Sanity and Rage

2005-12-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

Psychiatry ponders whether extreme bias is an illness - Compleat with stories of bigotry that begin to affect the bigot in all sorts of psychosomatic ways.

2005-12-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

Heidi Klum picks the draw for World Cup 2006 - US is in a tough spot, and some other matchups of interest.

2005-12-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

Turkish author on trial for discussing Armenian Massacre in 1910s - Kiss that EU membership g'bye, baybee!@#

2005-12-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

Republicans feel The Joementum - Sen. Joe Lieberman(D-CT)'s lonely march to neoconservatism leaves Democrats disappointed.

2005-12-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

Variety does not find "Munich" earth-shattering - There go Spielberg's hopes of being the pushing force for world peace. What did he think he was, the government?

2005-12-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

Paramount buys DreamWorks for $1.5b - Does not include animation studio (probably for the better..)

2005-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

London phases out Routemaster double-deckers buses - NoOooOooOOoOOO )))))))))))))):

2005-12-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

US Doctor: Widespread abuse in Iraqi prisons by Iraqis. US troops try to keep order, but, after all, more and more Iraqis are taking over their jobs!

2005-12-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid to pro, anti-pullout Democrats: Shut the hell up - Cute. Awesome.

2005-12-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Warner has SC primary almost under belt with two years to go? - Most impressive.

"You are going to be one heck of a president," said former Gov. Jim Hodges, who lost his re-election bid to Republican Mark Sanford in 2002.

I hope he does a heckuva job, too :<

[via]

2005-12-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

Interview with leading proponent of ID - Incompetent Design.

2005-12-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

Israel says, "Please don't change Syrian regime."
Neocons say, "Good day, Sirs!"

2005-12-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Iranian prez on roll - Denies Holocaust, calls for Israel to be moved to Europe, and froths at mouth...all in a day's work?

v-twin sez: move israel. huh, why didn't i think of that? my recommended destination would be a massive off-shore drilling platform, though. everyone gets oil, everyone's happy... right?

right?

2005-12-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

James Cameron seeks nubile actresses - for Titanic followup.

2005-12-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

House votes for another $56b in cuts - in addition to the $100b I just posted about.

2005-12-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

House passes additional $100B in tax cuts - To offset the $50B in savings from making medicaid, student loans, and food stamps "BEND...OVAH'."

Light adds: House votes for another $56b in cuts in addition to the $100b.

2005-12-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

The Democrat saving Rove's behind - A very interesting article about Robert Luskin, Rove's counsel in Fitzgerald's special investigation, and a man widely credited with keeping Rove from indictment so far.

2005-12-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Iraq talking poitns being hit regularly everywhere except Baghdad - An amusing snippet on what's being talked about with regards to Iraqi preparedness to take responsibility and STAY THE COURSE.

2005-12-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

80% of military voted or attempted to vote - If only we could get such turnout among other demographics.

v-twin sez: coughorreinstitutethedraftcough

2005-12-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

The netroots' man, running in conservative CA district, crushed - Also, Spokane's mayor (finally) got recalled!

2005-12-08T21:10:00.000-08:00

As Dean/Pelosi RAGEs out, Democrats fear for '06 prospects - Good thing the optimism lasted for all of 40 days.

v-twin sez: yeah, 40 days too long.

Light says: Indeed, my fair-feathered friend...Indeed.

2005-12-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

For blOOmberg, it's good to be a billionaire - I'd imagine that's the case with most billionaires, though. Contains some interesting details of his mayoral campaign, like how he spent $75m to win it.

2005-12-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

Bush renews push for more tax cuts - Spiralling deficits and spending in Iraq, New Orleans, etc., and growing debt for the future middle class. Yeaaaah!#@

2005-12-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

Those crazy Brits! Pt. 2: Highest Court rules out evidence obtained by foreign torture - The Law Lords: 1 Extraordinary Rendition: ???

2005-12-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

US blocks access to prisoners by the Red Cross, after initial denials of doing this..

2005-12-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Iraqi economy improving, says Bush - Add it to long list of suddenly visible progress ever since Bush's "victory speech." Again, complete lack of benchmarks, leaving us to trust the word of the man who also thought Iraq had WMDs.

2005-12-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

"Red Crystal" society halted by a dispute between Israel and Syria. This would've made a third symbol and family to the Red Cross and Red Crescent, allowed in Israel due to its non-partisan nature.

Light adds: The Red Crystal becomes the third symbol adopted by the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. This will allow an equivalent movement to be started in Israel.

2005-12-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Senators push Bush on global warming - around a quarter of the Senate, including Hil-Hil and John F'in McCain.

2005-12-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

Genetically-modified "super-broccoli" new anti-cancer weapon on horizon - No hippy RAGE quite yet, but soon? We hope?

2005-12-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

David Cameron new Tory leader - Those crazy Brits!

2005-12-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

For the first time, Chine's car exports > imports

v-twin sez: i anxiously await wal-mart car lots for chinese shitboxes. always low prices!

2005-12-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

MPAA gives documentary on MPAA's secret censorship a "NC-17" rating - AICN has the theatrics.

2005-12-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

An interview with Freescale CEO - Steve Jobs bought into his RDF, and stuck with IBM which turned around and screwed him..hard. unF!

v-twin sez: cute, but ultimately bogus--a combined os x+intel migration would've done in the mac platform. try again, freescale ceo michel mayer!

2005-12-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

9/11 Commission: Required changes still not implemented - 4 years on, despite the number of times our Commander-in-Chief invokes 9/11, the government controlled by his party still doles out Homeland Security money based on pork, and has failed to secure our ports, and domestic security. Perhaps Ben Franklin was right; we have given up our civil liberties for security, and we now have neither.

2005-12-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Secret Sites - Not for torture, but to host bloggers' alter-egos. Kottke asks his readers if they have alter-egos, and why they do. Cute.

v-twin asks: who tf would need one of those?

2005-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

"I get the worst, worst software almost always from Apple": an interview with the woz.

2005-12-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

President Bush wages War on Christmas - Or so his supporters think from the cards he's sending them wishing them holiday greetinks. It has been a source of much RAGE.

2005-12-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Announcing...Congress Votes database from washingtonpost. Has records of every vote in the US Congress since 1991, filterable by party, or individual. Check it out!

2005-12-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

What the netrOOts of the left are smokin':

Ford BENDs to AFA, pulls ads from gay magazines - Lack of market segmentation...weak.

Proposals to increase influence of western states in the primary process gains traction - Possibility of immigration being an issue early on in the nomination process.

Sen. Clinton co-sponsors anti-flag burning law - unF.

Tom DeLay suffering in his home district - Though I question these polls. Matchup with "a democrat v. your guy" would probably have many Republicans losing who don't.

Maverick, honest, blunt Republican, chairman of the "Straight Talk PAC," John McCain,suggests Jack Murtha is "too emotional" to handle rational policymaking in Iraq - 'Cuz he goes to funerals, of course.

Blades are whetted in Indiana's "Bloody Eighth" - Poll shows incumbent Rep. Hostettler (R) narrowly behind challenger

[via]

2005-12-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

The BBC on cheesy "Canadians need global warming" jokes - An amusing anecdote from Marginal Revolution.

2005-12-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

a WEAK defense - Fairly good Washington Post editorial on the current round of diplomatic woes of the USA with "torture flights" going through traditional allies without permission.

2005-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

BellSouth withdraws donation to New Orleans after plans for free Wi-Fi are unveiled - Actions that confirm the heart of gold anti-technologists posses.

[via]

2005-12-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

Losing the war on Afghan drugs - A great article on Afghanistan, and the results of the US's attention being diverted towards Iraq.

2005-12-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

First King Kong review - 5 stars.

2005-12-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

Judith Miller to Readers: "Sorry" - BBC Newsnight has the exclusive interview putting her on the spot. I approve!

2005-12-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

Bush's "victory speech" reflects the touch of a new advisor - A professor at Duke who was drafted to help sell staying the course. Always nice to see who the latest spinmeister is.

2005-12-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Rain on Republican Governors' parade - Republicans look set to lose the coveted majority of seats they hold of state governorships. Top on the endangered list is NY, OH.

2005-12-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

Ohio Republicans face 2006 test - A good article about the trials of the OH Republicans, and the opportunities by Democrats (which have yet to be addressed properly).

2005-12-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

Mile by mile, India paves a smoother road to its future - A great article by The Times on India's modernization of its highways - the first step to better infrasturcture.

2005-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

RAGE: DNC Chair Howard Dean speaks sensibly about 2006?! - Some good stuff here, though one thing caught by eye in particular:

Dean has faced criticism within some parts of the party for his stewardship at the DNC, particularly the pace at which the national party has been spending money -- something that has alarmed many Democratic strategists who fear Republicans will have a huge financial advantage next year.

Light adds: Well, two things, actually:

...Democrats held two organizing sessions for new bodies within the DNC, one called the "people of faith" group and the other open to veterans and military families.

Cute.

2005-12-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

Christopher Hitchens RAGEs out on Scarborough Country vs. religion - Amusing..very amusing. Video included.

2005-12-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

Don't just blame the victim, prosecute her - A screwy tale of an alleged rape victim being convicted of making false statements after dropping rape charges against alleged perpetrators.

2005-12-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Seymour Hersh on post-victory Iraqi air war - Suggests US air power guided by Iraqi troops could cause some problems, to say the least.

2005-12-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

Wyoming sitting on a $1.8bn projected surplus - Gov. Freudenthal (D) feels the heat. The revenue came less from stellar management and more from the spike in oil and gas revenues, but I think folks will take what they can get.

2005-12-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

The Republican base shaky on staying on the course - Cowards, all!

2005-12-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

The Marketing of "Narnia" - A fairly detailed article about the marketing strategy catering to the Christian base. They did the same for "The Passion of The Christ," so this time it's on the radar of the reporters, and they're reporting on it.

2005-12-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Hillary's hawk gambit - An interesting article about Sen. Clinton (D-NY) cozying up to the military that once detested her. Short, sweet, to the point.

PS. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) approves!

2005-12-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

Why Wal-Mart's government subsidies shouldn't be considered subsidies - When the author presumes that the people working at Wal-Mart had a worse job or didn't have a job at all before they became a helpful associate, is he taking into account that on net, there has been a movement away from high paying jobs to Wally's World job in the last several years?

2005-12-04T00:17:00.000-08:00

The Spiegel has a nice infobar-thang containing a nation-by-nation breakdown of EU countries looking into the secretive CIA flights that flew prisoners out of US jurisdiction to question them better.

2005-12-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

From Japan: Self-healing paint - In the near future, keying cars will not longer give satisfaction of inflicting long-term damage? :<

2005-12-04T00:12:00.000-08:00

"I will let history judge me" - Historians are polled. Hilarity ensues. These folks must all be crazed liberals or short-term historians!

2005-12-04T00:08:00.000-08:00

Intelligent Design losing traction? - A hopeful article examining growing disillusionment from both pseudo-science and religion over the theory.

2005-12-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

Introducing TelaDoc - Call a doctor who's never seen you, discuss your symptoms, and get a prescription -- all on the phone.

PS. It's cheap, too!

2005-12-03T23:44:00.000-08:00

Texas gerrymandering approved by Republican political appointees...who overruled the DoJ's civil rights division's unanimous objections to it for violating the Voting Rights Act.

2005-12-03T23:32:00.000-08:00

Hillary tells Kentucky Dems Bush mismanaged the war in Iraq - Now there's a non-controversial statement we can all get behind!

From a distance, Republicans seemed as gleeful about Clinton's visit, and were eager to lump Kentucky Democrats in with the New York senator.

As first lady, Clinton sometimes evoked strong emotions in the Bluegrass State. In 1994, a gathering of tobacco supporters in western Kentucky burned an effigy of Clinton to protest what they saw as anti-tobacco policies during her husband's administration. Her husband still carried the state in both his presidential victories.

"Our Kentucky voters simply can't identify with a liberal New York senator," said state Republican Chairman Darrell Brock. "She's for bigger government, higher taxes, more regulation _ just the things that we just don't stand for."

2005-12-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

Sen. Allen (R-VA) rallies the troops - With a "back to basics" message: Low taxes, energy indepdence (?!), and opposing judicial activism.

2005-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Onassis heir worth $3bn marries Brazilian horseman - Now THIS dude did a heckuva job.

2005-12-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

The GOP's Vision of America: "Off-Center" - Terry Gross interviews the authors of a new book on the tactics and ideology of the GOP that is increasingly driven by not its moderate majority, but its far right (minority). Site contains an excellent excerpt from the forward of the book, which has put it squarely on my reading list. The interview itself is also interesting.

2005-12-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

In a shout-out to iTunes, the TSA announces its security searches at airports will be "more random."

2005-12-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

Retired (Democratic) Pennsylvania Congressmen consider retaking their old seats - What is Rahm Emanuel feeding these people? And can I have some?

2005-12-02T21:34:00.000-08:00

One of the interesting points of President Bush's speech was the sudden increase in the number of batallions that're ready to roll:

The progress of the Iraqi forces is especially clear when the recent anti-terrorist operations in Tal Afar are compared with last year’s assault in Fallujah. In Fallujah, the assault was led by nine coalition battalions made up primarily of United States Marines and Army — with six Iraqi battalions supporting them…This year in Tal Afar, it was a very different story. The assault was primarily led by Iraqi security forces — 11 Iraqi battalions, backed by five coalition battalions providing support.

Turns out that's not the case: An embedded reporter flatly denies the claims, and Sen. John Warner (R-VA) accepts them while on the hot seat. Video available at the site.

[via]

2005-12-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

Back by popular demand: An explanation of the rosy situation in Iraq, and how to stay the course. Article contains an interactive pop-up window showing the main goals and objectives of the full document, which clocks in at a meager 35 pages. Considering the plan for the land invasion of Japan went for 700 pages and was never used, I would expect something that not just laid out a vision, but concrete policies with which to execute it. 'Specially considering that the action has already taken place without such a plan, and now needs something that lays out details badly.

2005-12-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Geek decides to challenge Orrin Hatch for Utah Senate seat - It's unfortunate he can't spend $100 billion..it'd make it the biggest flop of the new economy since AOL-Time Warner.

[via]

2005-12-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

Government's top tobacco lawyer quits, citing lack of support.

2005-12-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

And, finally, a display of RAGE worth blogging about: Pack of squirrels kills a dog.

2005-12-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

NYS Republican Party diggin' the self-evisceration - Pirro, Hillary's challenger, is being pressured out of the race by her own party.

Update: Pirro fights back - Says she won't be quitting the Senatorial race "right now."

2005-12-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Let's start with a double-whammy, following the footsteps of KATRINA and WILMA, SHOCK and AWE, and, yes, maybe even sanity and rage: The Bush Administration moves to create an agency exempt from all transperency laws to protect the interest of pharmaceuticals, while relaxing disclosure requirements for high polluting industries.

We're back, we're back!

2005-12-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

That's RIGHT, boys and girls!

Or, at least, I'm back...my PARTNER in CRIME has yet to commit to a glorious return, but some sniping comments or renegade posts can be expected. Much has happened in the last 10 months, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. Or something. I know I wasn't too witty there. :<

2005-02-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

We're currently working on a complete makeover of the blog and a relaunch in the near future.

That, or shooting it in the head.

Either way, stay tuned and come back!

2005-01-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

dumbassed cobb county textbook stickers declared unconstitutional. score one for separation of church and state.

2005-01-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

list of u.s. investment firms supporting spyware. the author's tallied over $139m in investments. fine upstanding members of the business community, dey is@#$

2005-01-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

y'know, i'd been feelin a little uptight, then apple told me to JERK IT OUT... ahh, all better@#$

2005-01-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

ArsTechnica's MacWorld SF keynote review - The best one...a good, amusing read.

2005-01-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

speaking of wankery... is TWO the quorum for a CIRCLE-jerk? damned if surowiecki and gladwell ain't tryin anyway@#$ seriously, though, the two authors are debating various points in their recent books, ""the wisdom of crowds" and "blink", this week. you may remember them as being the recipients of much s&r LUV in the past, so this is definitely worth checking out@#$ it even invokes VAN RIPER:

The war game that I write about, which was the most expensive and most elaborate war game ever conducted in history ($500 million dollars!), was a preview of the Iraq War. One side played the United States. Van Riper, essentially, played Saddam Hussein. And van Riper won, hands down, sinking half the U.S. Navy on the second day of the war. How did that happen? Because at the moment he attacked the U.S. Forces, they were so caught up in their computers and charts and systems analysis and complex matrixes that they had lost the ability to engage in the flexible, free-wheeling, instinctive thinking that is essential in the midst of battle. As you know, I spend a great deal of time in Blink describing what precisely characterizes this "free-wheeling, instinctive" kind of thinking and how our commitment to the Standard Model undermines it.

2005-01-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

let it be said: FUCK the expo. you couldn't pay me to engage in this petty eleventh-hour rumor wankery@#$

wait, that's all wrong. the only way i'd engage in this petty eleventh-hour rumor wankery is if you paid me! and it wouldn't take a lot@#$ any takers?#$%&^^$

2004-12-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

gladwell has mo' on jd's new b00k:

Diamond’s distinction between social and biological survival is a critical one, because too often we blur the two, or assume that biological survival is contingent on the strength of our civilizational values. That was the lesson taken from the two world wars and the nuclear age that followed: we would survive as a species only if we learned to get along and resolve our disputes peacefully. The fact is, though, that we can be law-abiding and peace-loving and tolerant and inventive and committed to freedom and true to our own values and still behave in ways that are biologically suicidal. The two kinds of survival are separate.

2004-12-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

jared diamond, that whacky funster who called agriculture "the worst mistake in the history of the human race", is at it again! seed magazine has an excerpt from "collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed".

2004-12-22T23:13:00.000-08:00

The Newsweek Barack article - it's hawt hawt HAWT. Best article on Obama I've read...any THOUGHTS?

2004-12-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

A bit o' Christmas cheer from Fareed Zakaria: Islamic extremism is not making substantial gains in Muslim society (or so he thinks). :]

2004-12-22T22:31:00.000-08:00

Does Cosby help? - Newsweek takes a careful look at what Cosby's trying to achieve with the controversy he's creating, how far he is from reality, and whether he's connecting. Great read. Any particularly memorable stuff? Mine came towards the end...last couple of paragraphs were really quite unF.

2004-12-22T22:24:00.001-08:00

POY: Joe Klein on Bush's diverse cabinet and the effects it's having. A colorblind president leaving his opponents behind? Possibly. This is a must-read.

2004-12-22T22:24:00.000-08:00

POY: Joe Klein on Bush's diverse cabinet and the effects it's having. A color-blind president leaving his opponents behind? Possibly. This is a must-read.

2004-12-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

POY: The Rove Warrior - An article on Karl Rove, who apparently was a close runner-up this year...an informative article on what drives the "brain."

2004-12-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

POY: Bush's interview - I definitely guffawed a few times...any Guffaw Moments® for anyone?

2004-12-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

There were some particularly good articles in Time's Person of the Year (POY) issue. I'm gonna put some of that up - Some interesting tHAWts would be nice :]

2004-12-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

Peddling a crisis (the wrong one) - Newsweek's Sloan blasts Bush's plan for Social Security, and says he should focus on figuring out how to fund his exceptionally expensive Medicare plan, instead:

So which is a "crisis"? A $17 trillion problem that starts next year, or a $10.4 trillion problem that starts in 2018? You don't need a math genius to answer that question

The ending is hawt, too....read it to find out!

2004-12-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

ron avitzur: the story of apple's graphing calculator:

I used to be a contractor for Apple, working on a secret project. Unfortunately, the computer we were building never saw the light of day. The project was so plagued by politics and ego that when the engineers requested technical oversight, our manager hired a psychologist instead. In August 1993, the project was canceled. A year of my work evaporated, my contract ended, and I was unemployed.

I was frustrated by all the wasted effort, so I decided to uncancel my small part of the project. I had been paid to do a job, and I wanted to finish it. My electronic badge still opened Apple's doors, so I just kept showing up.

supar-c00te@#$

Light adds: I especially liked this part:

Another company, the makers of Mathematica™, simply demanded that our product be pulled. Apple very politely declined.

Wolfram...LUV :)

2004-12-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

in a recent cornell study, 44% of respondants favor limiting some civil liberties of muslim-americans. merry christmas, fellow citizens!

2004-12-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

richard dawkins: "We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further."

2004-12-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

fbi agents allege abuse of detainees at guantanamo bay:

In another e-mail, dated Dec. 5, 2003, an agent complained about military tactics, including the alleged use of FBI impersonators. "These tactics have produced no intelligence of a threat neutralization nature to date and . . . have destroyed any chance of prosecuting this detainee," the agent wrote.

do i really need to QUIP on this shit? it's like the commentary writes itself@#$%