May 06, 2008
Don't ask, don't... something?
Since 1994, America has lost approximately 11,000 servicemembers because they violated the "don't tell" half of our policy on homosexuality in the military. How many servicemembers have been discharged for violating the "don't ask" part? I would guess very, very few. Perhaps none.
Posted by Andrew at 07:15 AM | Comments (0)
May 05, 2008
The world's least-funny knock-knock joke
How many Americans die each year because they can't afford healthcare?
Disgraceful.
Posted by Andrew at 02:28 PM | Comments (1)
May 03, 2008
Ironman!
Rocks. Seriously, Ironman rocks. Go see it.
Ok, the gender politics are... off. There isn't a single woman in the movie who isn't a sex object. Updating a comic from the 1960s is going to be fraught with that sort of difficulty, so if they'd at least nodded in the direction of solving that problem, I would have given them a pass. They didn't even try...
More interestingly: I've been finding "realistic" combat sequences in recent movies to be lacking. When I watch them I am constantly pulled out of the scene and think "this is a movie". My guess is that having seen actual combat live on CNN, I know what war looks like-- and it isn't what shows up on the big screen.
Anyway: go see Ironman. If you can shut your brain off, it's good fun. And stick around through the closing credits...
Posted by Andrew at 11:36 PM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2008
They pulled it off...
In protest of the Iraq war, the West Coast ports were shut down. More effective than any march, this sort of direct action flexes the muscles of the union in a manner I've never seen in my lifetime.
I am tempted to call it "odd" that this has been planned forever, and yet has gotten virtually no attention. Instead I'll call it "shennanigans by the capitalists". I know, we're not supposed to think in those terms. If anyone can tell me a good reason that a major war protest would go virtually uncovered by the media that _doesn't_ mean "class warfare", please let me know!
Posted by Andrew at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2008
America's race problem
Obama's former pastor is... radical. Obama met the man through his work in Chicago, helping feed the poor, that sort of thing. The man feels that, for America's shortcomings, America ought to be damned.
McCain has a pastor also. Chuck Hagee. McCain sought out Hagee a few months ago while trying to court the Religious right. Chuck Hagee believes that, for America's shortcomings, America ought to be damned.
Why is it that only one of these people is call out by his "race"? When will Chuck Hagee be known as a "Radical White Preacher"? Just thought I'd point that out.
Posted by Andrew at 01:15 PM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2008
Quick thought on Immigration.
I know I've made this point before, but...
People walk a thousand miles to come to this country, through forests and deserts, entrusting their lives and fortunes to people with every incentive to kill and rob them. When they get here they find work as virtual slaves in a society that doesn't care to offer them the most basic protections. They do this to make a better life for their children.
Why aren't we welcoming them with open arms? Seems like the sensible thing to do...
Posted by Andrew at 08:34 AM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2008
Over the river...
Off to have a very California Weekend-- camping and sun and Santa Cruz. Enjoy yourselves while I'm out...
Posted by Andrew at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2008
I don't even wanna feel like I did that day.
I'm pretty much a Rock and Roll sort of guy. And Jazz. I love Jazz. For a couple years, though, I've been feeling like a Sinatra fan in the time of the Beatles. But if a major presidential candidate can make a hip hop reference and expect that his audience will get it... I must be like a Sinatra fan in the time of Green Day.
Off to Download some of this "Jay-Z" guy. I hear he's awesome.
Posted by Andrew at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2008
An undeniable truth that the right cannot stand
Only 5% of the population has ever abstinent (warning, PDF) before marriage.
I say this because some people don't seem to understand that if your policy calls for a complete change in human nature, it is going to fail.
Abstinence-only is like communism that way, isn't it?
Posted by Andrew at 01:07 PM | Comments (0)
