The Darth Side

Mr. Blueberry has directed me toward this very informative and revealing set of online video segments from PBS Frontline. The title of them is "The Dark Side" and they have helped me to grasp a few things about this whole Iraq invasion, Colin Powell's behavior, Tenet's behavior, Cheney/Rumsfeld and what they are about, etc.

In "The Dark Side," FRONTLINE tells the story of the vice president's role as the chief architect of the war on terror, and his battle with Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet for control of the "dark side." Drawing on more than 40 interviews and thousands of documents, the film provides a step-by-step examination of what happened inside the councils of war.

Early in the Bush administration, Cheney placed a group of allies throughout the government who advocated a robust and pre-emptive foreign policy, especially regarding Iraq. But a potential obstacle was Tenet, a holdover from the Clinton administration who had survived the transition by bypassing Cheney and creating a personal bond with the president.

After the attacks on 9/11, Cheney seized the initiative and pushed for expanding presidential power, transforming America's intelligence agencies and bringing the war on terror to Iraq. Cheney's primary ally in this effort was Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

They are available in both Real and Windows media formats.

- Cheney - Rumsfeld - Iraq -

Protecting seals by design

Check out the design competition slideshow to raise awareness about the Canadian seal clubbing event that still happens every year. Some very creative and disturbing stuff, it should make people think.

And remember this: fur makes you look fat.

I'm just sayin'...

(to explain a bit, the boycott against Canadian seafood is based on the fact that the seal clubbing is carried out largely by Canadian fishermen as their off-season occupation)

- fur - seals - Canada - heartless - murdering - bastards -

Riddle

A black dog stands in the middle of an intersection in a town painted black. None of the street lights are working due to a power failure caused by a local storm. A car with two broken headlights drives towards the dog but turns in time to avoid hitting him. How could the driver have seen the dog in time?

Armadillos moving up

[Link]

Two years ago, Missouri Department of Transportation maintenance workers in Franklin County weren't seeing armadillos among the road kill they clear from highways. Now they see about one a week, said spokeswoman Linda Wilson.

By contrast, maintenance workers in the Department of Transportation's 12-county region near Springfield see them "every day," said spokesman Bob Edwards, who said the numbers seem to increase every year.

The research scientist in the article says it’s “too early to say” whether it’s due to global warming. Maybe that’s true. It could be due to evolution. I guess it’s too early to say about that either.

The only place that I have ever seen a live armadillo was in the children’s area of the St. Louis Zoo. Cutest darned things ever. I know I don’t get out much. I definitely don’t spend much time in the rural areas of Texas, but even when taking a trip, all I’ve seen are the road-kill versions.

- Global warming - armadillo - evolution -

Just push -- and sharpen sometimes

Mr. Blueberry (the Lawn Ranger) has taken another step toward being an environmental hero. He has sold the electric mower (which was already considered a "green" alternative to the gas mower) and gotten this reel push mower. Pretty neat! There isn't a whole lot of grass left in this "green garden" and what is there is getting crispy in this weather. That's OK. With water restrictions inching up on us with this drought, people don't need to be wasting water trying to turn everything the color green. Just leave it alone and before you know it, it will look like Texas, especially if you nurture the cactus and wildflowers.

- Austin - Texas - lawn - ecology - green -

We are getting Doggett

I was pleased to see that after the latest Texas redistricting happens that Lloyd Doggett will again be our Congressman. It will be nice to actually have a Congressman who represents my views. I'm not used to that one. He's been against the Iraq war since the start, and is such a thorn in the side of the repugs that I think getting rid of him was one of the main goals of Delay in the last redistricting. Well, look who's still around and who isn't?

Doggett still has a battle on his hands though. He got more of Travis County back, but they also gave him some very red neighborhoods so sailing will not be smooth.

- Austin - Texas -

Snakes on a Day, all snakes, on a plane, all day

Well, this is pretty crazy, for sure, but it's for a good cause... especially considering that this movie (like all horror movies that play on people's phobias about critters) is going to stir up even more snake hatred than there is now. Remember that venomous snakes need love too. Doesn't everyone? Well, maybe not Dick Cheney.

It's a S.o.a.P (Snakes on a Plane) watching 24 hour endurance marathon being held at the Alamo Drafthouse (where else?) that takes place the day before it officially opens. The charity which benefits is VenomousReptiles.org. Here's how it works: if you make it through the whole thing - you pay nothing. If you leave after one show, you pay $1000. Then the amount is divided in half after each viewing (2 shows = $500, 3 shows = $250, etc.) Oh yeah, and they are filming the event for a documentary.

[Snakes on a Day Alamo Event link] [Snakes on a Day website]

There's no way we can afford something like this, but are going on to the Alamo on opening day. There should be plenty of costumes and home-grown S.o.a.P shirts along with a rowdy B-movie loving crowd. I wanted to come up with something - maybe Indiana Jones yelling from the biplane "THERE'S A SNAKE IN THE PLANE!!" No time for that though, it's not as though I have nothing to do but design weird t-shirts that most people won't get (even though those are the best kind).

I am not afflicted with Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). This article suggests that the fear of snakes and spiders comes to humans through evolution, but that's hard to buy without more evidence. If that were the case, wouldn't it be universal? What do I know? I'm no scientist, that's for sure.

- snakes -
- Snakes on a Plane - Austin - Reptile -

Baaa

Kingdomality test, found via Silly Humans. (oh yes, and you have to go over there right now for the funny cat video)

Your distinct personality, The Shepherd is to tend to your human flock. You understand the needs of those for whom you are responsible. Shepherds are vigilant and reliable. You realize your obligation and commitment to the well being of those entrusted to your care. Shepherds are very dependable. You engender a feeling of comfort and stability to those within your charge. On the positive side, Shepherds can be empathic, caring, understanding, practical and realistic. On the negative side, you may be manipulative, close-minded and sentimentally rigid. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.

OK, I can see it a little. I think it must also be part of my profile to not be in agreement with the negative traits. Sentimentally rigid... I might go along with that one if it means "not sentimental". What DOES it mean? I am definitely not manipulative. When things are going against me for long enough, I tend to just go away (quit) rather than pull strings. I have had to train and discipline myself to stay with an employer when I feel that I not have been (and will not be) properly rewarded or appreciated. I do it by weighing the positives about the job. As for close-minded, that's not true. I guess the most important thing about this me and this quiz is that I hate profit corporations. I hate their approach of supporting their bottom line at the cost of all ethics, grinding down people and the environment in the process, not to mention supporting war and the neo-con agenda. My ultimate goal is to work for causes that I support, ones that I think are good for humanity (like music, art, healing, small businesses, stuff like that. Screw the globalwide military-industrial complex, Mal-wart, blah blah blah. Fiddles, though, are a good cause. Mandolins, guitars... yeah! Massage... photography... animals... now we're talking)

As for my flock, it's all kitty cats.

If work-related, I have no employees and don't ever want any. I have turned down management positions many times for this reason. I don't like having power over other people's destiny, giving guidance and making hiring/firing decisions. The fact that I didn't want/have kids is part of this mentality. I was raised in an independant hands-off manner and treat other people the same way -- so I think that's the opposite of manipulative.

Crazy cat-lady in the making.

The Bush Crimes Commission

Passing along an upcoming event and some links:

The Bush Crimes Commission, an offshoot of the "Not in Our Name Statement of Conscience", is hosting a community forum on August 20 in Howson Hall from 7-9pm. The forum is called "Speaking the Unspeakable: Is the Bush Administration Guilty of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity?" and "will bring a panel of prominent whistleblowers, eyewitnesses, victims and experts to give testimony that make visible the reality that this administration has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity - acts that, by their scale or nature, shock the conscience of humankind."

Sunday evening, August 20, 7-9pm
Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin
4700 Grover Avenue
Austin, TX 78751
E-Mail: info at austinuu dot org

Project for the OLD American Century

Just passing along a progressive news resource site I just found, and looking forward to exploring some more. The look of the site is very much like the other one, you know the one. Anyway, this one not only has news but video and audio resources, along with really great t-shirt art and stuff. Here are some samples:

I am probably the last one on the block to find it, but still want to share.

What happened to "terrorists"?

I was puzzled by Dubya's use of the term "Islamic Fascists" when describing the suspects in this latest foiled airliner plot. He has always freely used the word "terrorists", and that is the proper description in this case. These are religious extremists. "Fascist" describes Dubya much better than it applies to these people, even though he is also a bit of a religious extremist (Amurican Taliban), but he is more of a corporatist than these people... so why switch out the term "terrorists" in favor of "Islamic Fascists"? I have to think that the speech writers made this conscious decision since Dubya is almost completely inarticulate. I wonder if his administration is trying to connect the term "fascist" in the minds of the American people to them, since it is so often associated with him. I know that Islamofascism [Wiki] is a term that's used in the media.

I'm not the only one took note of the use of this term. From the LA Times:

Muslims upset by Bush's remarks
President Bush was widely criticized by Muslim leaders Thursday for saying that the breakup of an alleged plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic Ocean was a triumph in the "war against Islamic fascists."

Muslims, already resentful of the scrutiny they have been under since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, said the politically charged phrase unfairly connected one of the world's great religions with Nazism and totalitarianism — and fueled hostility against Islam and Muslims in America. They said it also contradicted Bush's earlier statements that Islam was a religion of peace.

"There's nothing Islamic about fascism," said Edina Lekovic, communications director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles. "Suggesting there is only over-politicizes things in a way that does not accurately describe the criminal adversaries we face at the moment."

"Islamic Fascists" is offensive and inappropriate, in my opinion, but a great improvement over "evildoers". Sweet Jeebus, that one's got as many conceptual definitions as there are people, and would also describe the one who uttered it in many of them. Of the 3 terms (Islamic fascists, terrorists, and evildoers), at least Islamic fascists does not describe the speaker, since he is not Islamic.

- Islamofascism - Bush - Fascism -

Not a Muggle in the bunch

I missed the show yesterday... [working]... but a couple of these Wizard bands played in Austin: Harry and the Potters and Draco and the Malfoys. Turns out, if you go on MySpace, there's a huge crop of these bands. Looks like it's a movement! Some of them aren't too bad, haven't given a fair listen to them yet.
Draco and the Malfoys
Harry and the Potters
The Whomping Willows
The Hermione Crookshanks Experience
Huffle My Puffle
Dobby and the House Elves
Siriusly Black
Hogwarts Girls
The Remus Lupins
The Moaning Myrtles
Number 12 Grimmauld Place
The Mudbloods (from Austin !)
Ron and the Weasleys
Ginny and the Weasleys
The Quidditch Pitch Incident
The Giant Squidstravaganza

- Music - Harry Potter - wizard - Potter -

Friday Cat - STILL Cute with Bad Habits

Here's Duncan looking typically silly. He likes to dangle his front paws down like that. It looks funny. This cat is 10 years old and gets crazier by the year. Very sweet, but twice as nutty

Here he is enjoying the freshly washed, still unfolded sofa slipcover. We have had to replace it recently with a vinyl version (and THAT gets covered in yet more plastic! The more plastic the better, either that or we need to get a sofa we can just hose down! [grin]) because crazy Duncan is still* peeing or pooping on the sofa during his crazy hour. This is almost daily -- several times a week anyway. He has had to ratchet up the cute factor to make up for it, but he excels at that. He's already christened the new slipcover a couple of times.

*a followup to his blog post about 3 weeks ago. Crazy cat!

Finally, here's scientific proof that cats rule, they enslave us and control our behavior. You know it's true if you are owned by cats. It was only a matter of time before they figured out WHY!

- Friday Ark - Carnival of the Cats - This week's carnival is at Blog d'Ellison - Cats - Catblogging -