Indignant Desert Birds

When confronted with a difficult question, I often ask myself “what would Orwell do?” The answer is usually “fight against tyranny and for the dignity of the human spirit”. Which isn’t a lot of help when you want to know what’s for dinner…

It turns out that Orwell kept a diary. And why not? Most everyone did in the pre-LJ era. Well, it seems that his Diary is being turned into a blog. Which I must say– that’s an awesome concept.

There are already projects to do online catalogs of famous people, so I hope that Orwell is but the first of many famous people who have their diaries turned into blogs. Can you imagine how cool it would be to read Jefferson or Franklin’s Diary updated daily? Modern technology being used to present history to modern lives: I love that.

Tags: Books by Punning Pundit
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The last 7 years have been a disaster. When Bush came into office, the right was trying to gin up a new Cold War with China, Bush increased the allowable content of lead in drinking water in his first week, hopped into bed with Enron while they shut down the power in California, and began ignoring the looming threat of terrorism.

Then 9/11 happened and it got really bad.

For 7 years we have systematically alienated the rest of the planet, poisoned our world, and redistributed wealth away from workers to gamblers investors. It would have been easy for a left-wing hate monger to rise up and promise retribution. With righteous fury we would have marched on the ballot boxes and seized back the reigns of power.

Instead a man came and said he wanted us to wake up from the nightmare. Sometimes I have a hard time believing, but I’ve allowed myself hope:

Tags: Uncategorized by Punning Pundit
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I think I’ll remind us all of our mission statement: Smart people having fun. Enjoy a video…

Tags: humor by Punning Pundit
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Throughout the 1990s, attempts were made at raising Fuel efficiency standards. Every time a new bill would go before congress, American automakers would say that, in effect, American jobs would be lost since American companies were not as capable as Japanese or European car companies.

Congress did the dishonorable thing and caved.

Of course, as gas prices have set new records, American auto sales have plummeted. And so factories are closing and workers are being laid off. Executives, on the other hand, the ones who lobbied congress and refused to proactively head off this problem– they’re doing just fine. Even if they are fired, they won’t lose their lifestyle, their houses, and so forth. Their children will still have had the best health care, education, and toys money can buy. Many of these children will think of themselves as “self made”…

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Just kidding: it’s actually pretty great:

Historic “Blockbuster” Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past

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Ron-

Happy birthday, baby.

It was a simple note laid under some flowers at the AIDS memorial. Here, in one of the most beautiful places in the Golden Gate park, laid a simple reminder of those left behind after an AIDS victim dies. His partner, or parent, or friend. Someone who misses him on his birthday, who celebrates the times they had together, after a life is taken.

AIDS is a preventable disease, but once you have it, you’ll find yourself in a slow spiral that ends your life earlier. There are other diseases like this. And suicide is one of them.

I am an avid reader of Post Secret. Mostly, because I hope to find my secrets among the ones posted. I have never sent in a postcard, but that doesn’t keep me from hoping.

Post Secret helps to support 1-800-SUICIDE, a non-profit hotline that takes calls from suicidal people. It is not government-run, which is very important. Government-run suicide organizations bring in the police, and other non-sensitive personnel, while this organization provides confidential crisis counseling that is more appropriate for the situation.

1-800-SUICIDE needs to pay a very large phone bill. The federal government, frustrated by their inability to take over the non-profit organization, has charged 1-800-SUICIDE with a huge fee to keep their phone number and use a different phone service. You can see a video here explaining the situation in more detail.

“July 19, 2008: Celebrating 3 years since I didn’t kill myself”.  Suicide is preventable.  And you can help prevent it.

Every 84 seconds someone calls the hotline. If you are so inspired, you can donate to the organization here. They are an amazing organization, and it’s important they can continue to exist.

Tags: death by wanton frolicking
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First, steal a recipe. You can legitimately call this recipe your own through manifest destiny, if you wish. I personally stole my boyfriend’s step-mother’s nacho recipe.

Second, buy some cheap food. While complaining about outsourcing, enjoy the products of packaging from foreign companies. But the cheese is from California! You’ll also need some sour cream, chips, refried beans, and avocados imported from some country.

Melt the cheese and refried beans onto chips in pre-heated oven (invented by Ben Franklin!) at 350 degrees for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Take out and top with sour cream and home-made guacamole. Enjoy!

Have a great 4th of July!

Tags: Uncategorized by wanton frolicking
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By Ara Rubyan (cross posted at E Pluribus Unum)

I like Chuck Todd (and his posse of deputies Mark Murray and Domenico Montanaro) but I think they’re off in the tall grass on this:

[...[D]oes this entire episode remind anyone else of John Kerry’s botched joke before the 2006 midterms — when Kerry’s mangled swipe at President Bush got twisted into a slap at US troops?

That’s a misreading of what’s happening here because Clark’s point was made with far more intelligence and articulation than Kerry’s (despite Obama calling it “inartful” but that’s another story).

Here’s how I see it:

McCain, trailing badly by most meaningful metrics, wants the Obama camp to hit him hard. Why? Three reasons:

1. So that he can get as much free media as possible, but more importantly…
2. So he can play the aggrieved victim, which leads to…
3. Drawing the Republican base closer to him (McCain) in his defense.

That’s it. So how’s he doing? Not so good.

Obama is not the candidate that will lash out at his opponents. McCain should know this by now — Obama is preternaturally cool (for a national politician) — it is McCain who is the hothead. Instead of lashing out, Obama has repeatedly stated how much he honors McCain’s sacrifice, but…that isn’t enough to qualify McCain to be president. The longer McCain strikes back, the weaker and more petty he looks.

I think I know what McCain is trying to do: he (consciously or otherwise) is trying to take a page out of Richard Nixon’s campaign playbook circa 1967. Back then, Nixon was perceived as a has-been, a loser that no one in their right mind would listen to. But Nixon figured out that if he could goad LBJ into lashing out at him personally, he could elevate his stature to that of the sitting president. And (more importantly) he could paint himself as a victim/outsider being picked on by the bully/insider. Nixon understood the simmering resentment against Johnson and knew that as soon as Johnson struck back it would draw the Republican base closer to him. It worked for Nixon back then.

But it won’t work for McCain today because Obama isn’t a bully and McCain isn’t an outsider. Oh, he’ll draw the Republican base closer to him because these are the same people that give Bush a 60% approval rating and they’ll believe just about anything. But as far as getting the independents and disaffected Democrats…not so much.

Furthermore, the free media thing isn’t working out so well either. For one thing, Wesley Clark has made his point with clarity … and humility: Clark honors McCain’s sacrifice, but will not concede that it automatically makes McCain the superior candidate for president. In my book, this makes him a decent candidate for Secretary of Defense or Chariman of the Armed Services Committee … but not Chief Executive of the United States. Of course, McCain’s camp simply won’t accept that and continues to play the “sacrifice card” and the “military experience” card. But that misses the point and gives Clark yet another chance to repeat his point.

And you know what? Every day that this story stays alive cuts against McCain by allowing Clark’s argument to be discussed in greater detail. It gives Sen. Webb a chance to weigh in. It gives McCain another opportunity to screw up by bringing in the bad actors from the Swiftboats for Slime — the guys who trashed Kerry by trashing his military career.

Bad move Senator McCain: now YOU look like the bully. Can’t you see? No one is trashing your military career. Not Clark, not Webb, not Obama. They are simply making a simple case: Being a hero yesterday does not punch your ticket to the Presidency…tomorrow.

Everyday that this issue is discussed AGAIN is another day where we get to consider whether we elect a president based on his judgment instead of his sacrifice. Hillary tried to frame her fight with Obama in a similar way — experience versus judgment. She lost. If McCain wants to fight that battle again, he’s going to lose just like Hillary did.

Elections are about the future, not the past. If McCain doesn’t know that by now, he’s doomed.

Tags: Election 08, liberal, politics by arubyan
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