Blogcritics Author: gonzo marx

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Dems Cowardly Surrender 4th Amendment

gonzo marx — Mon, 6 Aug 2007 22:07:30 EDT

Greetings, gentle Readers...Here in the U.S. we have had a good run. A country founded on the rule of Law, not men, protected freedoms and liberties, checks and balances holding it all together.Not any more.This weekend, the Democrats of both the House and Senate showed the huge yellow streak on their backs (and shorts) by caving in to the Administration when it comes to protecting citizen's Rights for having a member of the Judicial Branch perform oversight and review when it comes to certain types of warrants.Some may not see this as any big deal, others think it's fine because the Administration claims it's only about foreign terror suspects, and yet another faction says that if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear.Your humble Commentator calls ...bullshit.Let's recap, shall we?Our Constitution says - The extraordinary government power to curb civil rights and liberties during crisis periods, such as times of war, lies with Congress and not the President. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress, and not the President, with the power to suspend the right of habeas corpus during a period of rebellion or invasion."This is important because of the case history involving Jose Padilla who was held for about 3 years, without being charged, and without trial or even appearance before a court, about 2 years of which was spent in solitary confinement. Held because the Administration classified this American Citizen as an "enemy combatant". This was never proven, nor established by any member of the Judicial branch, but a proclamation by the Administration alone.So, yes Virginia...the government can now lock you up with no recourse, merely by saying you are an "enemy combatant" and never have to prove a thing against you.This was the first step in destroying the Rights of Citizens to be protected against our government.The next step has been the circumventing of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) passed in 1978. This set of laws and regulation was created in the aftermath of some scandals involving the government wiretapping folks without a warrant, and was meant to provide rules, guidelines and oversight for the interception of foreign communications in the name of National Security.A fine idea by all accounts, and it has been revised and updated over 50 times since it's inception in order to cover all the bases and keep things above board and under the scrutiny of checks and balances.Until this Administration decided it could monitor anything it wanted to without bothering with those pesky warrants. Congress took a pitiful stab at getting answers from the Attorney General about it all, to no avail, getting stonewalled at every turn...and possibly lied to by the nation's highest Law Enforcement Officer as touched upon in this article.Now comes the part that should scare the shit out of every Citizen in our Nation.This weekend, the Democrats cravenly caved in to the Bush machine's pressure to let them have their way when it comes to digging up anything they want to without any kind of warrant, just on 2 Administration appointees say so.Not wanting to engage in serious debate or investigation, not wanting to look "weak on terror", and wanting nothing more than to go on their vacation...each and every Senator and Congressman who voted for this Bill, as well as those who wrote it, and the man who signed it into Law are traitors to the Republic.They'll hem and haw and make excuses like "it's only for six months"! Yeah, like Padilla's sitting in solitary confinement for about 2 years was also a temporary inconvenience. Don't be fooled, don't listen to anyone else (including me). Take a look at it all for yourselves, read up, think about it.One would think real Conservatives would be pissed at the erosion of their basic Rights, one would think real Liberals would be pissed at the destruction of the checks and balances that are supposed to protect Individuals from the government.Perhaps, but it looks like both sides of the aisle could give an aerial fornication bisecting a rotating pastry about U.S., they just wanted to go on vacation rather than do their jobs fulfilling their Oaths to preserve, uphold and protect the Constitution."Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - attributed to Ben FranklinSo here we have it, our government can now tap all your communications without a warrant, because two Administration appointed officials say they can, and then if they want to declare you an "enemy combatant" they can toss you in jail, with NO charges brought against you, for as long as they want with no ability to appeal. All of that without ANY judicial review...you know, those pesky checks and balances.Looks like in the new Big Brother 21st century, Uncle Sam ain't no nice guy, after all.For those quick to defend all of this, remember there's a damn good possibility that all of this power and potential for abuse will be in the hands of a Democrat (maybe even Hillary) come November '08.For those who think the Democrats will defend them and make it all right in the end, remember those spineless shitweasels just let this happen so they could go on vacation and to try and dodge a fight over a real issue. All because they were afraid of W and his cronies and just wanted to go on vacation.For those who still support this Administration, this is the Law they wanted, that they wrote, and that they put their pressure on to have passed...and this was the watered down version.Look it all up, think it over, decide for yourselves after checking multiple sources.Me? I just smashed my cell phone, and am pondering a crew cut, an NRA membership and getting "born again" just to keep Big Brother from my door for a while longer.your mileage may vary...Excelsior?

digital Ronin, systemic diagnostician, and Jester of the Aether... a working stiff since age 13, a gaming enthusiast who still indulges his hobby, a "reactionary writer" and familiar Heckler in the comments sections here at BC

Low Notes: A Tribute to Some of the Best Bass Players

gonzo marx — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:50:49 EDT

Melodic percussive Thunder holding down the bottom end, sticking the rhythm and the foundation of chordal progressions.Such is a partial description of what the electric bass means in all forms of today's Music.I'm going to pry open my skull for a bit, and allow some thoughts on the lineage highpoints of the 4-string to spill onto the screen in hopes of sharing a glimmer of my perceived evolution concerning the bass.We'll be exploring the subject by having a look at some of the players who I think made a big difference in style, technique, and approach to the instrument and its Rockin' role. E = John Entwhistle of the Who broke the mold with his intricate use of the pentatonic scale, incredible breakthrough in fingering techniques, and the struggle to be heard amidst Townshend and Moon. A pioneer of the Marshall stack and bi-amping, it might have been his cranking of the treble control all the way up that helped foster the unique sound he continuously explored and developed over his career.Yet few can argue that "My Generation" is the song that cast aside old views about what the bass was for, and took those first steps onto the role of the 4-string as a "lead" Instrument.R.I.P. John, you are sorely missed, but never to be forgotten. A = Geddy Lee of Rush who took up the cause of the bass as a lead with a fervor. His left hand is renown for its virtuosity coupled with the rhythmic intensity and odd time counts of his right hand which created a sound and approach to the 4-string that has earned him six times bass player of the year and induction to the Bass Player Hall of Fame according to Guitar World magazine. His influence on so many other players is incalcuable, but your humble narrator freely admits he bought his first bass guitar after seeing Rush in the Felt Forum for the 2112 tour.Currently touring their latest album... go see these guys if you never have, you won't regret it. D = Lemmy, the Master of Motorhead. "Everything louder than anyone else" is not just a slogan with Lemmy, but a philosophical mantra. Coming from the prog-rock band of Hawkwind, Lemmy stepped out on his own to do something radically different. Standing astride both the nascent punk and fledgling metal genres, Lemmy introduced sheer speed into the mix with his pick strumming power chords on the bass at ludicrous velocity. All controls on his signature Richenbacher turned all the way up, Marshall amps with bass and treble controls turned all the way down, and mid-range cranked to 11 provided a unique and blistering soundscape that ripped your face off. Still rocking strong past the 60 year mark, a Motorhead show is not to be missed."Don't try and dance to this song, you'll break your fucking neck" - Lemmy, nuff said? G = Les Claypool of Primus is last, but certainly not least. His superhuman agility with the Instrument and bizarre sense of sonic propulsion places Les in a category by himself. Snapping, popping, tapping, strumming, fingerpicking... any technique that could produce a sound is accomplished with seeming ease by Claypool. Quirky and innovative, he achieves sounds like no other, and demonstrates an impish glee in spewing it all over his audience like they are in on the joke.After Cliff Burton died, Les auditioned for Metallica and didn't get the job because as James Hetfield said, "he's too good". There's a sampling folks, and a brief touch upon 4 of the greats. Sound off with your thoughts in the comments section and let the Discussion begin!The preceding was merely one sixth billionth's of the World's opinion... your mileage may vary.Excelsior?

Hubble To Continue As Eye On The Sky

gonzo marx — Wed, 1 Nov 2006 17:51:18 EST

Greetings, gentle Readers.In the midst of all the shit surrounding the American election cycle, there comes a single shining gem on the horizon of our night sky.On Tuesday, money and shuttle schedule were adjusted to include resources to repair and even upgrade one of the great marvels of the Space Age -- the Hubble Telescope.The debate has gone back and forth this past year, as some problems have shown up for the big eye in the sky.Some folks wanted to just junk the Hubble, and let its capabilities fade away, but any who have checked its images cannot fail to be awed by what this device has shown us about the cosmos beyond our tiny mudball.Check out the Hubble site, have a look around. The image gallery is truly a marvel, and yer gonzo always recommends the wallpapers for adorning your desktop with the wonders of Space.Now, I know there are some folks out there who consider Space and all that is involved with our learning and exploration of it, a waste of time and money.Nothing could be further from the truth.So many good things have come from the research involved with our Space program, that it would boggle your Mind to take it all in -- from advances in medical technology to the very computer you are reading this article on.Think about that the next time some fool tries to tell you "it's a waste."I'll leave yas all with a gun little mash up of images from the Hubble, set to music, the first image is my current desktop:Via: VideoSiftSound off on what ya think, and as always, thanks for reading.Excelsior?

Far Beyond Driven

gonzo marx — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:16:56 EDT

Greetings, gentle readers.--Vanilla Section-- Well now, here we are. Just over a year has passed since I first found BC and started writing not only comment, but some articles here. So much has happened both in the world, and here at BC.Not that I'm about to recap, or anything. Just noticing as I looked at my author's page and saw the dates on the handful of articles I've actually contributed.What I have noticed is how much the website has grown, matured, and expanded. So many voices raised, so many thoughts shared, so much discussion. Some of the dialogue gets heated at times, but sifting through the diatribes you find quite a lot of wisdom and truth about the human condition, it makes the reading well worth the time.But that's not what I'm here for right now.What I am wanting to rant about is the propensity for so many folks to seek standardization and normalcy everywhere they go. I want to explore why many folks jus can't get their heads out of the narrow confines of standardization and arbitrary authoritarian rules.--Spicy Time-- cases in Point....for so much of human Culture, there is a propensity to say what was good Yesterday, is normal for Tomorrow...."as below so above and beyond I'd imagine... drawn beyond the lines of reason, push the envelope, watch it bend." TooLthere is an olde Thread around the site somewhere, where the Question was Asked..."what do you think the most important tool Man has created is?"my Answer was "Symbols"to explain that a bit, let me put forward the Idea that the most crucial part of humanity was birthed the first time Ug tried to convey something to Oog...could have been noises, or scratches in the dirt to show how they were going to hunt, or a cave painting depicting some animalto me, this is when we became Men and rose above other animalsto me, this discovery of Abstract Symbology that allowed communication is the basis for not only our humanity, but also enabled us to begin to Question and Discover....language, music, math, art..... these are all Variations on theme, but each does the same thing... takes Symbols, and uses them to communicate--Another Scoop of Vanilla--Of course, this is a simple observation, and not really that profound in any way, shape or form. The reason I bring it up is to set the stage, actually.You see, I recognize that it is important in some instances to standardize our symbology in order to communicate effectively without being misunderstood. Yet I also stand firmly behind the thought that it is even more important sometimes to break those strictures and structures in order to shake off the boundaries of convention.Because very rarely is anything truly new discovered within the safety of conformity. That only when the boundaries are tossed aside can we open ourselves up to see more than we expect.--Some nuts on that Sundae?--"there is so... much... more... that beckons me, into these, infinite Possibilities." TooLso we hit on the Question of Why....why push outside "the Box"why stretch the normalcy of Conventionthat would depend on what Conventions you are stretching now, wouldn't it?ask Newton why he needed to invent calculus, or why Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameteron and onpossibly, it's just to get folks to look at something differently, or to engender deeper Thoughtperhaps by smacking the Receptor in the metaphorical Face with Symbology that falls outside of standard Conception it's Hoped that the Audience will be forced outside the ruts of Convention and ponder Things in a new Light or Shadowperhaps it's just wanting to shout in a different Voice in order to rise above the Din--More Vanilla--Of course some don't like the idea of stretching convention in such a manner. They find it disrespectful, strange, or just plain distasteful.They said the same thing about Charlie Parker and bebop jazz when they first heard it. How stunned were the powers that be when Bird danced around the melody, never quite playing it, but implying it by what he was playing. It took a bit more for the listener to follow, but those who did found it well worth it, and the case can be made that Bird changed how some look at music forever.So I would say that in some instances, it's about a unique voice. Especially in the medium of the Web. So much text out here, and when you read it, what voice do you hear in your skull?--The Hot Fudge--and that's the nut of it, kiddies....make your own unique Voice heard, when the time comes, fuck Convention..."always upward"or, as is put in this little embedded bit of Sight and Sound...."learn to swim"nuff said from yer Humble narrator... thanks fer *Listening*Excelsior?

Lieberman Goes Down!

gonzo marx — Wed, 9 Aug 2006 01:05:57 EDT

Greetings, gentle Readers...Well now, News just coming from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman has conceded the democratic primary for his 18 year held Senate seat...The common consensus is that this Race wound up as a Referendum within the Dem party on the Administration's "invade Iraq/war on terror" policies.Now, for the Record, I've never been a Lieberman fan... he's always seemed to epitomize many of the things I find wrong within the Dem party... you know, the DLC crowd (that's democratic leadership council...not really an official part of the Party structure, aka the DiNos).The very Interesting aspect of this Race is the quite clear Fact that the Net CAN make a difference in a race... this was Hinted at during the Dean primary campaign in '04...in which the ex-governor of Vermont had a shot until an Intern made the poor decision of sending in a feed that had Dean's microphone on, and NO crowd noise...which, after over 600 plays in a week on CNN alone, made him look like a true blue KooK...Now, Lieberman is vowing to run for the Senate seat as an Independent... some more cynical double dipping a la his simultaneous VP and Senate runs in '00.Would that Joe put that aside, but he won't...whether it's from Principle... or whether it is to please his Masters in the Insurance lobby, who've been pulling his strings for years (among others).This is not to say that your humble Narrator doesn't think that Joe has done some very good things over his 18 years, just that HOW he has done some of it, Why, and in many cases, the nuts and bolts of, What he has done, in totality, doesn't sit that well.But hey... I don't live in Connecticut, and if he Represented his constituency to their Liking, he gets the Job.Tonight, the Dems of that state have spoken clearly with their Votes... they want someone else for the Job.BC's own RJ Elliott did an Article weeks ago about this very Possibility... and, of course, he speculated that the Events of this evening might just lead to a GOP win for the seat in November...Low probability, but it IS possible... props to RJ.What excites me is the fact that it appears that the rank and file might just be taking back some control over the Dem Party from the DLC's crusty grip.And with the state of the Dems these last few years, and some of the blunders their "leadership" have made... this can only be seen as a good Thing for the American political process.This should make November's elections very Interesting indeed!Just my one sixth billionths of the World's opinion...Your mileage may vary.Excelsior?

Interview with JuJu: The Elephant God

gonzo marx — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 22:42:34 EDT

greetings again, gentle Reader...so much going on, from little things like a fellow BC'er suffering some old fashioned existential angst to another contributer in the middle of Jerusalem in the middle of a Warone can't help but be drawn in by both the micro and the macro nowadays, just as one cannot help but Wonder where IS the Spirit(s) that so much Death and War have been caused by over the centuriessince there is only one Entity on that Plane who will take my Calls, i figured it may be time to get some Answers, as best as i am able, from the Source... so i dropped the metaphysical Dime, left a Message.... and waited for the Callbackdidn't take long, reallyyou Called? rumbled the Voice in my skull... "yes, yes i did, O Wise and Mighty..." cut that out, you know I do not have much patience for simpering bipeds, why have you Called?"well, i was Wondering, if you have the Time, of course... if you could help me Understand a bit better... maybe Answer a few questions?"ever see a 39 feet high at the shoulder elephant shrug? it's like watching a house wigglesure, why notnow i was getting excited, finally... some Insight"well, you see.. there's a lot of strife on Earth right now, has been for quite a while really... and a lot of it could be cleared up if God would just make his Will known... you know, like he used to in the Bible and all...a lot of that is what a lot of the fighting is about, arguing over Scripural things...and i was Wondering why He doesn't just set the record straight or something...."which One are you talking about? doesn't matter, really...they are all playing fizzbin, the Game's been going for a while now. Zeus went out early but Odin is still hanging in there...YHWH is still going, but a little behind, Jehovah and Allah are tied...they kicked Lucifer, Satan and Loki out for cheating so Hades went off to skulk, Vishnu is playing 3 hands and a bunch of the others come in and out on occasion...it's a pretty big Game..."wait a minute, let me get this right...they're...playing....cards?"well, yes...a little bit of Fun, what's wrong with that?"oh..no...nothing, of course...i'm just a bit...um...suprised? stunned perhaps, taken off guard, certainly...i mean, i had thought they invented fizzbin on the tv show Star Trek...?"no, that was Inspired...it was a very tight Round that week, and some of the Excitement spilled over into your Dimension...it was the same week the Enlightened started the pool to see how much longer the Dalai Lama would reIncarnate...Gandhi thinks he will stick it out , but Jesus and Buddha are betting this is the last One"that's just Incredible! but whose minding the store, so to speak?" now you are starting to delve into the Metaphysical...I'll try and be careful so your head doesn't explode like the last one...every so often, one of Us will touch a Messenger, and give unto them the Word and the Message...but it's what you furless bipeds DO with it that causes so much Entropy rather than Harmony, that whole Free Will thing you know"that's Amazing! but when was the last time? Ghandi? Dr. King?"well... actually, it was Me less than 20 of your years ago...I Spoke to two Men, Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon...I had decided that two Messengers might do better... but they were stoned, and wrote It up as a screenplay instead... not a bad movie, it was Funny, and they did get the Message across..."Be Excellent to each other""waitaminnit here, you're telling me that the latest Gospel was Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure? now, my head IS gonna explode..."you have to admit it is a much more modern Wording than "do unto others as you would have others do unto you"...it uses fewer Words...pithy, you could say....what you bipeds have to Learn is that We are all just Facets of the same Gem, and the Message is always the same...just because you Perceive differences, or some corrupt leaders come along and tell you to do something against the Message doesn't mean you are supposed to kill each other over it....I told the Others that letting you evolve thumbs was a bad Idea, first thing you did was grab a stick and start clubbing each other...so We Knew the Message would be required, and Facets become Incarnate to fulfill the need, besides it gives Us someone to talk to, even if it is Ourselves...and even We like to "Party on, dudes" and Enjoy, you know...have some Fun...well, most of Us anyway...a few are pretty dour sometimes...Prometheus hangs out with the Enlightened because he is still pissed at Zeus...but feces Happenthat is more than enough for Now, did you bring my peanuts?"of course i did...most humbly Offered... and thanks so much for Speaking with me..."but the Connection went dead the picosecond he got the peanuts...and i was left Alone.Excelsior?

CIA Closes bin Laden Department

gonzo marx — Fri, 7 Jul 2006 01:16:24 EDT

greetings gentle Readers....it hit the news a few days ago, all the print media covered it, but it appears to have escaped the attention of the TV types...on orders from Intel bigwig, Negroponte, the CIA closed it's Osama bin Laden divisionnow, color me bewildered here...i had thought that bin Laden was public enemy #1 and top of the Bush "better off dead" list since 9/11but the only excuse it appears being given was cited by Reuters as coming from an anonymous official...The bin Laden unit, codenamed Alec Station, became less valuable as a separate operation as counterterrorism operations eliminated top al Qaeda operatives and the movement's focus shifted more to regional networks of militants, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.it also appears that this task force unit was shut down last year, but the news of it is just coming out now...possibly due to the usual annual budgetary bickering...now...my concern here is that of the whole Responsibility thing, and Bush's statement of not resting until bin Laden is either captured or killed...after all , as the NYT reported last tuesday...the bin Laden unit was disbanded late last year and quoted its first director, author Michael Scheuer, as predicting the move would denigrate the CIA's effort to find bin Ladenwe have pretty damn good evidence that bin Laden was directly responsible for 9/11...hell, we rightfully invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and catch the bastardbut now he is a "lower priority" ?and that makes me Wonder just where and what the Administration's "priorities" are concerning their "war on terror"by this action, it doesn't appear that catching the Mastermind behind al Qaeda is one of themjust my one sixth billionths of the world's Opinion....Excelsior?

So You Want to Defeat an Incumbent Republican?

gonzo marx — Mon, 29 May 2006 17:26:17 EDT

"submitted for your approval...." /end Rod Serling voice overgreetings once again, gentle Readers...today we take a trip into another facet of the space/time continuum and see what upcoming political speeches could be like this season from olde school Goldwater GOP types in primaries who are fed up with tax-cut-and-spend, K street project, nation-building neocon policies...or any democrat, even third party candidates who feel the same and plan to run in November...let's have a look, shall we? ..::: a public hall, potential voters gather to hear what is said, fidgeting in their seats, the house lights dim a bit and a person walks up to the podium :::.. "Good [insert morning/afternoon/evening here] my fellow Americans. A marvelous day here in beautiful [insert place name here]. I come before you today to discuss vital matters, the state of our Republic, and to talk with you about my own vision for what I'm going to do about it, if and when you deem fit to elect me as your new [insert office name here]. Now, I'd like to ask all you kind folks out there to join me in a moment of Silence while I read the names of the Honored Dead who came from our [insert city/district/state name here]... " ..::: behind the lectern, a screen lights up behind the speaker, with a list of the names of the dead in Iraq, underneath the much larger list of the wounded :::.. [read first list, pause]"And for those wounded in our names, the recipients of the Purple Heart are..."[read second list, pause] "Thank you for sharing that Moment, I feel it is vitally important that we keep our brave Veterans in our minds and our hearts while they serve our Nation. One of my most important goals is to ensure that those people and their families are cared for as our Society has promised, and this Administration has neglected. Now, I'm sure you are all wondering what my campaign stands for, what our goals are, and of course....what are we going to do for YOU. It's all written up in a single paragraph that was penned by much wiser people than I am, but whose example I promise I will strive to live up to..." ..::: another projection behind the lectern, as it comes up, the Candidate looks at the audience and recites it by heart :::.. "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." "That's the mission statement, ladies and gentlemen. That deceptively simple, yet deeply profound bit of wordsmithing says everything that anyone seeking your vote for elected office SHOULD be following as their guiding light and most precious objectives. 'We the People'...that's the important thing here. We are NOT here to serve the government, rather it is supposed to be the other way around! This preamble to our Constitution sets up the duties and obligations of our Government TO the People. Far too often as of late, those who represent us have forgotten that. If elected, I swear I will serve ONLY "We the People", NOT the special Interests who want more than the rest, NOT the Corporations that think they have a right to our markets, but no obligation to our People as they use the loopholes placed into the system by corrupt officials to outsource and offshore our jobs for the graven image of their bottom lines. "We the People"... NOT foreign governments and Interests that bribe their way into special deals that benefit them, but are paid for by the sweat and taxes of our citizens. "We the People"... NOT the lobbyists or the K street moneymen who sow greed and corruption in order to line their own pockets. "We the People"... NOT the greedy and corrupt seekers of Office whose only goal is to serve those special Interests from office, and reap larger ill gotten rewards when they finally leave and work directly for those Interests as lobbyists themselves. I know, I know... I can hear you saying to yourselves right now, 'That's a tall order, and we've heard it all before. What's going to make you different?' I'm glad you asked, shows you care about what's going on, it shows you want to make a difference, and do your civic duty as an informed part of the Electorate...as a willing participant of "We the People". So, if you are willing to listen, I'm here to talk about what I see are some of the major problems to be overcome, and what I intend to do about it, all the while paying careful attention to the principles outlined in that glorious Preamble up on the screen behind me. [sip of water to pause] Settle in, be comfortable, this is going to take a bit. I'm not one who is going to promise to [make quote marks with fingers] "save the world" with some ten-second sound byte. We have real problems and challenges to face, and solving them takes more than simple platitudes and slogans, no matter what the dog and pony show of current politics and the main stream media want you to believe. You folks know better, and I'm betting you're tired of being treated like that, and tired of business as usual from our Government. Let's take this point by point, and according to our mission statement of the Preamble behind me on the screen. [half-turn and gesture up to the projection] 'in Order to form a more perfect Union'... [turn fully towards audience, and grip the podium in both hands] My goal here is to do just that, aid in forming that more perfect Union talked about here. I intend to pursue that ideal by doing my best to get rid of the very notion of a hyphenated American. That's right, I will not recognize those artificial divisions set in our way by those special Interests who gain by splitting us apart into false factions, wanting us to pay attention to some small detail that would benefit a sub-group rather than helping all those in 'We the People...'. I don't care about partisan stances, I will deal with each Issue on a case by case basis, not the self serving whims of the professional politicians who run the Party...but by what is going to do the most for 'We the People' as a whole, and you...my hopeful future Constituents, as the guiding light. One of the ways that I, personally, will be following that dictum is to only accept contributions from you, the actual Constituency that can vote for me. NOT from any special Interests, NOT from any lobbyists, NOT from anyone outside of those who can actually vote for me in this pursuit. The only ones I will be responsible to are, 'We the People'. [sip of water to pause] 'establish Justice'... For me, this is about Justice for ALL, according to the tenets of the Constitution and the Rule of Law. I will work towards making certain that ANY who violate our Laws are prosecuted. From the bank robber, to the embezzling CEO, and the corrupt in our Government. As part of the process, I will put forward the Idea to spend at least one session per week in finding Laws that fail to serve the cause of Justice for 'We the People' and have them legally stricken from the books. We've all heard the story about the town that still has a Law that requires a red lantern be waved in front of a car as it travels a city street. Hundreds, if not thousands of such silly laws still clog our system, and do not provide Justice. Many other Laws were practically written by special Interests and enacted by the corrupt to favor and reward at the expense of 'We the People' I say, NO MORE![pound lectern once] Far worse time spent than a day per week of seeking out such travesties, and striking them from our system. Removing the waste, and accomplishing part of what Legislators are supposed to do, take care and make certain the system is working FOR people, and not against them. [sip water for pause] 'insure domestic Tranquility' ... We do that by removing the artificial divisions that the special Interests use to make us fight each other over petty squabbles so they may distract us while they pick our pockets to feed their greed. I intend to fight for America First policies as much as is possible. An example would be our Government's purchasing practices. I will fight to enact provisions that would require ALL Government purchases to be filled domestically. Not just purchased from American-owned corporations, but the products themselves must be made, assembled and employ American resources. It just makes sense, if we taxpayers are going to spend money on something, it should go to a quality bidder and benefit 'We the People' in it's purchase. It infuriates me that things like major sub-systems for American, state of the art fighter planes, are being manufactured in foreign countries at the cost of American jobs as well as our National security! [knowingly shake head, and sip of water to pause] Which leads us to... 'provide for the common defense'... I consider it a tragic crime that I need to even address this Issue at this point in our Nation's history. That we still have not secured our borders, ports and terminals. this is a PRIMARY reason for even having a Government, and perhaps THE most important task that 'We the People' have for it. This simple priority should be the ONLY task undertaken by our Government until the problem is resolved. 'We the People' require that our Government do all that is possible within the confines outlined by the Rule of Law to defend us from all clear and present dangers that threaten us. [sip of water to pause] 'promote the general Welfare'... Now that is an important part of the whole thing, ladies and gentlemen. This is the cornerstone of my entire America First view of policy. Those who we elect to represent us need to actually do that...represent 'We the People' rather than their own self serving interests, or the special Interests that fill their coffers. As you've all probably figured out by now, I have some ideas on this subject. Let's start with those elected representatives themselves. How many of you have ever looked at a Congressional district map? Probably not too many outside of the political junkies in the audience. Look it up sometime, as well as the figures for incumbents being re-elected. The results will scare you. The map bears no resemblance to objective reality, the census from which it is supposed to be drawn, or the actual physical and geographical boundaries that fit the idea of common sense. Why is it this way? Simple, ladies and gentlemen, political expediency for those who don't care about anything except being re-elected. It's called gerrymandering, both sides have done it, and it's against the Spirit, if not the actual letter, of our Laws. How do I want to fix this problem? So glad you asked. [smile knowingly here] How about we follow what the Constitution says? That document requires the Districts be redrawn each mandated Census. In the Information Age, it is ridiculous to not use American ingenuity to build a program that takes into account the date from the Census and draws the district boundaries that fit street, city, county and state borders ona strict non-partisan basis. You bet that will shake up the Congress, and might not make me too popular among the professional politicians that currently rule the back room system.Good!This is not about what THEY want, it's about what is best for 'We the People'!Make our entire process as transparent and free from undue influence as is possible. Make sure we are an example to the world in how it CAN be done, and prove that it is the way it IS done. [sip of water to pause] 'and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity'... So much is held in this seemingly simple line. If elected, I pledge my Life, my Fortune and my Sacred Honor to defend and uphold the Liberty of 'We the People'!I am all too aware of how so many of our Nation's problems come from the effects of sheer short sightedness on the part of those we Elect to represent us.NO erosion of our Rights is to be tolerated. Violators will be prosecuted under full penalty accorded by our Rule of Law. NO ONE sits above the Law. No excuses, no extenuating circumstances. [sip of water to pause]Another very important aspect of this is pure fiscal responsibility. There is absolutely NO excuse for our Government to do other than what "We the People' have to do....balance our checkbooks. Every family, every adult, has to make choices and decisions about what is in budget and what is not. Only our Government seems ot be completely content to finance today on the back of our children, our grandchildren...and their grandchildren!Each and every decision made, and every dime spent by our Government should be aimed at not only the results for today, but the results and consequences 'to ourselves and our Posterity'. Pay as you go, with considerations for emergencies taken into account. Our government shouldn't be using Enron's accountants to balance our books. Simple red ink/black ink fiscal responsibility, with full transparency should be the ONLY goal. [sip of water to pause] I want to thank you , ladies and gentlemen, for taking some time out of your busy lives to spend here, letting me bend your ears a bit on some things I think are important. And I hope you do too.Now....I bet some of you have some questions...." [raise house lights][note to staffers: make certain that each speech is custom tailored for the local audience a bit. research and insert at least one local anecdote about a factory closing due to outsourcing, hardship for families due to extended military deployment, or pertinent scandal. it is IMPERATIVE that the Candidate NOT mention any specific names of people. make reference to the incidents, the people will know what is being spoken about. any questions or substantive changes even being contemplated, CALL FIRST!] and so closes our little Drama, that pinhole into the realm of "what might be..."Excelsior?

State of the Union: Fear and Loathing

gonzo marx — Wed, 1 Feb 2006 21:59:27 EST

Bog and JuJu help me in this dark hour of insanity...i have seen the naked face of what's rotten in this Nation i Love so much, standing on a podium last night, spewing the platitudes his handlers cranked out so they could hit the numbers and numb the hitters...so much was missing, so much hidden from inquisitive eyes... trade deficit stagnant wages more money spent on Iraq than just about ANY endeavor EVER undertaken by our Nation....why? National Debt...Budget Deficit....nothing from the first POTUS with an MBA, who controls House and Senate...and why they can't fucking balance a checkbook? just about 40 seconds on illegal aliens, border security...he says to enforce the Law towards the aliens, but said bupkis about enforcing the Law against the businesses that hire them!what do we get? more bullshit from the NeoCon Agenda as to why we are working on Empire America... now we, as a Nation, are being Tasked with liberating the World, playing not only Policeman...but Nanny, changing the filthy diapers of other countries and trying to teach them to play nice with each other...not by Example, but by invading and slapping them around as we see fit, throwing away our Blood and Treasure...FOREVER!not only that, but the call to not only renew the oxy-moronic "Patriot Act" but the insistence that the President doesn't even fucking NEED to submit to judicial Review or Congressional oversight in matters concerning wiretaps the insistence that he has "Constitutional powers" to completely ignote the 4th and 5th Amendments just by CLAIMING that they are "hunting tewwowists...heheheheheh" (/end Elmer Fudd voice)fucking spare me...that's just the Loathing partnow for the FearLiberty: Born July 4th, 1776 - Died January 31st 2006with the confirmation of Alito to the Supreme Court, right on the heels of Roberts being appointed as Chief Justice...the final piece of the totalitarian take over appears to be complete...definition timeFascism- A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalismthis is the bright, coppery taste of the Fear right there, that the NeoCons under the leadership of Rove, have finally grabbed ALL the reigns of Power in their pale, chubby fistsnow the President can say it, force the Congress and Senate to pass it, and the Supremes will rubber stamp itthings like bypassing the FISA laws or the War Powers Act...which they are already doingthings like accelerating the selling out of America via their Corporate and Lobbyist Masters , bit by bit...for Chinese and Indian money to line CEO's pockets while tossing aside American Workersthings like more pre-emptive wars to "end tyranny" whenever and however the White House decides to do soon and ondistract,distort,deny and destroythat's the Rovian way...go ahead, look at the transcripts of the speech...you will see Emperor Shrub use "bi-partisanship" like a club to make the point over and over again that it means everybody do it MY way...not that we can all work things out togetherread closely and you can find numerous instances where he sets up a false dichotomy that lets you believe to speak against the policy means you are un-American somehowover and over you see examples of how this speech was NOT from a President or Administration that seeks to govern ALL the People...but instead panders to it's base at all costs, and tosses the red meat towards the carnivores in the Lobbyyeah..i know i'm being a bit harsh...intentionally soafter seeing the quisling, milquetoast DLC types creaming themselves in their rampant desire to grow up to be just like the GOP Machine...i despair that we will break loose from the totalitarian nightmare i see heading our way...too many folks sleepwalking like pigs in the wilderness, blithely unAware of the tiger pit filled with pungi stakes smeared with Greed's shit and waiting to lay the gangrene down on U.S.too disgusted to go on...the Jeffersonian Option is drawing closer, the next Installment may just be "This, I Believe"...and you, gentle Readers, will note i NEVER use the word "believe" about myself...me? i killed my cel phone, am heading out to invest all i have into canned goods and shotguns...then time to head to the nearest Revival tent to get "born again" and sign up for the GOP's next primary and send a check to Pat Robertson right after i get a crew cut...cuz ya don't need a Weatherman to know which way the Wind blows...your mileage may varyExcelsior?

Analogies, Allegory and Algorithms

gonzo marx — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:32:19 EST

(Full disclosure: as is my wont, all was written in one take...all i did was go over it once for spelling)greetings gentle Readers...your humble Narrator sits in an English hotel room...ponderingperhaps the paucity of pounds in personal pocketry portends a perambulating prose piece portending profane pronouncements preceding pretentious possibilities proliferating profusely from a poor prole pundit's peckings at a personal portable PCperhaps...over and over again in my mad ramblings on BlogCritics, I run across many of the same Themes, the same Memes, the same partisan positionings, positionings and pronouncementsand it got me to wonder....why?why is it that much of the meaningful Conversation that takes place in the shared hallucination of the Binary Aether which we inhabit seems to devolve into a false dichotomy of either/or scenarios?that's the crux of the Problem, I'm sure of it...no Net connection, no reference material...all that's available are the whipsaw fractals of the Memory Mansionfocus you Freak...the Answer is always there, you just have to stumble over it...binary is the Clue...maybe the same thing stopping true Artificial Intelligence is what's stunting progress on the more human medium of socio-philosophical interactions the framing of the Debate defines the discourse...that's got to be the unSeen Variableso simple....So many schools of Thought of human History fall into the same binary...Taoism, the Manicheans and good olde Cartesian Dualism, precursor to the digital Binary...Black/white...good/evil...1/0...earliest form was most likely Us/Themstill Potent today...what others? male/female...and there It is...the unThinking foundation of it could just be that simplebasic biology taken as Truth, when nothing could be further from It the baseline Postulate of the sexes...could that be the fallacious Root of it all?well are we Aware that it isn't that simple...not just boy/girl... not just yes/no but the Maybe!we have born hermaphrodites, homosexuality, gender confusion, bisexualityThe Exceptions...the Maybe...that opens the floodGates, and gets me to Thinking...is it that simple?can it be that we, as puny human bags of bone and water, so easily push aside those uncomfortable exceptions , re-enforcing the Us/Them bit to shore up the overly simplisitc Viewpoint that fuels so much strife and Discord in the course of human eventsblack and white are all I see, in my Infancy... red and yellow then come to me, reaching out to me... helps me See.there is so...much...more that beckons me... into these... Infinite PossibilitiesTOOLand there it sits, blatantly Waiting...the beginnings of an Answeryou need three legs to for a barstool to stand with...so too the Axiom of the next Logicyes/no/maybeflowchart it all down the maybe trail until you hit the definitivenot "compromise", per se...but answers that rest Outside the bullshit limitations placed on most Thought and all Arguments/Wars/SchismsTrinary Logic...could that be a part of the Answer?could it be that we need to shift the paradigm of cultural Thought processes into the Realm of Maybe in order to see past the dichotomy of Us/Them, perhaps see into developing real Artificial Intelligence?systemically it appears to make a lot of sense,after all...most true Paths of Wisdom when taken to the inevitable conclusion all require the perfection and melding of Mind/Body/Spirit into a single instance of"I"those that don't, tend to never get too far along the Pathin so many Instances, the false Profits head the Seeker down a merry Trail that makes a barstool with only two legs, leaving out the essential Recognition of at least one of the M/B/S trinity...too many times have various Pilgrims walked on two "legs"...the granola chomping New Age types, holding onto Spirit and Body...but leaving the Reason of Mind behind...the "pious" Faithists who loathe Body, eschew Reason but cling to Spirit...the reductionists of Science who hold so tightly to the mechanistic View of Body as Machine, with Mind ruling over it...with no room for Spiriton and on...how best to describe what i Think should be?ah yes...the old Story of southern Shao Lin temple...it is said, that way back in the Past, the original monks of the temple were studious in seeking the Higher Knowledge, and attaining Enlightenment... they fasted, did not partake of meat, and meditated for hours each day... but their Goal eluded them... they bent all the efforts of their Minds towards Buddha's Wisdom they bent all the Efforts of their Spirits in contemplative meditation but still their Work went for naught...one fateful day, it is said a strange monk came from the West the Shao Lin met with him, this stranger who must have crossed the Himalayas he gave his name as Da Moh (spelling varies)after looking around the temple, he chastised the monks for being physically soft telling them they would never find the Way just sitting...but he would not give them the Answer until they passed his Test to show that they were Worthy...the Tale says he went to a cave in the foothills and angrily stared at one of the walls, found there each time by abbots and monks...for two years, none were found Worthy.finally, one monk went the extra distance...the Story says that a single monk went out to the cave...and saw that the sheer Force of Da Moh's staring at a part of the cave wall had worn two dimples into the rock of the cave ( the cave, and those divots are still there to see)the monk...so taken aback...cut off his own arm, and offered it to the formidable Traveller who said "you are Worthy"the Tale states that the Traveller then taught the members of the Temple the gung fu known as "Shao Lin Long Fist"and to this day, the monks bow with one hand raised in front of them, in Honor of the One who was Worthy...the Story is not a perfect example of unifying all 3 Forces into One...but it does come closer than anything that has drifted in this addle pated skull here in a tiny Bristol hotel room, up way too late pecking on plastic...but it does make an Example for how vitally important is the Body's intrinsic feedback loop, and how it Effects the other two legs of our Metaphorical "barstool"...if ever you have the Fortune to meet one of those Monks, you will easily perceive just how much further along the Way they are than most of Humanity...much we can all learn from their Wisdomthe Word count is getting huge...time to try and lash things all together and bring a semblance of Coherence from the ramblings....let the Thoughts congeal in the cold gravy of gray matter...my Thought here is that for the gibbering animal known as Man to progress, perhaps it is Time for us to break past simple Dualism in our cogitation and interaction perhaps it's time to build our "barstools" with all three legs so we can have a more stable seat of Existence...the feedback loops...the cybernetics of Humanity, if you will, appear to Require paying attention to Mind/Body/Spirit and allowing the processes to flow freely back and forth among all three, with none being Greater than the otherbring it on to part of the original thoughts in this meandering prose...perhaps we need to look past the false binary of current political discourse, get past the fallacious and artificial Us versus Them bit, any of the fake subdivisions tossed into the Arena to distract us from that fact that in the vast Emptiness of an inDifferent Cosmos, there is only Us on this tiny mudball...perhaps it is long past time to look not only at the Yes/No logic...as Below so Above and Beyond I'd Imagine; drawn outside the lines of Reason, push the envelope... watch it bend. TOOLHeisenberg may have been unCerain in Principle... but he knew that the Observer changed what was Observed...this seems to Indicate that the mere focus of the intangibles of Mind and Spirit can have effects on the realm of matteragain, I find the three "legs" of our barstool...no matter how many times Moebius strips, or how long i search for Schrodinger's damn catover and over again, the reality of observations makes a lie out of the simplistic Dualism that seems to have been the basis of so much in human thought and endeavor down to coloring the narrow confines of contemporary Political discourse...perhaps it's time for Maybe...nuff said?Excelsior!