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Saturday, November 12, 2005
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From this week's The Nation magazine:
Another Lesson in White House Values
Calvin Trillin
We stand up for values. Here's what we believe: Gay marriage is something we just can't conceive Of happening ever. The thought causes dread. Gay men should just marry nice women instead. If some of them marry not women but chaps, Our civilization would simply collapse. Abortion is murder. If we had our druthers, We'd jail docs who do it, and also the mothers. And research on stem cells is evil, a sin, And so is bad language, and flicks that show skin. And families other than these God forbids: A dad and a mom and two point three kids. And we support Jesus, and, oh, by the way, When we think it's needed, some torture's OK.
(Via Dependable Renegade.)
7:44:12 PM 
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 The top ten funniest (and saddest) mistakes, misstatements, bloopers and blunders by president George W. Bush (so far...)
1. "I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport." —Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001
2. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004
3. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." —Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004
4. "There's no doubt in my mind that we should allow the world worst leaders to hold America hostage, to threaten our peace, to threaten our friends and allies with the world's worst weapons." —South Bend, Indiana, Sept. 5, 2002.
5. "There's an old...saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says Fool me once...(3 second pause)... Shame on...(4 second pause)...Shame on you....(6 second pause)...Fool me...Can't get fooled again." —Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 17, 2002.
6. "See, free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction." —Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 3, 2003
7. "The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the -- the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice." —Washington, D.C., Oct. 27, 2003.
8 "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend." —on visiting Denmark, Washington D.C., June 29, 2005
9. "Wow! Brazil is big." after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005
10. A TIE BETWEEN:
"Rarely is the question asked, 'Is our children learning'?"
—Florence, S.C. Jan 11 2000
"The illiteracy level of our children are appalling." —Washington, D.C., Jan. 23, 2004
More Bushisms here
(Via Jaggle English.)
7:21:36 PM
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Robertson is making the Almighty out to be a mean-spirited defender of ignorance.
(Via The Nation Weblogs.)
7:09:34 PM
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 From today’s New York Times, the Dali Lama on science and Buddhism:
If science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change. In my view, science and Buddhism share a search for the truth and for understanding reality. By learning from science about aspects of reality where its understanding may be more advanced, I believe that Buddhism enriches its own worldview. (source)
How different this view is from that of many in this country who seek to mold science to fit their religious beliefs. Can you imagine Pat Robertson, Ken Ham, Philip Johnson or Dembski, saying anything like that? Didn’t think so.
His Holiness’ main point is about the place of ethics within science:
I believe that we must find a way to bring ethical considerations to bear upon the direction of scientific development, especially in the life sciences. By invoking fundamental ethical principles, I am not advocating a fusion of religious ethics and scientific inquiry. Rather, I am speaking of what I call “secular ethics,” which embrace the principles we share as human beings: compassion, tolerance, consideration of others, the responsible use of knowledge and power. These principles transcend the barriers between religious believers and non-believers; they belong not to one faith, but to all faiths.
(Via stranger fruit.)
5:41:38 PM
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One thing there's no shortage of anywhere in the Bay Area, and especially in my neighborhood, is good restaurants. I'm no expert, but I would imagine that for quality and variety, Solano Avenue in Berkeley and Albany would rank with the best restaurant streets in the world. (Where else would you find Lao and Soul food -- in the same restaurant?)
Among the best are the joints owned by the family most famous for Lalime's. The other places they own are Jimmy Bean's, Fonda, and two new ones, Sea Salt and T-Rex.
Margaret and I ate at Sea Salt last weekend, and though I enjoyed the meal, I was a bit disappointed. I had clam chowder, which was good, but not as ample as I like, and the clams were a bit on the tough side. I then had Mussels with Sweet Pepper; this was very good, but the broth was a bit overwhelmed by the peppers. Maybe, probably, I'm just being a bit picky. Margaret had a cucumber salad, terrific, and calimari with a habanero sauce that was amazingly good. Again, a bit on the small side, serving-wise. On the way out, I spotted a big plate of fish and chips, and next time we go, I'll have it. Dinner is a bit on the pricey side, especially considering the serving size, though I was sated.
T-Rex just opened a week ago. Richard ate their Thursday night, and brought over some leftover ribs for me. They were really good; a lot of subtleties in the taste. Today, Genevieve and I went for lunch. She had a pulled pork sandwich, with BBQ potato chips (fantastic) and a slaw. I had a brisket sandwich, with horseradish sauce and potato salad. We got a side of onion rings. Like Sea Salt, this place isn't inexpensive. But I enjoyed this meal quite a bit, though the food was milder than I would have liked it -- the potato salad was, in particular, rather bland. I could hardly taste the spice in the chipotle ketchup that came with the onion rings. To me, BBQ is supposed to have, if not a lot of spice (though that can be good, too), then a good bite to it. If you're thinking of going there, some have had quite mixed experiences, as documented on this Chowhound posting. Lunchtime today was fine, though.
4:31:51 PM
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Sometimes, just when you think things are kind of looking up -- namely the slapping of Arnie by the California voters -- you realize that things are more than desparate, when one of the best shows on TV is dying. And yes, it's better than Larry David.
4:05:47 PM
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JOTHAM SEDERSTROM, NY DAILY NEWS - Four fans celebrating a birthday at Giants Stadium were plucked from their seats by New Jersey State Police and detained for nearly an hour as FBI agents probed their religious beliefs, the men charged yesterday. The alleged racial profiling during the Sept. 19 Giants-Saints game - the second such charge leveled against the stadium on that day - humiliated the men and set off a barrage of hateful jibes from fans in the upper deck, they said. . . Varughese, 26, an Indian-American, said FBI agents were cordial, but aggressive as they probed the mens' religious backgrounds and nationalities before releasing them 45 minutes later. They also allegedly asked the men - two Indian-Americans, a Dominican-American and another friend who is multiracial - if they had cameras or if they had been praying. The friends, all of whom are Christian, answered 'no' to both questions. A group of Muslim men have said they were the victims of racial profiling and detained at the game for praying. . . The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the FBI denied the allegations. FBI spokesman Steve Siegel said the agents had responded to concerns from other fans.
(Via UNDERNEWS.)
3:48:44 PM
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Heh Indeedy's Historical RevisionismGreg takes a look at Instapundit's blatantly false statement that: "And yes, he should question their patriotism. Because they're acting unpatriotically." The Talent Show: "The way the President and his defenders would have you believe it, everyone was on the same page in regards to invading Iraq...read on"
(Via Crooks and Liars.)
3:47:23 PM
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From the Wash Post, via DailyKos: Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman fought back valiantly with a conference call to reporters. But for a time, the call was effectively diverted by anti-GOP interlopers who got on a call intended for invited reporters only.
The access information for the call was posted -- unbeknownst to RNC officials -- on the well-known liberal Web log DailyKos.
So, instead of simply parrying the expected questions from reporters concerning the gubernatorial losses in New Jersey and Virginia, Mehlman also found himself ear-to-ear with one antagonist who asked sarcastically: "Given the results of the election, do you think Satan has taken over the country?"
"Next question," scolded Mehlman.
(Via AMERICAblog.)
3:44:54 PM
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is just one of the titles by which you are allowed to formally refer to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Harper's [via Reddit] has the full, mind bending list. I particularly liked "Greatest Saint Who Rules with Extensive Magnanimity", "Master of the Computer Who Surprised the World" and let's not forget "Eternal Bosom of Hot Love".
I shit you not.
(Via splinters: books, authors, literature, travel, politics.)
10:11:03 AM
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Jerry Springer threw out a good line today. It went something like, "On Intelligent Design, what's to teach? After you've said God created everything, what more is there to say except, 'Read the Bible'?"
Indeed.
(Via No More Apples.)
10:05:56 AM
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Perpwalk nails it:
The best intro to an article on Bush's Veteran's Day speech I have seen yet:
President George W. Bush uses his Veterans Day speech to attack critics of his Iraq War policy, claiming they are endangering U.S. troops.
From that one sentence so much comes out about the man. He is unsure of himself, so he attacks those that disagree with him. He cannot take responsibility for his actions that put troops in danger, so he blames it on others. And he does not care about veterans, so he uses them as a photo-op to promote himself. Disgusting, little man.
Full Article here. However, there is nothing of interest in the article other than what is in the summary.
(Via Perpwalk.)
9:55:34 AM
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Good rundown of some recent spy fiction from the bookslut. I can echo the recommendation of those two early Littel novels, especially The Defection of AJ Lewinter, a book of betrayal with twists upon twist, very elegantly plotted. I've been meaning to read his new one.
ittell would have made his place in history if he had written nothing else but The Defection of AJ Lewinter, a brilliant opening novel that pits an American scientist against both sides of an increasingly tense conflict. He made his bones with The Amateur, one of the best revenge novels ever written and one that deserves its cult status. It%u2019s about mild-mannered analyst Charlie Heller, who chases the assassins responsible for his wife%u2019s death into Czechoslovakia, burning with the need for vengeance. Littell%u2019s Waterloo has to be The Company, his epic, multigenerational history of the CIA, rooted in the search for a mole within the company, and starring not only Littell%u2019s vibrant fictional characters but larger-than-life agents like Kim Philby as well. Littell has revisited his old stomping grounds in a new way this year with Legends, a more stripped-down story about a field agent struggling to keep himself together while wading through a schizophrenic closet of previous identities.
9:08:35 AM
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© Copyright 2005 Steve Michel.
Last update: 12/2/2005; 7:09:17 PM.
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