War and Politics

Stop the Cannon Fodder by Charley Reese:

"There are two concepts all of us have to struggle with. One is our individuality. The other is the mass.

Individual soldiers who survive combat often come home to realize that all of the horrific and heroic actions they took don't mean anything. Vietnam, for example, is ruled by a communist government. Nobody but a historian even remembers what World War I was all about, much less the 10 million young men who died fighting it. World War II and Korea are likewise fading from public memory.

It's poignant to realize that each human being, unique in the entire universe, has at best only a short life. If left in peace, he can experience childhood, youth, middle age and finally old age. But all too often, governments come along, lying to beat the band, and persuade youth to become part of the mass and fight in a war.

...Iraq is an artificial country created at the end of World War I by British colonialism. It has always existed because a powerful central government, wielding its authority in the most savage manner, has forced it to hold together. That is the only history Iraq has. Can any honest American say that 10 years from now, Iraq will be a peaceful and prosperous country with many monuments to the Americans who liberated it? No, if Iraq exists, it will exist the way it always has – with a central government wielding its power in a savage and bloody manner.

...When the enemy is in American surf, when his foot is on our soil, then we will all fight and gladly die in defense of our country. But it is time to stop supplying cannon fodder to an imperial government pursuing God-knows-what secret schemes in distant parts of the world."

Comics are Everywhere.

Boing Boing: Vegas cops launch "Sin City" recruitment campaign:

"The Las Vegas police have redesigned their recruiting ads so that they look like a scene from Frank Miller's Sin City"

Another victory for the war on drugs.

It'll make you feel good, you know, 'cause it's all moral and righteous.

Weblog Entry - 01/27/2007: "Another victim":

"My step-mother has been battling stomach/colon cancer for about 2 years. She did the chemo thing and we thought she'd beaten it last August as tests came back clean. She eventually winds up back in the hospital and this time they tell her that there's nothing they can do except make her comfortable until she dies. The cancer is just too aggressive and chemo won't do a thing to stop it.

...I wish I could suggest medical marijuana to my step-mom to help both with pain cessation and to suppress the nausea, but she's been so brain-washed by the state, that she even told the doctor that she didn't want morphine because she was afraid she'd get addicted to it. He eventually convinced her to not worry about it, but how bad is the propaganda when a woman that has no chance of living past a couple months is afraid of becoming addicted?

Never thought I'd say it, but my step-mom is a victim of the War on Drugs."

The BAT-BLOG and youthful nostalgia

Recently came across the BAT-BLOG and one of the things they feature are old toys from back in the day... at least for me. Coming across those toys from my youth was quite a trip down memory lane...

The key component was the MEGO dolls [before the days of "action figures", natch]... the core of my pre-teen comic book toys... I had, if I remember correctly, Batman, Robin and maybe the Riddler and the Joker. My memory's terrible, but that seems right...



And I may not have had this Batcave exactly, but it was definitely a version of it. I remember the plastic laminated cardboard in all its fold-out glory. A Christmas present, I think.



Though the more I look at it, I'm certain that was the actual one I had. I remember the battery powered BatSignal that served as my own personal flashlight for a while.

This, on the other hand, I distinctly remember owning. Albeit briefly. I think it was also a Christmas present, but here's the rub... I think I only had it a few months before I left it out in the driveway, and dad accidentally backed over it, crushing it in all its glorious plastic construction. That was a sad day indeed, Bat-fans.



I had the Corgi Batmobile [which would fire little missiles, which I promptly lost] and the Batboat, but don't think I ever had the Batcopter.



And this very cool "blow the bridge up" set I never had, but I remember the ads and coveted owning it very much.

Remember your first time?

Okay, it's the NY Comic Con, you foul minded degenerate.

Turning cops into the military. Yeah, that'll turn out well.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > Military Giveaways Continue

In my research into the rise and overuse of SWAT teams, I found that the single biggest motivating factor behind the surge has been a Pentagon program in place since about 1990 that offers up surplus military equipment to local police departments free of charge. Literally millions of pieces of military equipment have been transferred this way, and are now being used in domestic policing. Having a bunch of military equipment lying around becomes an excellent motivator to form a paramilitary SWAT team, even if the community the police department serves doesn't really need one.

Actually, they're mostly used in drug raids. The other problem is that this equipment was designed for warfare -- for the killing of foreign enemies. It's now being used against U.S. citizens. It's also a further blurring of the important line we draw between the military and domestic policing...

Give police military equipment, train them in military tactics, and tell them they're fighting a "war," and it isn't at all difficult to see how some officers would adopt the "win at all costs" mentality of a soldier, instead of the community servant mentality we expect of police officers. All of which gets us results like this - Botched Paramilitary Police Raids.

Subverting the stupidity.

Plus a cool comic book riff. Brilliant.

Man dressed as The Joker gets ID card | The Register:

"A Dutchman dressed as the unpredictable master criminal The Joker from Batman managed to get himself a national ID card, despite supposedly stringent new rules which outlaw grins, funny faces, and head coverings from passport pics.

To avoid confusing facial recognition scanners, travellers in Europe have been ordered not to look too happy in their passport photographs. Eyes must also be open and clearly visible, and there must be no sunglasses, tinted glasses, or hair across the eyes. In the Netherlands, these rules were introduced last August."

Hat tip - Newsarama Blog

The irony is just too profound.

[Beat Army]

11AM Too Bad We're Really More about Following Orders

Professor to group of peers grading cadet exams: Wow, now this kid's going to grow up to be a serial killer.

US Military Academy, West Point
Highland Falls, New York

via Overheard in the Office, Jan 25, 2007

Commentary on the current state of hip-hop.

Bad hip-hop leastways...

Warning - obscene language, etc, etc... no clicking for the faint hearted or easily offended.

"Ya'll Should All Get Lynched" - NYOIL

Must start meditating again...

Independent Online Edition > This Britain:

"...studies have shown that the mind can rise above it all to increase almost everyone's happiness. Mr Ricard, who is the French interpreter for Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, took part in trials to show that brain training in the form of meditation can cause an overwhelming change in levels of happiness.

MRI scans showed that he and other long-term meditators - who had completed more than 10,000 hours each - experienced a huge level of 'positive emotions' in the left pre-frontal cortex of the brain, which is associated with happiness. The right-hand side, which handles negative thoughts, is suppressed.

Further studies have shown that even novices who have done only a little meditation have increased levels of happiness. But Mr Ricard's abilities were head and shoulders above the others involved in the trials.

'The mind is malleable,' Mr Ricard told The Independent on Sunday yesterday. 'Our life can be greatly transformed by even a minimal change in how we manage our thoughts and perceive and interpret the world. Happiness is a skill. It requires effort and time.'"

Good one, Bob.

When you leave a comment on a blog on Blogger, you generally have to enter a confirmation code - random numbers and letters arranged in a box.

When I went to leave a comment on the thread on Robert Anton Wilson's blog noting his passing, imagine my surprise at my confirmation code - vrp23.

vrp23.

For those late to the R.A. Wilson game, via Wikipedia:

Robert Anton Wilson's book, Cosmic Trigger I: Final Secret of the Illuminati, lists 23 as a cosmic number with strong connections to arcane magic and synchronicity. Numerous people have claimed to see '23's everywhere (the 23 curse) prior to enormous success and fruitfulness.

In many other of Wilson's works (especially The Illuminatus! Trilogy) 23 is given special importance. Many Discordians use this number for any number of purposes.

To leave a comment on Warren Ellis' site about the same topic, the code was 3293.

And of course the man died on 1/11/2007.

Which is plainly 1+1+1+2+0+0+7 = 12, and of course, 1+2 = 3, invoking the magical, mystical 23.

Obviously.

"The Universe Wants to Play." - Hakim Bey

God Bless You, Grant Morrison.

Son of Batman Versus The Anti-Christ.

Seriously.

Wizard Entertainment:

"The heart of that despair is Damian, Batman’s son with Talia (of Ra’s al Ghul fame), who survived Morrison’s first arc leaving Batman with much to ponder. Damian will end up playing a prominent part in the new year.

“I was going to kill the kid [in Batman #658], but I just couldn’t do it,” Morrison admits. “He ends up playing a big role because I really like the character.

“Issue #666 [in the summer],” he laughs, “is Damian grown up as Batman of the future fighting the Anti-Christ.”

From the Batman of the future, Morrison will segue into the Batmen of the past, a.k.a. the Batmen of All Nations, a.k.a. the Club of Heroes, an international team of Batman-inspired heroes who debuted in Detective Comics back in the 1950s.

“To me, it’s just what would have happened if these guys had been around and the stories of them had been getting told all through the ’80s, so they’ve been through deconstruction and reconstruction,” the writer says. “It was kind of neat looking at what could go wrong with Batman. The Italian guy who was a mature type film hero has become this big, fat guy who loves eating and trades on his past glories as The Legionary. The Knight and The Squire are still active but it’s a grownup Squire and The Knight has his own Squire. The Gaucho has become a serious Argentinean superhero who is well respected—he’s the real deal. Wingman, who Batman trained in the past is now really pissed off, and doesn’t want to admit that Batman ever trained him because he wants to make his own way."

I would never ever leave the bed if I had something like this.

Boing Boing: Work from bed with the Ergopod:

"The Ergopod 500 is a clever system for supporting a PC, mouse, keyboard and work-areas, intended for use by heavy computer users, particularly those with special physical needs. One of its many adjustable modes is a 'work supine' and 'work in bed' version that gives you everything you need in easy reach from the comfort of your own bed"

CEA to RIAA - "you make yourself look evil."

That's the Consumer Electronics Association to the Recording Industry Association of America.

And the lawsuits against the little kids don't help either.

Or thinking that technology is somehow going to conform to your outdated business model... but I digress...

Boing Boing: CEA to RIAA: you make yourself look evil:

"Shapiro countered: ”I don’t make you look evil - your lawsuits against old people around the country make you look evil. You’re very good at paraphrasing things I never said.”"

The lengthier explanation, via Wikipedia -

"There is much criticism of the RIAA's policy and method of suing individuals for copyright infringement, notably with Internet-based pressure groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Boycott RIAA and FreeCulture... There are some suggestions that the RIAA begins legal proceedings without any knowledge of whether they have engaged in copyright infringement or not. Brad Templeton of the Electronic Frontier Foundation has called these types of lawsuits spamigation and implied they are done merely to intimidate people.

The RIAA has been criticised in the media after they subpoenaed Gertrude Walton, an 83-year-old grandmother who had died in December of 2004. Mrs. Walton stood accused of swapping rock, pop and rap songs. The RIAA in 2003 attempted to sue Sarah Seabury Ward, a 66 year-old sculptor residing in Boston, Massachusetts. They alleged that she shared more than 2,000 songs illegally. The RIAA dropped the suit when it was discovered that she was a computer novice. The case was dismissed, but without prejudice.

In a Brooklyn case, Elektra v. Schwartz, against RaeJ Schwartz, a Queens woman with Multiple Sclerosis, the RIAA's Lawyers wrote to the Judge that they were in possession of a letter in which "...America Online, Inc., has confirmed that Defendant was the owner of the internet access account through which hundreds of Plaintiffs’ sound recordings were downloaded and distributed to the public without Plaintiffs’ consent.” After the defense received a copy of the letter, it turned out that the letter merely identified Ms. Schwartz as the owner of an internet access account, and said nothing at all about "downloading" or distributing".

The RIAA has also been criticised for bringing lawsuits against children, such as 12 year old Brianna LaHara in 2003. The RIAA also attempted to sue Candy Chan of Michigan, for the alleged actions of her daughter, 13 year old Brittany Chan. Under the threat of a possible defendant's motion for summary judgment and attorneys fees, the RIAA withdrew the case Priority Records v. Chan. When the court ruled in favor of the mother, dismissing the case, the RIAA proceeded to sue her child...

The RIAA's recent targeting of students has generated controversy as well...

One wife is more than enough, thanks.

Shoot, this is as clever as when the Catholics sold indulgences.

[Indulgence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

The Dilbert Blog: Religious Loophole:

"I just saw in the news that Shiite Muslims in Iraq are engaging in a practice called mutaa, or “temporary marriage,” for the purpose of sex. A Shiite man can have more than one wife, so whether he is married or single, if he wants to buy some sex, he arranges a secret and temporary marriage. It could last for a few hours or a few years. Some Shiites believe it’s all sanctioned by Islamic law. Among its many benefits, it is seen as a humane way to care for widows. I think it’s obvious that God would support this concept...

According to the Washington Post story, a temporary wife only costs $4 per month plus living expenses. I hesitate to mention this because I know that some of my frugal male readers are already considering converting to Islam and moving to Iraq: “On one hand, there’s an 80% chance of being killed within a week. On the other hand, those are VERY reasonable prices..."

Hi Marvin!

12PM I Can't Compete with That!

Boss: No, trust me. The last thing you want to do is bring your spouse on a company Las Vegas trip. You'll be divorced by the time you get home.
Salesman: Oh, really?
Boss: You know, because of all the drugs... and hookers.
Salesman: Yeah, yeah, that makes sense.

9633 South 48th Street
Phoenix, Arizona

via Overheard in the Office, Jan 22, 2007

Andy Griffith hates America and emboldens the terrorists.

"Salient comments from Sheriff Andy Taylor regarding one of the bulwarks of a free society: lawyer-client confidentiality, now under attack via provisions in the (sic) Patriot Act."



How sad is it that I remember this episode? God, I'm old.
Well, at least I watched it when it was on TBS reruns.

Headline of the Day - "Samurai saves Police in UK"

Lee Van Cleef unavailable for comment.

[Didn't get the joke? Yes, I am a child of the '80s, thank you.]

Mysterious samurai saves Police in UK:

"A samurai sword wielding vigilante has come to the rescue of two Police officers when they were attacked by an armed gang in South Shields, England.

A group of men had forced their way into a house and were ransacking the place when passing plain-clothes officers were alerted by a woman inside screaming.

The criminals outnumbered them and were armed with a hammer, knives and chains and attacked the Police officers.

As one of them stabbed at a Policeman with his knife, a mysterious do-gooder appeared from nowhere and attacked him with a samurai sword.

One of the burglars began running away but was stopped by the stranger who struck him on the arm with the sword."

Free Me - Goldfinger

See, the distinction between a religion and a cult is brutally clear...

Gettingit.com: In Doubt We Trust:

"There are two clear-cut and empirical lines between a 'cult' and a 'religion': [a] membership (voters) and [b] bank account, [b] being a function of [a]. If a group has enough members to influence elections, it will also have a large bank account, and these two factors will guarantee that the politicians, the cops and the corporate media will treat it with respect, as a 'religion.' With few members and little money, the same group could be called a 'cult' and treated accordingly, even to the extent of toasting, roasting and charbroiling, as in Waco.

This line remains obvious and visible to all observers. The only problems arise when people try to draw a less 'materialistic,' more metaphysical distinction between one gang of True Believers and another. Materialistic questions can be answered, e.g., 'Does that matchbox have any matches left in it?' Metaphysical questions about 'mind control' or any other immeasurable 'entity' or 'essence' cannot be answered, and the best that can be said is that arguing about them has provided a certain amount of intellectual entertainment, or combat, for a few thousand years. At least for those who enjoy that kind of pastime. Sort of like chess, you know."