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We're not being undermined by the North Koreans, we're not being undermined by the Russians--we're being undermined by officials in our own government.The Exposure of Valerie Plame
Many people cannot bear to think that they are cousins not just of chimpanzees and monkeys, but of tapeworms, spiders, and bacteria. The unpalatability of a proposition, however, has no bearing on its truth.
A little Colbert, SNL, and Weekends at the DL
The clip is the intro for a BBC satirical news quiz that airs once a week. The whole world enjoys skewering Dub, courtesy of onegoodmove reader Mel
"They indict someone and see what comes out of the bushes"&mdash:Jonathon Turley, Law Professor, Georgetown University
CLEWISTON Hurricane victims who wanted water had some difficultly finding it at a relief station in Clewiston Friday. The volunteer group running a supply center doesn't like the company that donated the water, so they decided not to give it to those in line for help.
Scooter, this one's for you.
Josh Marshall makes an important point about page 5 of the indictment. Top of the page, item #9.
On or about June 12, 2003, LIBBY was advised by the Vice President of the United States that Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation Divison. LIBBY understood that the Vice President had learned this information from the CIA.
The Counterproliferation Division (CPD) is where spies come from not just analysts. A fact both Scooter and Cheney knew about. In short they knew she was undercover.
Libby has resigned By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON -- Vice presidential adviser I. Lewis "Scooter' Libby Jr. was indicted Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, making a false statement and perjury in the CIA leak case.
Karl Rove, President Bush's closest adviser, apparently escaped indictment Friday but remained under investigation, his legal status a looming political problem for the White House.
The indictments stem from a two-year investigation by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald into whether Rove, Libby or any other administration officials knowingly revealed the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame or lied about their involvement to investigators.
The five-count indictment accuses Libby of lying about how and when he learned about CIA official Valerie Plane's identity in 2003 and then told reporters about it. The information was classified.
Any trial would shine a spotlight on the secret deliberations of Bush and his team as they built the case for war against Iraq.
Bush ordered U.S. troops to war in March 2003, saying Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction program posed a grave and immediate threat to the United States. No such weapons were found. The U.S. military death toll climbed past 2,000 this week.
The thread that binds the misleading of the American People. Remember when people claim that everyone believed there were WMD simply isn't true. In fact if you narrow the time frame the number who believed there were weapons is even smaller. Who do you know besides the Bush Administration who was sure of weapons early in March 2003 before we went to war.
Dear George,
We know that tomorrow may be one of those days where you'll be required to do some hard work. Some members of your administration have been naughty, and they may have been caught. We know you rely on these same officials when making decisions. They won't be able to help you this time. All is not lost Mr. President our friends from The West Wing, you know, the television show that sometimes mirrors the real thing, has a model for how you should behave. It will ease your burden. It will make the work easier. No need to thank us George, pruning even a portion of the cancer on your presidency is thanks enough.
Your liberal friends
"Chimpanzees share many traits with humans but altruism, it seems, is not one of them, scientists said on Wednesday.
Although chimps live in social groups and co-operate and hunt together, when it comes to helping non-related group members, they don't put up with any monkey business.
When given the opportunity to help themselves and other chimps they often choose the selfish option."
WASHINGTON - Under withering attack from conservatives, President Bush abandoned his push to put loyalist Harriet Miers on the Supreme Court and promised a quick replacement Thursday. Democrats accused him of bowing to the "radical right wing of the Republican Party."
``This is a get-out-of-liability-free card,'' said John Russo, city attorney for Oakland, one of 11 cities and counties in California whose suits against the industry would be dismissed.
``If you were to do something that brought harm to somebody else, you would be subject under the laws of your state to a lawsuit,'' he added. ``I guess that does not apply to gun manufacturers.''
The video skit blurs truth and fiction as a psychotic Al Franken kicks a man potraying a conservativereadernon-reader in the groin, smashes a stool over his back, and grins as another man playing one of Franken's fans cracks a bottle over the conservative's head.
The country and the Congress were misled into war. I regret that we were not given the truth; as I said more than a year ago, knowing what we know now, I would not have gone to war in Iraq. And knowing now the full measure of the Bush Administration’s duplicity and incompetence, I doubt there are many members of Congress who would give them the authority they abused so badly. I know I would not."
More fun from the Bill Maher show. Will Apple sue or just start producing them.
Kudos to Daryl at No Confidence for his great work.
Twas the night before Fitzmas, and in the White House
Every one was scared shitless, and Bush was quite soused
The indictments were hanging like Damoceles' sword
As verminous oxen prepared to be gored
The perps were all sleepless, curled fetal in bed
While visions of prison cells loomed in each head
And Dick in his jammies, and George in his lap
Were sweating and swearing and looking like crap
When out on the web there arose such a clatter
The blogs and the forums were buzzing with chatter
Away to the PC Rove ran like a flash
He booted his browser and cleared out his cache
The rumors that flew through the cold autumn air
Made Dubya shiver with angry despair
When what to his horror-filled eyes did he spy?
A bespectacled man with a brown suit and tie!
With an impartial manner that gave Bush the shits
He knew in a moment it must be St. Fitz!
With unwavering voice, his indictments they came
He cleared out his throat and he called them by name:
Now Scooter, Now Libby,
Now Blossoming Turd,
Now Cheney, dear Cheney,
Yes, you are the third
To the bench of the court
Up the steps, down the hall
Now come along, come along,
Come along, all!
He then became silent, and went right to work
He filed the indictments and turned with a jerk
And pointing his finger at justice's scale
Said, "The people be served, and let fairness prevail."
He then left the room, to his team gave a nod
And the sound could be heard of a crumbling facade
And we all did exclaim, as he faded from sight
"Merry Fitzmas to all, and to all a good night!"
- © 2005 Daryl W (t3poh)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 - I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, first learned about the C.I.A. officer at the heart of the leak investigation in a conversation with Mr. Cheney weeks before her identity became public in 2003, lawyers involved in the case said Monday.
Notes of the previously undisclosed conversation between Mr. Libby and Mr. Cheney on June 12, 2003, appear to differ from Mr. Libby's testimony to a federal grand jury that he initially learned about the C.I.A. officer, Valerie Wilson, from journalists, the lawyers said.
The notes, taken by Mr. Libby during the conversation, for the first time place Mr. Cheney in the middle of an effort by the White House to learn about Ms. Wilson's husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who was questioning the administration's handling of intelligence about Iraq's nuclear program to justify the war.
The notes help explain the legal difficulties facing Mr. Libby. Lawyers in the case said Mr. Libby testified to the grand jury that he had first heard from journalists that Ms. Wilson may have had a role in dispatching her husband on a C.I.A.-sponsored mission to Africa in 2002 in search of evidence that Iraq had acquired nuclear material there for its weapons program. . .
But the notes, now in Mr. Fitzgerald's possession, also indicate that Mr. Libby first heard about Ms. Wilson - who is also known by her maiden name, Valerie Plame - from Mr. Cheney. That apparent discrepancy in his testimony suggests why prosecutors are weighing false statement charges against him in what they interpret as an effort by Mr. Libby to protect Mr. Cheney from scrutiny, the lawyers said.
One of John's best performances. He delivered two knockout punches right at the end. I won't spoil the fun, but you're going to love this clip.
Sunday on This Week, George Will said, "Alaska is sinking beneath the weight of federal dollars." Tom Coburn, the idiot Senator from Oklahoma agreed and dared to ask greedy Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska to give up his Bridge to Nowhere money for a bridge in New Orleans. Ted says no, but the fun is in the viewing.
I have a request. I'd appreciate it if those with technical issues would communicate with me via email. The link is top right on the main page. I have begun the transition to Quicktime 7 only, A goal I plan on reaching by the end of the year. This change will allow me to take advantage of the H.264 codec
System Requirements:
Mac OS X
A 400 MHz PowerPC G3 or faster Macintosh computer
At least 128MB of RAM
Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later
Windows
A Pentium processor-based PC or compatible computer
At least 128MB of RAM
Windows 2000/XP
For those of you still using Windows 98 and Windows Me you might want to try VLC Media Player PC users with XP can also use Quicktime Alternative
will work for you. Some have complained about having to also download iTunes that of course is not necessary you can Download Quicktime Standalone Version
UPDATE A further note for Mac users: Quicktime 7 requires Panther or Tiger. For those on a budget you can get a copy of Panther on ebay for $30.00-$40.00 dollars, or just ask a friend who has moved on to Tiger for their copy of Panther. In addition any of you with copies of Panther you are not using and are willing to donate could leave a message here for those looking. If you're looking to make a buck you can always list it on Ebay making more availble through that source.
But based on what we know about Mr. Libby's and Mr. Rove's hysterical over-response to Mr. Wilson's accusation, he scared them silly. He did so because they had something to hide. Should Mr. Libby and Mr. Rove have lied to investigators or a grand jury in their panic, Mr. Fitzgerald will bring charges. But that crime would seem a misdemeanor next to the fables that they and their bosses fed the nation and the world as the whys for invading Iraq.Protecting the Presidential Seal. No Joke. Times Select
You might have thought that the White House had enough on its plate late last month, what with its search for a new Supreme Court nominee, the continuing war in Iraq and the C.I.A. leak investigation. But it found time to add another item to its agenda - stopping The Onion, the satirical newspaper, from using the presidential seal.
Citing the United States Code, Mr. Dixton wrote that the seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." Exceptions may be made, he noted, but The Onion had never applied for such an exception.
Moreover, she wrote, The Onion and its Web site are free, so the seal is not being used for commercial purposes. That said, The Onion asked that its letter be considered a formal application to use the seal.
No answer yet. But Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, said that "you can't pick and choose where you want to enforce the rules surrounding the use of official government insignia, whether it's for humor or fraud."
A change of pace, a needed break before what we all hope will be a historic week. A week when America reclaims it soul. By request then, here is Al Green 'the quintessential soul man'. His latest CD is Everything's Okay
Click on the picture to play the video
Quicktime Video 8.5MB 4'14
Quicktime 7 required
Download Quicktime Standalone Version
Saturday Night gave Dub another chance to make good on an unscripted Q&A. Enjoy the fun.
Lawyers see charges this week in CIA-leak case
"Fitzgerald is expected to give final notice to officials facing charges as early as Monday and may convene the grand jury on Tuesday, a day earlier than usual, to deliver a summary of the case and ask for approval of the possible indictments, legal sources said."
Dean: The Big Question Is Whether Dick Cheney Was a Target
John Dean throwing some cold water on party.
"In short, I think the frenzy is about to end -- and it will not go any further. Unless, of course, these folks were foolish enough to give false statements, perjure themselves or suborn perjury, or commit obstruction of justice. If they were so stupid, Patrick Fitzgerald must stay and clean house."
Puzzle of the penguin trek parable
IT WOULD seem extraordinary that a film about penguins trekking 70 miles through sub-zero temperatures and 120mph winds could be seized upon by the American religious right as a parable about monogamy and creationism. But that was exactly what happened when March of the Penguins became the surprise hit at the American box office this year.
Yesterday, days before the film’s British premiere at The Times bfi London Film Festival next week, the director hit back at the commentators he believes have wilfully misread his film. “If you want an example of monogamy, penguins are not a good choice,” Luc Jacquet told The Times. “The divorce rate in emperor penguins is 80 to 90 per cent each year,” he said. “After they see the chick is OK, most of them divorce. They change every year.”...
In fact the rate is substantially worse than the American divorce rate, which is about 50 per cent.
Mr Jacquet, who has never made a film for the cinema before, is concerned that his documentary has been hijacked. “It does annoy me to a certain degree,” he said. “For me there is no doubt about evolution. I am a scientist. The intelligent design theory is a step back to the thinking of 300 years ago. My film is not supposed to be interpreted in this way. Some scientists I know find the film interesting because it can be a good argument against intelligent design. People should not jump on these bandwagons.”
Quite an amusing exchange. Bill Maher nails Tucker Carlson on the healthcare issue.
In Health, Canada Tops US
Our neighbors to the north live longer and pay less for care. The reasons why are being debated, but some cite the gap between rich and poor in the US
I've always liked Judy Miller. I have often wondered what Waugh or Thackeray would have made of the Fourth Estate's Becky Sharp.
The traits she has that drive many reporters at The Times crazy - her tropism toward powerful men, her frantic intensity and her peculiar mixture of hard work and hauteur - never bothered me. I enjoy operatic types.
Once when I was covering the first Bush White House, I was in The Times' seat in the crowded White House press room, listening to an administration official's background briefing. Judy had moved on from her tempestuous tenure as a Washington editor to be a reporter based in New York, but she showed up at this national security affairs briefing.
At first she leaned against the wall near where I was sitting, but I noticed that she seemed agitated about something. Midway through the briefing, she came over and whispered to me, "I think I should be sitting in the Times seat."
It was such an outrageous move, I could only laugh. I got up and stood in the back of the room, while Judy claimed what she felt was her rightful power perch.
She never knew when to quit. That was her talent and her flaw. Sorely in need of a tight editorial leash, she was kept on no leash at all, and that has hurt this paper and its trust with readers. She more than earned her sobriquet "Miss Run Amok."
Al Discussed his book The Truth,
Britain, UK news from The Times and The Sunday Times - Times Online: "IT WOULD seem extraordinary that a film about penguins trekking 70 miles through sub-zero temperatures and 120mph winds could be seized upon by the American religious right as a parable about monogamy and creationism. But that was exactly what happened when March of the Penguins became the surprise hit at the American box office this year."
Arianna Huffington on Real Time with Bill Maher discussing Plamegate and the lucky sperm club.
Court Nominee Is Asked to Redo Reply to Questions
The Supreme Court nomination of Harriet E. Miers suffered another setback on Wednesday when the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee asked her to resubmit parts of her judicial questionnaire, saying various members had found her responses "inadequate," "insufficient" and "insulting."It was a test Harriet, you flunked. We'll give you another chance then we'll average your scores. No, wait on that, even if you aced the do over you'd still flunk. We'll combine the best of both. If I were you Harriet I think I'd cheat. Hire someone to do the work for you. Ms Wal-Mart did and, oh yeah she didn't get away with it. I'm sorry Harriet, it looks like you're just fucked. You didn't quit your day job did ya? Oh, and Harriet, George is putting up a brave front, he's doing his best to help, give him a hug and tell him how brave he is.
White House Briefing News on President George W Bush and the Bush Administration
"Special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald has just launched his own brand-new Web site.
Could it be that he's getting ready to release some new legal documents? Like, maybe, some indictments? It's certainly not the action of an office about to fold up its tents and go home."
PITTSBURGH--The emotional responses that guide much of human behavior have a tremendous impact on public policy and international affairs, prompting government officials to make decisions in response to a crisis--such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks--with little regard to the long-term consequences, according to a study by scholars at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. The paper, which appears in the Chicago-Kent Law Review, was written by Jules Lobel, a Pitt professor of law, and George Loewenstein, professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon.
Intense emotions can undermine a person's capacity for rational decision-making, even when the individual is aware of the need to make careful decisions. With regard to public policy, when people are angry, afraid or in other elevated emotional states, they tend to favor symbolic, viscerally satisfying solutions to problems over more substantive, complex, but ultimately more effective policies. Over the past 40 years, this has led the United States into two costly and controversial wars, in Vietnam and Iraq, when members of Congress gave the president broad powers in response to a perceived crisis that did not leave sufficient time for deliberation."....
"The problem of vivid, emotional miscalculation of risk is particularly acute in the context of antiterrorism, since fear is a particularly strong emotion, impervious to reason," Lobel said.
Lobel and Loewenstein do not, of course, suggest that emotions are always bad and point out that properly harnessed passions helped defeat Nazism, put a man on the moon and reduced air pollution. Yet political leaders can exploit emotions for their own ends, so as a society, we must recognize the havoc that emotions can play on public policy, and government should adopt legal safeguards that slow the pace of decision-making so that lawmakers have time to weigh the consequences of their choices.
An excellent article make sure you read the entire piece. I'm struck by how well it all applies to our president. The Emoter in Chief
Exclusive John Amato interviews Lawrence O'Donnell Mr. O'Donnell was the first person to say that Karl Rove was Matt Cooper's source and he was kind enough to come on the blog to do an interview. He was very revealing to C&L about the reasons why he leaked Karl Rove's name when he did and the thoughts that went through his mind before he uttered the name Rove to the world at large. Lawrence also felt that because he leaked Karl's name when he did, it forced his lawyer to take much quicker action than he would have. O'Donnell also stated that there were other people who knew about the Rove-Cooper connection."
(Via Crooks and Liars.)
Diary of a Plamegate Junkie
Boy do I know how he feels, and doesn't the Hunter Thompson quote about Watergate he concludes with sum it all up.
There are a hundred or more people wandering around Washington today who have heard the 'real stuff,' as they put it - and despite their professional caution when the obvious question arises, there is one reaction they all feel free to agree on: that nobody who felt shocked, depressed or angry after reading the edited White House transcripts should ever be allowed to hear the actual tapes, except under heavy sedation or locked in the trunk of a car. Only a terminal cynic, they say, can listen for any length of time to the real stuff without feeling a compulsion to do something like drive down to the White House and throw a bag of live rats over the fence
Fighting them there so we don't have to fight em here. As Juan Cole put it the flypaper is losing some of its stickum.
France's top anti-terrorist judge has warned that Iraq is a black hole which has helped to radicalise some young Muslims and drawn them into violence. In an interview with the BBC, Jean-Louis Bruguiere says some Muslims are receiving training in Iraq before returning to Europe to carry out jihad.
The No Spine Zone My morning laugh
He accused President George W. Bush of "cowboyism" in dealing with foreign leaders and said that Cheney and Rumsfeld and others could not be kept under control by a president "not versed in international relations and not too interested in them either."
Intelligent Designer wants a turn at bat, and gets it.
They can't be that fucking stupid, can they? Did Rove, Libby and perhaps Cheney decide they could get around the 1982 law making it illegal to out and undercover agent by simply not using her hame and substituting Joe Wilson's Wife.
Wal-Mart Heiress Returns USC Diploma
LOS ANGELES - Elizabeth Paige Laurie's name was on a sports arena when a former University of Southern California roommate alleged the Wal-Mart heiress paid her $20,000 to do her homework. Now it isn't even on a USC diploma...
After the homework allegations surfaced last November, the University of Missouri changed the name of what was then Paige Sports Arena. Laurie's billionaire parents, Bill and Nancy Laurie, had received naming rights in exchange for donating $25 million toward the building's construction. Nancy Laurie is Walton's daughter.
What the hell is a Loyster?
update: It turns out that my source has sent the same email to others. Billmon has a good summary of the story. I like his last couple of paragraphs.
In the end it probably doesn't matter much -- not unless Fitzgerald surprises us all and walks away without filing charges against anybody. The tension of the past few days has already revved the story into the red zone on the RPM gauge. Once Fitzgerald pops the clutch, it's going to be an absolute media feeding frenzy, even if Cheney isn't on the menu. And if he is?Well, I guess that's when we'll find out if the dagger in the veep's back really does have the initials C.P. on it.
Update: I should have included this in my original post it is the caveat the source I used made in his communication to me
"Take this for what it's worth (the paper it is not written on), but it is interesting speculation that is rattling around Wall Street...."
What follows is some extremely sensitive information about the impending conclusion of the Valerie Plame investigations. The sources include two senior members of senate and key staffers; counsel for individuals that have been called before the grand jury; and two journalists taking a lead position in investigating the case. the following represents a composite of the information from those sources.
Plamegate coming to conclusion. The investigation has focused mostly closely on Vice President Cheney and his staff, as well as US Ambassador to the UN (and former undersecretary of state for arms control) John Bolton and his staff. We are told that eight indictments have already prepared, with the possibility of another ten. These indictments include senior white house staff, most notably Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff Scooter Libby, Fred Flights (special assistant to John Bolton), and--very surprisingly--national security adviser Steve Hadley. apparently, Libby and Hadley have both been told by their lawyers to expect indictments. the indictment of senior bush political advisor Karl Rove seems highly probable.
Most critically, a plea bargain process has evidently been opened with Vice President Cheney's lawyer. that does not mean that an indictment is coming. but i've some critical background around the issue.
In the past several days, former Secretary of State Colin Powell had a meeting with Senator John McCain (R-AZ), primarily about the McCain-sponsored amendment on inserting a rider prohibiting torture onto the us defense budget (a bill which Powell has himself been lobbying heavily for, against objections of president Bush).
During the meeting, Powell recounted to the senator that he had traveled on air force one with Bush and Cheney, and brought to their attention a classified memorandum about the issue of whether there was indeed a transaction inolving Niger and yellow cake uranium. the document included Ambassador Joe Wilson's involvement and identified his wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert agent. the memorandum further stated that this information was secret. Powell told McCain that he showed that memo only to two people--president and vice president. according to Powell, Cheney fixated on the Wilson/Plame connection, and Plame's status.
Powell testified about this exchange in great length to the grand jury investigating the plame case. according to sources close to the case, Powell appeared convinced that the vice president played a focal role in disclosing plame's undercover status.
In his conversation with McCain, Powell felt that--at a minimum--there would be a serious shakeup at national security council as a consequence. in particular, vice president cheney would no longer hold a pivotal role in us national security affairs. Powell apparently did not discuss the potential of a cheney resignation.
Lead prosecutor patrick Fitzgerald has apparently been looking at the precedent of formerly indicted Nixon vice president Spiro Agnew. this shows the likely path, because addressing executive immunity and privilege questions would necessarily begin start with a plea-bargain deal that would entail a resignation.
This is all likely to occur within the next week. 28 october (next friday) is the last day of the grand jury, and no requests have been made to extend their session. the investigator is expecting to wrap up by then.
There are enormous implication for what would be the biggest white house shakeup since the iran-contra scandal in the Reagan era. President Bush's approval rating at 39% has already led to a significant decrease in policy efficacy with key legislators in congress (which i've already discussed at length elsewhere). i'll spin out the broader policy implications when i have some time to write at greater length, but i wanted to get this out immediately.
One interesting point though--it is worth noting that a parade of senior republican senators have evidently been privately pushing McCain to lobby to be Cheney's replacement. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has also been mentioned. meanwhile, the White House has already been developing countermeasures--notably including senior White House officials privately voicing president bush's disappointment in Karl Rove's involvement in the case, calling it "misconduct." an urgent search for a rove replacement is already underway.
Bush whacked Rove on CIA leak How nice Bush knew all along, but then we all suspected he knew. Its one of those known unknowns, I think. Josh covers all the salient points.
Judy Limericks from Mad Kane
Is the anticipation of the trepidation about possible indictments getting to you. Here is some, stress relief
The trouble with Hypotheticals
We savor hypotheticals that make us laugh and brainstorm at the same time. A non-HMO "Dr." who rhymes "three baked potatoes" with "hard green tomatoes" is not going to catch grief from the punditocracy. Ditto for a logician who ventriloquizes wisdom on the far side of the looking glass: "'Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, 'if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't.'"
The Passion of the Bush Video (thanks Dave)
I was there on that day in October a year ago when Michael Moore visited Republican Country and spoke at Utah Valley State College, and last night I relived that day through Steven Greenstreet's Documentary "This Divided State." It was a day when a progressive voice and hope were on the rise. Steven and his crew are to be congratulated, they captured a rare moment in Utah history. A day when a contrary view was heard in a state that doesn't tolerate such views well. The story was both thoughtful and entertaining. It brought back memories of the 2004 campaign on a rainy day a year ago, but Michael's visit as exciting as it was only served as a backdrop for the message of the movie, a battle over free speech. Tolerance for opposing views is in short supply in Utah and on the days leading to and following Michael's visit it was under constant attack. In the end the battle opened wounds, destroyed friendships, and focused the nations attention on the reddest of states. Not much has changed since that day progressive views are still being shouted down, and tolerance is still in short supply, but the message remains. Fighting for and believing in the promise of our constitutionally guaranteed rights is still a fight worth having.
Angry Angry Angry
The story is now available on DVD and is one I recommend highly.
Washington DC— Americans awoke today to the news that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby had been indicted, while George Bush and Dick Cheney were named as unindicted co-conspirator. Federal prosecutor Fitzgerald, issued wide ranging indictments including, obstruction of justice, perjury, arrogance, hubris, cross-dressing, and pooping on the White House lawn. The Capitol flag is flying at half staff, not since Watergate and Penisgate has the country been in such turmoil. Later in the morning we heard reports confirming that Judith Miller, a critical source in the investigation, was spending her day with Martha Stewart learning to bake a yellow cake. Judith's paper the New York Times explained Judy was baking the cake for some old friends who were going from the White House to the Big House. It was not immediately clear how the indictments would effect the country, Democratic Whip Harry Reid said not so much, little was getting done anyway. Karl Rove, arrested at his home, temporarily escaped from custody when he presented a get out of jail free card signed by Supreme Court Justice Scalia. The Justice when questioned said he thought it a harmless joke when Karl asked him to sign 200 of the cards. Impeachment is the talk of the town. Unnamed White House sources, will they never learn, are reporting that George is hitting the bottle again. He's spending the day watching 1950's reruns on the big screen and mumbling I love you Lucy, I love you.
related: Oh my! It's heating up folks, the anticipation is unbearable.
More Rumors Cheney resigning?
Paul Rolly writes about Salt Lake's Mayor Rocky Anderson. You remember Rocky dont ya?
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, a "Battle of the Bands" champ when he was a teenager, may have solidified his image as an antagonist with the Utah Legislature and the conservative majority in Utah recently when he put together a performance during the Legal Aid Society's fundraiser at Little America. Anderson, who has had a celebrated acrimonious relationship not only with the Legislature, but with Davis County, North Salt Lake officials and others, sang this little ditty, to the tune of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side:"
We're all just trying to do what's right, Fictitious WMDs're no cause to fight So we join peace rallies across the world Hatch calls us nutcakes, says we shouldn't be heard, I say "Hey Orrin, take a walk on the kinder side." We say, "Hey Orrin, hold back on your snider side."
Real Salt Lake came with Madrid's team name In the beginning, it was everyone's game Sandy vies for Salt Lake's spot With Salt Lake's money, so why not? But I say "Hey Real, take a walk on the downtown side." Can you imagine "Real Sandy out there on the Wal-Mart side?" And the Legislature goes: "Doo, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo Doo, doo-doo, doo, doo doo-doo (Backup female singers): Duh, duh-duh, duh, duh, duh-duh, duh, Duh-duh, duh, duh, duh-duh, Duhhhhhhhh.
Mayor Deedee gave Main Street away Poor Salt Lake has to pay and pay A hustle here and a hustle there Little bit of Paris is where they say, "Hey baby, take a walk on the mild side" I say, "Children, take a walk on the mild side." Cars from the north came and filled our streets Looking for cool jobs and a place to eat Shot straight through to Provo You should of seen them go go go They said, "Hey Rocky, take a whiff of our monoxide" I say, "Hey drivers build transit on the north side." Alright! Huh!
Legislators convene in SLC Rant against progress with a jerk of the knee Equal rights for lesbians and gays, Living wage, and clean air ways "No way in heck," they say, "Take a walk on the backward side." "Don't forget the gifts, here on the riled side." And the Legislature goes: "Doo, doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo, doo Doo-doo, doo, doo, doo-doo. (Backup singers): Duh, duh-duh, duh, duh, duh-duh, duh, Duh-duh, duh, duh, duh-duh, Duhhhhhhhh.
The tongue-in-cheek performance reportedly got a good response at the fundraiser. So, since Utahn conservatives are known for their great sense of humor, let's all wish Rocky good luck in getting his Salt Lake City initiatives through the Legislature this winter.
...I done wrassled with an atheist, I done tussled with McCain, handcuffed abortion, sabotaged your campaign. Only last week I murdered the environment, injured the U.N., hospitalized the liberal machine—I’m so low I make Nixon look clean...
Flora Bush: The Child Left Behind (video) Quicktime Version Here
Meet Flora Bush, the daughter the President doesn't want you to know about. What's an ignored teen to do? Sing a pop song of course. Enjoy her new hit "Get Out of Iraq (and My Room)."
Prospect/FP Top 100 Public Intellectuals Results
Onegoodmove reader Jeremy Wilcox has started a blog why not go say hi.
The Sunday Funnies You all remember Frank, his iPod nightmare since corrected, and now this
Excellent Analysis of Plamegate from Hunter at Daily Kos . Bottom line Libby is fucked and maybe Rove too.
Today Show stages there news coverage too. No one dies.
A onegoodmove reader from Rochester, I've lost the damn email and try as I may I don't recall her name, wrote that she would be attending this event. I do remember that she is reported to be a great cook and has offered to provide a meal if I'm ever in Rochester. Anyway, I asked her to send me a report on Jon's appearance which she did, and said email is now missing. I believe this article contains most of what she wrote. I hope this failure of mine doesn't cause her to withdraw the invitation.
The Only Game in Town hat tip to Tony
Scientist Urges Colleagues to Focus on "Unintelligent Design"
Proponents of intelligent design believe the complexities of various anatomical structures cannot be explained by evolution, and are actually evidence of an intelligent designer. Wise and others believe this assertion is another version of creationism, re-cast to avoid being declared a religion by federal courts. He contends this claim of being non-religious provides an opportunity for the scientific community to mount an effective political campaign.
Wise advocates that scientists point to the “incompetent design” in the human skeleton. He asks, “What is so intelligent about our sinus drainage system, so clogged that they would embarrass a plumber?” He says that the human pelvis is tipped forward for convenient knuckle-dragging at such an angle that only by extreme spinal curvature can humans stand erect, a design defect that would flunk any first-year engineering student.
“We have to recognize that the Intelligent Design push is a very well-organized, effective political movement that’s attempting to strike at the heart of science itself,” says Wise. “Science should abandon the traditional methods of polite debate and start using the rules of rough-and-tumble politics.
“Science has operated as a muscle-bound giant,” Wise argues. “That giant should focus his efforts on effective political tactics, resorting to the most effective weapon against those who think ultimate truth is on their side—namely undeniable facts served up with a sense of humor.”
Fox News supporting the Commander in Chief
A Personal Account
**** My Four Hours Testifying in the Federal Grand Jury Room****By JUDITH MILLER
related The Miller Case: From a Name on a Pad to Jail, and Back
In July 2003, Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former ambassador, created a firestorm by publishing an essay in The New York Times that accused the Bush administration of using faulty intelligence to justify the war in Iraq. The administration, he charged, ignored findings of a secret mission he had undertaken for the Central Intelligence Agency - findings, he said, that undermined claims that Iraq was seeking uranium for a nuclear bomb.
It was the first time Mr. Wilson had gone public with his criticisms of the White House. Yet he had already become a focus of significant scrutiny at the highest levels of the Bush administration.
Almost two weeks earlier, in an interview with me on June 23, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, discussed Mr. Wilson's activities and placed blame for intelligence failures on the C.I.A. In later conversations with me, on July 8 and July 12, Mr. Libby, who is Mr. Cheney's top aide, played down the importance of Mr. Wilson's mission and questioned his performance.
My notes indicate that well before Mr. Wilson published his critique, Mr. Libby told me that Mr. Wilson's wife may have worked on unconventional weapons at the C.I.A.
My notes do not show that Mr. Libby identified Mr. Wilson's wife by name. Nor do they show that he described Valerie Wilson as a covert agent or "operative," as the conservative columnist Robert D. Novak first described her in a syndicated column published on July 14, 2003. (Mr. Novak used her maiden name, Valerie Plame.)
This is what I told a federal grand jury and the special counsel investigating whether administration officials committed a crime by leaking Ms. Plame's identity and the nature of her job to reporters.
hmm... Miller Tells Her Story in CIA Leak Probe
From the horses mouth My Four Hours Testifying in the Federal Grand Jury Room
Is Pop Speech Bad for Us? One Writer Answers, 'Duh'
Light, self-conscious and theatrical, chockful of put-downs and exaggerated inflections, today's pop talk projects a personality that has mastered the simulation of conversation," Ms. Savan writes. "It's a sort of air guitar for the lips, seeking not so much communication as a confirmation that ... hey, we're cool.
The bishops have no right to restrict our right to die
Bush in Freefall (hat hip Steven)
Rove's defense team asserts that President Bush's deputy chief of staff has not committed a crime but nevertheless anticipates that special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald could find a way to bring charges in the next two weeks, the source said.
Bush Cheney Touching Your Life
Click on picture to play
The Nexus of Politics and Terror Keith Olbermann
A Brief History of EGR Ya gotta love that Rage Boy
Harriet's Song: Bush Is The Sunshine Of Her Life
God Talks to George Again Mark Morford
Coming Out for One of Their Own
An Oklahoma Teen Finds Love Where He Least Expected It
Marijuana might cause new cell growth in the brain
A synthetic chemical similar to the active ingredient in marijuana makes new cells grow in rat brains. What is more, in rats this cell growth appears to be linked with reducing anxiety and depression. The results suggest that marijuana, or its derivatives, could actually be good for the brain.In mammals, new nerve cells are constantly being produced in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is associated with learning, memory, anxiety and depression. Other recreational drugs, such as alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, have been shown to suppress this new growth. Xia Zhang of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and colleagues decided to see what effects a synthetic cannabinoid called HU210 had on rats' brains.
They found that giving rats high doses of HU210 twice a day for 10 days increased the rate of nerve cell formation, or neurogenesis, in the hippocampus by about 40%.
Jay Leno's presented the world premier of the latest JibJab offering.
Act I - Scripted
Act II - The Press
Act III - The Postmortem
Dub hammers " like a little girl" Don't give up your day job George.
Fundamentalists are just like us
SCOTT ATRAN knows a thing or two about fundamentalists, and as far as he's concerned, they are nice people. "I certainly find very little hatred; they act out of love," he says. "These people are very compassionate." Atran, who studies group dynamics at the University of Michigan, is talking about suicide bombers, extremists by anyone's standards and not representative of fundamentalist ideology in general (New Scientist, 23 July, page 18). But surprisingly, much of what Atran has discovered about suicide bombers helps to explain the psychology of all fundamentalist movements.
Inside the mind of a suicide bomber
(more in the extended entry)
If you want to get into the mind of a suicide bomber, try this experiment. Ask someone who is married to hand over their wedding ring for a week. Offer them a large sum of money to do so, and tell them tat at the end of the week they'll be able to retrieve their wedding ring from a choice of two: their own ring or an identical replica of equal value. They won't necessarily be able to tell which is their ring , so they might end up with the wrong one. "There are only two groups of people that have ever accepted the bargain," say Scott Atran of the University of Michigan who has carried out this experiment numerous times. One is divorcees. The other is people from cultures in which wedding rings aren't important. Atran carries out the experiment to show just how strongly we are motivated to make emotional commitments, and to compartmentalise those commitments away from our everyday role as what Atran calls "economic man". These are commitments "grounded in the emotional underpinnings of people's identities," says Atran, and they are non-negotiable. "You don't trade who you are." And that, Atran claims, can be used to explain why suicide bombers go as far as they do. They are emotionally committed to their ideology, their goal and group: it becomes who they are, and nothing can pull them away from it. " Suicide bombers never backtrack," Atran says, The bonds formed between bombers in a terrorist cell are too strong. " Once you've seen your buddies go over and die, you can't very well pull out." It is certainly not about gaining rewards for their families or themselves; it has nothing to do with paying the bills or attentive virgins in paradise. The act of suicide bombing is all about a commitment to the highest cause. "It's pretty striking how deeply committed they are. They are committed to one another, but by the time they're ready to go it is also a commitment to the ennobling idea of martyrdom." Atran recently saw a Sulawesi mujahedin fighter break down in tears when his 16-year-old combrade died in battle. " He said to me, 'That guy gets all the luck; he's a martyr now. I've been fighting for four years and I've yet to be martyred'."
Fundamentalists are just like us
08 October 2005
NewScientist.com news service
Michael Brooks
SCOTT ATRAN knows a thing or two about fundamentalists, and as far as he's concerned, they are nice people. "I certainly find very little hatred; they act out of love," he says. "These people are very compassionate." Atran, who studies group dynamics at the University of Michigan, is talking about suicide bombers, extremists by anyone's standards and not representative of fundamentalist ideology in general (New Scientist, 23 July, page 18). But surprisingly, much of what Atran has discovered about suicide bombers helps to explain the psychology of all fundamentalist movements.
Ideas about the nature of fundamentalist belief initially drew heavily on work from the 1950s, when psychologists were trying to explain why some people were drawn to authoritarian ideologies such as Nazism. Guided by that research, psychologists focused on individuals, looking for personality traits, modes of thinking and even psychological flaws that might mark fundamentalists out from other people. The conclusion they came to was that there is no real difference between fundamentalists and everybody else. "The fundamentalist mentality is part of human nature," writes Stuart Sim, a cultural theorist at the University of Sunderland in the UK. "All of us are capable of exhibiting this kind of behaviour."
Attention has now turned away from individual psychology to focus on the power of the group. "We evolved to have close and intimate group contacts: we cooperate to compete," says Atran. The psychology of fundamentalism is, literally, more than the sum of its parts; taken individually, fundamentalists are rather unremarkable. "The notion that you might be able to find something in a fundamentalist's brain scan is a non-starter," says John Brooke, a professor of science and religion at the University of Oxford.
Much of the research in this area has been done on Christian fundamentalists in North America. A study by Daniel Batson of the University of Kansas and Larry Ventis of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, for example, showed that fundamentalists do not have an abnormally high regard for, or willingness to acquiesce to, authority figures. Studies also show no general inclination towards prejudice, at least in areas where people's behaviour does not conflict with their moral values. Racist they are not; homophobic is a different matter.
And despite the fact that fundamentalist thinking is often portrayed as simplistic, this too is not borne out by research. Measures of cognitive complexity, which describes how an individual combines, classifies and processes information, show that fundamentalists are no different from the wider population. In general they operate solid, logical and sophisticated chains of thinking, albeit thinking that is based on non-negotiable articles of faith. "There are some very sophisticated attempts to defend what to most of our eyes are very unsophisticated positions," says Brooke. "They have a world view that, within its own frame of reference, has a degree of rationality."
In general, fundamentalists seem to be well-balanced people. They score highly on subjective measures of marital happiness, optimism and self-control, and have a low incidence of depression and anxiety.
An obvious explanation for this is that fundamentalist belief is fulfilling some hard-wired psychological need for certainty and security in a world where such comforts are hard to come by. But this cannot be the whole story, because fundamentalists do not choose to become ardent believers simply because of the psychological benefits this brings. They belong to the much larger group of people that psychologists class as "intrinsically" religious: they absorb a creed, believe it is the right thing to believe, and do their utmost to work out its implications in their lives. "Extrinsically" religious people, who join a faith movement for the spin-off benefits, are different, and tend to be more racially intolerant, for example.
Sense of identity
Fundamentalists, then - at least those of the Christian variety - tend to be happy, sincere and healthy. According to Sara Savage, who researches the psychology of religion at the University of Cambridge, that may be because they believe they are playing a role in the greatest story ever told. "Story is probably the biggest form of security we have as humans. It's very powerful in giving you identity."
Secular western culture, on the other hand, doesn't provide a "grand narrative" to participate in, Savage points out. It offers multiple options for making sense of the world around us - a mess that most human minds struggle to deal with. In evolutionary terms, it's really new to us. "I don't think we're that comfortable with it," Savage says. This, she says, is why the kind of world view contained in a religious text resonates with people, and why they are inclined to stick with it at all costs.
Savage suggests that humanity's ways of thinking, of organising, recording and processing information, matured during a period of history when people only had to deal with one world view: a theistic one. This is reflected in most sacred texts, which were written during this period. "Having one world view feels quite natural to human beings," she says.
“The Christians' struggle to validate their beliefs has ignited a global holy war”
But while a rigid adherence to a religious world view may be psychologically unremarkable, when a few of those minds get together in a group, things start to happen. "It's mostly small group dynamics rather than personal psychology or indoctrination," Atran says. He portrays human psychology as having evolved an array of buttons just waiting to be pressed by environmental conditions. Group psychology, Atran thinks, is a particularly responsive set of buttons because group activity, especially in the family, has been so important in our evolutionary development.
However, the group response can be triggered by things that have nothing to do with the evolutionary pressures that formed them: a shared ideology, for example. The group's activities push the "family" button, Atran says, and loyalty to the new group becomes paramount. "By the time the group is formed, they are emotionally felt to be family," he says. "Somehow the same wiring is triggered." In the end, members of the group do anything to maintain the bond and to reinforce the centrality of their group's beliefs.
So what happens next? Because fundamentalist groups are at odds the dominant culture, maintaining the group's fundamentalist world view demands isolation from that culture. The first casualty is tolerance of diversity. But even then it is hard to make the isolation total, with the result that Christian fundamentalists living in the US, for example, compartmentalise their experiences of the world. And that inevitably leads to inner conflict. "All humans do it, but the more we do it, the worse the psychological outcomes," Savage says.
But how does this kind of conflict translate into a social war, like that being waged over the role of science? Part of the answer lies in fundamentalists' need to bolster group identity by reframing their beliefs in the terms of the dominant culture. In a secular, scientific culture, Savage points out, a certain level of evidence is generally required in order for knowledge to count and for individuals to act on it. Fundamentalists respond by attempting to "prove" their core beliefs: they "science-up" their faith, framing it in a way that they think ought to make sense to a scientific culture. Their claims then become, in their eyes at least, as valid as science's claims. No wonder scientists find fundamentalists' claims so infuriating: they are operating on patently false credentials.
However, this tactic has backfired, with damaging consequences. According to James Barr, professor of Hebrew Bible at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of a number of books critical of Christian fundamentalism, these false credentials have produced a "deep intellectual self-distrust" that shows itself in an insatiable craving for intellectual credibility. That is why creationists strive to have a debate with scientists, and why they trumpet any academic qualifications they might possess. It may also explain why, for instance, George Gilder, a senior fellow of the fundamentalist Discovery Institute in Seattle, invokes the uncertainty principle of quantum theory to shore up a faith-based philosophy.
But to no avail. According to Barr, fundamentalists have failed to gain intellectual acceptance even within mainstream Christian scholarship. Because the fundamentalists come to the Bible with a partisan agenda, they are unable to offer any striking insights. As a result, fundamentalist biblical scholarship is "sterile", he says. Fundamentalist Christianity is widely considered as irrelevant to modern theology as it is to modern science.
And that, for the fundamentalists, is a terrible blow. Irrelevance is not something that people with this group psychology can tolerate. A movement that considers itself a key player in the greatest story ever told can't afford to be perceived as peripheral.
At this point, the desperation sets in.
Today's struggles are only the latest manifestation of this psychology. A glance at the history books shows it is not difficult to make a link between fundamentalist Christian groups' sense of participating in a story of cosmic significance and the rise of Islamic extremism. In fact, Atran says, it can be argued that the group psychology of fundamentalist Christians, their struggle to fulfil the prophecies of the Bible and thus to validate their cherished beliefs, has ignited a global holy war. "People attribute Islamic fundamentalism to Islam, but I think it has as much - or more - to do with Christian fundamentalism," Atran says. "You'll find no apocalyptic visions in Islam; it comes from the book of Revelation. That's what is being played out today."
From issue 2520 of New Scientist magazine, 08 October 2005, page 44
Use this thread to finish old converstations, begin new ones, whatever you like, but don't clutter up other posts with off-topic comments.
Who Isn't Against Torture Bob Herbert
"Let's be clear: Mr. Bush is proposing to use the first veto of his presidency on a defense bill needed to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan so that he can preserve the prerogative to subject detainees to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In effect, he threatens to declare to the world his administration's moral bankruptcy." Washington Post EditorialFletch has created a Parody Music Video of the Janet Parshall, Randi Rhodes debate.
The problem with Private Insurance and why universial health care doesn't suffer from the same problem.
The Future of Education by George W. Bush (audio)
Being Stalked by Intelligent Design
Wouldn't that be something? and this
Let's stop pretending there's no religious test for nominees Christopher Hitchens
What in God's name—you should forgive the expression—is all this about there being "no religious test" for appointments to high public office? Most particularly in the case of the U.S. Supreme Court, there is the most blatant religious test imaginable. You may not even be considered for the bench unless you have a religion of some kind. Surely no adherent of any version of "originalism" can possibly argue that the Framers of the Constitution intended a spoils system to be awarded among competing clerical sects.
Avery Ant on the Supreme Court (flash)
Intelligent Design 101: Short on science, long on snake oil
The irreducibly complex teeters on the verge of reduction. None of these difficulties were mentioned.
Oh Harriet how embarrassing.
SUV Drivers in Paris Get Wind Knocked Out of Them
PARIS — If the French marauders known as The Deflated waged their brand of urban subversion in Southern California, the mecca of the sport utility vehicle, by now they would probably have been jailed, beaten, shot or at least sued.
But five weeks after the clandestine crew of environmentalists launched a low-intensity war on SUVs in Paris, there are no casualties to report. Except, of course, for dozens of deflated gas-guzzling vehicles, said Sous-Adjudant Marrant (Sub-Warrant Officer Joker), the mysterious, masked leader of Les Dégonflés.
Under cover of night, Marrant's troops target Jeep Cherokees, Porsche Cayennes and other four-wheel-drive vehicles parked on the tree-lined avenues and cobblestoned lanes of wealthy neighborhoods. The eco-guerrillas deflate tires without damaging them, smear doors with mud and paste handbills on windshields proclaiming that the vehicles are dangerous, polluting behemoths that do not belong in the city.
"We use the mud to say that if the owners will not take the four-wheel-drives to the countryside, we will bring the countryside to the four-wheel-drives," said Marrant, 28, who uses an alias because angry drivers deluge his website, http://degonfle.blogg.org with e-mails threatening mayhem and questioning his manhood.
There was quite an interesting discussion of religion on Real Time with Bill Maher last friday. Ben Affleck and Andrew Sullivan did their best to defend religious beliefs, though they were quite willing to throw what they consider the religious nuts overboard. Bill and Salman Rushdie defended the secular view. Andy and Ben seemed to me to be in denial as to the extent of the problem. Ben discounted Bill's reference to recent polls, more on that at the end of the video or you can check here . Here's a hint Ben was engaged in some decidedly wishful thinking.
onegoodmove reader Robert, a philosophy student in Paris, and his friends have started a blog featuring news, politics, art, and literature, why don't you go say hi!
Delillo Movie
Is the word 'bum' really offensive?
Children's author GP Taylor was thrown out of a school in Cornwall on Tuesday for using "inappropriate language" to a group of 11-12 year-olds'Our Inner Ape': Hey Hey, We're the Monkeys" or Republicans are Chimps and Democrats are Bonobos. I'll bet you thought I'd never provide you with evidence that Bush really is a chimp.
Our closest genetic cousins, the apes, are capable of great empathy but also of violent, ruthless killing. Frans de Waal, a prominent primatologist, compares our social behavior with that of two species of apes: chimpanzees and bonobos (which look like smaller, more upright chimps). Despite their physical similarities, the two species behave very differently. Bonobos live in a relatively peaceful matriarchy; when conflicts do arise, instead of fighting they often use sexual activity to resolve them, defusing the aggression with friendly physical contact. Like hippies, they make love, not war. Chimp society, however, is a male-dominated hierarchy based on power. Unlike the gentle bonobos, who seldom kill, chimps will hunt for meat and even kill members of rival groups.
We have "not one but two inner apes," he writes, speculating that humans may act like a hybrid of bonobos and chimps.
Oh my what a fun bit of video. Thanks to Crooks and Liars for the clip
Our good friend Fletch has created a parody music video of the encounter I think you'll enjoy it
One of Bill's better efforts, the panel's response was great. I particularly liked Andrew Sullivan's repsonse to " you can only kill the number two man in al Qaeda once "
The following is a short excerpt from an essay written by the philosopher Simon Blackburn. Here is a link to a pdf of the entire essay, Download file, for those who are interested. I'm posting it because it does such an excellent job of capturing my feelings on the subject of respect for religion.
Some years ago, without realizing what it might mean, I accepted a dinner invitation from a Jewish colleague for dinner on Friday night. I should say that my colleague had never appeared particularly orthodox, and he would have known that I am an atheist. However, in the course of the meal, some kind of observance was put in train, and it turned out I was expected to play along—put on a hat, or some such. I demurred, saying that I felt uncomfortable doing something that might be the expression of some belief that I do not hold, or of joining a “fellowship” with which I felt no special community, and with which I would not have any particular fellow-feeling beyond whatever I feel for human beings in general. I was assured that what it would signify, if I went through with the observance, was not that I shared the world views or beliefs of my host, or wished myself to identify uniquely with some particular small subset of humanity, but only that I respected his beliefs, or perhaps his stance. I replied that in that case, equally, I could not in conscience do what was required. The evening was strained after that. But, I argued to myself, why should I “respect” belief systems that I do not share? I would not be expected to respect the beliefs of flat earthers or those of the people who believed that the Hale-Bopp comet was a recycling facility for dead Californians, and killed themselves in order to join it.
‘Respect’, of course is a tricky term. I may respect your gardening by just letting you get on with it. Or, I may respect it by admiring it and regarding it as a superior way to garden. The word seems to span a spectrum from simply not interfering, passing by on the other side, through admiration, right up to reverence and deference. This makes it uniquely well-placed for ideological purposes.People may start out by insisting on respect in the minimal sense, and in a generally liberal world they may not find it too difficult to obtain it. But then what we might call respect creep sets in, where the request for minimal toleration turns into a demand for more substantial respect, such as fellowfeeling, or esteem, and finally deference and reverence. In the limit, unless you let me take over your mind and your life, you are not showing proper respect for my religious or ideological convictions.We can respect, in the minimal sense of tolerating, those who hold false beliefs. We can pass by on the other side. We need not be concerned to change them, and in a liberal society we do not seek to suppress them or silence them. But once we are convinced that a belief is false, or even just that it is irrational, we cannot respect in any thicker sense those who hold it—not on account of their holding it. We may respect them for all sorts of other qualities, but not that one. We would prefer them to change their minds. Or, if it is to our advantage that they have false beliefs, as in a game of poker, and we am poised to profit from them, we may be wickedly pleased that they are taken in. But that is not a symptom of special substantial respect, but quite the reverse. It is one up to us, and one down to them.
Real Time with Bill Maher was great last night I'll leave you with just a whiff for now.
The discussion ranged from Harriet Miers to Tom Delay to John Dean's hide the salami statement. Overall it was an excellent interview.
Original Source: There is No God (And You Know It) by Sam Harris (thanks to Anna for the link)
The following is an excerpt from An Atheist Manifesto, to be published at www.truthdig.com in December.
Somewhere in the world a man has abducted a little girl. Soon he will rape, torture, and kill her. If an atrocity of this kind not occurring at precisely this moment, it will happen in a few hours, or days at most.
Such is the confidence we can draw from the statistical laws that govern the lives of six billion human beings. The same statistics also suggest that this girl’s parents believe -- at this very moment -- that an all-powerful and all-loving God is watching over them and their family. Are they right to believe this? Is it good that they believe this?
No.
The entirety of atheism is contained in this response. Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle. The obvious must be observed and re-observed and argued for. This is a thankless job. It carries with it an aura of petulance and insensitivity. It is, moreover, a job that the atheist does not want.
It is worth noting that no one ever need identify himself as a non-astrologer or a non-alchemist. Consequently, we do not have words for people who deny the validity of these pseudo-disciplines. Likewise, “atheism” is a term that should not even exist. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make when in the presence of religious dogma. The atheist is merely a person who believes that the 260 million Americans (eighty-seven percent of the population) who claim to “never doubt the existence of God” should be obliged to present evidence for his existence -- and, indeed, for his benevolence, given the relentless destruction of innocent human beings we witness in the world each day. Only the atheist appreciates just how uncanny our situation is: most of us believe in a God that is every bit as specious as the gods of Mount Olympus; no person, whatever his or her qualifications, can seek public office in the United States without pretending to be certain that such a God exists; and much of what passes for public policy in our country conforms to religious taboos and superstitions appropriate to a medieval theocracy. Our circumstance is abject, indefensible, and terrifying. It would be hilarious if the stakes were not so high.
Consider: the city of New Orleans was recently destroyed by hurricane Katrina. At least a thousand people died, tens of thousands lost all their earthly possessions, and over a million have been displaced. It is safe to say that almost every person living in New Orleans at the moment Katrina struck believed in an omnipotent, omniscient, and compassionate God. But what was God doing while a hurricane laid waste to their city? Surely He heard the prayers of those elderly men and women who fled the rising waters for the safety of their attics, only to be slowly drowned there. These were people of faith. These were good men and women who had prayed throughout their lives. Only the atheist has the courage to admit the obvious: these poor people spent their lives in the company of an imaginary friend.
Of course, there had been ample warning that a storm “of biblical proportions” would strike New Orleans, and the human response to the ensuing disaster was tragically inept. But it was inept only by the light of science. Advance warning of Katrina’s path was wrested from mute Nature by meteorological calculations and satellite imagery. God told no one of his plans. Had the residents of New Orleans been content to rely on the beneficence of the Lord, they wouldn’t have known that a killer hurricane was bearing down upon them until they felt the first gusts of wind on their faces. And yet, a poll conducted by The Washington Post found that eighty percent of Katrina’s survivors claim that the event has only strengthened their faith in God.
As hurricane Katrina was devouring New Orleans, nearly a thousand Shiite pilgrims were trampled to death on a bridge in Iraq. There can be no doubt that these pilgrims believed mightily in the God of the Koran. Indeed, their lives were organized around the indisputable fact of his existence: their women walked veiled before him; their men regularly murdered one another over rival interpretations of his word. It would be remarkable if a single survivor of this tragedy lost his faith. More likely, the survivors imagine that they were spared through God’s grace.
Only the atheist recognizes the boundless narcissism and self-deceit of the saved. Only the atheist realizes how morally objectionable it is for survivors of a catastrophe to believe themselves spared by a loving God, while this same God drowned infants in their cribs. Because he refuses to cloak the reality of the world’s suffering in a cloying fantasy of eternal life, the atheist feels in his bones just how precious life is -- and, indeed, how unfortunate it is that millions of human beings suffer the most harrowing abridgements of their happiness for no good reason at all.
Of course, people of faith regularly assure one another that God is not responsible for human suffering. But how else can we understand the claim that God is both omniscient and omnipotent? There is no other way, and it is time for sane human beings to own up to this. This is the age-old problem of theodicy, of course, and we should consider it solved. If God exists, either He can do nothing to stop the most egregious calamities, or He does not care to. God, therefore, is either impotent or evil. Pious readers will now execute the following pirouette: God cannot be judged by merely human standards of morality. But, of course, human standards of morality are precisely what the faithful use to establish God’s goodness in the first place. And any God who could concern himself with something as trivial as gay marriage, or the name by which he is addressed in prayer, is not as inscrutable as all that. If He exists, the God of Abraham is not merely unworthy of the immensity of creation; he is unworthy even of man.
There is another possibility, of course, and it is both the most reasonable and least odious: the biblical God is a fiction. As Richard Dawkins has observed, we are all atheists with respect to Zeus and Thor. Only the atheist has realized that the biblical god is no different. Consequently, only the atheist is compassionate enough to take the profundity of the world’s suffering at face value. It is terrible that we all die and lose everything we love; it is doubly terrible that so many human beings suffer needlessly while alive. That so much of this suffering can be directly attributed to religion -- to religious hatreds, religious wars, religious delusions, and religious diversions of scarce resources -- is what makes atheism a moral and intellectual necessity. It is a necessity, however, that places the atheist at the margins of society. The atheist, by merely being in touch with reality, appears shamefully out of touch with the fantasy life of his neighbors.
onegoodmove reader Marcus found the cover of Newsweek unintentionally funny, and with a little cropping he reveals the amusing part. He writes, It appears that Frist has some unfinished business with the prez.
Dean warns the President not to play hide the salami.
"The best thing about weblogs is that I can catch up with my favorite paranoid, egomaniacal crackpots without having to sit next to them on the train." Wisdom from one pot meal
Where's Karl Such wonderful rumors.
My source tells me that the scuttlebutt around town is that the White House knows something bad is coming, in terms of Karl getting indicted, and they're already trying to distance him from the presidentThe Movie in Your Head
Is consciousness a seamless experience or a string of fleeting images, like frames of a movie? The emerging answer will determine whether the way we perceive the world is illusory
Christian students gather and prepare to defend their beliefs
What a boring life fundamentalists must live. They have it all figured out, all that is left to do is DEFEND IT. The problem is they are unwilling to provide their children with the tools they need, critical thinking skills, ah but then they wouldn't be fundamentalists would they? The story reminded me of a phrase I've heard often in my own state of Utah. "When the prophet speaks the thinking has been done."
Tom Cruise To Speak On "The Modern Science of Mental Health"
Guy In Philosophy Class Needs To Shut The Fuck Up
HANOVER, NH—According to students enrolled in professor Michael Rosenthal's Philosophy 101 course at Dartmouth College, that guy, Darrin Floen, the one who sits at the back of the class and acts like he's Aristotle, seriously needs to shut the fuck up.
Floen is known to make his insufferable comments during class at Thornton Hall.
His fellow students describe Floen's frequent comments as eager, interested, and incredibly annoying.
"He thinks he knows about philosophy," freshman Duane Herring said. "But I hate his voice, and I hate the way he only half raises his hand, like he's so laid back. We're discussing ethics in a couple weeks, but I don't know if I can wait that long before deciding if it's morally wrong to pound his face in."
"Today he was going on and on about how Plato's cave shadows themselves represent the ideal foundation of Western philosophical thought," said freshman Julia Wald moments after class let out Monday. "I have no idea what Plato's ideal reality is, but I bet it doesn't include know-it-all little shits."
Wald added: "If he uses the word 'dialectical' one more time, I'm going to shove my copy of The Republic down his throat."
Although he demonstrated a familiarity with Peter Singer's view on famine relief during a discussion of John Locke's theory of property, Floen is reportedly unfamiliar with the theory of cramming it for a change and giving someone else a chance to speak.
"Just last week Professor Rosenthal was talking about Russell's Paradox, and that jackass starts going off: 'But what about Heraclitus' aphorism: Everything flows, nothing stands still?'" classmate James Luers said. "At first I was like, 'That's totally irrelevant,' but then I was like, 'Well, actually, it does apply to the nonstop flapping of your trap.'"
Among the 40 students who regularly attend Philosophy 101, the one who has endured the most suffering is freshman William Deekes.
"Some people know Darrin as just 'that guy in philosophy class who needs to shut the hell up,'" Deekes said. "I, however, also know him as 'the douche in African history who seriously needs to chill' and 'the a-hole in environmental sciences who could really use a girlfriend.'"
"I enrolled in this course because I was fascinated by the question of God," said sophomore Miriam Blank. "After spending six hours a week in the same room as that unbearable windbag, I think I have my answer. Life is as long as it cruel."
The outspoken student has not gone unremarked by the course's professor.
"Mr. Floen is a valuable contributor to our in-class discussions," Rosenthal said. "His tendency to question and challenge everything before him captures the very essence of philosophy itself."
Rosenthal added: "Having said that, I do wish he would occasionally do me the valued service of shutting his damn cake hole."
Intelligent Design debate damaging public's perception of science
Science, religion/The discussion needs recasting
Jon Stewart Rips Mags and 'Even a Bigger Lefty Than You Think'
Even in China, Feng Shui Disharmony
"This is really ridiculous," scoffed Chen Zhihua, an architect and professor at prestigious Qinghua University in Beijing. "It's a fake science…. It only makes money for some swindlers."
Blame Game Now Comes With Dice
The Blame Game board game sells for $10 plus shipping at www.zzzingers.com, with all the money going to Hurricane Katrina victims.
When you play the game, it works pretty much the same way things worked for the poor schleps stuck in New Orleans.
No matter what you roll, you are screwed.
"Those who complain about the blame game?
They're usually to blame." – Jon Stewart.
Kayne, 'George Bush Does Not Care About Black People' West and Mike Myers co-hosts on the Katrina Telethon meet again on Saturday Night Live. Here is a link to their last encounter
Click on the picture to play the video
Quicktime Video 3.27 MB 2'16
Quicktime Required (free download)
Role of Rove, Libby in CIA Leak Case Clearer
Bush and Cheney Aides' Testimony Contradicts Earlier White House Statement
a new theory about Fitzgerald's aim has emerged in recent weeks from two lawyers who have had extensive conversations with the prosecutor while representing witnesses in the case. They surmise that Fitzgerald is considering whether he can bring charges of a criminal conspiracy perpetrated by a group of senior Bush administration officials. Under this legal tactic, Fitzgerald would attempt to establish that at least two or more officials agreed to take affirmative steps to discredit and retaliate against Wilson and leak sensitive government information about his wife. To prove a criminal conspiracy, the actions need not have been criminal, but conspirators must have had a criminal purpose.
Could Fitzgerald be going after the whole gang. Oh my, I'm starting to get all tinglely.
update: Bush Directly Involved this from Think Progess.
THE FIRST ANNUAL AGITPROP "FOX NEWS ALERT" CHALLENGE Have you ever wondered what dramatic "news alerts" Fox would have broadcasted if they were around for the past 200 years?
Such A Tease (thanks to Nano for the heads up)
Jon Stewart is very funny and on his cult US television show he's a rare scourge of the rich and powerful, especially Bush and his court. Gary Younge puts it to him, is he really angry with America, or is he a man on a mission for the next joke?
The best God joke ever - and it's mine!
No not this one, but being from Utah I found it funny.
A Mormon told me that they don't drink coffee. I said, "A cup of coffee every day gives you wonderful benefits." He said, "Like what?" I said, "Well, it keeps you from being Mormon
Wild gorillas seen to use tools
What's fascinating is the similarity between what these creatures have done and what we do
Gorillas have been seen for the first time using simple tools to perform tasks in the wild, researchers say. Scientists observed gorillas in a remote Congolese forest using sticks to test the depth of muddy water and to cross swampy areas.
The new season of Saturday Night Live began last night and Robert Smigel's Saturday Night Fun House on Judge Roberts was spot on. Oooh baby do you like this...
I'd like to take some of these cats on a field trip. I want to get big yellow buses with no air conditioner and no seatbelts and round up Bill O'Reilly, Pat Buchanan, Trent Lott, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, Bush Jr. and Bush Sr., John Ashcroft, Giuliani, Ed Gillespie, Katherine Harris, that little bow-tied Tucker Carlson and any other right-wing conservative Republicans I can think of, and take them all on a trip to the ‘hood. Not to do no 30-minute documentary. I mean, I want to drop them off and leave them there, let them become one with the other side of the tracks, get them four mouths to feed and no welfare, have scare tactics run through them like a laxative, criticizing them for needing assistance.
Washington D.C. — Administration officials announced plans to expand the war on terror. The president is disturbed by penetrations of our southern border, said Chief of Staff Andy Card. The White House released this statement from the President. My fellow Americans, these are stormy times, our nation is no longer threatened just by young muslim men who don't like our freedoms, but by terrorists with names like Katrina and Rita. The damage they've inflicted in the last thirty days has shocked the nation. I was shocked too, I don't think anyone could have predicted it. I have today ordered Vice Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald, Commander of the U.S. Second Fleet to immediately set sail for that part of the Atlantic where intelligence shows these terrorist are developing WMR's, Weapons of Mass Rotation. Secretary of Defense assures me that they are near the coast of Africa, in an area he calls the Atlantic Triangle. We will fight them there so we don't have to fight them here.
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