Great links, once again, Norm. The American Spectator article stops just shy of saying that we should refer to Bush as our Lord and President, and that he must be above the law, or the law has no meaning or force. It's an eye-opening look inside the mind of a neocon: the author yearns pathetically for an aristocracy and a no-nonsense father figure who does not negotiate. He yearns for an authority to be under. Poor kid.

I had to write a post on the Dumbledore revelation, it was just such a neat thing for her to do, jabbing once again at the fundamentalist Christians who have banned and burned her books.

JK doesn't make a big deal of herself as a political or social observer, but if you read the books (especially 5 and 6), then you know she's more insightful than your average pile of pundits.

Norm,

Thanks for the link to the American Spectator article. The open and audacious declaration that the rule of law is no longer accepted by modern conservatives is breathtaking:

In the same way, we have come to take for granted the liberal and utopian myth that "no one is above the law." What nonsense! If the law has any force, someone must be above it.

I have been sardonically saying that Orwell's time has arrived and apparently we've already reached the end of Animal Farm: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

On the subject of myth, over the weekend I rented "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth." I saw this 6-hour interview with Bill Moyers 20 years ago on PBS and for some reason it popped into my head over the weekend and I decided to rent it.

It's a fantastic discussion on the origin and importance of myths in our society. If you have a chance, pick it up or buy it. It's worth every penny and all 6 hours of your time.

Woman, in confronting reality, faces a kaleidoscope of phenomena ranging from the natural to the woman-made, to the imaginary:

Libraries. That pinko socialist commie traitor, Ben Franklin, so disreputable he didn't even bother with a Zopf, he started it all.

What about used clothing stores? Goodwill Industries, Salvation armies? A lot of intellect goes in to the design of fashion. Royalties should be paid, or one should be required to burn one's old clothes. No give-aways. Way back when, the makers of player pianos were sued by Tin Pan Alley. And if you picked out a tune "by ear," you were shop-lifting. One must buy the official (and often incorrect and incomplete) sheet music. And don't jazz around. Howard Roark will shoot you down.

She-it!

What gets me is the way 85% to 90% of the internet is locked up, including journals that require a paid subscription. If you bother to read you are already paying by spending your time. And Universities should be free too. Serious study is not frivolous entertainment. Or a crime for which one should pay a fine (fee).

Let us create something between a Genius Grant and an electronic tip jar, and then...let's roll! Let's take down these hijackers of our cultural heritage (RIAA, Disney, etc.). For that matter Clinton (1996 telecommunications act) is as big a villain as any, Hillary was on board then, and is now:

It is clear to me that these vice presidents and presidents/wives, are, well, garbage, THE garbage. It is equally clear that nobody anywhere within reach of the long arm of the law can say what should be done with it, I mean, about it. For our own sakes, for are own freedoms, for our own sanities, we must NOT think logically. We had better be very elliptical about it, if we do, aloud. We who are not Michael Eisners, Jack Valentis, or on their side:

Digital Rights Management is Techno-fascism.

Don't smoke none of them Joe Camels, Campbells, whatever, neither. They're no good for you. Go with James Frazer, Stan Gooch, Fred Nietzsch. Mircea Eliade. Ekkehart "Ecce-heart" Malotki.

RE: Sue the libraries

I remember an article that came out almost a year ago regarding this same topic in a similar way. In a way librarys do hurt the sales of books and at the end of the article the author stated the opinion that if you enjoyed the book you read suppor the author by buying it. I view the use of pirated software the same way. I sometimes download and play a game that interests me, and if I enjoyed it and still playing past the day I downloaded it I go pickup a copy of it. Other people don't have that kind of money to throw around so I can see how people would use the internet exactly the same way they would use a library. But then there are the people who take books out of the libary and never plan on returning them too, that's another story.

Libraries only hurt book sales because bad books don't sell anymore. That's why music sales have decreased, people stopped buying $18 compact discs for 3 songs that they enjoyed. Music a la carte took over, at first for free, but now iTunes is the largest music vendor out there. I personally think digital music downloads are too expensive (a digital copy of a cd shouldn't be the same price as a hard copy of a disc, with the artwork and everything). Sorry, back on track.

Let's take down these hijackers of our cultural heritage (RIAA, Disney, etc.).

Damn Straight. Let's get rid of the DMCA, which has done more to damage free speech, technology development, and the free exchange of ideas than anything else this country has ever done. Orrin Hatch is the worst with pushing this garbage (with his flourishing musical career and all). Let's look other places to see what is working for them.

I think Lessing's comment is a complex one.

It seems as though she seen here comparing apples with oranges. It's the difference between pushed into the pool and slowly working your way into the pool. OK, bad example, but the UK terror group was homegrown and the events that hurt so many people didn't occurred over several decades. Whereas the attacks in New York occurred one morning before we had a chance to finish our Cheerios.

On the other hand she has a point, if we think that our terrorist attack is anything special, then we're still fooling ourselves. American exceptionalism is a fool's paradise.

I understand the political objections to the spectator article, but on a theological plane I think it is on the right track.

Assuming for the moment that God exists, it is reasonable to think that a different set of rules apply to God. For example, what would it mean for God to be humble, if God really IS perfect, really DOES know everything, and really is the most important thing (for lack of better words).

One thing I do know, if God does exist, there is no reason to expect he/she/it to 'feel comfortable' to us.

RE: 9/11 Lunatics

Since you keep insisting on bringing this up, I have a few points to make (Don't worry, I won't mention "Loose Change" or "Alex Jones")

• Ad Hominem, whether used against Bill O'Reilly, or Jeanine Garafollo, is NOT an argument.

• NIST says that they can model the towers to the point of no return, but afterwards, no one is really 100% sure what happened. This is exactly what the "troof" movement has been saying for years: we don't know what happened, and we need a new investigation.

• Quote from the letter: "This conclusion is supported by a large body of visual evidence collected by NIST." The same is true of those who made conspiracy videos after watching news footage. What about REAL evidence, like steel samples?

• To answer my own question; because former D.A. of NYC Rudy Giuliani shipped them off to China for recycling before a full investigation could be done.

• The government lied about the air quality from day one; now firefighters are dying. The question is not: "why don't you trust the government?" The real question is: "why the hell should I believe a group of sociopaths who have lied to me at every opportunity?"

• Not all "troofers" believe that 9/11 was an inside job created by Dick Cheney's minions. Many 9/11 widows joined the movement because these groups were the only ones asking serious questions.

• I myself do not know what happened. I can speculate, I can assume, but I don't know. Neither does anyone else. Those claiming to hold "the truth" as gospel- on either side of the debate- are self delusional.

• Throughout the various social movements of 1964-1974 were CIA operatives attempting to discredit or criminalize legitimate organizations. Sound wacky? Read a history of the Black Panthers. Listen to an Abbie Hoffman interview.

• [SPECULATION] I happen to believe that many of the people claiming they "know" Bush did it are either a) misinformation designed to discredit the movement or b) ignorant kids following a fad.

• I have followed the "troof" movement since 9/12/01. At the time, I live in New York. I find that the closer I get to NYC, the more likely I am to find people who are skeptical of the official story. New Yorkers are filled with doubts; people in Indiana are convinced they have the facts. I have always found this strange.

• Whether they were behind it or not, this government has leveraged 9/11 into a power-grab. We must recognize this for what it is, regardless of prior party alliegances.

• I have read the popular mechanics report, I have read the 9/11 Commission Report. I have seen the conspiracy videos. I have given both sides plenty of time to fill my head with lies.

• [SPECULATION] My 9/11 conspiracy theory is simple: the government realized it was facing a liability crisis, with toxic clouds hovering over 7 million people, and they did whatever they could to cover their ass. After 6 years of propagandizing 9/11, even the WIDOWS of the men who were ACTUALLY THERE ON 9/11 get treated as wacko radicals.

They're not.

They are good people,who lost husbands to heroism.

And they deserve some honest answers to some serious questions.

Oh, and yes, the Federal Reserve is a total scam.

I do not, however, believe that the world is run by 5 Jewish bankers. At least one of them is black, and two are protestant.

This is exactly what the "troof" movement has been saying for years: we don't know what happened, and we need a new investigation.

No it's not, they are saying that all three buildings were controlled explosions.

Woman, in confronting reality, faces a kaleidoscope of phenomena ranging from the natural to the woman-made, to the imaginary:
-- one evo emo

Holy fucking shitbuckets, what is this shit? Is this some kind of "in" joke that I'm missing? I'm not one for censorship, so I didn't like the Tillerman dolt getting booted -- but if he did, how come this loon is still around?

Am I being impolite in not ignoring him? Is he Norm's retarded brother, chained in the basement? Tillerman expressed some retarded opinions -- but at least they were opinions.

It's one thing to ban people for being retarded; for being trolls; for generally wasting other posters' time by making insincere posts and not acting in good faith -- I think banning those sort of people is perfectly reasonable. Their contributions are just noise. But -- how come this evo emo is still around, while the Tillerman dude got 86'd? Mh?

Norm:

Some members of the troof movement say it was controlled demolition. Some say it was UFOs. Some say it was JFK's ghost. Some say it was arabs from Saudi Arabia.

We all agree: a new investigation is the proper response.

And this NIST report says in black and white: no one is 100% sure why this building came down the way it did.

If for no other reason, we should be concerned that our other buildings are reinforced as necessary to avoid this ever happening again.

Consider the Empire State building. After being hit by a prop plane, it was repaired and reinforced, and several new regulations were issued regarding skyscraper construction (specifically: adding tower lights).

How can we learn from our mistakes if we don't even examine them?

Few would disagree with the sentiment that Dzwonka has been nothing if not polite, unfailingly so. In the Garrison Keillorian context of Onegoodmoveville, where everyone is above average, generally (in)geni(o)us, the evo emo may well be the village idiot.

It is still better than being the town Dzwronk.

"Holy fucking shitbuckets, what is this shit?

"Stan Gootsche, Fred Nietzsche, Mircea Eliade, Ekkehart "Maahu" Malotki,"

but better yet, Dennett has done it again: "Breaking the Spell," religion as a natural phenomenon, is the best writing he's done, yet in years. He's apparently mellowed with age (like a fine win)o...kay,

It (seems to me that it) deals with the myths... about myths, and in doing so induces (not) a few chortles in the bargain.

Breaking the Spell,

D(*)own with Harry Potter! (Sorry.)

Anyway, Dennett says it all, along with Shermer, Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris,... (Norm?), he's undoubtedly one of the Post-church Fathers.

.

*zr

Holy fucking shitbuckets, what is this shit? Is this some kind of "in" joke that I'm missing? I'm not one for censorship, so I didn't like the Tillerman dolt getting booted -- but if he did, how come this loon is still around

ROTFL!!

PKB (POT KETTLE BLACK)!

I just can't believe Dzwonka still thinks that his responses aren't offensive - oh wait, NO! he thinks it's OK to be offensive just not on his superficial, subjective list of bad traits for posting...

Still I support Dzwonka's basic idea that Norm has his own superficial, subjective, obtuse and ungeschriebene list of requirements for posters.

You'll know you said something wrong after you get banned!

Black Ma(gellan)ically Recircumnavigating the same little globule, but...

I couldn't help but noticing this "Art", (what they done to Mr. Kokopelli is nothing compared to what they done to the swastika, I know), but the so-called "flute" (really an Aulos, it should be double, or even a bagpipe) is an ironic twist, the "flute" is the string*. His humped "back" is the bow. Who thinks up this stuff, really? But circling back, alongside Dan Dennett,

"The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art: by David Lewis-Williams."

is a sine qua non for understanding this nonsense. Art, wherefore thou? Some kind of inside joke indeed.

.

.

*the Errant Arrows of Eros? Long gone, into geosynchronous orbit presumedly.

Oh, and also Susan Blackmore, she is an egg cell ent source on such stuff and nonsense.