Tuesday, November 30, 2004
"Everything feels like the ocean to a sponge."
or How I Learned to Give Up On Myself and Blame the GOP While Mel Gilles claims to be an "advocate for victims of domestic abuse," she clearly demonstrates that she is in no way a professional. In the first line of her piece she demonstrates a lack of comprehension of everyday situations so fundamental it boggles the mind. Gilles describes Rather's apology for "not getting his facts straight" as "undermining his credibility." The apology -- not the mistake *cough* itself is what she identifies as the source of his loss of credibility. This is the twisted interpretation of "act as if..." that suggests that if one pretends that nothing bad is happening -- it isn't happening. Talk about prerequisites defining a participant in an abusive relationship. She goes on to cite other prominent Lefties casting about to grasp the causes and sources of their election loss, characterizing their efforts, as would I, as pathetic floundering. Cries of "Why did they beat me?" abound. Then she slides in her coup -- the backbone of her argument to come: "beat" is not to be interpreted as "bested in a contest." Oh no -- "beat" means "strike repeatedly," "punish by hitting," to "lambaste, pound, pummel, thrash or *smack*." This astonishing leap of language abuse is actually her metaphor for the Presidential Election results: "They beat us because they are abusers." Not because "they made better arguments," or "they had better plans." Not even "because their crazy plans appealed to more people who actually got off their couches and focused their attention long enough to vote." No, indeed. The only person she can imagine asking what they did wrong is a victim. The question morphs under Gilles' tutelage from "what did we do that didn't work?" into "they will keep hitting us and beating us as long as we keep sticking around and asking ourselves what we are doing to deserve the beating." Take a moment to steady yourself from that acrobatic leap for Gilles continues on to even more dizzying feats of linguistic torture. Her description of them [specifically Bush] is from the perspective of a very small creature viewing a much larger -- larger than life -- being from a great distance. It is heartbreaking to read the raw pain in her words -- pain that clearly comes from the crazymaking mash of incomprehension, falsehoods and personal projections she calls reasoning. Pain that clearly comes from her strong identification of herself as a permanent victim. She sees herself as so small, so helpless, so vulnerable that anyone simply going about their daily business would crush her unnoticed. She sees her fellow Lefties and anyone who will hold still long enough in the same way. She sees the poll-whoring of the DNC not as a lack of foundation Values and Vision, but as a pathetic effort to please an abuser -- "wash the windows better, get out that spot... cry for the attention and affection and approval of the President and his followers." Her pain originates not in politics but in projection of her experience of parental abandonment, stored these many long years unexamined and, therefore, still running her life as she, unaware, flails about for some small comfort. "...we will never be worthy." Her solution? "First, you must admit you are a victim." Perhaps a forehead stamp? Next, she recommends saving the world. Not "putting on your own oxygen mask first," but "promise to protect yourself and everyone around you that is being victimized." Not even to actual do it -- but to promise. The word sufficing for the deed... Distraction. Denial. One woman's naked psyche spread-eagled on the 'net, serving as example of the motivations behind the loony, pathetic, off-the-wall outpouring we have been shaking our heads over for weeks, now. PEST has its origins in a much deeper, longer term dysfunction -- the culture of victimization. The belief in personal powerlessness. The conviction that one remains childlike -- incapable of meeting the demands of Life toe-to-toe. The search for a larger, powerful protector in the abstract of government or society and the seeking of solace in abstract, incomprehensibles like Social Justice. Gilles has no idea how she is being abused -- she just knows she is a victim and for a victim to exist, she must have -- or create -- a perpetrator. The triangle is completed by a rescuer and the dance goes on. If you tell her, "stop it -- I'm not hurting you." you are abusive. If you ignore her or refuse to play along, you are abusive. Anything you do or say that does not fit your role as perpetrator can be made to fit by virtue of not fitting. Yes, it is crazymaking. On all sides. And it is part of the hell to which we consign children to whom we do not teach "How to Lose 101." Score-less ball games, "A for effort, not accomplishment," and purple ink all teach that one is too fragile to strive -- to sweat and strain and demand one's own best. Too delicate to risk failing to meet a goal. Too powerless and lacking and broken to play in the real world of skinned knees and bloody noses, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I can only hope that her supervisor at the shelter, or wherever she "works," will see her post and realize that she should never be allowed contact with vulnerable, impressionable people fresh out of traumatic situations. People in that state of mind need to be reminded of their personal power and that it comes solely from taking responsibility for themselves, their choices, their actions. This poor writer has a great deal of work to do. She doesn't even realize that it is she who is hitting her.I call Bullshit on the NYT and Red Cross
we all gotta say something -- it's too freaky to let slideRed Cross charges Gitmo treatment "tantamount to torture" The report of the June visit said investigators had found a system devised to break the will of the prisoners at Guantánamo, who now number about 550, and make them wholly dependent on their interrogators through "humiliating acts, ...
Ya mean like Basic Training / Boot Camp ?
...solitary confinement, temperature extremes, use of forced positions." Investigators said that the methods used were increasingly "more refined and repressive" than learned about on previous visits. "The construction of such a system, whose stated purpose is the production of intelligence, cannot be considered other than an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture," the report said
A detainee who cooperates with interrogators and follows rules is given white clothing to wear.
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The most striking of the accusations, which have come mainly from a group of detainees released to their native Britain, has been that the military used prostitutes who made coarse comments and come-ons to taunt some prisoners who are Muslims.
"Coarse comments." Coarse fucking comments ??!? How far in denial are these Red Cross Cretins?!? They are refusing to deal with the uncivilized side -- or to even recognize its existence. That's insanity. And the NYT, and anyone who treats this report as though it actually makes sense is simply perpetuating the craziness. Irresponsible at best. Irresponsible if unconscious. Seditious if intentional. [log in: Gippo23, PW: carote bugmenot.com -- use it!]
Oh, Dan... You little Dickens!
with apologies...
Describing his love of CBS and CBS News, Rather observed ...: "In my mind and the minds of the people I work with, this is a magical, mystical kingdom -- our version of Camelot. And we feel we are working at a kind of roundtable of King Arthur proportions. Now, it may be that this kingdom exists only in our minds. But that makes it no less real for those of us who live it every day." And then there was this: "Ed Murrow's ghost is here. I've seen him and talked to him on the third floor of this building many times late at night. And I can tell you that he's watching over us."
"...eating away from within like worms inside my braaaain... • (2) Trackbacks • Link This
Sunday, November 28, 2004
The Council Has Spoken ! ! !
This week's winners are: The Pirates of the U.N. by Dr Sanity, and Rules of Engagement by Citizen Smash Full results of the vote are over at The Watcher's, along with this week's entries! Lots of good reading: Go See . . . Spambots: byte hot bits and die!! [Thanx, Watcher!]"Tom Brokaw swims in lakes,
even in winter, occasionally in a bathing suit."
In a Nov. 14 New York Times profile of Tom Brokaw, reporter Bill Carter said that the outgoing anchor "has been known" to skinny-dip with his wife, Meredith, in a pond near his home in suburban New York. Following up last week, the New York Post said that Brokaw was "steamed" about the report and "wanted a correction, but how do you go about getting a correction on skinny-dipping?"
Thursday, Brokaw's spokeswoman Barbara Levin told USA TODAY: "Tom swims in lakes, even in the winter, but does not skinny-dip. Meredith only goes in water above 85 degrees, but also does not skinny-dip." Friday, however, Levin amended her answer: "Tom swims in lakes, even in winter, occasionally in a bathing suit."
"... this guy walks into a bar with a duck on his head ..." • (0) Trackbacks • Link This
My Governator may be able to kick your Governor's ass...
but he should oughta keep in mind that the people of Cahleefohrneeah can kick hisCalifornia's new Department of Motor Vehicles director Joan Borucki has said she favors placing tracking devices on vehicles and then taxing drivers for the miles they drive. She says that as more drivers buy cars that get better gas mileage, the state is taking in less money from its gas tax.
Joan, dear, the answer is
The Global Positioning System tracking devices would communicate with state computers via satellite, and downloaed information would then be used to calculate the tax bill.
This is where I invoke my 2nd Amendment rights. Back slowly away from my giant SUV, Joan.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said today that he didn't yet have a position on the mileage tax. "I know the idea that she is talking about, but I do not know exactly what it will do," Schwarzenegger said. "So I will stop and think it through before I make a decision."
Good thinking, Ahnold... Think hard. Governator's email
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Happy Turkey Murder Day ! !
Mushrooms -- mmmm mmmm
Mushroom Goodies:
about 1 Portabella Mushroom per guest
[choose medium sized, deep, pretty ones]
Another Portabella mushroom per mushroom to be served + one
[this will be the filling. Add other kinds of mushrooms to taste]
Cotswold Cheese—lots
[for 8 mushrooms to serve I usually have at least a pound of cheese—excess can be served with crackers or devoured in peace in the kitchen]
scallions or sweet onions
lemons for zest
Loaf of soft, fresh white bread
[I use buttermilk bread - mmmm mmm]
lotsa butter
[have at least a pound on hand]
olive oil, good salt and fresh ground pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream
______________________
Let me start by saying—
NEVER LET MUSHROOMS OF ANY KIND TOUCH WATER
If there is any matter clinging to the mushrooms, brush it off with a clean towel [or cunning little yuppie/foodie mushroom-brush] The medium in which commercial mushrooms grow is sterile. [It was once steer poop—but now it is sterile!] Mushrooms soak up water like a desert sponge—yukky.
I’m making 7 mushrooms, each about 3 inches across so quantities will be for that amt. I quarter them for serving.
Meanwhile—toast 7 slices of bread allowing them to cool in the toaster. We’re shooting for crispy and golden brown. Then, cut toast into 1/4 inch or smaller cubes.
Take the stems off and cut off any stem ends that are too fibrous. Set aside.
Choose the prettiest, most even of the mushrooms and paint with olive oil—top and bottom. Be generous - about 1 T per, or more depending on size. They’ll drink it right up. That’s good. I used a pastry brush this time but I usually just use fingers.
Lay them out cup-side-up on a shallow pan. Place under the broiler [far away] until they are bubbling with juice in the middle. Remove carefully not spilling juice and set aside. They’ll reabsorb the juice.
Put 1 stick of butter in each of two frying pans and brown it gently. Dump in bread cubes to cover the bottom in one layer. Add butter if necessary to coat all cubes. Grind pepper over top. Toast in pans ‘til gently dark golden browned and crispy through and through—no sog allowed. Leave in pans to cool then transfer to bowls. Don’t bother cleaning the pans yet, the mushrooms will be cooked in them and the leftover butter and crumbs will add to the whole.
Drag out the ol’ Cuisineart, plop in the S blade, and mince up the stems and remaining mushrooms to tiny chunks. Set aside.
Mince up 1/2 a sweet onion or equivalent in shallots ‘til liquidy. Mince up a handful of parsley, too.
Grate Cotswold cheese.
Put olive oil in the two pans and heat. Add onions evenly. When onions are golden add minced up mushroom bits evenly. Keep moving for a while until they steam.
This is the delicate part: adding cinnamon. I use the already ground stuff cuz you only want the tiniest tiniest tiniest amount. Waaaay less than a pinch or even a dusting. I dust it over the sink and then over the pan just so I can see a liiiiitle bit falling thru the air. STOP too soon. Mix it around and taste—more mushroomy? Ahhh, see. And you thought I was crazy.
Do the same with the nutmeg—only less.
Cover to keep the juices. Keep an eye on ‘em and stir occasionally. Add parsley. Grind pepper and a little salt. Keep tasting.
When they’re all hot and juicy, add the toasty bread crumbs evenly. Not too many. Keep tasting.
Then transfer to a bowl and add the cheese. Keep tasting. Let cool.
When about half-cooled, add the shredded cheese. It will absorb right in. Keep adding and keep tasting.
It will be getting kinda heavy tasting about now—time for lemon zest!
Be sure to use only the colored part—the white part adds nothing but bitterness [kinda like blue-staters...] I used all three lemons worth, but they vary so keep tasting.
Now, let it rest a while.
_______________
Cup the mushroom cap in the palm of your hand and press the filling into the corners [??] and under the edges. Make sure ya leave the rim of the mushroom cap uncovered to keep the filling in. I’ve found that mounding it up and smoothing with a spatula keeps it together after broiling and when serving. Compress it well.
I’m gonna top them with some grated Beemster XO that I tasted in the market and bought on impulse. Also good is Vella Dry Jack. It’s not necessary to top, tho. The rest of the toasty bread bits would be pretty, too.
When ready to serve, put under the broiler—far away—until golden and warmed thru. about 10 mins, but keep an eye on ‘em.
[if they’re too dry, add a little cream. More cream and/or butter never hurt any dish...]
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Send fee-del a little message
a request from Val Prieto Can ya freakin' believe it?!? Some Moonbat named Walter Lippmann -- where have I heard that name before? -- is complaining that the US did not send fidel castro get well wishes after he tripped over his own egosphere and failed to break his neck -- clumsy fool. This moroon has set up a special email addy: getwellfidel@hotmail.com Send fidel a little message worthy of his contribution to our world, eh? Here's my entry:Dear fidel, Time to join your buddy, Yassar. Maybe he'll loan ya one of his virgins. Muerete ya, hijo pequeno de la gran puta. Ill regards, Freedom loving people of the world
[Spanish is Val's -- mistakes are mine] Go See . . . Val Walter the Lip
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
More from Kevin Sites
Sites blogs his response to the controversy surrounding his taping of the Marine in Fallujah and the subsequent handling of the tape. He states that his only concern is for the opinions of those Marines with whom he was embedded -- which was not the squad whom he taped that day. He describes himself as "shocked to see myself painted as some kind of anti-war activist." His account is worth reading. After giving details of the incident, he comments;Sites' Blog: But observing all of this as an experienced war reporter who always bore in mind the dark perils of this conflict, even knowing the possibilities of mitigating circumstances -- it appeared to me very plainly that something was not right.
I still disagree with his decision to air the tape. Particularly in light of his statement above. If he knew "something was not right," he also knew that the Marine command would investigate and that that particular footage would be evidence. To air it was prejudicial to the investigation -- especially knowing full well that "other foreign networks" would "make different decisions" than that made by NBC -- who he felt were completely responsible in their treatment of the footage. *eye roll* The footage, along with the full story of the follow up investigation and disposition by the Marine chain of command could be aired after completion. What's the benefit in rushing? What's the potential harm in holding until all the facts are in? Sites' blog entry attempts to paint a portrait of careful consideration and a decision based on strong principles. Though this statement -- among others -- raised Red Flags for me:
...I have become the conflicted conduit who has brought this to the world.
uhm, Kevvy -- this ain't about youuuuuu. Take the back of your hand off your fevered brow.
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Willy Buhl, before the battle for Falluja began: "We're the good guys. We are Americans. We are fighting a gentleman's war here -- because we don't behead people, we don't come down to the same level of the people we're combating. That's a very difficult thing for a young 18-year-old Marine who's been trained to locate, close with and destroy the enemy with fire and close combat. That's a very difficult thing for a 42-year-old lieutenant colonel with 23 years experience in the service who was trained to do the same thing once upon a time, and who now has a thousand-plus men to lead, guide, coach, mentor -- and ensure we remain the good guys and keep the moral high ground."
Sites, "I listened carefully when he said those words. I believed them." The hell you say. A "gentleman's war" reporter would have made a different choice -- the one not labeled "If It Bleeds It Leads." [/armchair quarterbacking]
Monday, November 22, 2004
Big Rocks in Little Rock
ARK good ol' boys may have taken moo-lahs for some moolahLittle Rock: President Clinton's new $165 million library here was funded in part by gifts of $1 million or more each from the Saudi royal family and three Saudi businessmen. The governments of Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar and the deputy prime minister of Lebanon all also appear to have donated $1 million or more
Who is a close, personal friend of whom, now, FatBoy? Mebbe they're just keeping their options open and their palms ...er, oiled for 2008.
"We have 91,000 who gave $100 or less," [chief financial officer for the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, Andrew Kessel] said in an interview Friday. "It's not all Saudi princes."
Of 113,000 donors, 91,000 donated "$100 or less" for a total [high end] of $9,100,000. So that leaves 21,992 donors at an average of $7,089. But wait! It's more involved than that... At the "Trustee" level of $1 million or more are listed: Lew Wasserman at $3 mil Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust at $4 mil Anheuser-Busch Foundation at $1 mil or more Annenburg Foundation at $1 mil House of Saud Governments of Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Taiwan Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, Nasser Al-Rashid, and Walid Juffali. [Saudi 'businessmen'] Deputy PM of Lebanon Stevo Spielberg Alice Walton [WalMart] At the "Philanthropist" level of $1mil -500,000 Service Employees Union [NY] Las Vegas Sun Denise Rich [$450,000] a "NY socialite and singer" and wife of last-minute Clinton pardoned Marc Rich -- the pardon that launched the federal criminal investigation "Humanitarian" level of $100,000 - 500,000 King of Morocco Farooq Bajwa Islamic World Conference Chinese Overseas Real Estate Development corp National Opera of Paris Presidential libraries are public property, run by the National Archives. Wonder if Sandy Berger's Pants are considered a branch library...
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Next Up
more work to keep America Free...After serving with his unit in Iraq, 2Slick is now serving in Kuwait. “I honestly believe that we are losing the information campaign here. As soldiers fighting this war, we have an obligation to get the word out about what's really going on over here.”
We gotta get this in hand, y'all. The backbone of a free people is an informed people. We ain't got that. We ask our military to soldier -- that's obvious when someone signs on. Now we also ask our soldiers to manage multi-million dollar philanthropic undertakings. [that figure that Capt. 2Slick was personally responsible for distributing wisely is higher than the figure reported by THK et al... just for comparison's sake.] Added skills never hurt anyone's career opportunities. But it concerns me that the soldiers fighting this war feel so unsupported by the society for whom they are fighting that they believe they are obliged to get the word out on what's really going on in Iraq. Was that not what the embeds are assigned to do? Where is Mr. Sites' story on the exit strategy successes -- did I miss it? I'd love to read it. Now that the election kerfluffle is over [for the blue-staters; it is over, done, finished, kaput, try again next time, in the misty past, long gone, ended, but a memory, a faded bloom of history...] It seems to me the most useful work we can lay hands to is the de-construstion and re-construction of the media. It fails to serve us as citizens of a free country, and it has done so for quite some time. Bloggers are but the beginning of the work. It is time to confront head on the dead elephant in the middle of the living room which everyone has been politely avoiding mentioning. MSM, it's Darwin Time -- change or die. . MORE: Aw, crimmanny -- even Howie The Scream sees it!
Dean at Yale: "The media is a failing institution in this country," Dean said. "They are not maintaining their responsibility to maintain democracy." ...Dean said these networks aim to entertain because "entertainment sells better than news." The infamous "scream speech," often blamed for Dean's loss to Sen. John Kerry '66 in the Democratic primaries, was partially a media fabrication because it was appealing for its entertainment value rather than its newsworthiness, Dean said. [I agree completely -C] "The media is trained to get the entertainment value and screw the facts," he said. [I also agree with this completely -C]
Shhhhh -- don't tell CNN
or MSNBCBS... it would only disillusion them. Ever wonder what happened to the piles of ca$h Saddam left lying around? Captain 2Slick has a report:I think the winning idea for “The Blinding Flash of the Obvious” goes to the 101st Infantry Division. In the course of combat operations and searching for weapon caches the 101st came across large amounts of Ba’athist cash. They immediately turned right around and spent the money in the local economy for humanitarian efforts. During 2003 they seized and spent $178 million. Other units are now continuing the program.
2Slick describes another "new" concept:
What's next for Fallujah? This simple answer to this question can be found by looking at the current state of affairs in Samarra, Najaf, and Sadr City. Oh, I'm sorry- the press isn't telling you anything about that. Well, the short story is that our forces are steadily working on financing and supervising reconstruction projects- employing a substantial Iraqi work force and getting the towns back on their feet. Newly trained Iraqi cops provide security and protection, and US forces just sort of monitor the situation and help where they're needed. This is what we in the business call an "exit strategy ."
Oh, yeeeah -- that thing no journalist or blue-stater seems to be able to recognize.
Their best friend oughta tell them...
if'n they had one left. Ahh, France -- country of sophistication and diplomacy. Vis this Agence France Presse photo and caption about their friends the Brits:
the French broadcasting authority (CSA) announced on its site Friday that it has finalized an agreement with Hizbullah’s Al-Manar television, allowing the controversial anti-Israel broadcaster to remain on the airwaves in France [and other parts of EU]. ...In January 2003, over the Muslim festive season of Ramadan, Al-Manar broadcast Al-Shatat, meaning Diaspora, which portrayed the history of Jews and Zionism from 1812 till 1948. Based on the “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” the Syrian-produced program alludes to a Jewish conspiracy for world domination, inspired by the Talmud, and shows, among other incitement-charged scenes, a group of Jews, acting on the orders of a rabbi, killing a Christian toddler to use his blood in baking matzots for Passover. CSA director Dominique Baudis, in a letter issued with the license, warned that the license would be violated if Al-Manar broadcasts hate messages as it did in the past.
Ok -- now writing off the part of the population that knows wacky, BS propaganda when it sees it...
With the defeat of the Saddam Hussein regime on April 9, 2003, the Ba'th ruling party was outlawed and a committee for the de-Ba'thification of Iraq was established. [1] However, the Ba'th's propaganda machine appears to have found a new abode in Paris, France, whence threats to the U.S. are issued regularly in three languages - English, French, and Spanish. Not surprisingly, the Ba'thist propagandists use the word "resistance" (in French, "la resistance") to underscore the association with the struggle against the Nazi occupation of France during WWII. The resurrection of the Ba'th Party on French soil was further strengthened by France's proposal that representatives of "la resistance" should participate in any future conference that will be convened to discuss the future of Iraq. This position was clearly stated by Michel Barnier, the French Foreign Minister, in an interview with the French TV station " France Inter. " In the interview, Mr. Barnier called for a political process in Iraq that would include "a number of groups and people who have today opted for the path of resistance through the use of weapons." ...former Iraqi Vice President, Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri... was identified as the leader of the resistance. A press release identifies the forces operating under the umbrella of the Ba'thist Resistance. They include: - The Ba'thist Socialist Arab Party of Iraq (as a clandestine organization) - The [Iraqi] "Resistance and Liberation" movement - The Unified Council of Iraqi Resistance - Many military forces like the "Fedayyoun of Saddam" and the "Second Army of Mohammad" [Recommended Reading -C]
The French are clearly committed in more ways than just a few billion franc oil contracts to the alliance with Islamic Resistance - aka terrorists. If Kerry and crew were not aware of this, they were merely incompetent. If they were aware and still maintained the possibility of an alliance with the French "through proper diplomacy," they were beyond deluded. Or beyond dishonest. The sides are lining up and it's time for someone to rescue the centuries-old perfume making secrets from these froggy fools before it's too late. ThanQ! LGF
Friday, November 19, 2004
Worth your time and support
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{/if}
