Saturday, June 19, 2004

John Kerry, I Know What's Good for You, And You Don't

I was unaware of The Varela Project, a democracy movement spearheaded by Cudan dissident Oswaldo Payá, who I also had not heard of, until I read this David Brooks op-ed in The New York Times titled “Kerry’s Cruel Realism."

Now, I’m not a big fan of democracy, or its method of supposed consensus, voting, but I am a fan of indivivduals who speak to freedom and destruction of socialistic, totalitarian regimes, individuals such as Oswaldo.  What does John Kerry think of individuals who agitate for freedom, and who encourage others around them to participate in such agitation?  Here’s what John Kerry thinks.

"John Kerry’s view? As he told Oppenheimer, the Varela Project “has gotten a lot of people in trouble . . . and it brought down the hammer in a way that I think wound up being counterproductive."

A statement which implies that John Kerry believes such matters as freedom should be left in the hands of political wonks who happen to believe that they know what’s best for “the people.” An attitude that is religiously embraced by Bush and the Republicans as well.  The interests of freedom always take the back seat, while the interests of the state drive us down the road to collective ignominy.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/19 at 04:36 AM
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Bradbury and Moore

In the news this morning, I read that Ray Bradbury is angry with Moore for titling his new film Fahrenheit 9/11 because it so closely resembles Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451. Per the article, Bradbury contacted Moore’s company over six months ago about this matter, specifically requesting that Moore change the title of the film, utilized, per Bradbury, without permission, and apologize.  Ray wants to settle this like two gentlemen.

"Bradbury, who is a registered political independent, said he would rather avoid litigation and is “hoping to settle this as two gentlemen, if he’ll shake hands with me and give me back my book and title."

I’m afraid, Mr. Bradbury, that Michael Moore is no gentleman, and you will not be able to avoid litigation.

“Moore Film Title Angers Author Bradbury."

Via Yahoo News.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/19 at 02:52 AM
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Friday, June 18, 2004

"Why aren't they doing this here?"

The above question, is asked by Billy Beck in a post titled “Something Mysterious." The question is asked in response to Paul Johnson’s murder, in Saudi Arabia, by Al Qaeda.  Not many individuals are contemplating this question, currently, but it is a question that bears consideration.  Here’s my shot from the hip postulation.

I think that Al Qaeda isn’t snatching individuals off the American streets, beheading them, videoing the beheading, and dropping it off at the local news station because if they did, one could expect an uprising of American can-do-it-ness displayed in the form of private individuals bringing justice to the Al Qaeda sympathetic Muslim community, rather than standing sheepishly by and waiting for the government to protect them.  If Al Qaeda attempted to operate by the same methods used in the murder of Nick Berg and Paul Johnson, a hell fire form of vigilante justice, could just possibly be unleashed.  I could very well be wrong, but, if Al Qaeda snatched the lovely Melis, my Mum, my Dad, one of my sisters, my brothers, my sons, my daughters, or other close friends, and beheaded them and crowed about it, I think I would take matters into my own hands.

Update: The following was emailed to me.  It is an excerpt from a post at the blog Mahmood’s Den, which is written by a Muslim individual named Mahmood Al-Yousif. The post is titled “What exactly are we waiting for?" The question is asked in response to Paul Johnson’s murder.  Mahmood appears, to me, to be an interesting character.  Possibly he can shed some light on the question under consideration here.

"My question is what else are WE as Muslims, Arabs whatever are we waiting for exactly to rise against these bastards? It is quite clear that the governments we have inherited are incompetent in the face of this terror, espcially Saudi, where they still seem to try to sweep this event under a rug and still refusing to accept that this is a violent revolution or civil war that is happening, rather than a few criminals who were “let astray” by “foreigners."

Thanks for emailing that link, Robert.

Update II: McQ, at Questions and Observations, also responds to the question “Why aren’t they doing this here?" Be sure to read the comment thread.

Update III: An article from The Straits Times titled “Saudis debate Islamic basis for killing Westerners," which delves into the debate which was taking place on various Islamic websites over Paul Johnson.  Also this CNN article titled “Al Qaeda uses beheadings for the fear factor."


Via Dean’s World.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 02:50 PM
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Something I Didn't Know About Gram Parsons

Two Wall Street traders are honoring those killed in the WTC on September 11 by financially backing a film about the funeral of Gram Parsons.  Sounds like it might make interesting viewing, based on the following blurb.

"The movie, “Grand Theft Parsons,” is based on a tale of how Parsons’ manager made off with his body to honor a deal: the survivor among the two would take the other’s remains to be burned in Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Parsons, who worked with The Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Emmylou Harris (news) and others, died of a drug overdose in Joshua Tree in 1973. The 26-year-old’s remains were taken away from Los Angeles International airport by manager Phil Kaufman to fulfill a pact made a few months earlier.

“There was a pact between the two of us where the survivor would take the deceased, have a few hundred beers and cremate the body. I went out and did the deed,” said Kaufman, who makes a cameo appearance in the movie."

That’s a honorable friend.

“Movie Shows Rocker Gram Parsons’ Funeral Adventure."

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 11:47 AM
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The Flimsiest of Connections

I value scientific discovery, the gaining of knowledge, but, at times, I view with incredulity the pronouncements which spew forth from researchers.  Here’s an article which I think stretches a “discovery” to the breaking point.

“Global Warming Raises Stink in Britain." The pertinent data, from the article, including the stretch.

"The discovery of breeding colonies of stinkbugs in London is clear proof that global warming is a fact of life, a scientist said on Friday."

Is that so?  Isn’t it possible that the stinkbugs were simply an invasive species, noticed for the first time, as they were here in the United States as reported by this pdf format article from Rutgers?

Link to stinky article via Yahoo News.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 08:32 AM
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Just Thinking and Wondering Outloud

A good friend of mine just purchased a Sirius satellite radio, and is totally enthralled with it.

Sirius has been getting a good amount of press, recently, and is currently trading at around $3.09 a share.

Now, I will not pay for cable or satellite teevee, but many, many individuals will, and do.  What I am wondering, is, will individuals embrace satellite radio as willingly as cable and satellite teevee?  If so, now may be the time to pick up a few thousand shares of Sirius, cheap.  What do ya think?

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 04:31 AM
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Guilty by Association

What can you say about a law such as this?

"The law allows non-drinkers under 21 to be ticketed if they are knowingly in the company of underage people drinking alcohol."

Next up, a law against knowingly being in the vehicle of an individual who doesn’t wear their seatbelt, or some such asininity.

“Young non-drinkers decry Naperville law - Those who are underage face tickets when they are with friends who drink"


Via The Agitator.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 04:15 AM
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I May Need a Wearable Lightning Rod

I don’t know if it is possible, though it seems feasible to me, for a garment to be made that would protect you from parlyzing discharges of electricity.  Such a garment could come in handy in an electrical storm, but this is not the type of electrical storm, manmade, I was thinking about.

Link via Claire Wolfe.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 02:44 AM
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Are These the Only Two Choices?

John T. Kennedy, while perusing Billy Beck’s virtual library, came across the entry for the tome Atlas Shrugged. Upon reading Beck’s short commentary for the book, John posts some comments which compare the characters John Galt and Howard Roark, two characters I admire from Ayn’s writing, among others, and offers this concluding statement.

"I recommend Roark’s more natural individualism over Galt’s wishful collective program. Roark always pursued his goals by doing the business he wanted to do. His progress and his happiness did not depend on the enlightenment of an arbitrary number on men - one individual would suffice."

I understand JTK’s thought, here, but I think if there were more individuals who emulated Roark, Galt’s goals could be realized.  Interesting to think about.

“Galt Or Roark?"

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 02:32 AM
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Kind of Interesting

According to The Australian, a meteorite, “as big as a house,” hit Australia the other night.

"A METEORITE reportedly the size of a house fell on the NSW south coast overnight, exploding in a bright flash, police have said."

Unfortunately,

""We went out to check if it was something bad, like a plane,” said a police spokesman.

“However we didn’t find anything - there was no bloody great rock sitting in the middle of the highway, anyway”.

You have to enjoy the understatement in that statement.  The meteorite would be a “bloody great rock” to stumble over.

“‘House-sized’ meteorite hits."

Via Drudge.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/18 at 02:18 AM
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Thursday, June 17, 2004

Less is More

The wheat/rye guy, triticale, links to a post at Pathetic Earthlings which touches on the subject of naming streets, buildings, parks, and what have you, after well known Americans.  The impetous for the post was the recent passing of Reagan, and it is titled “Icon Inflation."

Andrew, who wrote the post, has this to say on the subject, which notes the multitude of namings after Martin Luther King.

"Now, Dr. King was a great man, but he is well and properly honored by now. Yet, with libraries, schools, buildings, roads and a national holiday named after him, folks demand to have more still named after him. As if somehow not naming the next big civic building after Dr. King somehow slights the man. He has earned his accolades, but let’s not spoil it by running up the score."

The MLK renaming subject interests me, because currently in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there has been a rather blown out of proportion brouhaha over renaming a street after King.  Here’s a link to a recent spat of articles on the brouhaha as published in The Grand Rapids Press.

But it is an article in today’s edition of the paper that sheds some light on the “icon inflation,” alluded to in the post at Pathetic Earthlings, that spurred me to post on this.  The article, titled “City leaders lament timing of visit by MLK expert," points out the hyper-inflationary status of Martin Luther King renamings already, here in the U.S.A.

"It has led to political fights in many of the more than 650 U.S. cities that named streets for the slain civil- rights leader, said East Carolina University geography professor Derek Alderman, an expert on the issue."

Additionally, the dead tree copy of the press article notes that there are 110 public schools named after MLK.

I think renaming streets, parks, and such, after MLK is now nothing more than a balm which professional jobholders spread, from time to time, over the black population, in order to create feelings of goodwill, which fade as soon as the signs go up, and the last article is published noting the name change.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/17 at 03:44 PM
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Studying the Obvious

"Liposuction may help remove excess fat quickly, but it does not bestow any of the medical benefits of losing weight the hard way—by consuming fewer calories and sweating off excess pounds—a new study has revealed."

One wonders if the studious researchers would know if a snake was a snake if it bit them in the ass.

“Liposuction won’t confer weight-loss health benefits, study finds."

Via Google News.

Posted by John Venlet on 06/17 at 05:15 AM
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Must a Doctor Play Doctor?

Interesting post at Gene Expression on the recent news that some doctors do not want to treat ambulance chasing lawyers. I wonder how a lawyer proves that he/she is not an ambulance chaser?  Anyway, the post is titled “Hippocrates Shrugged," and godless, who posted the piece, has multiple links for your enlightment.  A point by godless, that I found worth considering.

"Medicine is one of the few professions (I can’t think of any other) in which the doctor is forced to serve you regardless of your ability to pay. We don’t require supermarkets to give free food to the indigent, and we don’t require landlords to give free housing to the homeless, but the urgency of emergency care means that doctors get saddled with the short end of the stick when it comes to delinquent payments - which are legion."

Posted by John Venlet on 06/17 at 04:18 AM
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Too Sensitive

Gary Cruse notes a news item which isn’t making the news.

"THE video only lasts four minutes or so — grue some (sic) scenes of torture from the days when Saddam Hussein’s thugs ruled Abu Ghraib prison. I couldn’t bear to watch, so I walked out until it was over."

...

"In fact, just four or five reporters showed up for the screening at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, which says it got the video via the Pentagon. Fewer wrote about it."

Gary’s concluding comment on the news that isn’t making the news, in comparison to what’s in the news.

"A society too sensitive for arousal to self defense will die. It’s Darwin’s way."

Posted by John Venlet on 06/17 at 04:07 AM
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Then Pin It Smack Dab in the Middle of Your Forehead, Scumbag

“Impeachment battle badge of honour: Clinton."

"I didn’t quit, I never thought of resigning and I stood up to it and beat it back,” he said. “The whole battle was a badge of honour."

Posted by John Venlet on 06/17 at 02:44 AM
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