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Week of May 25, 2003 to May 31, 2003In emailI have justSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 11:54pm.
on Old Site Archive In email I have just come to the close of a discussion in email that would have been dismaying were the people involved not so predictable. It was in connection with this, which a member posted with the entirely apt title "Tyson Needs To Be Placed In Concrete." WTOV9.com
Tyson Says He Now 'Really' Wants To Rape Woman UPDATED: 2:01 p.m. EDT May 29, 2003 While denying once again that he raped Desiree Washington 12 years ago, Mike Tyson said in a television interview that the burden of being labeled a convicted rapist makes him want to do it now. The interview is scheduled to air Thursday night on Fox network's "The Pulse." "I hate her guts," Tyson said. "She put me in that state, where I don't know. I really wish I did now. But now I really do want to rape her." … Tyson made the comments during a recent interview in Miami Beach with Greta Van Susteren, who was reviewing the circumstances of Tyson's 1992 trial. The former boxing champion was convicted of raping Washington, who was a contestant in the Miss Black America pageant in an Indianapolis hotel room and sentenced to six Now, I been on this mailing list for years and I know what to expect from the players. There's always been a more diverse set of opinions on it than any other Black oriented list I know of, and the participants are articulate. However several of the participants think they're intellectual gunslingers. They've taught me there's no proving anything to people who have something to prove. The list is still recovering from a major flame war between a number of them, and in fact I got caught up in it trying to be the voice of reason. Recursive fisking isn't a sport I choose to participate in anymore so I've taken to simply expressing my opinion when I feel like it and letting people convict themselves out of their own mouth, much as Tyson did. It's actually more effective with intelligent folks. At the end, though, I couldn't take the bullshit anymore. Note 1: "Phase" refers to me That WAS, um what's the word I'm lookingfor...
OneOfTheMostDisgustingCommentEverMadeInPublicAndMaybeEvenInPrivate Phase, it appears to comes down to whether one believes that Mike Tyson ACTUALLY raped that woman, or that he was simply convicted of having raped her (which are two totally different things). This situations reminds me of a story I read once, where a man had been framed and falsely accused of murdering a woman, and he was convicted and spent time in jail for it. After he completed the sentence, he settled in someplace trying to start his life over again. As luck would have it, he encountered the"supposed-to-be-dead" woman, constructed a ruse to get the woman to a secluded place, and once there he told her that since he had already paid the price for murdering her, he might as well get his money's worth, and he wacked her on the spot. And, under the circumstances, I'd have to agree with him. What I said was to wish he had raped her wasa stupid, brutal tacky thing that removes the last hope of his gaining my respect as a human. That's got nothing to do with the trial. Wish his comments now were just some disconnected Mike-babble. Trouble is that he uttered equally "insensitive" comments regarding rape during his trial. Hmmm. Is there a Mike Tyson Boneheaded Comment Award out there? Or maybe it's just in the water in Indiana. Remember Dan Quail (former Vice President of the United States--and thank God for the Secret Service protecting the President...in this case)? He's from Indiana too. Home of the famous Indiana PotatoE. Yeah, I know. I read a big chunk of the transcripts and it convinced me that I'd have voted to throw his ass in jail too. It's just not something I choose to go into with any more detail than that. Sounds like you might have been one of the black jurors where his presumption of innocence would've melted before your very eyes. I understand your feelings about this. My point, however, is that -- stupid, brutally tackiness aside -- he would never had occasion to make that statement had he never been sent to jail being convicted for having raped someone who he says he did not. Recognizing the trauma that rape causes, I would say that being unjustly accused and imprisoned for a crime has to be as bad or worse, and I can also say that were I in his situation it is quite possible that I would harbor the exact same sentiment toward someone who caused me such consternation. And, to paraphrase the poetess, "Ain't I a man"? Yeah, but one difference between you and him is that you have sense enough to know what to say....and what not to say. The saying "be sure brain is engaged before putting mouthin gear" comes to mind. Assuming he did not... which we, as outsiders, can be no more sure of than the opposite. Also, if he wasn't stupid, brutal and tacky enough to make such a statement he may not have put himself in the position to be accused in the first place. If, if, if. Phase, I didn't say "if", you did. That's like having a man in jail, falsely convicted of a crime,and having to kill someone who has threatened his life, and then you turn around and say: "well, if he wouldn't be in jail if he wasn't a criminal anyway ...". It just goes on and on, down the rabbit hole until you get to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Yes, I said if. You write as though you assume his innocence. I do not. I am not the legal system. The words out of his own mouth, during and after the trial show him to be an ignorant brute for whom I have no respect. I have not said anything similar to "if he weren't a criminal he wouldn't be in jail." I am saying he has demonstrated a level of ignorance, thuggery and brutality that makes giving him any benefit of the doubt beyond that necessary to absorb the words he himself said stupid and/or hypocritical and/or unnecessarily hostile to women and the truth. You said the other day: > I understand your feelings about this. My point, however,is that -- > stupid, brutally tackiness aside -- he would never had occasion to make > that statement had he never been sent to jail being convicted for having > raped someone who he says he did not. The thing is, in the case of rape, you CANNOT PUT STUPIDITY,BRUTALITY AND TACKINESS ASIDE because they have bearing on the expectations one can have of the individual under thecircumstances. Now, don't get ignant and claim I am dismissing the woman's part in making herself vulnerable to this. She was foolish. But for anyone to put the blame exclusively on her is no less than monstrous, and insulting to any mature man. Such a person sees MEN as weak, too weak to resist animal passions, less than the least woman on the planet. I do not accept that view of men. Men CAN refuse to be brutal.Men CAN respect the choices of others. And I have no respect for any male that holds otherwise. > > That's like having a man in jail, falsely convicted of a crime, and > > having to kill someone who has threatened his life, andthen you turn > > around and say: "well, if he wouldn't be in jail if he wasn't a > > criminal anyway ...". It just goes on and on, down the rabbit hole > > until you get to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. > > Yes, I said if. > > You write as though you assume his innocence. I do not. I thought that the legal system (at least states that it)requires a presumption of innocence. I could be wrong. > I am not the legal system. > > The words out of his own mouth, during and after the trial show him to be > an ignorant brute for whom I have no respect. But ignorant brutes can be falsely charged, Phase. Go and read the history of the Blackman of America in the South (and North,for that matter). There are newspaper articles that almost verbatim describe the alleged Black "rapists" as "ignorant brutes", etc., etc. > I have not said anything similar to "if he weren't a criminal he wouldn't > be in jail." I am saying he has demonstrated a level of ignorance, > thuggery and brutality that makes giving him any benefit of the doubt > beyond that necessary to absorb the words he himself said stupid and/or > hypocritical and/or unnecessarily hostile to women and thetruth. Then your conclusion is purely emotionally-derived, rather than factually-derived. > You said the other day: > > > I understand your feelings about this. My point, however, is that -- > > stupid, brutally tackiness aside -- he would never had occasion to make > > that statement had he never been sent to jail being convicted for having > > raped someone who he says he did not. > > The thing is, in the case of rape, you CANNOT PUT STUPIDITY, BRUTALITY AND > TACKINESS ASIDE because they have bearing on the expectations one can have > of the individual under the circumstances. It is not a crime, nor an indication of a potential criminal, for one to be stupid, brutal or tacky. > Now, don't get ignant and claim I am dismissing the woman'spart in making > herself vulnerable to this. She was foolish. But for anyone to put the > blame exclusively on her is no less than monstrous, and insulting to any > mature man. Such a person sees MEN as weak, too weak to resist animal > passions, less than the least woman on the planet. Who put the blame exclusively on her? She was not charged with any crime, even though there is evidence of a conspiracy to extort money from Mike Tyson.thing. Lemme ask you a question, and very seriously -- if I walked around in a maximum security prison shower with pasties on my nipples, and a G-string, and a brunette wig, and I was sexually assaulted, whose fault would you say it was? Be truthful. > I do not accept that view of men. Men CAN refuse to be brutal. Men CAN > respect the choices of others. And I have no respect for any male that > holds otherwise. Men do things that can range from brutishness to tenderness,depending on the situation. At least I can and do, and, afterall, "ain't I a man?" Men CAN respect the choices of others, and they can ALSO acknowledge the choices of others that put those"others" in situations where the "others" might be compromised. We are talking about real life here. Not nirvana, Phase. I've already stated my position. I don't think I was unclear. If YOU have more to explain, feel free. I'm through. Thanks. I'm not. I changed the way I do this a while back, remember? If you truly think emotion doesn't come into play in your decisions and judgements as it does with all humans, you are either delusional or brain damaged. If you don't, you are fronting and lying. Either way it's not ever going to be useful to shift a list conversation with me to private mail. And it can't have been an accident - you've been using email too long, you're too technically knowlegeable for that. You convict yourself out of your own mouth, just like Mike. > That's like having a man in jail, falsely convicted of a crime, and > having to kill someone who has threatened his life, and then you turn > around and say: "well, if he wouldn't be in jail if he wasn't a > criminal anyway ...". It just goes on and on, down the rabbit hole > until you get to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. At no point have you said he did not rape her. So the correct parallel is "That's like having a man in jail who claims he's innocent..." A whole different case than a man who is ACTUALLY innocent. Just as different, in fact as the case of being guilty and being *found* guilty. This point is empty until you can say you've examined the case and decided he was not guilty. > > You write as though you assume his innocence. I do not. > > I thought that the legal system (at least states that it) requires a > presumption of innocence. I could be wrong. That "phase" of the case is over. The presumption of innocence does not extend beyond being found guilty. > > The words out of his own mouth, during and after the trial show him to be > > an ignorant brute for whom I have no respect. > > But ignorant brutes can be falsely charged, Phase. Go and read the history > of the Blackman of America in the South (and North, for that matter). There > are newspaper articles that almost verbatim describe the alleged Black > "rapists" as "ignorant brutes", etc., etc. That's not only insulting to me personally, it's insulting to every Black person to equate a convicted rapist's case to our enslaved and oppressed ancestors. You have no respect. > Then your conclusion is purely emotionally-derived, rather than > factually-derived. Your motivation is purely emotionally driven, regardless of your carefully constructed language. He had the benefit of the doubt from me until I read his statement. HIS statements-yours mean nothing in this case. I have no reasonable doubt. > It is not a crime, nor an indication of a potential criminal, for one to be > stupid, brutal or tacky. It is, in fact, an indication of potential criminality to be stupid, brutal AND tacky, which he is. I can understand your desire to deny that, though. > Lemme ask you a question, and very seriously -- if I walked around in a > maximum security prison shower with pasties on my nipples, and a G-string, > and a brunette wig, and I was sexually assaulted, whose fault would you say > it was? Be truthful. Truthfully, if you are equating Tyson's hotel room to a maximum security prison and Ms. Washington to a prisoner, then she was CLEARLY in a coercive situation and he is guilty of rape. If you are not equating the conditions then this is a pointless aside. That said, it would be your fault. > Men do things that can range from brutishness to tenderness, depending on > the situation. At least I can and do, and, after all, "ain't I a man?" Well, I assume you got a dick. I'm not making any further judgements based on the statements before me. > We are talking about real life here. Not nirvana, Phase. You're talking about your particular view of life. Not real life by any stretch. Sekou Sundiata in BrooklynSekou SundiataSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 9:30pm.
on Old Site Archive Sekou Sundiata in Brooklyn Sekou Sundiata will be performing with his band on June 14th for the Celebrate Brooklyn Festival at the Bandshell in Prospect Park. The band includes: Marc Cary on keyboards and piano Celebrate Brooklyn: SEKOU SUNDIATA FOR MORE INFO: 718 855-7882 ext 33 Here's what some artists and writers have said about Sundiata: ...Sundiata is serious as light overhead in darkness... Sekou Sundiata taught me everything I know about poetry ... the spectacular poet Sekou Sundiata lifts and carries you a visionary way away on the wings of his utterly distinctive, new and furthering-the-tradition gifts of beautiful poems landing on holy ground. Sekou is a griot, a mentor, an icon... ...Sundiata is to modern poetry what Marvin Gaye was to modern soul... If Homer were a black man born in the project, he would be this... poet Sundiata has been exploring the crossroads of spoken words and song for 20 years... he is steeped in African American music. On the page, Sundiata can surprise with the fierce purity. His poem "Mandela in Harlem" has lines that resonate with the classical grace of Horace. His music comes from so many place it is impossible to name them all. But I will wager that if we could trace their common origin, we'd arrive at the head waters of the soul... Inspired by The BuddhaStill readingSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 4:45pm.
on Old Site Archive Inspired by The Buddha Still reading "Supreme Path of Discipleship: The Precepts of the Gurus." I think it would be great to apply the principles to following a political guru as well as a spiritual one. Some of the principles would have to have their wording updated, though, and a few could use extension. For instance, while watching "The Capital Gang," being deeply moved by the complex harmonies woven by the Wurlitzer playing in the background every time the camera even passed over Richard Perle, I lapsed into meditation on the deep meaning of SNAFU and FUBAR. And focusing on the section of "Precepts" called "The Thirteen Grievous Failures" (the details of which I magnanimously spare you), a fourteenth Grievous Failure manifested itself to me: 14. Following a guru that merely repeateth the words of another is like paying homage to a parrot, and this is a Grievous Failure
Plot? Plot?? We don' needSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 6:54am.
on Old Site Archive Plot? Plot?? We don' need no steenkin' plot! That's enough for this morning. I'm going to find the cheapest matinee I can and watch Matrix Reloaded for the cool explosions and shit. NewsMax is HARSHBrazile Still RagesSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 6:14am.
on Old Site Archive NewsMax is HARSH Brazile Still Rages as Red-Faced Dems Nix Plan to Ax Blacks
Donna Brazile and other prominent black Democrats are still seething about the party's now-canceled plan to fire 10 non-white employees. "If the Republicans were to do this, you know what would happen," said Brazile, who helped lead Al Gore to defeat in 2000. "You know I would be kicking them where they need to be kicked." It took Terry McAuliffe, controversial chairman of Democratic National Committee, an entire day to concoct the excuse that he knew nothing about the planned firings. The Washington Times today quoted a "prominent Democrat" questioning the honesty of plantation boss McAuliffe. "It doesn't take all day to simply explain that there was some kind of clerical error," the official said. "helped lead Al Gore to defeat" NewsMax is right wing or what? This is my first time past that site. Now if we can keepSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 6:00am.
on Old Site Archive Now if we can keep the Angry White Men calm, we can ALL make progress The idea of Blacks and Hispanics is going to set some folks' teeth on edge. But it shouldn't, and I'm going to explain why (this is going to sound cynical as hell, which to some degree it is). The only way to ensure your rights is to ensure Black peoples' rights. Because whatever we get, you can't be denied… otherwise it'll be 1994 all over again; See, Angry White Men never really lost power in this nation. If they had, they couldn't have changed the social and political trajectory of the nation in a single election cycle. Think about that. Look at the Democrats. You got them scared and wimpy as hell. Believe me, you've taught them a lesson they'll not soon forget. Now, how about workiing with us to get a government that will do something for 95% of the people instead of just 5%? Because you know damn well you ain't one of that 5% and if the greedy, selfish, power-hoarding bastards have their way no one but them will ever be. from Newsday.com Blacks, Hispanics Align To Set Agendas for 2004
By Deborah Barfield Berry WASHINGTON BUREAU May 30, 2003 Washington - Hoping to press Democratic presidential candidates on issues important to communities of color, black and Hispanic lawmakers will sponsor several debates and forums across the country this summer and fall. "We need to energize our base," said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. "We have to be careful as a party that we take care of the people who take care of us." Democrats were criticized for failing to motivate their traditional supporters for the 2002 midterm elections, which led to Republicans controlling Congress. While Democratic leaders vow to do better for the 2004 presidential bid, black and Hispanic lawmakers say they want to help set the party agenda and press candidates on how they will address issues including universal health care, the economy and the protection of civil rights and affirmative action. "I have to believe that raising the issues has to at least put you toward your goal," Cummings said. Oh GHOD. Now I'm agreeingSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 5:45am.
on Old Site Archive Oh GHOD. Now I'm agreeing with J.C. Watts from the Wilmington Journal Democrats Find ?Lot of Work to Do? for Black Voters
by Hazel Trice Edney Originally posted 5/30/2003 WASHINGTON (NNPA)?In March, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was well into the hiring of its top staff. Yet, of its first five employees, none were African-Americans. A month later, the House of Representatives? new Select Committee on Homeland Security began hiring its staff. Likewise, the first five hires by the Democratic side of the committee had no African-Americans. Each case, in the view of Black leaders, is typical of how Democrats are disloyal to their most loyal constituency. … ?The Democrat leadership has said, ?Look, that?s the most loyal constituency that we have. Come hell or high water, they?re going to vote for us,?? Watts says. ?The Republican Party on the other hand has said, ?Look, the Democratic Party is going to get 90 plus percent of the Black vote, so we?ll have to win without it.? ?So, you?ve got 35 or 40 percent of the Black community out there in the twilight zone looking for a place to land,? Watts says. ?There?s enough blame to go around for both parties.? Now that Republicans are aggressively seeking to improve their image in the Black community, It is not an error that the last sentance quoted above ends in a comma. I was laughing at the idea so hard I just couldn't bring myself to quote any further. Apparently medical marijuana is in use in at least some Wilmington circles, though maybe not for medical purposes… Still, Democrats should take no comfort in the fact that the Black community as a whole sees no sense in voting Republican—J. C. Watts' own father said a Black person who votes for a Republican is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders. I don't know if it's generally realized, but Black folks on the whole would rather vote for a candidate than against the other one. That's why Black voter turnout goes up when a candidate appeals to us… hell, we're used to being attacked. If Democrats don't address the Black community's issues we won't vote Republican. Most won't even vote Green. Most will just say "same old same old" and not vote… which, in practical terms means Democrats will not win. The Black vote, for better or worse, is the Democratic Party's to win or lose. When is enough enough?So, weSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 31, 2003 - 5:09am.
on Old Site Archive When is enough enough? So, we have a tax cut that gives no help to those who need it most and would therefore spend it immediately and give at least some of the stimulus promised. And the reason those who need it most were left out was because the Senate wouldn't let the Republican extremists give as much to the wealthy as they wanted. And after Democrats insisted on (and the Republican extremists resisted against) a coordinated Homeland Defense, not enough money can be made available to cities and states at risk. A risk increased by the hostility generated by a ham-handed foreign policy. A risk increased by failure to realize securing nuclear facilities in Iraq is more important to the safety of the USofA… the safety of the world… than securing Iraq's oil fields. A risk increased by the need to spend ever more in Iraq because slighted nations, naturally, do not choose to pay for an occupation they opposed from the beginning. An occupation we were promised would not be necessary for an extended period of time. An occupation that followed a war that the world rejected. A war that was sold to the American people with lies about immediate threats to our safety. We have a death a day, after the war has ended. And as the economy gets worse (from the point of view of the people)… As "productivity gains" mean fewer people work longer and harder, and profits increase the wealth of only five percent of the population… As jobs become the major American export… And the only people paying taxes become the people in the military because only their jobs are truly necessary in the worldwide anti-American climate created by a ham-handed foreign policy… You will find yourself, as an American, at risk where ever you are. At risk at home, at work (as the Department of Homeland Security). At risk when you travel overseas (ask the State Department). At risk when you travel at home (check the no-fly list). At risk if you voice disapproval too, where a sensitive bureaucrat can see you. At risk from your own government They want to know what you read. They want to know what you buy, where you buy it, when, why and with credit or cash. They want to know how you walk, for pity's sake! They can already arrest you on the mere suspicion you may know someone connected with the possibility of what they choose to define as terrorism today. Like blocking traffic in a protest. And they don't have to tell you why. And they don't have to tell you when you'll be released. Or even questioned. In the year and a half since giving themselves the right to override your rights
Now here's a professional!I couldSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 3:34pm.
on Old Site Archive Now here's a professional! I could get seriously attached to Anne at Peevish. She rants better than most anyone because she documents everything. She's supposed to be on hiatus for a minute, but does that stop her? Nooooo… I'd tell you what it's about, but she covers a lot of ground. Today, she pointed me at an article about why beliefs are so damn hard to change … When data and belief come into conflict, the brain does not automatically give preference to data. This is why beliefs-even bad beliefs, irrational beliefs, silly beliefs, or crazy beliefs-often don't die in the face of contradictory evidence. The brain doesn't care whether or not the belief matches the data. It cares whether the belief is helpful for survival. Period. So while the scientific, rational part of our brains may think that data should supercede contradictory beliefs, on a more fundamental level of importance our brain has no such bias.
… Even beliefs that do not seem clearly or directly connected to survival (such as our caveman's ability to believe in potential dangers) are still closely connected to survival. This is because beliefs do not occur individually or in a vacuum. They are related to one another in a tightly interlocking system that creates the brain's fundamental view of the nature of the world. It is this system that the brain relies on in order to experience consistency, control, cohesion, and safety in the world. It must maintain this system intact in order to feel that survival is being successfully accomplished. This means that even seemingly small, inconsequential beliefs can be as integral to the brain's experience of survival as are beliefs that are "obviously" connected to survival. Thus, trying to change any belief, no matter how small or silly it may seem, can produce ripple effects through the entire system and ultimately threaten the brain's experience of survival. This is why people are so often driven to defend even seemingly small or tangential beliefs. A creationist cannot tolerate believing in the accuracy of data indicating the reality of evolution not because of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the data itself, but because changing even one belief related to matters of the Bible and the nature of creation will crack an entire system of belief, a fundamental worldview and, ultimately, their brain's experience of survival. And that's just one link. I love this article. It gives expression to a gut-level, um, belief that has guided me in dealing with folks for a long time - which isn't to say I always convince but that I accept when I can't without (necessarily - see yesterday's only political post) feeling the opposition is evil. So what if it's oldSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 1:44pm.
on Old Site Archive So what if it's old news? I just found out, and I think it's cool. This is an important part of our history (and anyone who thinks I only mean Black folk by "our" has issues). I didn't know it was at risk and am really glad to discover the risk at the same time as the resolution. from Preservation Online Civil War Site To Be Added to National Park
Story by Margaret Foster / Oct. 29, 2002 Instead of becoming a 188-unit housing development, a 99-acre farm that was the site of an 1862 Civil War battle will soon become part of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in Harpers Ferry, W. Va. The Trust for Public Land, a conservation group, announced yesterday that it will buy the Murphy Farm and transfer it to the National Park Service, which will reimburse the Trust. The Murphy family says it is "overjoyed" that the property, which has been a working farm since 1869, will be added to the adjacent 2,300-acre national park. "This is a dream that every generation of the Murphy family has shared," the family said in a statement. From 1895-1910, abolitionist John Brown?s fort stood on the Murphy Farm. In 1906, W.E.B. DuBois and other African-American leaders made a barefoot pilgrimage to the fort, a meeting that resulted in the formation of the NAACP. Easing into watching African situationsItSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 1:26pm.
on Old Site Archive Easing into watching African situations It really is something I have to do, and I was reminded of this by finding <passport.to.the.third.world>, self-described thus: I was born in Angola in 1979. Although I left the country at the age of six and currently live a comfortable existence in a Brooklyn apartment, my thoughts and actions are based upon the experiences of a man born in the third world and currently living in the first. My political beliefs are those of an individual whose nation was nearly destroyed by a civil war initiated and perpetuated largely by external powers, namely the United States and the former Soviet Union, during the Cold War. This is the context in which my words should be couched. Looks to be new, looks to share with me at least a basic understanding of how the situation in Africa came about. Looks like I can learn something.Later:One thing I've already learned is to pay attention to the need for < and > entities . I see them I use them in text so rarely I forgot they, and everything between them, vanish when entered as characters. Good questionIs Hip Hop ASubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 12:32pm.
on Old Site Archive Good question Is Hip Hop A Culture?
by Bakari Akil II While attending a symposium entitled, The Business of Show, which explored cultural images of Blacks in media, a simple but profound question was asked. Tim Reid and his wife Daphne Maxwell Reid, hosts of the symposium, owners of News Millennium Studios and stars of such shows Sister, Sister and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air respectively, asked the audience: What is hip-hop and is it a culture? … There were responses that skirted the issue and stated what hip-hop was not, but no direct meaningful answers. One young man stated, "I know what hip-hop is, but can't put it into words." Reid in turn responded, "Well, if you can't define it, then how can hip-hop be a culture." He stated he has posed this question to young Black audiences many times, but no one has ever provided a definition. To see a huge body of predominately young people who enjoy and grew up on hip-hop unable to define it and explain its cultural aspects was a shock to me. … Hip-hop in its most rudimentary form consists of four major activities. KRS One defined it best when he listed those activities as "MCing", "Djing", break dancing and artistic expression through graffiti. These four activities are the major identifiers of someone being involved in hip hop culture. Now, is it its own separate culture? In my opinion, hip-hop is an extension of Black culture and has created its own subculture that is shared by many. heheheh…11 reasons to love georgeSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 12:28pm.
on Old Site Archive heheheh… 11 reasons to love george w. bush While you're there you might want to check out the rest of Pop And Politics, Farai Chideya's website. ASTOUNDING arroganceForeign envoys in IraqSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 12:15pm.
on Old Site Archive ASTOUNDING arrogance Foreign envoys in Iraq no longer enjoy diplomatic status, immunity: US
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Foreign diplomats in Iraq no longer enjoy diplomatic immunity or any of the privileges they were accorded under their accreditation to Saddam Hussein's former regime, the US State Department said. In addition, spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington is advising foreign countries to hold off on sending envoys to Baghdad until a new Iraqi government is in place as "at this point there is really no purpose" for them to be there. Responding to reporters' questions about a raid on the Palestinian mission in Baghdad and the arrest of three Palestinian diplomats by US forces, Boucher first said that neither the envoys nor the property held any diplomatic status. "There are diplomats who were previously accredited to the Saddam regime who have been residing in former mission residences who are still there," he said. "We do not regard those as diplomatic missions, they are accredited to a regime that is no longer existent and, therefore, their accreditation has lapsed," Boucher said. "They and their premises don't have diplomatic status," he added firmly. … US forces in Iraq ransacked the Palestinian mission in Baghdad overnight Tuesday, arresting at least eight people, including seven Palestinians and a Syrian, the top military commander said earlier Thursday. … And, he said the United States would discourage attempts by any country to send diplomats to Baghdad and had the authority to bar them from coming in. "As a matter of policy ... we discourage foreign diplomats from entering Iraq," Boucher said. "There is no Iraqi government for them to interact with, there is no Iraqi government to grant the privileges and immunities that diplomats would normally have inside a country," he said. "We, in terms of the kind of control we have to have at this point, also reserve the right to exclude people who we don't think belong there," Boucher said. So I'm weirdThe other daySubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 11:46am.
on Old Site Archive So I'm weird The other day i just tossed off a one-liner about starting a blog for the purposes of ranting. Cowboy Kahlil asked why I don't just rant here, since I do it well. I told him I have an approach I take in public that just doesn't include that sort of thing. Seque to yesterday on the bus: For my own reasons I'm revisiting my philosophical and spiritual roots, so I was reading "The Supreme Path of Discipleship: The Precepts of the Gurus," a Mahayan Buddhist text. Two sets of precepts pretty much covers my principles, so I decided to post them here. The Ten Things to be Avoided
Now, this don't mean I won't bitch-slap ya if I feel it necessary. But I'm trying.
The Ten Things Not to be Avoided
Making it too easy toSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 10:33am.
on Old Site Archive Making it too easy to justify non-partisanship from BlackAmericaWeb Black party leaders angered by layoffs at Democrat National Committee
05/28/2003 01:11 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) - Leading black Democrats in Congress and the national party are protesting the layoffs of 10 minority staffers at the party's headquarters. The Democratic National Committee notified some committee members and lawmakers Wednesday that they were cutting the positions to save money and streamline operations in preparation for next year's presidential election. "I'm just outraged," said Donna Brazile, who served as Al Gore's campaign manager in the last presidential election and is also the chairwoman of the DNC's Voting Rights Institute. "They started reading me the names and I said 'Oh, oh - they're all black.' I went through the roof." Brazile said the DNC is making the cuts as part of its goal to raise $10 million to $15 million to support the party's presidential nominee. She proposed that the party cut payroll instead of laying off competent staffers. DNC communications strategist Jim Mulhall said the committee has hired at least nine new minority staffers in the past month. The committee has more than 100 employees but did not have a count of the number of minority staffers Wednesday night. That still don't let youSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 10:28am.
on Old Site Archive That still don't let you off the hook, though. from BlackAmericaWeb The Victim Train, is it worth the ride?
2003/05/29 06:16 PM EDT By Gregory Kane The Gap Band had the "Party Train." The Ojays had the "Love Train." But the Victim Train? Well, anybody can be a passenger, and color doesn't matter. The most recent passengers on board the Victim Train are Ken and Leslie Holz, parents of Marnie Holz, one of the lasses involved in that notorious hazing incident at Glenbrook North High School just outside of Chicago. … So this column is for all you black folks who claim we black conservatives always criticize our people and never criticize white folks. This is the column where, for once, you won't be inspired to drag us into the nearest alley and bang us in our faces. This is the column where white people who falsely claim victim status get the same treatment as black people who do likewise. Different folks, same strokes. So to the distinctly Caucasian Mr. and Mrs. Holz, and to their daughter, it gives me great pleasure to say: I ain't feelin' ya, folks. The score so far: Articles raggin' on white folks: 1, Articles raggin' on Black folks: Somebody pass me a bag of zeroes. This is gonna to take a while… Big-ups to Noiz, Inc.from AfricanSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 10:17am.
on Old Site Archive Big-ups to Noiz, Inc. from African American News&Issues Building Black America:
Five-Stars for Noiz Inc. Wouldn?t it be grand to walk through the doors of a fab-u-lous hotel, that offers good services warm hospitality and Black owned? What's a conservative?An anonymous contributerSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 10:12am.
on Old Site Archive What's a conservative? An anonymous contributer to African American News&Issues took the question to a whole 'nother place than I did. I think the question should be asked, though. And it would be best asked by the non-extremists in the Republican party. from African American News&Issues What?s a Conservative?
Republicans fulfill biblical prophecy about ?the poor? By BUD JOHNSON African-American News&Issues It is written in the Holy Bible of America?s Judea-Christian Republic, ?? the poor always ye have with you??- John 12:8. Thus, inasmuch as there are an overwhelming consensuses of politically monolithic made in America Africans that vote the straight Democratic ticket (truly believing that an ultra-conservative Republican party is committed to fulfilling Jesus? ambiguous prophecy), which have cause to pause and ponder, ?What?s a conservative?? No, that?s not a misstatement, or poor grammar. The academic question is not who?s a conservative, or what?s conservatism? It, indeed, is: ?What?s a conservative?? On the other hand, the query evidentially is proper, insofar as Webster?s Dictionary defines ?conservatism,? as ?a disposition in politics to preserve what is established.? And further defines a ?conservative, ? as one ?tending or having power to conserve; (loosely) moderately estimated, understated?n one of the political party that desires to preserve the institutions of the country against innovation.? You can?t explain it much better than that, but apparently it confuses, at least one of our estimated 2 million readers (not counting multitudes that access our Web page: www.aframnews.com, who simply fails to grasp the concept of a Black, conservative Republican. For obvious reason, our intellectual watcher on the wall chose to remain anonymous. Beeelions and Beelions of dollarsAllSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 9:14am.
on Old Site Archive Beeelions and Beelions of dollars All those economics graphs and explanations confusing you? You need to get a visceral sense of the size of the numbers involved to truly understand the enormity (which means horror, not size though in this case the two are connected) of the The L-Curve is a good place to get such an understanding. Big numbers aren't just for astronomers. If you can't understand big numbers you can't understand the economy and you will be at the mercy of propaganda mills when you walk into the voting booth. Well… and directly… said.
The L-Curve has a bunch of cool pictures that illustrate the difference physically rather than logarithmically and our number system does. And while we're on theSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 8:59am.
on Old Site Archive And while we're on the subject of constitutional rights When *choke* Possibly Future Chief Justice Scalia (the SCOTUS) says: "The Constitution just sets minimums," Scalia said after a speech at John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland. "Most of the rights that you enjoy go way beyond what the Constitution requires." and Scalia did not discuss what rights he believed are constitutionally protected, but said that in wartime, one can expect "the protections will be ratcheted right down to the constitutional minimum. I won't let it go beyond the constitutional minimum."
… doesn't that put him at odds with my favorite amendment: Amendment IX Seriously. On the one hand…Amendment ICongressSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 8:54am.
on Old Site Archive On the one hand… Amendment I On the other hand… Lynches Say They Can't Discuss POW Rescue
By ALLISON BARKER The Associated Press Thursday, May 29, 2003; 11:44 AM PALESTINE, W.Va. - American POW Pfc. Jessica Lynch's parents said Thursday they are not permitted to discuss details of their daughter's capture and rescue in Iraq. Greg and Deadra Lynch also said they couldn't comment on media reports that dispute military information released on Lynch's April 1 rescue from an Iraqi hospital. "It is still an ongoing investigation," Greg Lynch said during a news conference at the family's rural West Virginia home A fair questionI'm reading theSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 8:38am.
on Old Site Archive A fair question I'm reading the Daily Howler today, where the discussion is about disdain for the truth in the media, where the only "liberal" thing seems to be the definition of fact. Somerby gives us Tucker Carlson's opening question to Blumenthal: CARLSON: Mr. Blumenthal, your book purports to be account of certain historical events, mostly surrounding the ideological battles over the Clinton presidency. Let?s get specific about one of them.
In the summer of 1998, you were called in to a grand jury and subjected to a number of questions. After that, you went outside on the steps and gave an impromptu press conference in which you alleged you?d been asked questions about the president?s religion. Transcripts from that grand jury later showed that that?s not true. You were not telling the truth. When you went back the next time before that grand jury, here?s what the forewoman said to you: ?We?re very concerned about the fact that during your last visit that an inaccurate representation of the events that happened was retold on the steps of the courthouse.? In other words, you were lying. Given that, why should we believe anything that?s in your book? Blumenthal can safely answer the question because the facts are on his side. Carlson can safely ask it because the Wurlizter is on his. As a newly inducted member of the VLWC, and conceptual usurper extraordinaire (oops. French) I love the question and would like to ask it of all media sources on all maner of topics, like tax reform, the environment, preemptive war, leaving no child behind… the list goes on. Furthermore, it should be asked of the POTUS, SCOTUS, the majority of both houses on the Hill, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence establishment in the United (Police) States of America and Great Britain, the 52nd state, in reference to those very same topics. SO much has come from these sources that has been proven false that they are either liars or toeasily, serially, deceived that they really need to explain (to me, anyway) how I'd benefit from taking them at their word. Did you know?The State DepartmentSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 7:57am.
on Old Site Archive Did you know? The State Department has an International Information Program website. The Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) is the principal international communications service for the U.S. government foreign affairs community. IIP designs, develops, and implements a variety of information and communications programs, including Internet and print publications, traveling and electronically transmitted speaker programs, and information resource services. These reach--and are created strictly for--key international audiences, such as the media, government officials, opinion leaders, and the general public in more than 140 countries around the world. Much propaganda of course, like the article titled "Success of Bush's AIDS Initiative Depends On African Attitudes, Not Money," backpedalling before they even start walking. But if you step carefully and avoid the cowpies there's some interesting stuff in there.
Joining the Vast Left WingSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 6:09am.
on Old Site Archive Joining the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy Hesiod is right. I'm linking to Billmon too, on the off-chance you haven't seen the definitive list of WMD lies. No one on any position in the politican spectrum should be allowed to not know this stuff. Tony Auth reads my blog!ApparantlySubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 5:45am.
on Old Site Archive Tony Auth reads my blog! Apparantly he was annoyed at not being listed in my post late yesterday, so he made up for it with today's cartoon. He still makes Dubya look too elegant, though. This is actually about mediaSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 30, 2003 - 5:37am.
on Old Site Archive This is actually about media consolidation too from the NY Times AOL Time Warner and Microsoft End a Bitter Rivalry
By STEVE LOHR and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK icrosoft agreed to pay AOL Time Warner $750 million in a legal settlement yesterday that ends one of the most bitter rivalries in modern corporate history and commits the two companies to a sweeping program of business cooperation. Under the agreement, Microsoft will grant AOL a seven-year royalty-free license to its Internet browsing software, and faster and greater access to Microsoft's Windows operating system. That will make it easier for AOL's popular online service to work with Windows software, which runs more than 90 percent of all personal computers. Microsoft will also grant AOL Time Warner a long-term license to its software for delivering music and video over the Internet. Microsoft vowed to work closely with AOL Time Warner to develop software to protect AOL's movie and music assets from piracy. The two companies also agreed to discuss how to open up their networks for sending and receiving instant messages over the Internet, although they have said similar things before. The unexpected alliance between the corporate titans reflects a fundamental change in direction for both companies with the fading of the fad for convergence between technology and media companies. Calling sisters who been onlineSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 29, 2003 - 6:29pm.
on Old Site Archive Calling sisters who been online a while I have a friend, Lisa Jeter, that runs an ezine/weblog called drylongso. I mentioned it briefly when I first put up the "More colture than I have" box on the left. The weblog section tends to focus on articles rather than news per se, and she has a good eye and good topic range. I just realized I don't know if she's the only one selecting articles. Anyway, the ezine part is themed and the theme of the next one is "PLAIN BROWN WRAPPER: Gender Issues in Sepia Space." The email she sent me describing it is below. She's having a bit of trouble getting sisters for the email roundtable part: i'm looking for participants on the roundtable. i have a few men, but not enough women. i think the requirement for them to be listowners/moderators is hindering me. i need someone who can talk on the subject matter (sexism, misogyny, relationships, etc.) and can discuss how they manifest in black online communities.
If you think that might be an interesting thing, take a look around her site (fair warning, I think it loads a little slowbecause of this really cool floating menu bar it has) to get a feel for her style. You can contact her at lajeter (at) jeteractive (dot) com. Plain Brown Wrapper: Gender Issues in Sepia Space explores sex, sexuality, gender, and gender politics in "sepia space" -- Drylongso.com?s term for black cyberspace. Despite the digital divide, a significant number of black people are frequent internet users and communities have sprung up containing individuals whose voices agree as well as clash on many topics, including gender relations. = What have been the experiences of black internet users around = How do real world black gender issues play themselves out online? = What topics or situations tend to result in demonstrations of = What type of influence, if any does Black Planet have on gender = What impact did incidents like the R. Kelly child pornography = What kinds of expressions of black sexuality are present Contributors are asked to consider the questions above and to submit Complete submission National Civil Rights March forSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 29, 2003 - 5:58pm.
on Old Site Archive National Civil Rights March for "Jobs, Peace and Freedom" At the end of summer, a national civil rights march will mark the 40 year anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. Already, basically every mainstream civil rights and labor organization are signed on to this effort. This march is being billed as a march for jobs, peace and freedom. Our new civil rights movement must mobilize everyone that we can for this march. At the Fifth Conference of the New Civil Rights Movement this weekend we will organize and plan our participation in this march. This march is an essential moment for the young movement. It will be our first national opportunity to respond to the US Supreme Court decision in the University of Michigan affirmative action cases. The defense of affirmative action and integration and the fight for educational equality must be at the center of this march. The decision in the Michigan cases will intensify the discussion and struggle over affirmative action no matter how the court rules. We can set the stage for how the nation is responding to whatever that decision is. At the August 23 march, we must launch our national struggle to realize the promise of Brown v. Board of Education - the campaign for integration and equality throughout American education. The August 23 march is a chance for the new militant, integrated, independent civil rights movement to get organized and to show itself. It is a chance for us to prepare ourselves for what must be a massive effort over the coming year to build organization and to develop a new layer of young leaders who can lead American society through the next period of transformative mass struggle. Make plans to be there and join the militant, integrated contingent of the new civil rights movement at the August 23 march in Washington DC. Go to www.bamn.com soon for updates. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action & Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) http://www.bamn.com [email protected] 5/28/2003 via afroam-l mailing list BWAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!Atrios Jr. is crackin'me daSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 29, 2003 - 3:37pm.
on Old Site Archive BWAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! Atrios Jr. is crackin'me da fuk up! Couple of days ago I said I felt like ranting about some concepts people hold dear. He's handling one or two of them for me. I also said I'd be willing to bet a small sum he's actually Atrios himself. I'm still feeling that. The only political post hereSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 29, 2003 - 3:05pm.
on Old Site Archive The only political post here today Okay, I'm back. And I just ran down most of my blogroll. Before I found I couldn't get to the web interface today (and decided to go do some actually real stuff, on the planet, in meat-space) I was pretty annoyed. As as usuall, editorial cartoons expressed my irritation more concisely than the news. I was going to tell you to check out Tom Toles (of course), Ted Rall (of course), and Ben Sargent (of course). And I was going to rant. Well, I'm STILL going to rant. This administration has told more blatant lies than any administration in the history of the WORLD, much less the United (Police) States of America. And anyone who votes for George W. Bush -- or anyone that supported him -- is either a fool or a traitor. How's that for direct? Between the lies about Iraq and the subsequent evasions, the absolute cynicism of giving poor families a large tax break for dividends paid on securities they can't afford to buy while taking away the child care credits they need, the hypocrasy of trying to classify documents AFTER they've been released because they're too embarrassing, forgiving corporate fraud (I'm sorry, but fining Worldcom one week's operating revenue and letting them out of bankruptcy cleared of debt and with a spankin' new Iraqi contract is forgiving them), you are simply stupid if you don't think they won't come after YOUR ass when it suits their purposes. And if you aren't one of them, it WILL suit their purposes sooner or later because they are obviously about controlling it all. Of course, if you ARE one of them, you'ne not a fool. You're a traitor. And in case some idiot wants to ask, "who is this 'them' you're concerned about?" It's the PNAC crew. The Republican extremists that have the average Republican fooled by hiding behind the name the normal guy uses while squeezing every bit of wealth out ove everyone they can. What do you want to do… wait until the Fired [sic] Department has to hand you a bill for saving your life? WAKE THE HELL UP As of this writing, theSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 29, 2003 - 6:20am.
on Old Site Archive As of this writing, the web interface to Blogger is not working so I am posting this via a desktop interface. Basically works, but the first time I tried it it kind of un-escaped a few characters-apostrophes and what not. Between that and the web interface being unavailable, I'm accepting the events of the day as an omen. Real world, here I come. See y'all later or maybe tomorrow. Depends on when I get done with some stuff that needs doing. Yeah, it's cartoon-posting timeBut thisSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 6:45pm.
on Old Site Archive Yeah, it's cartoon-posting time But this ain't even a joke, so see it if you want to. Damn! They'll try anything!from TheSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 6:40pm.
on Old Site Archive Damn! They'll try anything! from The Onion Terrifying Bill Passed During NBA Playoffs
WASHINGTON, DC?With the nation safely distracted by the NBA playoffs, Congress passed the terrifying Citizenship Redefinition And Income-Based Relocation Act of 2003 with little opposition Monday. "This piece of legislation is essential, both for more efficient implementation of the New American Ideal and to give law enforcement the broad discretionary powers necessary to enforce certain vital civil and behavioral mandates," said U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), addressing an empty press room Sunday, midway through game four of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. "We are confident that Americans will embrace this law, should they eventually realize it has been passed." H.R. 2395 was introduced to Congress on May 15 during the fourth quarter of the San Antonio Spurs' 110-82 victory over the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers in the deciding game of the Western Conference semifinals. … The controversial additions might have threatened the law's passage, had they not been made during the closing minutes of the Dallas Mavericks' thrilling 112-99 come-from-behind win over the Sacramento Kings in game seven of their series. "The First Amendment will still protect almost all of the forms of expression that it always has," said Biden, who will assume his new duties as Commandant Of The Greater West on June 1. Rent-a-negro.comSince folks are still talkingSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 5:56pm.
on Old Site Archive Rent-a-negro.com Since folks are still talking about it. I'm one of those folks that forwarded the address a couple of places. Well, two… to a list of old heads and a discussion board that leans toward the hip hop generation. Old heads In these times of terror, as America needs to increase its deportation and detention of illegal immigrants, we must confront difficult questions like: "How will the American economy stay competitive without immigrant labor?" and "If America succeeds in sealing its borders, who will do the work millions of illegal immigrants do today?"
For Remote Labor Systems, these questions are not merely theoretical. RLS is pioneering a fusion of broadband internet technology and low-cost robotics, designed to eventually compete with illegal immigrants for the market of carrying out the most basic functions in the American economy. We hope you find our site informative, and that you'll join us as we try to find a way to keep America competitive in these perilous times. Roger H. Buck, President New skool Remember I said I'm non-partisan?Ain'tSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 5:27pm.
on Old Site Archive Remember I said I'm non-partisan?
Clay Bennett is good. The image is a link to his archives. Just… just 'cause, that's whyfromSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 5:13pm.
on Old Site Archive Just… just 'cause, that's why from BBspot.com Tuesday, May 20 12:01 AM EDT
Bush Proposes Universal Time Zone By Brian Briggs New York, NY - At the United Nations today President George W. Bush announced a proposal to unify all the world's time zones into a single Universal Time Zone (UTZ), formerly known as the Eastern Time Zone. "It's unfair to the United States that other countries have the advantage of being in tomorrow while the US is stuck in today," said Bush. "If it's 9 PM in Washington D.C., it's already tomorrow in London or Paris. That patently unfair." Bush continued, "Right now, Americans are losing jobs to other countries whose workforce can give overnight service during their normal daylight hours. We'll level the playing field and keep more jobs in the US with the UTZ." … "Under the Bush UTZ plan, countries could either keep their current schedules and just adjust their clocks, or they could change their whole society to match the new time. But Bush warned against the former option, "It would be very risky for countries to eat lunch at a different time than the US. You are either with us or against us on this." Britain immediately supported the US plan. "If it means sleeping in broad daylight then we'll stick with our allies," said Tony Blair, "Of course there's never broad daylight in the UK, so it's not much of an issue." … France, another opponent of the plan, claimed it is too Anglocentric, and should be based on French time. President Chirac did concede that "it wouldn't affect us too much because all our workers stop working at noon anyway." Time to tell the truthTheSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 3:27pm.
on Old Site Archive Time to tell the truth The only blog I added to my blogroll reflexively is The American Sentimentalist, which I added on the strength of its motto: ''Never has any people endured its own tragedy with so little sense of the tragic.'' Plus I could always delete it if it was stupid. Now it's obvious, but isSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 2:56pm.
on Old Site Archive Now it's obvious, but is it too late? The Slacktivist gives you an excerpt from an essay in the June issue of Harpers titled "GET RICH OR GET OUT - Attempted robbery with a loaded federal budget" that lays out the enormity of the Bush budget. If you're at all unsure who the villains that are out to destroy your well-being are, read it. Then pick up a copy of "Parable of the Sower" and "Parable of the Talents" by Octavia Butler to see what your life will be like if they get away with it. IF this disaster can be stopped, then we'll talk to the DLC about avoiding living in "Player Piano" by Kurt Vonnegut. If it can't, I'm joining the gun nuts. And that's not a joke. QuestionsWhy do they call themselvesSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 12:41pm.
on Old Site Archive Questions Why do they call themselves Conservatives anyway? I mean,, it's not like they're conserving anything. Money? Nope. The environment? Nope. Traditional American values of justice, equality and stuff… well, the hope of justice and equality anyway, I can't say we ever actually GOT there, but we were trying to… And why, if they aren't all bent out of shape over the deficit because it's at an historical low vs. the GDP, are the all bent out of shape over government spending, which is also at an historical low vs. the GDP? After all, somebody has to spend SOMEthing or we won't HAVE an economy… and as a result of their machinations it's not going to be the middle class… what's left of it… I may start another blogSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 12:05pm.
on Old Site Archive I may start another blog for the exclusive purpose of ranting I actually thought about it,Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 11:38am.
on Old Site Archive I actually thought about it, and answered honestly
Quite amusing, since on another forum I'm The Machine. This is what happens when you go past The Daily Dystopian. Marduk or Daffy Duck? YOUSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 11:16am.
on Old Site Archive Marduk or Daffy Duck? YOU be the judge [deleted because I refuse to sink to that level] AmazingSometimes I wonder what theSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 8:52am.
on Old Site Archive Amazing Sometimes I wonder what the world looks like through the eyes of a John Derbyshire Disenfranchise the Public Sector
I?m not the only one voting for fewer voters. Certainly the speaker of our state assembly (the legislature's lower house) is not fooled. This is a fellow named Sheldon Silver, and he is a conservative's worst nightmare, being (a) a business-hating socialist by inclination, (b) a trial lawyer by profession, and (c) a parliamentary tactician of genius. His life's work is to destroy private enterprise in New York State, having first transferred all its assets to the pockets of his colleagues at Weitz & Luxenberg, the firm of ambulance chasers that keeps him on retainer. Silver has contemptuously brushed aside Pataki's vetoes, as has State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. (Silver is a Democrat, of course. Bruno and Pataki are both Republicans, or what passes for Republicans in New York State. That is to say, they are a couple of millimeters to the right of Hillary Clinton.) The legislature will get its spending increases, and I and my fellow New Yorkers will get a huge tax hike to finance them. What on earth accounts for this loony behavior on the part of my state's elected representatives? Have none of them ever read the story of the ant and the grasshopper? Don't they know that in good times you sock stuff away for when the bad times come? I suppose at some level they do, but their overriding political priority is to appease the interest blocs that keep them in office. And then I decide I don't really want to know. I'm not sure I can know. That "ant and grasshopper" thing, from Conservatives whose idea of thrift is to only collect money from people who don't have it is bizarre. We cut taxes during the flush times, helping cause the bad times, and in response cut them some more. The very image of pouring water on a drowning man. Not to mention that the point of the article is that too many people have a say in the government. Add to that the conflation of selected bits of law, voting and economics, and it becomes too much for the kid. 'Nuff saidThe Bitter Tears ofSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 8:22am.
on Old Site Archive 'Nuff said The Bitter Tears of Clarence Thomas
Still Whining After All These Years by ELAINE CASSEL … It was a somber, self-pitying speech that left many of the thousands of attendees squirming in their seats. Apparently Thomas has only one speech-one that recounts his hard life in Pin Point, Georgia, his "crushing" experience of graduating from Yale Law School (pity the poor man who has to go to Yale) without one offer to work in the law firm of his dreams-a firm in Atlanta or Savannah, Georgia. He refers to this experience as one of his life's great trials and tribulations. He has no gratitude for John Danforth who gave him a job in the Missouri Attorney General's Office, which then led to his being tapped for the chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and then the Federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and then, of course, to a seat on the Supreme Court-what to any lawyer would be the pinnacle of a career, not to mention a lifetime. Hellip; Thomas got his breaks in life because others-from his grandfather, to the nuns in his Catholic high school, to the administrators at his college and Yale Law School, to John Danforth, to Bush the first-gave him a break. He cannot give thanks or gratitude, he can only resent. Resent that his color, or so he says, kept him from all that he really wanted--a job in a Georgia law firm. Not being able to recognize what others gave to him, he has nothing to give to others-not from the bench, not from a podium. Justice Thomas could do us all a huge favor by resigning from the Court that he finds such a burden, getting into his RV that he claims to love so much, and turning over his seat on the bench to someone who at least appreciates the privilege of wielding almost unlimited power as a Supreme Court Justice. Of course, he is not going to pack up and drive his gas-guzzler into the sunset. Unfortunately for us who care for people who have less than we do, who suffer at the hands of a cruel and selfish government, Thomas will continue to wield his hatred from the bench. And we will continue to be less of a country because he and his partners in meanness, Scalia and Rehnquist, interpret the law to benefit the powerful, the wealthy, and the Republicans that put them there. I see the hand ofSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 8:14am.
on Old Site Archive I see the hand of Clear Channel in this via DaveyD THE HIP HOP WAR
by Umar Ben Ivan Hip-Hop, the music that was once called "the voice of the voiceless" and the "ghetto CNN" is now the preferred music of choice for American soldiers occupying the streets, homes, government buildings, mosques and schools of Iraq. So, the music that has railed against the police in the US, due to first hand experience that artists have had, is now the music of the imported police in Iraq. This should not be surprising, given the traditional methods of US corporate co-opting of movements. Hip-Hop definitely poses an established threat to the understood order in the US, so instead of banning, which would be almost impossible to do under US law, Hip-Hop has been commercialized and removed from its grassroots foundation. Those Hip-Hop artists who remain true to the code are denied the needed airplay that is needed on radio and television by corporate forces who wish to present an acceptable Hip-Hop. What is acceptable? Messages glorifying crime, thuggery and destructive behavior are deemed acceptable, because not only do they sell records, but the behavior that those songs may inspire fits into an overall unstated goal of the American elite - keeping the black community weak, divided, and self-destructive. However, messages that offer hints of liberation, universal brotherhood, social, political and cultural awareness are deemed non-marketable. Finding artists willing to sign record deals who will rap and sing about anything no matter how stupid doesn't seem to be a problem. Artists intoxicated with the millions that they have earned and yearning for more ill-begotten games, for the most part, do not have the time to sit and think about the social ramifications of what they are saying. Instead of realizing that they can be the voice of the oppressed worldwide and make a contribution to humanity that will change the course of history, artists are satisfied to live lives full of intoxication, destructive sexual behavior and mindless consumerism. from BlackVoices.comConfederate money talks, activistsSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 8:04am.
on Old Site Archive from BlackVoices.com Confederate money talks, activists say
Slave images used to rebut argument on war's cause By Dahleen Glanton Tribune national correspondent An exhibit that opened last week at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site seeks to offer insight into the complex relationship between the Old South and its slaves. The display of paintings and Confederate currency reveals a little-known fact in America: that slaves were routinely depicted on paper money in the South from the mid-1800s until the early 1900s. If nothing more, South Carolina artist John Jones said, his collection of acrylic paintings on canvas discredits a long-standing Southern assertion that the war was solely an issue of states' rights and proves that it was as much or more about holding on to an inhumane institution that fueled the region's economy. "The history of a country, its values and economy are often reflected in its money. This shows what was going on during the Civil War and antebellum periods, and what it says about the importance of slavery is right on the money," Jones said. "The engravings are a visual smoking gun that document how much free slave labor enriched America." Ben Sargent posted by PrometheusSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 5:30am.
on Old Site Archive I disagree about the taxesSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 5:21am.
on Old Site Archive I disagree about the taxes part at the end, though Stealing the whole post from "Moore's Lore," a Corante-hosted blog. The point raised is valid, though of course not a full explanation for the rise and fall of the Third Reich. Why Germany Fell, And Santorum Matters How did Hitler lead Germany to ruin, and can it happen here? Hitler?s appeal was based on demonizing the "creative class" of his time, starting with Jews. Germany?s greatest creative forces early in the 20th century had a lot in common. They were educated, creative, they thought outside the box. Many (like the American entertainer Sally Bowles) were foreign. And an extraordinary number were Jewish. Hitler?s electoral base (and he did have one) was in the lower-to-middle class, people who worked hard, mainly in manufacturing, who raised families and went to Church, but who were losing economic ground to the new creative class of their time. They loved the equivalents of NASCAR and country music. Hitler demonized the creative class, and his followers did as well. First, it was just words. Then, it was laws against their "peculiar lifestyle." Only later was their property seized, and then came the Holocaust. It's a slippery slope, and it starts with words. Richard Florida?s "Rise of the Creative Class" has this to say about the people who are most instrumental in driving economic growth forward. "When they are sizing up a new company and community, acceptance of diversity and of gays in particular is a sign that reads "non-standard people welcome here." So here?s where I might lose you, but hear me out. Acceptance of gays is a marker of creative people today, says Florida, just as acceptance of Jews was a marker for the creative class in Weimar Germany. Watch "Cabaret" some time. Who are the "decadent" entertainers of the cabaret, and who are their customers? Isn?t this the world Hitler destroyed? And aren?t some of those people in that play, not Jewish, but gay? So when someone like Richard Santorum attacks gays, and someone like George W. Bush defends Santorum, while the right-wing media applauds vigorously (and seeks to intimidate anyone who dares disagree), what signal is being sent? The signal is, creative people are not wanted. The signal has been received. In the last few weeks I have gotten several e-mails from good, kind, creative people, suggesting they might want to move to Canada or elsewhere. Take the creativity out of a society, and you doom the society. Hitler?s rise contained the seeds of his fall. His intolerance made him evil, and that evil doomed his economy, his society, and his country ? everything he claimed to stand for. So I don?t care if Santorum had good motives. Hitler also claimed to be a good guy. And I don?t care if he spoke from sincere religious conviction. So did Osama Bin Laden. That?s why Santorum matters, and that?s why George W. Bush?s acceptance of Santorum matters. It?s a signal of intolerance toward the creative class, toward the people who drive the economy forward. Cut taxes on your friends all you want, but if your society drives out the creative class, it seals its own doom. Media DeregulationSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 3:57am.
on Old Site Archive Media Deregulation Have you noticed that "deregulation" hasn't quite worked out the way it's been promised? Everytime deregulation of an industry has been proposed, its proponents have promised the same thing: gredater competition, lower prices. Telephones. Cable. Airlines. Electricity. Do you see greater competition in these industries? Most of them were common carriers, and even in my most economically ignorant state I found myself wondering, "How can I get lower prices from vendor A than vendor B when vendor A is just a middleman between me and B and both are to make a profit?" It was a good question. Deregulation has flat-out failed, in different ways for each industry. Telephone companies have simply reorganized a little such that long distance no longer subsidizes local service… and worse (in my eyes) no longer subsidizes the fundamental research by Bell Labs that literally has brought us to the point that you're able to read this from wherever you are. Cable rates rise incrementally every few months. In fact, deregulation caused them to break out and price pieces of their services such that nationwide prices rose the very first month deregulation took effect. Airlines dies and broke unions. As for electricity, can you say "Enron?" Media ConsolidationWilliam Safire gets itTheSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 3:40am.
on Old Site Archive Media Consolidation William Safire gets it The Great Media Gulp
By WILLIAM SAFIRE WASHINGTON The future formation of American public opinion has fallen into the lap of an ambitious 36-year-old lawyer whose name you never heard. On June 2, after deliberations conducted behind closed doors, he will decide the fate of media large and small, print and broadcast. No other decision made in Washington will more directly affect how you will be informed, persuaded and entertained. His name is Kevin Martin. He and his wife, Catherine, now Vice President Dick Cheney's public affairs adviser, are the most puissant young "power couple" in the capital. He is one of three Republican members of the five-person Federal Communications Commission, and because he recently broke ranks with his chairman, Michael Powell (Colin's son), on a telecom controversy, this engaging North Carolinian has become the swing vote on the power play that has media moguls salivating. … We've already seen what happened when the F.C.C. allowed the monopolization of local radio: today three companies own half the stations in America, delivering a homogenized product that neglects local news coverage and dictates music sales. And the F.C.C. has abdicated enforcement of the "public interest" requirement in issuing licenses. Time was, broadcasters had to regularly reapply and show public-interest programming to earn continuance; now they mail the F.C.C. a postcard every eight years that nobody reads. Media ConsolidationBusinessWeek gets it.The Faint,Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 3:34am.
on Old Site Archive Media Consolidation BusinessWeek gets it. The Faint, Fading Voice of the Left
The FCC wants to concentrate media ownership in even fewer corporate hands. Bad idea. Protecting diverse opinions must be the priority Here's a quiz for you: Name the best-known and most influential conservative commentators in America? Rush Limbaugh? George F. Will? Bill O'Reilly? Now, quick, who are their liberal counterparts? If you can't think of any, you're not alone. Conservatives love to rant that liberals dominate the news media. Trouble is, it's just not true. In fact, I'd argue that the biggest problem with America's public discourse today is that the left is barely represented at all on mainstream TV and radio talk shows and in major newspapers and magazines. To my mind, that's the main reason debate in the U.S. and Europe is diverging so radically on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to genetically engineered food and capital punishment. In, say, London a much more lively debate is going on between the left (given voice in mainstream outlets such as the BBC and Guardian) and the right. VESTED INTERESTS. The U.S. situation is likely to get a lot worse if Michael Powell, Federal Communications Commission chairman, has his way. He wants to loosen or remove many of the last remaining restrictions on how much of the market Big Media conglomerates can control. Among other things, Powell would allow more cross-ownership of local TV stations and newspapers by the same companies. He also would let a single company own TV stations covering 45% of the national viewing audience, up from 35% now. Powell plans a vote on June 2, and the three-person Republican majority on the commission seems certain to approve the proposed changes. This isn't good policy. The U.S. needs greater concentration of the media market like a fast-food junkie needs more fat. What we read, hear, and watch is already determined to far too great an extent a half dozen giant conglomerates: AOL Time Warner (AOL ), Viacom (VIA ), Walt Disney (DIS ), News Corp. (NWS ), General Electric (GE ), and Bertelsman. Yet Powell has held just one official public hearing on the proposed changes. And the specifics of the revisions being considered haven't been made public. Media consolidationNEW YORK, NYWHAT: NOSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 28, 2003 - 3:30am.
on Old Site Archive Media consolidation NEW YORK, NY WHAT: NO MORE CLEAR CHANNELS! STOP THE FCC MEDIA GIVEAWAY WHEN: Thursday, May 29th 2003 Noon - 1:30 PM - (the Thursday before the FCC votes to dramatically deregulate the media) WHERE: 1120 Sixth Avenue @ 43rd Street New York City, New York Protest Clear Channel Radio and the Media Monopoly on Thursday, May 29 A National Day of Protest to Stop the Media Monopoly Clear Channel Communications is the poster child of everything that's wrong with media deregulation. After the media deregulation of 1996, Clear Channel gobbled up hundreds of radio stations throughout the country and now owns more than 1200 stations nationwide, dominating the audience share in 100 of 112 major markets. Not only is the company the world's largest radio broadcaster, it,s also the world largest concert promoter and billboard advertising firm. Clear Channel's monopolistic practices have accelerated the homogenization of our airwaves. The company promotes cookie-cutter style radio that has urban stations throughout the country seemingly playing the same seven songs. It shuts out independent artists who can't afford to go through high-priced middlemen and is responsible for taking the practice of voice tracking to new heights. Voice tracking creates brief, computer-assisted voice segments that attempt to fool the listener into thinking that a Clear Channel also uses its stations to promote its right-wing political agenda. After September 11, the company came to the public's attention when executives circulated a list of blacklisted songs including John Lennon's Imagine and Cat Stevens' Peace Train. This year Clear Channel became one of the first media companies in recent times to sponsor a political rally--they sponsored pro-war rallies in cities around the country before and during the war on Iraq. Another "Rally for America" is being organized in Huntington, West Virginia for Memorial Day weekend. If the FCC passes Michael Powell's proposed new media rules, companies like Clear Channel and Fox will be given even more control over the public airwaves than they already have. And we are likely to see in television the same type of feeding frenzy we saw in the radio industry after the 1996 media deregulation. No more Clear Channels! Stop the FCC media deregulation! Location: Sponsored By: For directions, please enter the address into Yahoo Maps: This ain't your father's blogSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 5:25pm.
on Old Site Archive This ain't your father's blog post [whining deleted] Yay!Blogger let me update mySubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 4:34pm.
on Old Site Archive Yay! Blogger let me update my template, Squawkbox has the comments running and all is right with the world. Well, except Andrew Sullivan admitting the Republicans have gone crazy. I may never get over that… Cognitive dissonanceI stopped reading AndrewSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 1:41pm.
on Old Site Archive Cognitive dissonance I stopped reading Andrew Sullivan about three weeks after my first pass by his site, but Calpundit quoted something from his page that SO dropped my jaw I had to see it for myself. CUT SPENDING FIRST: The arguments against this are as follows. The only way to control spending is to cut taxes first, by starving the government of resources. One email spelled it out pretty clearly:
I've said this to you on more than one occasion ? there is a singularly good reason for MASSIVE deficits... GW's real job, like Reagan before him, is to ensure that all the money is spent, that when a Dem takes office, 33 percent or more is paying off debt. This is called preemptive handcuffs. It isn't my idea. It is David Stockman's. No money to spend when Dems are in office. You are being childish. The only rationale for fiscal responsibility NOW is if you want there to be $ for Dems to spend later. Stop being NAIVE. No one admits this ? like many things I've been a party to ? it isn't a philosophy it is a strategy. Going deeper: The international markets understand this. "Oh, a deficit? That means nothing because they are spending the next Dem?s $." This is really an analysis of why lib policy is doomed to failure. It can?t work, because it is soooooooooooo easy for Reps to undermine. That's the real Keynes. Think! Give the guy points for candor. But the result of this repetitive, partisan strategy is surely an increasing level of government debt, which doesn't only restrict future spending, but restricts future tax cuts. I hate to bring up the national interest here, as opposed to cheap partisan advantage. The other point, of course, is that it isn't the Democrats' future spending we have to worry about. It's the Republicans'! It seems "not for publication" wasn't joking after all Even deeper, scrolling down an entry I find: Maybe we do need to go into deeper debt to forestall a future attack that could indeed cripple the economy. Again, I'd be open to persuasion on that as well. But we don't even hear that. We simply hear the old argument that reducing taxes increases government revenue more than the tax-cuts themselves cost. Sorry. I'm not buying it. Look, I hope I'm wrong. I hope that the cheaper dollar, tax cuts and low interest rates will lead to a recovery that will bring revenues flooding into the Treasury. But count me as an Eisenhower Republican skeptic. And until the GOP actually proves it has the ability to restrain spending, I certainly don't begrudge anyone for voting Democratic in order to keep the government within its limits.
And scrolling up I find: At this point, it's clear that the Republican party, at all levels, is simply fiscally irresponsible. This is true at the federal level, where Republicans have out-spent Democrats; and at a state level, as this USA Today synopsis spells out:
State legislatures controlled by Republicans increased spending an average of 6.54% per year from 1997 to 2002, compared with 6.17% for legislatures run by Democrats... Republicans cut taxes an average of 1.08% annually from 1997 to 2002 when they controlled both the legislature and governor's office. Democrats cut taxes 0.59% annually when they were in charge of state government. (My thanks to Hoosier Review.) So I was wrong yesterday. The Democrats aren't worse. They're actually better at controlling spending than today's Republicans. True fiscal conservatives might want to rethink their long-standing preference for Republicans.I feel like I fell into that Star Trek mirror universe. It is obviously time for me to leave this alone for the day. You should watch Mark Fiore'sSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 11:03am.
on Old Site Archive Nothing clever to addnot evenSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 9:22am.
on Old Site Archive Nothing clever to add not even formatting Congo War Toll Soars as U.N. Pleads for Aid UNIA, Congo, May 26 ? They call the machete a weapon of mass destruction here. Its ghastly wreckage can be found inside what passes for this town's only functioning hospital. On a thin foam mattress lies a wide-eyed old man who has survived an attempted decapitation. Nearby, a mother with black moons around her eyes nurses two wounded children back to health and mourns for another two, freshly killed. It is estimated that more than three million people have died in Congo's four-year war as a dizzying array of rival rebel armies and their patrons from nine neighboring countries have fought over Congo's enormous spoils. Gold, diamonds and coltan ? a mineral used in cellphones ? are among the precious loot in this northeastern province called Ituri, and peace deals so far have done nothing to stanch the bloodletting. The latest massacre took place over several days this month, as militias belonging to rival Hema and Lendu tribes battled for control here in Ituri's largest town. You hate me! You really,Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 8:52am.
on Old Site Archive You hate me! You really, really hate me! The current regime has from the Washington Post, via Wampum Energy Policy Spurs Affirmative Action Debate
By Dana Milbank Tuesday, May 20, 2003; Page A17 Earlier this year, when the White House weighed in on the landmark affirmative action case before the Supreme Court, President Bush said he opposed racial quotas but left unanswered the crucial question of whether race can be a factor in government programs. The administration has now given an answer to that question -- not in a legal brief but in a little-noticed statement on energy policy, of all things. At the end of a four-page official "Statement of Administration Policy" on energy legislation, the administration included two sentences that, in the view of both supporters and opponents of affirmative action, make clear that government cannot consider racial diversity in admissions, grants and the like. A slow dayBecause my commentingSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 7:55am.
on Old Site Archive A slow day Because my commenting host is apparently having issues, and Blogger won't let me update my template to peel the link out of there. So, being the Evil Master of HTML, I'll generate the page, download it, hack out the code and let an error pop up in the rare event that someone want to comment. At least the page will be available. Playing in trafficYou know whatSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 7:44am.
on Old Site Archive Playing in traffic You know what I should be blogging? The mounting grief in Africa, in a feeble attempt to raise awareness and to respond to statements like this in the NY Times: So it's time to rethink this continent. Africa itself has largely failed, and Western policies toward it have mostly failed as well. … because current Western policies have mostly failed entirely because previous Western policies — the post colonial ones of drawing political boundaries to split tribes and group them with hereditary enemies, to empower thugs to keep the political boundaries intact, have worked… with stunning efficiency. Just as Kurdistan was purposely fragmented into the Iraqi and Turkish Kurds "ethnic groups" that are the source of so much concern now. I should be writing about that. I should.
But I haven't. I mean, I got AllAfrica.com over there in the news sources. I could just pop by and grab the latest like I do with the NY Times, ZDNet, Corante and a couple others. I could just give up a weblog or two… as you probably know that would render up huge blocks of time. But I haven't. Like most Americans, I've been too busy worrying about the car heading toward me to warn the next guy about the truck screaming his way. So busy trying to make out what the conspirators whispering while glancing furtively at me are saying to pay attention to the screams from around the corner. Understandable? I think so. Expected? Definitely. Troubling? To me? Yeah. I have a bad feeling Mr Kristof is right: Our children and grandchildren may fairly ask, "So, what did you do during the African holocaust?" And what will I say?
"I was blogging." Grim RealityWell, I've posted aSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 2:40am.
on Old Site Archive Grim Reality Well, I've posted a bunch of references on the Corporate Influence on Government. And I still have a few items to add to the Right Wing Attack on Civil Rights page. You'd think I had enough bad news over in the right hand column. That's kinda why it's on the right. Keeps it where it started. Like most rightist influence, it's hard to get at… when Blogger gets it's hardware act together I'll update the template so the blog has a pointer to it. Meanwhile we'll have to live with the link in this post. And if it takes too long, I'll put up a summary post with links to all the new material. I've been thinking about making a permanent link to the tables of articles from the "Race: The Power of an Illusion" site anyway. Another experimentI just went toSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 27, 2003 - 12:14am.
on Old Site Archive Another experiment I just went to The Truth Laid Bear's ecosystem. Started at the bottom (roughly where I'm at) and scrolled up, scanning all the sites that showed up in the visited links color. There's a hint of a pattern there. After I get some sleep I need to try that again. In honor of Bill BennettTheSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 11:28pm.
on Old Site Archive In honor of Bill Bennett The GYWO players in, "Have You Seen My Book of Virtues?" Keeping "Get Your War On" nice and lubed for Iran, I guess. The other problem with affirmativeSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 11:09pm.
on Old Site Archive The other problem with affirmative action Joel at Pax Nortona adds his own experience to an article from Tolerance.org Stacking the Deck Against Affirmative Action
Not only that, but when they were asked by unqualified white guys (c'mon, c'mon, you KNOW there's a couple of them out there) why they didn't hire the shmoes, said shmoes were frequently told they had to hire a minority for the spot. Softens the blow on the old ego and thickens the residue of hatred. The last part wasn't always intended, it was just a side effect of taking the easy way out.
Tolerance.org has it right regarding what it calls the "The Blair Witch-Hunt Project": The top guys at the Times still don't seem to understand that they have failed on two different fronts: first, by not attracting more qualified non-white journalists to diversify the Times' newsroom and, second, by giving a young reporter with a dreadful track record bigger and bigger stories supposedly as a way of helping black journalists....[The New York Times] still does not get it. [Times decision-makers] seem not to understand that diversity in the workplace does not mean showing black people who are bad at their jobs greater leniency than whites would get. Diversity programs at their best provide greater access to institutions and workplaces that have a history of excluding qualified minorities. And by that measure, the New York Times newsroom definitely needs to be diversified. This matches what I often saw in minority hiring. African Americans who I would have been proud to work with -- because they were intelligent, thoughtful, charismatic, and real leaders -- were scorned by white managers. To prove that they weren't "racist", these same managers would hire black people with horrible track records. They would, naturally, do poorly at the job: the white managers would shake their heads and say "See. Affirmative action makes us hire incompetents.fuckinsomnia posted by Prometheus 6Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 10:57pm.
on Old Site Archive A longer blogrollLike I gotSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 6:10pm.
on Old Site Archive A longer blogroll Like I got time to read them all. But Uppity-Negro reads a lot like what I had in mind when I started this thing. And Interesting Monstah was suggested to me two months ago and I just never got to it. Ummm . . .Okay. Y'allSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 5:34pm.
on Old Site Archive Ummm . . . Okay. Y'all know by now I like editorial cartoons. From Cowboy Khalil… through K-Marx The Spot… and the Bear Left Link Library… to Infinite Jest - home of some REALLY BRUTAL STUFF, including a trading card set that beats the hell out of Yu-Gi-Oh! And they were smart enough not to try to torture them into a set of 54. I'm such a hypocriteAlmost immediatelySubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 4:47pm.
on Old Site Archive I'm such a hypocrite Almost immediately after Atrios Jr. for ragging on people who depend too much on quotes from Atrios, I give you something from a link provided by (drumroll…) Atrios. Oh. I am so ashamed… from DenverPost.com Rancor becomes top D.C. export
GOP leads charge in ideological war By John Aloysius Farrell, Denver Post Washington "We are trying to change the tones in the state capitals - and turn them toward bitter nastiness and partisanship," said Grover Norquist, a leading Republican strategist, who heads a group called Americans for Tax Reform. "Bipartisanship is another name for date rape," Norquist, a onetime adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said, citing an axiom of House conservatives. Suddenly I know great fear…Submitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 2:01pm.
on Old Site Archive Suddenly I know great fear … when I see a web page declaring Harry Potter's magic to be of Khemetic origin. FascinatingBlogger has saved my newSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 1:09pm.
on Old Site Archive Fascinating Blogger has saved my new template (with My Bondage and My Freedom listed in The Public Library, in the right column) but it doesn't use it to generate the page. That's an improvement over this morning, at least… Quite a characterJust opened upSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 1:00pm.
on Old Site Archive Quite a character Just opened up the TNR Politics newsletter. Josh Marshall has been asking why the pols and press haven't been all over Tom DeLay and his naked power grab/redistricting plan in Texas. I believe TNR gives a good reason. from TNR Online TRB FROM WASHINGTON
Character Witness by Peter Beinart Think this wasn't part of a national strategy orchestrated by the White House? Then explain the fact that Colorado Republicans have done the exact same thing. Last November, Republicans won both houses of the state legislature there as well. This year, they used their new majority to replace a court-ordered redistricting plan with one that guarantees them more seats. (As in Texas, the Colorado GOP did this by packing blacks and Hispanics into overwhelmingly minority districts. And you thought Republicans opposed racial separatism.) The Houston Chronicle, which endorsed Bush for president, wrote last month that such actions "would set a precedent for redistricting any time a Washington bully wanted to impose it." Beltway conservatives, by contrast, have expressed not the slightest concern. Interesting listI'm not the onlySubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 10:37am.
on Old Site Archive Interesting list I'm not the only list keeper around. "All that what for fer what?" (that's the page title in the HTML - I think "Flagrancy to Reason" is cooler) has a page called "American Hegemony - A Timeline." Lost of good history in there, with lots of links to documentation. Just what I needed toSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 10:27am.
on Old Site Archive Just what I needed to see I may look in on Atrios Jr. in a week or two. See what he's evolved into. For shit's sake people, what's the point in running your own blog if all you do is quote Atrios, hoping he'll link you, just once? Make it easy on yourself and when people load up your blog, let the link "go read Eschaton" be the only thing they see. Or... you could dig around the news, find something you're passionate about, and blog the shit out of it!
I'd be willing to bet a small sum that Atrios Jr. is Atrios himself. One day maybe I'll write up all my observations on blogging and such. RebootI'm having a hard timeSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 9:26am.
on Old Site Archive Reboot I'm having a hard time getting my head wrapped around this blogging thing today. Having basically taken the weekend off, I hesitate to delve deeply into the bullshit again. And a three day backlog of bad news is particularly unappealing. I'm not depressed like CalPundit was. In fact I had a pretty decent weekend, with a major self-generated exception… and even that was about something I needed to understand about myself. It's more like wanting to refocus of being constructive. That was my original intent, and though I don't think I've strayed far from it I've been right on the edge of ranting sometimes. Plus, being constructive doesn't work with all individual cases… that doesn't surprise me since nothing works in all individual cases but I am occasionally caught off guard by the cases in which it doesn't. I just spent about a hour writing stuff that I didn't feel honest posting. The truth is, this thing feels somewhat masturbatory sometimes. Another truth is I occasonally REALLY TRULY want to verbally bitch-slap certain concepts that people really feel attached to… real world concepts, blogosphere concepts, ego concepts… I also feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea of a serious marketing effort - it's just not been my way, ever, yet if I want to impact things (the impact I'm looking for, btw, is to have Black people's perspective taken into account rather than being dismissed offhand as I feel it is all too often) that's what I'd have to do. These are among the things I'm thinking about that will likely make me change my approach here, just a bit. Probably not enough for anyone but me to notice. I'm scared, but I'm tryingSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 26, 2003 - 6:46am.
on Old Site Archive I'm scared, but I'm trying it anyway My Bondage and My Freedom is available, BUT… When I try to bring up the template for this site in Blogger so I can add the link, the window is blank. There's a problem there and I don't know how bad it is. I can still post but it's more than possible updating the template will be a terminal error. I've saved the current blog page, archives and template offline so worst come to worst I can restore stuff. RESULT: Non-terminal, but not updated either. Oh, well. Maybe by the time its fixed I'll have the Appendix converted to HTML anyway. The link in this post is valid so if you want to check it out, you can. While you were awayI lookedSubmitted by Prometheus 6 on May 25, 2003 - 11:09am.
on Old Site Archive While you were away I looked in at Calpundit's site. Yesterday he posted a series of topics that represented serious challenges to the intellectual underpinnings of the Conservative movement's choices. I haven't gotten to the comments yet. Today's post, though, is titled "Depressed" No more blogging today. No more news, no more TV, no more Republicans telling me that the only way for my country to prosper is to give ever more to the rich and ever less to the poor, to starve any government program that dares to help education, healthcare, the needy, or the elderly, and to base our role in the world solely on a mirage of military dominance so breathtakingly misguided that it would make Julius Ceasar himself choke on his porridge. What is it that drives otherwise sane people to believe that these are the things that will make America great in the 21st century?
Maybe I'll be back tomorrow. Maybe not. In either case, have a nice Memorial Day. Then there's Oliver Willis. Seems I've been banned from commenting on his blog because what I wrote here I entered as a comment to the post I quoted. His right, but it surprises me a bit given his recent "no more Mr. Nice Leftist" rhetoric. Perhaps the tone of the comment was harsher than the atmosphere he wants to maintain. Or I may be wrong, maybe it's a technical problem. |
