The RI affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is providing legal representation to the family of Hui Liu Ng, the 34-year-old Chinese detainee who died last month at Donald W. Wyatt detention facility while in the custody of immigration authorities. Ng died of complications from cancer and a fractured spine, according to his NY attorneys.
read more | digg story
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sarah Palin's Facebook Page [PIC]
Yes, it's satire.
read more | digg story
Being Rosh HaShana I faithfully read my General JC's patriotic and many teachings at http://www.patriotboy.blogspot.com/ where I found the above post.
It originally was posted on: <a href="http://www.holytaco.com/">
read more | digg story
Being Rosh HaShana I faithfully read my General JC's patriotic and many teachings at http://www.patriotboy.blogspot.com/ where I found the above post.
It originally was posted on: <a href="http://www.holytaco.com/">
Monday, September 29, 2008
On David Letterman Tonight: 9/29
Jacob Silver is playing on David Letterman Monday night, September 29, with Pete Seeger.
I learned this according to Jacob himself (via facebook).
I learned this according to Jacob himself (via facebook).
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Ciara Durkin -- How Can One Year Have Passed?
CPL. Ciara M. Durkin
1977-2007
Website created, owned, and operated by the Durkin Family.
Latest News
Last updated September 24, 2008
The Durkin Family participates in the Quincy Medical Center's Cancer Walk.
Since September 28, 2007, the Durkin Family has been involved in several memorials in Ciara's name.
As many of you know, each year our family and friends participate in a walk to raise money for cancer prevention. Our mother, Angela, and our sister Deirdre, are both breast cancer survivors, but we had been doing this walk for many years before Deirdre's diagnosis. In fact, it was this Medical Center that detected Deirdre's cancer early which prevented it from spreading.
This year, the walk is especially dear to our hearts because it coincides with
the first anniversary of our darling sister Ciara's passing. Ciara died in Afghanistan
on the 28th of September, 2007. While Ciara was in Afghanistan, she made an online donation with the dedication: "I give because I learned to stay strong
here in Afghanistan because of your courage. I love you".
In honor of Ciara, the hospital's Cancer Resource Library is being renamed
the "Ciara Durkin Resource Center."
Joining our team of walkers this year is our mother. She is
participating in the walk for the first time in memory of Ciara.
We hope that you will visit our webpage at http://www.firstgiving.com/positivethinkers (link below) and make a donation for this very worthy cause.
The Durkin Family to Participate in the
2008 Quincy Medical Center's Cancer Walk
On October 11th of 2008, the Durkin Family will have an anniversary mass for Ciara at
Saint Gregory's Parish in Dorchester, MA (see link below for a map).
This mass will begin at 4:00pm, and all are welcome to attend.
Anniversary Mass for Ciara
Aifreann chinn bhliana i dTeach Pobal Bhantiarna Lourdes agus Naomh Colm Cille, Leitir Móir, Dé Sathairn, 4 Deireadh Fómhair, ag 7.30 i.n.
Aifreann Chinn Bhliana do Chiara
We have heard from some members of Ciara's "army family," and their stories and reminiscences have brought us great comfort. We look forward to hearing from other soldiers who served with Ciara, especially those soldiers of whom she spoke often and with such fondness. Any communications will be treated with confidentiality. Please email info@ciaraweerabrat.com if you wish to contact the family.
Ciara's "Army Family"
We've added some information on Ciara's interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
Click here to see the page...http://www.ciaraweerabrat.com/
Most of the above is an excerpt from an email I received from Ciara Durkin's family...The technical errors in this post are my fault, NOT the fault of her family.
1977-2007
Website created, owned, and operated by the Durkin Family.
Latest News
Last updated September 24, 2008
The Durkin Family participates in the Quincy Medical Center's Cancer Walk.
Since September 28, 2007, the Durkin Family has been involved in several memorials in Ciara's name.
As many of you know, each year our family and friends participate in a walk to raise money for cancer prevention. Our mother, Angela, and our sister Deirdre, are both breast cancer survivors, but we had been doing this walk for many years before Deirdre's diagnosis. In fact, it was this Medical Center that detected Deirdre's cancer early which prevented it from spreading.
This year, the walk is especially dear to our hearts because it coincides with
the first anniversary of our darling sister Ciara's passing. Ciara died in Afghanistan
on the 28th of September, 2007. While Ciara was in Afghanistan, she made an online donation with the dedication: "I give because I learned to stay strong
here in Afghanistan because of your courage. I love you".
In honor of Ciara, the hospital's Cancer Resource Library is being renamed
the "Ciara Durkin Resource Center."
Joining our team of walkers this year is our mother. She is
participating in the walk for the first time in memory of Ciara.
We hope that you will visit our webpage at http://www.firstgiving.com/positivethinkers (link below) and make a donation for this very worthy cause.
The Durkin Family to Participate in the
2008 Quincy Medical Center's Cancer Walk
On October 11th of 2008, the Durkin Family will have an anniversary mass for Ciara at
Saint Gregory's Parish in Dorchester, MA (see link below for a map).
This mass will begin at 4:00pm, and all are welcome to attend.
Anniversary Mass for Ciara
Aifreann chinn bhliana i dTeach Pobal Bhantiarna Lourdes agus Naomh Colm Cille, Leitir Móir, Dé Sathairn, 4 Deireadh Fómhair, ag 7.30 i.n.
Aifreann Chinn Bhliana do Chiara
We have heard from some members of Ciara's "army family," and their stories and reminiscences have brought us great comfort. We look forward to hearing from other soldiers who served with Ciara, especially those soldiers of whom she spoke often and with such fondness. Any communications will be treated with confidentiality. Please email info@ciaraweerabrat.com if you wish to contact the family.
Ciara's "Army Family"
We've added some information on Ciara's interment at Arlington National Cemetery.
Click here to see the page...http://www.ciaraweerabrat.com/
Most of the above is an excerpt from an email I received from Ciara Durkin's family...The technical errors in this post are my fault, NOT the fault of her family.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Slave Trade Remembrance at WaterFire will be OCT 4, not Sept 27
Dear all,
The weather forecast for tomorrow is for a big storm to hit
Providence, and so we've decided to postpone the A Thousand Ships
observation until next Saturday, October 4th. The symposium on the
following day is being postponed to October 5th.
Meanwhile, our prologue, the screening of a thought-provoking
documentary about one particular Rhode Island slave trading family,
will go ahead as planned. This is great opportunity to learn more
about some of the issues we're addressing with A Thousand Ships, and
the filmmaker and many of those who appear in the film will be
attending. After the screening, there will be a discussion / q+a.
Traces of the Trade
3.30pm-6pm
I received the above letter from Dawn at Rites & Reason Theatre, [Thank You, Dawn!]. I imagine more information is at http://www.waterfire.org/
The weather forecast for tomorrow is for a big storm to hit
Providence, and so we've decided to postpone the A Thousand Ships
observation until next Saturday, October 4th. The symposium on the
following day is being postponed to October 5th.
Meanwhile, our prologue, the screening of a thought-provoking
documentary about one particular Rhode Island slave trading family,
will go ahead as planned. This is great opportunity to learn more
about some of the issues we're addressing with A Thousand Ships, and
the filmmaker and many of those who appear in the film will be
attending. After the screening, there will be a discussion / q+a.
Traces of the Trade
3.30pm-6pm
I received the above letter from Dawn at Rites & Reason Theatre, [Thank You, Dawn!]. I imagine more information is at http://www.waterfire.org/
St.Clair Haigler September 2, 1940 -- September 25, 2008
This photo was taken by Jos`e Richardson on Saturday night, September 20, 2008.
St. Clair is the gentleman with the dark suit and blue tie, to his left are: Steve Hockaday, Dexter Richardson and James Richardson.
Saint Clair died yesterday. I don't want to believe it. He was truly a gentle man, of kindness, wisdom, generosity...He was one of the first of Eric's relatives to welcome me into the fold. I will never forget him.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Thank You Family.
I cried less than I expected during the 5 days in South Carolina; mostly there were tears of joy. Eric Steven Richardson passed away last June, but the love among family members is wide and strong, and it's a large family. I met the three brothers I've heard so much about, and a Step-brother, and a Brother from Omega (you know who you are!) and many cousins, Sisters, uncles, aunts, ministers, deacons, neighbors. Thank you Zion Canaan Baptist Church for the food for spirit and body. The baked chicken is more popular than the fried!
I thank every single person who hugged Ethan and me. Every person who smiled.
The day we arrived, I managed to destroy two (more?) tourist shot glasses in the Columbia airport, and was calculating the bite out of my wallet, and the kind people said, don't you even think about paying for them! That is not a response I imagine from any body in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts...
Perhaps the oldest relative I met was: Ms Lillian Hockaday(??)Jones, Eric's Great Aunt, Ethan's Great Great Aunt, 88 years young, who traveled from North Carolina to be present.
Thank you to the Many in the Northeast who supported and encouraged this Trip in myriad ways, not leastly the Blogging Team here...
Thank You, Creators!
I thank every single person who hugged Ethan and me. Every person who smiled.
The day we arrived, I managed to destroy two (more?) tourist shot glasses in the Columbia airport, and was calculating the bite out of my wallet, and the kind people said, don't you even think about paying for them! That is not a response I imagine from any body in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts...
Perhaps the oldest relative I met was: Ms Lillian Hockaday(??)Jones, Eric's Great Aunt, Ethan's Great Great Aunt, 88 years young, who traveled from North Carolina to be present.
Thank you to the Many in the Northeast who supported and encouraged this Trip in myriad ways, not leastly the Blogging Team here...
Thank You, Creators!
Wall Street gets drunk, we get the hangover.
And a bright "good morning" to all!
I have been puzzling over the claim by Bushco apparatchik Henry Paulson that not making a quick, uninformed decision about the $750,000,000,000 welfare program for the downtrodden CEO's of Wall Street.
See, I don't got me no degree in economics or finance or nuttin, so I can't begin to see how badly we're really being fucked if this thing goes through. What I can do is google and I'm half decent with numbers, so....
$1M in "Benjamins" = the following:
Total area: 103.389471 square meters
Total weight: According to the U.S. Treasury, "In $100 bills, the weight
of $1million is about 22 pounds." [that's 10 kg.]
Total height: Stacked singly, 48.82 inches high.
Total length: Laid end to end, 5083.333... feet long.
So, here are the figures for Bushco's Golden Airborne Division bailout.
Total area: 77,542,103.25 square meters or 29.939173442746206 square miles
(for purposes of comparison, Manhattan's total land area is
22.96 sq mi.)
Total weight: 7,500 metric tons or, 8267.334... Tons-short
Total height: Stacked singly, 577.888... miles high.
Total length: Laid end to end, 722,064.346... miles long
More fun facts: If we go for this Ponzi scheme, and take out a
"home impoverishment loan" we can look at the following
schedule.
Loan amount: $ 750,000,000,000.00
Loan term : 30 Years
Interest rate: 5.750% (We ARE well qualified buyers)
Monthly Payment: $ 4,376,796,423.33 a month
Totals--Principal: $ 750,000,000,000.00
Interest: $ 825,646,712,398.80
Grand Total: $ 1,575,646,712,398.80 (you can forget
about the .80; just round it down.)
Dividing this figure by 150,000,000 taxpayers (an arbitrary number; I just plucked it out of the air, unlike Mr. Paulson) I come up with a per capita number of, let's see $ 10,504.31 or about $29.18 per month. Why, it's just like a "Christmas Club savings account. The CEO's get to open their gifts for the next 30 years, we get the bill! And this will secure my future? how?
The good news for me is that there's little or no chance I'll be paying for the whole term of the note--I'm 58.
I don't know about you folks, but I don't want to get asked over for dinner and then get stuck with paying for the house.
I have been puzzling over the claim by Bushco apparatchik Henry Paulson that not making a quick, uninformed decision about the $750,000,000,000 welfare program for the downtrodden CEO's of Wall Street.
See, I don't got me no degree in economics or finance or nuttin, so I can't begin to see how badly we're really being fucked if this thing goes through. What I can do is google and I'm half decent with numbers, so....
$1M in "Benjamins" = the following:
Total area: 103.389471 square meters
Total weight: According to the U.S. Treasury, "In $100 bills, the weight
of $1million is about 22 pounds." [that's 10 kg.]
Total height: Stacked singly, 48.82 inches high.
Total length: Laid end to end, 5083.333... feet long.
So, here are the figures for Bushco's Golden Airborne Division bailout.
Total area: 77,542,103.25 square meters or 29.939173442746206 square miles
(for purposes of comparison, Manhattan's total land area is
22.96 sq mi.)
Total weight: 7,500 metric tons or, 8267.334... Tons-short
Total height: Stacked singly, 577.888... miles high.
Total length: Laid end to end, 722,064.346... miles long
More fun facts: If we go for this Ponzi scheme, and take out a
"home impoverishment loan" we can look at the following
schedule.
Loan amount: $ 750,000,000,000.00
Loan term : 30 Years
Interest rate: 5.750% (We ARE well qualified buyers)
Monthly Payment: $ 4,376,796,423.33 a month
Totals--Principal: $ 750,000,000,000.00
Interest: $ 825,646,712,398.80
Grand Total: $ 1,575,646,712,398.80 (you can forget
about the .80; just round it down.)
Dividing this figure by 150,000,000 taxpayers (an arbitrary number; I just plucked it out of the air, unlike Mr. Paulson) I come up with a per capita number of, let's see $ 10,504.31 or about $29.18 per month. Why, it's just like a "Christmas Club savings account. The CEO's get to open their gifts for the next 30 years, we get the bill! And this will secure my future? how?
The good news for me is that there's little or no chance I'll be paying for the whole term of the note--I'm 58.
I don't know about you folks, but I don't want to get asked over for dinner and then get stuck with paying for the house.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Willful blindness
I went out this evening to get a few beers and some chicken wings. When I was getting ready to leave the bar I ran into a guy I know and another guy that I met once before. We talked for a few minutes and the fellow I knew told the other guy that I was renovating my house and he mentioned the sidewalk. At this point the other said that I should have had the city do my sidewalk. I told him the city wasn't about to take care of my sidewalk. He then informed me that you just have to "know the right people". It went downhill from there. I told him that people who are connected get things done, at the expense of the rest of us, he didn't like hearing it. People like him never like hearing that they are, in fact, gaming the system--just like all those welfare cheats they always talk about.
I know the other guy is a staunch republican and try to avoid discussing politics with him. But the whole thing got going with both of them reciting the GOP's talking points about Obama. One of them went so far as to to say that it's not okay for the MSM to call Obama a black guy, but it's okay to make fun of Sarah Palin and ask if she's done her laundry today (something I've not heard on ANY news outlet). When I asked him if he felt like Obama was the "black guy", he tried to act as if it wasn't what he said.
I was quite pissed and had to leave. It's not that I can't accept people having convictions about their candidates. It's that I can't abide people who are being willfully blind to the truth.
One of they guys said that Bush had given everybody $600 and, now, Obama was "bribing" people to vote for him by promising them $1K. The other guy said Obama has done nothing, gotten no bills passed, during his 4 years in the U.S. Senate. Neither of them had any opinion, apparently, on Sarah Palin's absolute lack of knowledge or meaningful experience in dealing with issues affecting significant populations. Nor did they have anything to say about Bushco's $700B bailout plan for WS, which they either think is a good idea or they have no thoughts about at all.
When I encounter that sort of mindset, willful blindness is as charitable a description as I can muster for that sort of attitude. Selfishness, cowardice and cynicism are, I think, a good deal closer to the mark.
I almost forgot to mention that they will both be voting for McCain.
I know the other guy is a staunch republican and try to avoid discussing politics with him. But the whole thing got going with both of them reciting the GOP's talking points about Obama. One of them went so far as to to say that it's not okay for the MSM to call Obama a black guy, but it's okay to make fun of Sarah Palin and ask if she's done her laundry today (something I've not heard on ANY news outlet). When I asked him if he felt like Obama was the "black guy", he tried to act as if it wasn't what he said.
I was quite pissed and had to leave. It's not that I can't accept people having convictions about their candidates. It's that I can't abide people who are being willfully blind to the truth.
One of they guys said that Bush had given everybody $600 and, now, Obama was "bribing" people to vote for him by promising them $1K. The other guy said Obama has done nothing, gotten no bills passed, during his 4 years in the U.S. Senate. Neither of them had any opinion, apparently, on Sarah Palin's absolute lack of knowledge or meaningful experience in dealing with issues affecting significant populations. Nor did they have anything to say about Bushco's $700B bailout plan for WS, which they either think is a good idea or they have no thoughts about at all.
When I encounter that sort of mindset, willful blindness is as charitable a description as I can muster for that sort of attitude. Selfishness, cowardice and cynicism are, I think, a good deal closer to the mark.
I almost forgot to mention that they will both be voting for McCain.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Anti-Sarah Palin Rally in Anchorage, Alaska!!!
*
Alaskans for Obama!
______________________________________________
This morning, a friend forwarded this anti-Sarah Palin email from Alaska, with this message:
Psssst...pass it on!
So I'm passing it on! Here goes:
Voted for Her Once: Never Again!
_________________________________________________
[The] Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.
Palin Protesters Gather in Anchorage!
______________________________________________
The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It's probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally "a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots," and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received some nasty, harassing and threatening messages.
Palin Reckless * Inexperienced!!! Hockey Mama for Obama!!!
___________________________________________
I felt a bit apprehensive. I'd been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it's a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren't sent by Eddie Burke, we'll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing "socialist baby-killing maggot" haters.
Pro-woman, Anti-Palin: Beware of Tricksters
______________________________________________
It's a good thing I wasn't tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody's trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.
Hey!!! Hockey Mom, Keep the Puck Out of DC!
___________________________________________
Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn't honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn't happen here.
Palin is a Dangerous Northern Extremist!
___________________________________________
Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn't be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.
The Alaska Disasta'!
____________________________________________
So, if you've been doing the math… Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin's rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska , who know her best, have things to say.
Elect Obama-Biden, Keep Palin in Alaska, Retire McCain!
________________________________________
Signed "hs"
More pictures of that rally:
Great Performance, But We're Not THAT Stupid!
______________________________________________
Sarah Palin: Bush in a Skirt!
___________________________________________
Polar Bear Moms Say: NO PALIN!
____________________________________________
Like the Palin KoolAid?
__________________________________________
No Sarah Palin
_______________________________________
McBush/Palin Equals More Exxon Justices I'm a PROUD Community Organizer
_________________________________________
McSame!
______________________________________
We Can't Bear Palin!
_________________________________________
Palin Equals G.W. Bush with Lipstick
______________________________________
America Should Not Sleep if Palin is Veep!
___________________________________________
Vote Issues, Not Gender: "NO" to McCain/Palin NO to Palin! She'll Take Away My Freedom of Choice!
________________________________________
God's Will is Not a Foreign Policy!!
__________________________________________
[Palin] Doesn't Speak for Me!
___________________________________________
Flip Flop Sarah: Not ALL Alaska Women Support Palin!
___________________________________________
Eddie Burke, Give Us Your Phone Number
___________________________________________
UPDATE: Although I received this text and these photos in an email with a "Pass it on" permission, I just want to give proper attribution to the Mudflats blog. Thanks, all! *
______________________________________________
This morning, a friend forwarded this anti-Sarah Palin email from Alaska, with this message:
So I'm passing it on! Here goes:
_________________________________________________
[The] Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.
______________________________________________
The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It's probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally "a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots," and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received some nasty, harassing and threatening messages.
___________________________________________
I felt a bit apprehensive. I'd been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it's a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren't sent by Eddie Burke, we'll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing "socialist baby-killing maggot" haters.
______________________________________________
It's a good thing I wasn't tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody's trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.
___________________________________________
Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn't honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn't happen here.
___________________________________________
Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn't be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.
____________________________________________
So, if you've been doing the math… Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin's rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska , who know her best, have things to say.
________________________________________
Signed "hs"
More pictures of that rally:
______________________________________________
___________________________________________
____________________________________________
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
_________________________________________
______________________________________
_________________________________________
______________________________________
___________________________________________
________________________________________
__________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Warts'n'All School Of Business
After listening to the news of the collapse of Lehman Bros., the assimilation of Merrill Lynch and the dire forecasts re: AIG, I listened to several "experts" whose hindsight is unbelievably postscient. They can all explain how clear it was that this would happen, but none offer explanations as to why they didn't sound the alarm before or while it happened.
I have heard, many times, in the past several days that the structural failures which led to the ruin of the U.S. and world economies in the the Great Depression were the impetus behind much legislation that erected firewalls between speculative investment and traditional banking institutions; and, that because of those firewalls it was much less likely that the sort of things that brought about the run on banks and subsequent. It appears, however, that the U.S. congress has, in the past several decades, undermined or simply removed those firewalls so that they are no longer effective or no longer exist.
It occurs to me (not) for the first time that the difference between investing on Wall Street and shooting craps in Vegas is that at least in Vegas they comp the drinks for the marks.
The new "conventional wisdom" is that the "housing bubble" and it's reliance on sub-prime mortgages are to blame for the demise of numerous financial institutions. The people who are saying this are, in many cases, the same folks who had been telling us, until fairly recently, that it was the housing market that would draw us out of the recession. It seems that the financial experts and the economists were not blowing hard enough on the dice before they threw them.
Much of the blame for the sub-prime mess, of course, can be laid at the feet of people who bought homes during a period of "irrational exuberance". I have heard that many people just wanted to have a home of their own. Count me in that number. I have a lovely little hovel which I bought for $25K because it was pretty much gutted and it sits on a small, crowded lot, in a city, in the upper end of NY; a city whose economy has been in the shitter since about 1975. Purchasing the house took about 1/2 of what was in my small 401K. Then I took a lump sum check for my retirement in order to finance the renovations. So, now I have about 30K in an IRA and this house (which needs about 1000 hours work and $15K in materials to make it livable) what I don't have, at the moment, is any debt--of course I don't have an income either.
Now, then; I'm going to be 59 in a few weeks and I'm probably never going to have anything like a good paying job again (I blame a lack of talent and ambition--I am so unfair to my life!). There are lots of people my age who have nice homes, decent amounts of savings, nice cars, kids in college and all of the other accoutrements of the middle class. They also have boatloads of debt. A large portion of their indebtedness stems from reliance on traditional financial instruments, mortgages in the main, to finance homes. However much of the indebtedness is the result of high interest borrowings on credit cards, to finance those things which they were told they needed to be seen as successful. They were convinced, by the lenders that debt was good, regardless that the cost of servicing the debt was usurious. Debt is good, especially if you're not the debtor--AND if, when your position as the debt collector becomes unprofitable, you can ask the government to spare you from the repercussions of the "free market" that you created!
Here's the thing that really bothers me about all of this: that dream of constant acquisition, each successive generation having more of everything than its predecessor, is rooted in Ponzinomics. There is a finite amount (and it's quite large, I won't deny that) of wealth that is available at any single point in time. When there is not enough to go around, debt is created--wealth anti-matter, so to speak--some of which is fine. But, when debt becomes the driving force of the economy, it becomes an 800 pound gorilla. Debt dictates how we spend and save. Too much debt means that, first--we can no longer save, and second--that we can't buy more stuff. If it's only for a week or two, no biggie. Otoh, if it's for a few quarters the party in power calls it a period of stagnation (the party out of power calls it what it is--a recession).
Ya know what? This is all just my opinion, cuz I never finished college, never mind the Wharton School or Chicago U. But I don't think the homeless (and those who are going to be joining them in the next few years) need degrees in economics to know that they're screwed.
Tommorow, class, we will look at how the necessity to be part of Mr. Bush's "ownership society" left us all holding one thing--the bag.
Labels: Pig in a poke
I have heard, many times, in the past several days that the structural failures which led to the ruin of the U.S. and world economies in the the Great Depression were the impetus behind much legislation that erected firewalls between speculative investment and traditional banking institutions; and, that because of those firewalls it was much less likely that the sort of things that brought about the run on banks and subsequent. It appears, however, that the U.S. congress has, in the past several decades, undermined or simply removed those firewalls so that they are no longer effective or no longer exist.
It occurs to me (not) for the first time that the difference between investing on Wall Street and shooting craps in Vegas is that at least in Vegas they comp the drinks for the marks.
The new "conventional wisdom" is that the "housing bubble" and it's reliance on sub-prime mortgages are to blame for the demise of numerous financial institutions. The people who are saying this are, in many cases, the same folks who had been telling us, until fairly recently, that it was the housing market that would draw us out of the recession. It seems that the financial experts and the economists were not blowing hard enough on the dice before they threw them.
Much of the blame for the sub-prime mess, of course, can be laid at the feet of people who bought homes during a period of "irrational exuberance". I have heard that many people just wanted to have a home of their own. Count me in that number. I have a lovely little hovel which I bought for $25K because it was pretty much gutted and it sits on a small, crowded lot, in a city, in the upper end of NY; a city whose economy has been in the shitter since about 1975. Purchasing the house took about 1/2 of what was in my small 401K. Then I took a lump sum check for my retirement in order to finance the renovations. So, now I have about 30K in an IRA and this house (which needs about 1000 hours work and $15K in materials to make it livable) what I don't have, at the moment, is any debt--of course I don't have an income either.
Now, then; I'm going to be 59 in a few weeks and I'm probably never going to have anything like a good paying job again (I blame a lack of talent and ambition--I am so unfair to my life!). There are lots of people my age who have nice homes, decent amounts of savings, nice cars, kids in college and all of the other accoutrements of the middle class. They also have boatloads of debt. A large portion of their indebtedness stems from reliance on traditional financial instruments, mortgages in the main, to finance homes. However much of the indebtedness is the result of high interest borrowings on credit cards, to finance those things which they were told they needed to be seen as successful. They were convinced, by the lenders that debt was good, regardless that the cost of servicing the debt was usurious. Debt is good, especially if you're not the debtor--AND if, when your position as the debt collector becomes unprofitable, you can ask the government to spare you from the repercussions of the "free market" that you created!
Here's the thing that really bothers me about all of this: that dream of constant acquisition, each successive generation having more of everything than its predecessor, is rooted in Ponzinomics. There is a finite amount (and it's quite large, I won't deny that) of wealth that is available at any single point in time. When there is not enough to go around, debt is created--wealth anti-matter, so to speak--some of which is fine. But, when debt becomes the driving force of the economy, it becomes an 800 pound gorilla. Debt dictates how we spend and save. Too much debt means that, first--we can no longer save, and second--that we can't buy more stuff. If it's only for a week or two, no biggie. Otoh, if it's for a few quarters the party in power calls it a period of stagnation (the party out of power calls it what it is--a recession).
Ya know what? This is all just my opinion, cuz I never finished college, never mind the Wharton School or Chicago U. But I don't think the homeless (and those who are going to be joining them in the next few years) need degrees in economics to know that they're screwed.
Tommorow, class, we will look at how the necessity to be part of Mr. Bush's "ownership society" left us all holding one thing--the bag.
Labels: Pig in a poke
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Rites And Reason Waterfire Seeks Actors For Sept. 27.
We can extend our deadline to hear from actors until Tuesday, to make sure that R and R actors have an opportunity to take part in this important event, honoring the memory of Rhett Jones and marking the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade on Saturday, September 27th.
We are particularly short of male actors right now, but would be
delighted to hear from anyone interested in taking part.
The actors will be given a series (8-10) of one-minute texts to
memorize and perform for the thousands of people at WaterFire,
accompanied by a flaming torch. The texts are a combination of real and dramatized pieces about slavery and abolition, and the actors will be scattered throughout the event, before returning to a set place to deliver all of their texts as a final closing spectacle.
There will be one rehearsal, at a mutually agreed time; otherwise, the actors need to make sure that they are available on Saturday September 27th, between 6pm and 10pm. Anyone interested should get in touch with me directly asap.
I've enclosed the long description of the event. We'd be honored to have Rites and Reason performers among our group. Also, we're still looking for a director for this section; if you know of someone who might be interested, do let me know.
With all best wishes, and thanks again
Andrew
For More Information: http://www.rihumanities.org/
We are particularly short of male actors right now, but would be
delighted to hear from anyone interested in taking part.
The actors will be given a series (8-10) of one-minute texts to
memorize and perform for the thousands of people at WaterFire,
accompanied by a flaming torch. The texts are a combination of real and dramatized pieces about slavery and abolition, and the actors will be scattered throughout the event, before returning to a set place to deliver all of their texts as a final closing spectacle.
There will be one rehearsal, at a mutually agreed time; otherwise, the actors need to make sure that they are available on Saturday September 27th, between 6pm and 10pm. Anyone interested should get in touch with me directly asap.
I've enclosed the long description of the event. We'd be honored to have Rites and Reason performers among our group. Also, we're still looking for a director for this section; if you know of someone who might be interested, do let me know.
With all best wishes, and thanks again
Andrew
For More Information: http://www.rihumanities.org/
The Times2 Academy Blog
Dear Friends,
I am inviting all friends of Times2[http:www.times2.org/] to participate in a a new Blog which is intended to provide another avenue for us to publicize events, activities and accomplishments of our Community.
My blogging experience is based on one year of maintaining a blog and several of reading and commenting on others.
The address is:
http://times2academy.wordpress.com/
If you are interested in becoming a contributor, please send me an email:
at msnomiratgmaildotcom.
Please share news of this blog with anyone who may be interested, especially including alumni/ae.
Many thanks.
Wishing everyone health and learning in this academic year.
Nomi Hurwitz
I am inviting all friends of Times2[http:www.times2.org/] to participate in a a new Blog which is intended to provide another avenue for us to publicize events, activities and accomplishments of our Community.
My blogging experience is based on one year of maintaining a blog and several of reading and commenting on others.
The address is:
http://times2academy.wordpress.com/
If you are interested in becoming a contributor, please send me an email:
at msnomiratgmaildotcom.
Please share news of this blog with anyone who may be interested, especially including alumni/ae.
Many thanks.
Wishing everyone health and learning in this academic year.
Nomi Hurwitz
Monday, September 15, 2008
If Sarah Palin Chose Your Name...
Polit Tsk Tsk Tsk: Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator
Thank you David Harrington.
Nomi = Creation Schwarzkopf Palin
Ethan Alexander = Gravel Blood Palin.
Johanna Hurwitz = Cheney Wolfhound Palin.
Eric S. Richardson = Stinger Assassin Palin
Peter = Claw Washout Palin
Thank you David Harrington.
Nomi = Creation Schwarzkopf Palin
Ethan Alexander = Gravel Blood Palin.
Johanna Hurwitz = Cheney Wolfhound Palin.
Eric S. Richardson = Stinger Assassin Palin
Peter = Claw Washout Palin
Reginald Shepherd, 1963--2008, Once And Future Rhode Islander
I don't think I ever met Reginald Shepherd, but he lived in Rhode Island, so it is quite possible we did meet at least once. I understand he was not a big fan of foetrydotcom; I was and am a fan of that site. If he posted with a pseudonym, we may have had an unwitting friendship. I used the id: N. Joy Vey for quite some time...
We had friends in common. The two who first pop into my head are Jilly Dybbka and Mairead Byrne.
Here is a link (which includes the links to his blog, et al):
http://poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2008/09/reginald_shepherd_19632008.html
My condolences to all family members and friends and colleagues...
We had friends in common. The two who first pop into my head are Jilly Dybbka and Mairead Byrne.
Here is a link (which includes the links to his blog, et al):
http://poetryfoundation.org/harriet/2008/09/reginald_shepherd_19632008.html
My condolences to all family members and friends and colleagues...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Langston Hughes, 1964
Politics can be the
Graveyard of the poet.
And only
Poetry can be
His
Resurrection.
I found this somewhere as a "quote" not a poem, and copied it. Now I confess I've no idea if the line breaks are a product of my fevered pen or those of the author. Also, the notion of "resurrection" is far more foreign to me than that of any "graveyard" nonetheless, I like this.
There is a connection between Langston Hughes' life and work and the Rites & Reason Theatre. For another post...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Lincoln Chafee's Way With Words.
Former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee was known for keeping a low-key profile on Capitol Hill, but the Republican -turned -Independent is making waves with his exceedingly blunt comments on newly-minted Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Taking time off from politics
I heard a story on NPR a few minutes ago that said McCain and Obama will be at the site of Mr. Bush's most spectacular intelligence failure, laying wreatsh, together. The newsreader went on to say that they had both pledged to shelve politics for the day and not run campaign ads.
Call me cynical, if you like, but I think that this "pledge" will be ignored--almost certainly by the Rovians--by both campaigns. The reptilican haters are out in force to obscure the McPalinCain campaigns lack of substance by mischaracterizing (or telling outright lies about) Obama and (soon, my pets, very, very soon) Joe Biden.
The McPalinCain "StrangeTalkExpress™©®" may have the ability to speak in tongues; it certainly has the ability to speak with a forked tongue. That Sarah Palin and John McCain are liars is not for me to prove. All one needs to do is read their current utterances and then compare and contrast them with others they've made--many of fairly recent vintage. All politicians tell lies, it's a very large part of their toolkit.
The thing about the lies is that they fall into one of two categories, imo. There are those lies that are seen as necessary evils of the give and take of governance. I don't like them, but I accept that they are an all-day everyday occurrence. Then, there are the lies, like those currently masquerading as "scary truth" in the McPalinCain ads. These lies are egregious and gratuitous. They are not based on misinformation being given to their fabricators. Nor are they intended to, somehow, clarify the process. Their intention is to distract the electorate from looking at the truth or simply to demonize the opposition by making statements that are demonstrably false. This has been the GOP's stock in trade since at least the late 1940's. Yes the Democrats have told lies--millions of them, I've no doubt--but the current crop of GOP operatives seem to think that lies are not just a legitimate campaign tool, they are the only campaign tool.
I'm not taking the day off.
democommie--cross posted at my house.
Call me cynical, if you like, but I think that this "pledge" will be ignored--almost certainly by the Rovians--by both campaigns. The reptilican haters are out in force to obscure the McPalinCain campaigns lack of substance by mischaracterizing (or telling outright lies about) Obama and (soon, my pets, very, very soon) Joe Biden.
The McPalinCain "StrangeTalkExpress™©®" may have the ability to speak in tongues; it certainly has the ability to speak with a forked tongue. That Sarah Palin and John McCain are liars is not for me to prove. All one needs to do is read their current utterances and then compare and contrast them with others they've made--many of fairly recent vintage. All politicians tell lies, it's a very large part of their toolkit.
The thing about the lies is that they fall into one of two categories, imo. There are those lies that are seen as necessary evils of the give and take of governance. I don't like them, but I accept that they are an all-day everyday occurrence. Then, there are the lies, like those currently masquerading as "scary truth" in the McPalinCain ads. These lies are egregious and gratuitous. They are not based on misinformation being given to their fabricators. Nor are they intended to, somehow, clarify the process. Their intention is to distract the electorate from looking at the truth or simply to demonize the opposition by making statements that are demonstrably false. This has been the GOP's stock in trade since at least the late 1940's. Yes the Democrats have told lies--millions of them, I've no doubt--but the current crop of GOP operatives seem to think that lies are not just a legitimate campaign tool, they are the only campaign tool.
I'm not taking the day off.
democommie--cross posted at my house.
Love is somehow...(MLK, Jr.)
Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to the ultimate reality.
from The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. selected by Coretta Scott King and published, in her book of that name, by Newmarket Press.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sarah Palin's Husband Todd EXPOSED!
*
Here's a good start in getting the Obama ball rolling. Of course, I can't say 100% that this clip is for real, but here goes:
_______________________________
Sarah Palin's Husband Todd Exposed!
steveoaksalaska
_______________________________
I have also posted this video in my post "There Was a Little Girl and She Had a Little Gun," on my blog Snark.me
*
Here's a good start in getting the Obama ball rolling. Of course, I can't say 100% that this clip is for real, but here goes:
Sarah Palin's Husband Todd Exposed!
steveoaksalaska
A Video of Todd Palin from 1996...
In 1996 Bristol Palin daughter of Sarah Palin (presumptive vice-presidential Republican nominee) was attending Iditarod Elementary School in Alaska. The teacher asked the students to ask their parents if they had any unwanted video cameras they could donate (for skits). Bristol Palin brought in a camera. The spurious VHS tape found inside that camera featured her husband Todd Palin talking aloud to five-year old Bristol (she's holding the camera) about wife Sarah Palin regarding her 1996 Wasilla election win. (Her first term as mayor) DON'T MISS THIS! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT THIS MAN SAYS!
by norm augustinus
_______________________________
I have also posted this video in my post "There Was a Little Girl and She Had a Little Gun," on my blog Snark.me
*
The difference between "us" and "them"
Good Morning, Nomi:
I put this on my blog--http://polrant.blogspot.com/ too.
The difference between us (honest, decent, caring humans) and "them" (reichwing KKKristians) is that even though many of us are not christians--or, in fact, have no faith in a god of any sort--we are moral and reasonable folks.
This latest wrinkle in the GOP's pandering to the GODibanic fundamentalists is merely a logical extension of their continual drift to the extreme right. While it appears that Sarah Palin has little or no experience in any area that would be crucial to her governance in the (all too) likely event that she would inherit John McCain's job when he strokes out or dies of melanoma, it does not, in the minds of her rabid followers disqualify her from having that job.
To that end, the RNC and the McCain campaign have used their dollars to attack the Obama candidacy with innuendo and outright lies, while attempting to deflect legitimate criticism of both McCain and Palin. Sarah Palin's handlers are, in fact, only making her available to media personalities (calling them journalists would be an insult to those who are) who will treat her favorably.
I have read numerous posts and comments urging Senator Obama and his campaign to fight fire with fire. Would that they could. I think there is something about having character, a conscience and a gag reflex that, unfortunately preclude that sort of swinish behavior.
For that reason I am announcing, here, that I will be available for that duty. I have virtually no scruples re: doing or saying whatever it takes to wake people the fuck up. Send me you tired accusations, your poorly researched indictments and your wretched truthiness, yearning to be spewed. I will do what I can to disseminate it. Oh, send me some truth, too, it helps to confuse the issue.
I put this on my blog--http://polrant.blogspot.com/ too.
The difference between us (honest, decent, caring humans) and "them" (reichwing KKKristians) is that even though many of us are not christians--or, in fact, have no faith in a god of any sort--we are moral and reasonable folks.
This latest wrinkle in the GOP's pandering to the GODibanic fundamentalists is merely a logical extension of their continual drift to the extreme right. While it appears that Sarah Palin has little or no experience in any area that would be crucial to her governance in the (all too) likely event that she would inherit John McCain's job when he strokes out or dies of melanoma, it does not, in the minds of her rabid followers disqualify her from having that job.
To that end, the RNC and the McCain campaign have used their dollars to attack the Obama candidacy with innuendo and outright lies, while attempting to deflect legitimate criticism of both McCain and Palin. Sarah Palin's handlers are, in fact, only making her available to media personalities (calling them journalists would be an insult to those who are) who will treat her favorably.
I have read numerous posts and comments urging Senator Obama and his campaign to fight fire with fire. Would that they could. I think there is something about having character, a conscience and a gag reflex that, unfortunately preclude that sort of swinish behavior.
For that reason I am announcing, here, that I will be available for that duty. I have virtually no scruples re: doing or saying whatever it takes to wake people the fuck up. Send me you tired accusations, your poorly researched indictments and your wretched truthiness, yearning to be spewed. I will do what I can to disseminate it. Oh, send me some truth, too, it helps to confuse the issue.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Update of Nomi's September 3rd Post: Amy Goodman Arrest
RNC Police Arrest Amy Goodman at protest on 9/1
drcorrector says,
Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar were arrested by the Minneapolis Police Department. Charged with conspiracy to riot.
Footage from Rick Rowley and Brandon Jourdan.
______________________________________________________________
Given that the other arrest video is no longer available on YouTube, I have embedded this one here in its stead.
I don't know how long this clip will remain up and running; it seems as though our government is getting less tolerant about free speech, but we keep working at it.
The following is Ms. Goodman's 9/1 press conference after she was released from police custody:
Amy Goodman talks about arrest on Free Speech TV (FSTV)
calipendence says,
Amy Goodman discusses her arrest by St. Paul police just hours earlier on Crash the Party segment from Free Speech TV.
______________________________________________________________
Celebrate Guatemala's 187 Anniversary of Independence
The General Consul of Guatemala in Rhode Island and Brown University (Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies) is honored to invite you to a Conference to celebrate the 187 Anniversary of the Independence of Guatemala on Monday, September 15, 2008
History of Migratory Movements from Guatemala to the United States
by
Ambassador Rodrigo Montufar, PhD.
September 15, 2008
Location: Joukowsky Forum (Watson Institute), Brown Universit
Time: 6:00PM (Reception to follow)
History of Migratory Movements from Guatemala to the United States
by
Ambassador Rodrigo Montufar, PhD.
September 15, 2008
Location: Joukowsky Forum (Watson Institute), Brown Universit
Time: 6:00PM (Reception to follow)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Waterfire to Honor Rhett Jones?!
A very reliable source ( member of Rhett's family) has shared that she received a call informing her that Waterfire, an established art ritual in Providence will be dedicating one of its lightings to Rhett.
Waterfire is a Spectacle which draws locals, natives, and tourists.
Here's the site: http://www.waterfire.org/
September 27 is the date. I did not see it on the schedule, but I may have missed it.
I never heard Rhett comment on Waterfire, although I may have heard him comment on fire water given his scholarship on Native Communities...
Waterfire is a Spectacle which draws locals, natives, and tourists.
Here's the site: http://www.waterfire.org/
September 27 is the date. I did not see it on the schedule, but I may have missed it.
I never heard Rhett comment on Waterfire, although I may have heard him comment on fire water given his scholarship on Native Communities...
Aftermath of Jason Ng's Death in Detention in RI
After Hiu Lui Ng, a Chinese immigrant, died in detention, elected officials have voiced concern and Mr. Ng's family has set up a fund for donors.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Rites And Reason Theatre: RAWDITIONS !!
RAWDITION ANNOUNCEMENT ACTORS – STAGE MANAGERS – SET CREW TECHNICAL CREW – CO...
RAWDITION ANNOUNCEMENT
ACTORS – STAGE MANAGERS – SET CREW TECHNICAL CREW – COSTUME CREW
THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICANA STUDIES’
RITES AND REASON THEATRE
(The place where you are free to be who you are becoming)
IS HOLDING AUDITIONS FOR
THE FORGETTING MACHINE
by Emma Tai, ‘08
THE FORGETTING MACHINE IS A HISTORY OF HAWAII AS TOLD THROUGH THE ORDEAL OF GRACE CHANG, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, WHO HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO DELIVER THE 60th ANNIVERSARY SPEECH IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR (WWII).
THE PLAY IS A SURREAL ODYSSEY SET IN THREE TIME PERIODS: THE LATE 1800s, THE 1930s, AND POST 9/11/2001.
Director: Connie Crawford: Constance_Crawford@Brown.edu
Artistic Director: Elmo_Terry-Morgan@Brown.edu
SUNDAY, 9/7/08, 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.
MONDAY, 9/8/08, 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 PM.
BROWN UNIVERSITY - CHURCHILL HOUSE
(155 ANGELL STREET between Thayer and Brown Streets)
PERFORMANCE DATES: THURSDAY-SUNDAY, 10/23-26/2008 & THURSDAY-SUNDAY, 10/30-11/02/2008
NO PREPARATION NECESSARY. WE WILL READ SCENES FROM THE SCRIPT.
“Our Research Creates New Art.”
RAWDITION ANNOUNCEMENT
ACTORS – STAGE MANAGERS – SET CREW TECHNICAL CREW – COSTUME CREW
THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICANA STUDIES’
RITES AND REASON THEATRE
(The place where you are free to be who you are becoming)
IS HOLDING AUDITIONS FOR
THE FORGETTING MACHINE
by Emma Tai, ‘08
THE FORGETTING MACHINE IS A HISTORY OF HAWAII AS TOLD THROUGH THE ORDEAL OF GRACE CHANG, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, WHO HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO DELIVER THE 60th ANNIVERSARY SPEECH IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR (WWII).
THE PLAY IS A SURREAL ODYSSEY SET IN THREE TIME PERIODS: THE LATE 1800s, THE 1930s, AND POST 9/11/2001.
Director: Connie Crawford: Constance_Crawford@Brown.edu
Artistic Director: Elmo_Terry-Morgan@Brown.edu
SUNDAY, 9/7/08, 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.
MONDAY, 9/8/08, 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 PM.
BROWN UNIVERSITY - CHURCHILL HOUSE
(155 ANGELL STREET between Thayer and Brown Streets)
PERFORMANCE DATES: THURSDAY-SUNDAY, 10/23-26/2008 & THURSDAY-SUNDAY, 10/30-11/02/2008
NO PREPARATION NECESSARY. WE WILL READ SCENES FROM THE SCRIPT.
“Our Research Creates New Art.”
Friday, September 5, 2008
GOD must be crazy
Hi, Nomi:
I put this on my blog, but since I've had 47 profile views (45 of them, mine!) I thought I'd put this out for a wider audience and, I hope, piss a few more KKKristians off!
GOD must be crazy. Not "The Gods Must Be Crazy"; that was a delightful film about South Africa and some of its denizens.
No, this is about the KKKristan GOD and his jihadherents.
There is just something about a GOD whose followers are so convinced of their righteousness and everyone else's wrongteousness. The admonition to "Love one's brother as one's self" apparently means just that to them--it's the determination of just who is one's brother that seems to create problems for the KKKristians. Those benighted people of the Mid-east could be their brothers, if they would just eschew their insane, fantasy based religion that excuses their wanton killing and demonization of those who are not them. The same is true of Cath-O-Licks, Jews, Buddhists and all faiths that are not the FAITH of the KKKristians.
I have to admit that I was once a Cath-O-Lick and believed in the more dire aspects of God ( I never saw any real evidence for a God of mercy and compassion). But, now, thanks to the fundigelical taliban of AmeriKKKa, I'm an atheist. Where other arguments, mere words, could not convince me, their actions have. If their GOD, the being that they so passionately believe in, is responsible for their existence, then they must be his idea of our hell on earth
democommie
I put this on my blog, but since I've had 47 profile views (45 of them, mine!) I thought I'd put this out for a wider audience and, I hope, piss a few more KKKristians off!
GOD must be crazy. Not "The Gods Must Be Crazy"; that was a delightful film about South Africa and some of its denizens.
No, this is about the KKKristan GOD and his jihadherents.
There is just something about a GOD whose followers are so convinced of their righteousness and everyone else's wrongteousness. The admonition to "Love one's brother as one's self" apparently means just that to them--it's the determination of just who is one's brother that seems to create problems for the KKKristians. Those benighted people of the Mid-east could be their brothers, if they would just eschew their insane, fantasy based religion that excuses their wanton killing and demonization of those who are not them. The same is true of Cath-O-Licks, Jews, Buddhists and all faiths that are not the FAITH of the KKKristians.
I have to admit that I was once a Cath-O-Lick and believed in the more dire aspects of God ( I never saw any real evidence for a God of mercy and compassion). But, now, thanks to the fundigelical taliban of AmeriKKKa, I'm an atheist. Where other arguments, mere words, could not convince me, their actions have. If their GOD, the being that they so passionately believe in, is responsible for their existence, then they must be his idea of our hell on earth
democommie
Thursday, September 4, 2008
ACLU Sues Rhode Island Over Carcieri’s Executive Order |
"The ACLU filed its law suit on behalf of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and two Rhode Island College professors -- Anne Marie Mumm and Daniel Weisman -- who have contracts with the state and who object to participation in the [E-Verify]program.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Jailing Journalists In Minnesota (U.S.A. or EE/UU)
My friend Claire sent me this video.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/dont_arrest_journalists/?r=1376&id=796-860465-5.gXi1x
Claire is a more level-headed person than I am. Our families spent summers together in Vermont. In fact, her family's discovery of Farm and Wilderness ( I'll add a link later)is something I will always be grateful for.
This is serious, and far more worthy of attention than the ways Sarah Palin reminds me of Dan Quayle. Or how much I would like ( but not expect) Michael Palin to be in High Office in this (or any) country.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/dont_arrest_journalists/?r=1376&id=796-860465-5.gXi1x
Claire is a more level-headed person than I am. Our families spent summers together in Vermont. In fact, her family's discovery of Farm and Wilderness ( I'll add a link later)is something I will always be grateful for.
This is serious, and far more worthy of attention than the ways Sarah Palin reminds me of Dan Quayle. Or how much I would like ( but not expect) Michael Palin to be in High Office in this (or any) country.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Don Carcieri for Vice President
Pat Crowley has created a facebook group.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36998639488&ref=ts
My dear friend and gifted writer, "democommie" (trademarked name) made a similar suggestion well over a month ago as I recall.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36998639488&ref=ts
My dear friend and gifted writer, "democommie" (trademarked name) made a similar suggestion well over a month ago as I recall.
Palin thinks Pledge written by Founding Fathers
Sarah Palin, the Republican Party's vice presidential candidate, apparently needs a lesson in history. Seems she thinks the Founding Fathers wrote the Pledge of Allegiance. Um, Sarah? The Pledge wasn't written until 1892.
read more | digg story
The Women for McCain, sometimes known as women4mccain have a particularly choice reminder of how old Benjamin Franklin, et al. are. It's true they give John McCain a youthful quality.
The link for the Women For (4) McCain is below, but I valiantly attempt to offer it here.
http://www.womenformccain.com/
read more | digg story
The Women for McCain, sometimes known as women4mccain have a particularly choice reminder of how old Benjamin Franklin, et al. are. It's true they give John McCain a youthful quality.
The link for the Women For (4) McCain is below, but I valiantly attempt to offer it here.
http://www.womenformccain.com/
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