If we really were intending to tamp down the entire nation of Afghanistan in sort of a WWII-style general occupation, the time would have been in 2003. We didn’t. I swear Bush promised the family that he would let OBL escape. There is no other logical explanation. We didn’t even send men into the rugged north. We merely formed alliances with tribal chiefs. Obviously we didn’t intend to devote our resources there. It’s a little too late now. Have we learned nothing from Iraq. There is no amount of troops that will stabilize Afghanistan today. And don’t believe for two seconds that any troop surge has stabilized Iraq. If anyone does, they are still buying in to the whole GWOT bullshit dream. It’s time to start rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq and make friends with our enemies. You know we could make an awful lot of good, old-fashioned codeine and morphine with all that opium.
Comment by Flying Junior — Thursday, July 17, 2008 @ 10:30 am
muttman; always enjoy your command of the english language and the thought of stringing all the appropiate words together. My take on the pangs of awareness for the last eight years are: Optomsum–Skepticism–Cynicsm and Dread. and No, I am not a died in the wool Dimm, signed up just to recieve their begging litrature for funds.
Comment by knifemaster — Thursday, July 17, 2008 @ 11:46 am
Take that!
http://sobeale.blogspot.com/2008/07/take-that.html
Comment by virginiaM — Thursday, July 17, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
Actually, forming alliances with tribal chieftains is the ONLY way to go there, along with building actual bridges & roads, and buying, not burning, the opium crop. Or buying it, AND burning it.
Id rather burn it in my back yard on quiet summer evenings, but thats just me. Right now, & for a long time, Turkey holds the monopoly on opium cultivation for “legitimate” drug production. Some sort of deal/payoff. But Turkey lobbies hard against other countries having access to “legitimate” opium markets. And there is ZERO other crop in Afghanistan a man can support his family on. Duh.
We didnt form alliances with local tribal chiefs, we backed the same pack of murderous warlords who reduced the country to rubble after we walked away from the place…..men so unjust & corrupt the Taliban was welcomed in thier place.
And here we, and they, are.
Jusr like Viet Nam, the original reason for the war- to regain Frances colony for reasons no American should countenence-
became a war because…..we’re there. And $ is being made, and power accrued. That & no other ACTUAL reason, the swill about “democracy” they spoon feed Hannitys America being just that. And we know Hannitys America will swallow ANYThING.
Afghanistan is, in the opinion of Serious People, “lost”. Too late. too many ignored promises, waaaaay too many dead bystanders, and the memory of the US’s support for the Warlords, as for US support of Saddam, while down the memory hole here, very much in peoples minds there.
The only question at this point is how many peasants will we butcher before we leave…..
Or, how huge the conflagration be if we start piling up bodies in Pakistan……
while the bin Ladenists- a tiny nexus- are due for some sort of retribution, the criminal/terrorist element that poses an actual, REAL threat to the worlds most powerful nation are to be found here, in official & high corporate/ideologue circles.
Everything else is a fleabite.
Comment by mutt — Friday, July 18, 2008 @ 7:47 am
to illustrate what Im tawkin about above, I got this piece off the very useful Abu Muqawama blogsite, where they know what end is up.
The punchline is in the last para…….its what we give lip service to, but actually try .005% of the time………
Best Practices in the Comprehensive Approach to War Among the People
The Europeans don’t like the term counterinsurgency. For the French, it is associated with torture in Algeria. For others, it is a question of definition. Any effort against an insurgency is inherently a counter-insurgency, so does the term denote any effort against an insurgency (as it would seem on its face) or is it a set of principles and a way of doing business as US doctrine seems to suggest.
They therefore utilize the term “Comprehensive Approach” to denote the set of practices across the political, military, economic, social, and information spheres required to defeat an entrenched insurgent enemy.
Recently, some Pakistani forces in Mohmand tribal district have began to implement such a comprehensive approach, probably developing a set of best practices that are worth serious study.
A intra-tribal dispute among the Safi tribe (who cross into Kunar near where the large attack on American forces took place earlier this week) had led to under-development and violence in the region as elements of the Masaud and Gurbaz sub-tribes were fighting over the ability to export valuable Pakistani marble from the district into Pakistan. The government couldn’t reach into the area, and lawlessness was rampant.
These Pakistani forces implemented a dispute settlement mechanism, opened up the marble trade, taxed the income from the mines, and drafted men to serve in the forces and enforce the settlement (which involved awarding different mountains to different sub-tribes and parceling up those mountains by family and village).
It has been a brilliant operation that may provide a template for dealing with these types of disputes in Afghanistan, for instance in Kunar and Nuristan where disputes over the lumber trade, gemstones, and water result in violence and insurgency.
It is unfortunate then that the Pakistani forces who have led this brilliant operation marshal under the white banner and black turbans of the Pakistani Taliban.
(To read more, see the NY Times article here. Thanks to the anonymous officer who provided this interpretation of the article for me to work with.)
Comment by mutt — Friday, July 18, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
Mutt, if the Dems blow this one, I’ll be the first one to change their name to Dims, as you have so rightly suggested. But again, this is why we need to concentrate on our congressional candidates. I don’t trust my own party enough to get it right.
Comment by Lorelei — Friday, July 18, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
Right you are. As a party its hopelessly corrupt and venal. But there are individuals in it, in office or aspiring to, that are truly our only hope. Nancy Pelosi & the rest of the party apparat should be driven outta office. jeez.
But an interesting indication on how rank & file Repubs are so entirely disgusted w/ Cheneyco, is to be found in the political ads in gun magazines. NONE tout McCain. None. Dont even mention his name. (never mind Bush, or the Wars) The ads are directed against Obama as a gun grabber, a boogieman of some material foundation, & who will appoint judges. Thats it. to me, interesting.
Thats whats so disgusting about the continual Dem caves to the Cheneyists: the Repubs have NO SUPPORT amongst a constituency they have made thiers for decades- the 70% of the population that owns firearms.
the Dems, long ago, would have peeled workin class Repubs away but for the repeatedly stated position they dont trust the peasants with firearms. So the peasants dont trust them with power.
Ob could defuse a lot of that with serious talk on the subject, but his perpetually terrified handlers seem to think it unimportant. Dim, as usual……
Comment by mutt — Saturday, July 19, 2008 @ 7:37 am
Much talk about “horizons” with the flat earth croWd. heres the skinny on Malikis “timeline”, and note, if you will, his being forced to demand a withdrawl was met w/ the largest Sunni faction returning to the Gvt, such as it is.
As is usual, the pro’s at Abu Muqawama got the facks……
http://abumuqawama.blogspot.com/2008/07/on-horizon.html
Comment by mutt — Sunday, July 20, 2008 @ 11:37 am
“Dont follow leaders, watch yer parkin meters…”
Got this from a reliable source out East. Homeland security……..
And Obama voted telecom immunity why, exactly??????
(I know Virginia, Hillary voted no, duly noted…..)
PS check out VVAW website upgrade- work in progress….
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/21/10496/
Comment by mutt — Tuesday, July 22, 2008 @ 5:38 pm