••can ye pass the acid test?••

ye who enter here be afraid, but do what ye must -- to defeat your fear ye must defy it.

& defeat it ye must, for only then can we begin to realize liberty & justice for all.

time bomb tick tock? nervous tic talk? war on war?

or just a blog crying in the wilderness, trying to make sense of it all, terror-fried by hate radio and FOX, the number of whose name is 666??? (coincidence?)

Sunday, July 31, 2011




Friday, July 29, 2011

miss concept shun

yeah, but he's running for first — um, er...


WASHINGTON (AP) — Ushering in the largest decrease in auto fuel consumption since the 1970s, President Barack Obama and automobile manufacturers Friday announced a deal that will save drivers money at the pump and dramatically cut heat-trapping gases coming from tailpipes.

The agreement pledges to double overall fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, bringing major under-the-hood changes for the nation's automobiles starting in model year 2017. Cars and trucks on the road today average 27 miles per gallon.

"This agreement on fuel standards represents the single most important step we have taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," Obama said, sharing the stage with top executives of the major auto makers.... [more]
borrowmageddon

mr speaker, tear up that ceiling

the congressional idiots who say government should be run like a business are way off the mark. businesses sell products and try to take in more than they spend, while governments provide essential services paid for by taxes. ideally they try not to collect more taxes than necessary, while most businesses try to maximize profits.

but some principles do apply to both business and government. one of them is that crisis management is different from normal management.

normally, boards of directors and legislatures both have to plan for the future. in crisis mode, that's extremely difficult, if not impossible. it's too easy to slip up (with dire consequences) if they try to do too much in an emergency situation. the only effective way to deal with a crisis is to focus on ending it.

the president and the speaker of the house should stop trying to make a deal or work out a debt plan or reform entitlements now. all that can be dealt with next week. congress can and should simply avert a crisis by raising the debt limit without requiring agreement on other conditions.

THEN they can fight about taxes and spending and debt!
deer in the hindsights



LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former President George W. Bush says his apparent lack of reaction to the first news of the September 11 2001 attacks was a conscious decision to project an aura of calm in a crisis.

In a rare interview with the National Geographic Channel, Bush reflects on what was going through his mind at the most dramatic moment of his presidency when he was informed that a second passenger jet had hit New York's World Trade Center.

Bush was visiting a Florida classroom and the incident, which was caught on TV film, and has often been used by critics to ridicule his apparently blank face.

"My first reaction was anger. Who the hell would do that to America? Then I immediately focused on the children, and the contrast between the attack and the innocence of children," Bush says in an excerpt of the interview shown to television writers on Thursday.

Bush said he could see the news media at the back of the classroom getting the news on their own cellphones "and it was like watching a silent movie."

Bush said he quickly realized that a lot of people beyond the classroom would be watching for his reaction.

"So I made the decision not to jump up immediately and leave the classroom. I didn't want to rattle the kids. I wanted to project a sense of calm," he said of his decision to remain seated and silent.

"I had been in enough crises to know that the first thing a leader has to do is to project calm," he added. [more]
"a conscious decision to project an aura of calm in a crisis"?!

what he "projected" was an air of confusion.

which is ironic, because it would've been so easy to look strong and decisive. all he had to do was stand up and tell the kids he was sorry he had to leave early but something vitally important had come up that needed his immediate attention. he might've also suggested they follow the upcoming events in the media.

then he should've left. right away. no hesitation.

if he had, nobody would be talking about it today.

Thursday, July 28, 2011


oh. now i get it. no matter what obama says publicly, he really doesn't want congress to raise the debt limit. he wants us to default. he wants to drive interest rates up so the economy (and the "empire") will collapse.

why?

because then socialism can take over the world.

so, gop, if you don't raise the ceiling, you're giving obama just what he wants.

why didn't i see it sooner? thanx, bill, for opening my eyes.

the above video makes it clear that either cantor doesn't know what he's talking about — namely economics — or he's making it up.

furthermore, the notion that obama believes govt exists to settle scores is total nonsense. how can anybody with any common sense swallow such crap? cantor may assume it to be so, but that doesn't make it so. it may be an article of faith for RWNJs, but it's an unverifiable assumption.

you see, statements are not limited to being true or false: they can instead be meaningless. statements can have meaning in only two ways: 1) either they are true or false by definition, or 2) they can be tested by sense experience. cantor may or may not believe what he says about obama's belief about govt, but it's meaningless either way.

in other words, he's either bullshitting or lying.

the difference, according to philosopher harry frankfurt, is that the liar knows the truth and is trying to deceive his audience, while the bullshitter doesn't care whether what he says is true or not, as long as it impresses and persuades his listeners.

i don't know whether cantor's a bs artist or a liar, but i know he's wrong. the proof is his oft-stated claim that cutting government spending will grow the economy and create jobs.

nothing could be further from the truth, and a former businessman like cantor ought to know it. businesses hire when they need more workers to keep up with rising sales. simple as that.

any business owner who hires for any other reason won't stay in business very long unless s/he gets very lucky.

we can't depend on luck to grow the economy.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

back to the milliner

House Speaker John Boehner's debt-limit plan was dealt a potentially debilitating setback Tuesday when the Congressional Budget Office reported on the eve of the House vote that the measure would save only about $840 billion over the next decade -- far less than the $1.2 trillion advertised. [more]
we're not economic illiterates. we just have to use numbers they'll buy. let's try picking them out of a new hat....
The Climate Reality Project
Dear Friend,

This year, we have seen historic droughts, heat waves and floods. We’re experiencing record-high temperatures across much of the United States. This extreme weather is being called the “new normal.” But there's nothing normal about it.

We recently introduced you to The Climate Reality Project. Our new focus is to help citizens around the world discover the truth about climate change and take meaningful steps toward solutions. We’re launching with a groundbreaking, global event called 24 Hours of Reality.

Join us for 24 Hours of Reality. RSVP on Facebook to show the world what can change in a day.
RSVP on Facebook
Beginning in Mexico City and proceeding around the globe, 24 Hours of Reality will offer a round-the-clock snapshot of the climate crisis, sharing unique perspectives from Tonga to Cape Verde, from Jakarta toLondon. On September 14-15, we will bring the world together to reveal the full truth, scope and impact of the climate crisis.

We’ll hear from the people and places witnessing firsthand the devastation of extreme weather events. I’m joining 23 Climate Presenters from around the globe to deliver a new multimedia presentation that will broadcast the reality of the climate crisis. The entire 24 hours will be streamed live online from start to finish.

Click here to learn more about 24 Hours of Reality and find the event in your time zone:

http://climaterealityproject.org/


The climate crisis is a global problem we all share. And real solutions can only come when we address it together. Join me on September 14, and find out what can change in a day.

Thanks,

Al Gore
Founder and Chairman
The Climate Reality Project

Donate
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Percentage of total US household income earned by income group


   3.1%  less than $20,000         19.04% of all households
   8.1%  $20,000 to $37,500     19.45% of all households
13.8%   $37,500 to $60,000     19.44% of all households
22.3%   $60,000 to $95,000     20.00% of all households
40.8%   $95,000 to $250,000   20.15% of all households
11.9%   $250,000 or more          1.92% of all households     

so more than half of household income goes to about one-fifth of households?

excuse me, but doesn't that mean we could balance the budget and pay down the debt and end payroll taxes yet guarantee the solvency of social security and health care forever if we just had a standard family deduction around $100k and a high enough flat tax rate with no loopholes?

Monday, July 25, 2011


 What is RWNJ?
RWNJ is "Right Wing Nut Job"

RWNJ Definition / RWNJ Means

The definition of RWNJ is "Right Wing Nut Job"

The Meaning of RWNJ

RWNJ means "Right Wing Nut Job"

So now you know - RWNJ means "Right Wing Nut Job" - 

don't thank us. YW! Oh, and MTFBWY!
speculation about what caused the norway massacre has degenerated into finger-pointing and simplistic solutions, as usual.

the simplistic category includes "If one counselor or youth had a gun on them and shot back at this guy, he would of killed far less people." [exact quote; don't blame me for the phrasing]

the fingers point all over the map: at cops, right-wingers, christians, islamophobes, atheists — i almost said "you name it" and put myself among the oversimplifiers.

i find it ironic that some christians defend what they view as their side by blaming atheism because a few prominent atheists have attacked islam, like richard dawkins, below.


it's surprising that such a smart guy would say "in the former christendom ... there's more of a historical tradition of questioning." dawkins ought to recall that christianity, at islam's present age, sent inquisitors to interrogate questioners of the faith, often quite harshly.

i'm willing to admit i don't have too many answers, tho i suspect more information couldn't hurt, but i can't deny that some react violently when overexposed to information (not necessarily misinformation) that alarms or provokes them.

for now i'll just call for more light. if we humans want to avoid a mass throat-cutting, we need to wake up. few of us think clearly as we sleep.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

starve which beast?

everybody knows tom delay and jack abramoff got arrested, but how come we've seen no legal action against ralph reed and grover norquist?
going slow

...a video circulating the Internet showed a special needs child in a north Mississippi district being punched in the face.

And in Yazoo County a couple of years ago, a girl carried a gun onto the school bus because she said she had been the victim of bullying, one of the instances lawmakers used to illustrate the need for a stricter law.

Bullying doesn't apply only to students, either: Moss Point's high school principal was recently fired in part for alleged bullying of a subordinate.

In response to the rising problem, Mississippi last year passed a new, tougher anti-bullying law. The law requires that all districts have a policy and procedure prohibiting bullying under any conditions. Teachers and coaches, under the law, are required to report any suspected bullying to administrators.

It includes off-campus incidents such as school-bus and cyber bullying.

The onus is on principals to investigate each case.... [more]
Mississippi Goddam
(1963) Nina Simone

The name of this tune is Mississippi Goddam
And I mean every word of it

Alabama's gotten me so upset
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

Alabama's gotten me so upset
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

Can't you see it
Can't you feel it
It's all in the air
I can't stand the pressure much longer
Somebody say a prayer

Alabama's gotten me so upset
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

This is a show tune
But the show hasn't been written for it, yet

Hound dogs on my trail
School children sitting in jail
Black cat cross my path
I think every day's gonna be my last

Lord have mercy on this land of mine
We all gonna get it in due time
I don't belong here
I don't belong there
I've even stopped believing in prayer

Don't tell me
I tell you
Me and my people just about due
I've been there so I know
They keep on saying "Go slow!"

But that's just the trouble
"do it slow"
Washing the windows
"do it slow"
Picking the cotton
"do it slow"
You're just plain rotten
"do it slow"
You're too damn lazy
"do it slow"
The thinking's crazy
"do it slow"
Where am I going
What am I doing
I don't know
I don't know

Just try to do your very best
Stand up be counted with all the rest
For everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

I made you thought I was kiddin' didn't we

Picket lines
School boycotts
They try to say it's a communist plot
All I want is equality
for my sister my brother my people and me

Yes you lied to me all these years
You told me to wash and clean my ears
And talk real fine just like a lady
And you'd stop calling me Sister Sadie

Oh but this whole country is full of lies
You're all gonna die and die like flies
I don't trust you any more
You keep on saying "Go slow!"
"Go slow!"

But that's just the trouble
"do it slow"
Desegregation
"do it slow"
Mass participation
"do it slow"
Reunification
"do it slow"
Do things gradually
"do it slow"
But bring more tragedy
"do it slow"
Why don't you see it
Why don't you feel it
I don't know
I don't know

You don't have to live next to me
Just give me my equality
Everybody knows about Mississippi
Everybody knows about Alabama
Everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam

That's it for now! see ya' later

Saturday, July 23, 2011

where my white lettering went

to understand, you must return with us now to the thrilling days of yesteryear, the early years of ww2, those unenlightened times when advertisers thought nothing of exploiting patriotism to sell products [not like now, no-o-o-o!], when perhaps the best-known slogan on radio was "lucky strike green has gone to war!"

the pentagon no longer needs green pigment as it did then, so i'm going green! i'm going renewable, sustainable, and eco-friendly. i'm going to improve well-being and social equity while reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. i'm even going to confess i plagiarized most of the preceding sentence (but i won't tell you where from, because then it wouldn't be plagiarism).

yes, my fellow americans, nonamericans, unamericans, and antiamericans, you guessed it. what i'm saying is this is war! you didn't guess it? oh. well, just take my word for it, will ya?

ok. where was i? oh, yeah. this is war! uh....

damnit! i've lost my train of thought. this isn't working at all.

how 'bout if we forget about a deal and just raise the debt ceiling? why do we need a deal, anyway? just raise the damn thing and get it over with.

then we can really fight about taxes and spending!
continuing fa saga of "doctor" b   



but seriously...
star-ledger

If you stop and look at the ages, it's downright creepy. Amy Winehouse, who was found dead on Saturday at her London home, is the latest musician to enter rock music's infamous "27 Club."

Named for the group of influential artists who all died at age 27, there seems to be a pattern at hand: An incredible amount of musical talent, a definite self-destructive flair and possible drug or alcohol addiction.

Winehouse died at 27 years, 311 days. In the order of their death, here are some of the more famous members of "The 27 Club":

Robert Johnson (27 years, 100 days): The mystical bluesman recorded just 29 songs but influenced a generation of rockers. Much of Johnson's life was indeed mythical, but it's suspected that he died of strychnine poisoning on Aug. 16, 1938, in Greenwood, Miss.

Brian Jones (27 years, 125 days): The Rolling Stones guitarist drowned in a swimming pool on July 3, 1969, in Hartfield, Sussex, England. The coroner's report stated it was "death by misadventure."

Jimi Hendrix (27 years, 295 days): On Sept. 18, 1970, the pioneering rock guitarist died in Kensington, Greater London, England. Hendrix asphyxiated on vomit after combining sleeping pills with wine.

Janis Joplin (27 years, 258 days): Known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll as well as the Queen of Psychedelic Soul, the bluesy rock vocalist died on Oct. 4, 1970, in Los Angeles. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol.

Jim Morrison (27 years, 207 days): The charismatic lead singer of The Doors died on July 3, 1971, in Paris. His cause of death was listed as "heart failure," but no autopsy was ever performed.

Kurt Cobain (27 years, 44 days): The founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Nirvana was found dead on April 5, 1994, in Seattle. His death was ruled a suicide.
& from wikipedia
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson. September 3, 1970. Barbiturate overdose, possible suicide. Leader, singer and primary composer of Canned Heat.

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. March 8, 1973. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism. Founding member, keyboardist and singer of the Grateful Dead.
& a lot more. it really is weird.

Friday, July 22, 2011

morris arboretum


Self Guided Tour Maps

All the maps below are designed to be printed and brought to Morris Arboretum. Click on the version that you would like to download in pdf format and print.

Arboretum Grounds MapAutumn StrollGreat Trees TourFamily Fun Activities
Download Morris Arboretum's Visitor map with exhibit highlightsFind sculptures throughout the garden and learn about their history, maker and other information.Learn about nineteen of the greatest trees at Morris Arboretum.Seasonal Family Fun learning at the arboretum and activities to do at home.
Wetlands TourFounding Treasures
Explore the wetlands and
learn about native plants,
local and migratory birds
and more!
A guide to some of Morris Arboretum's oldest and most prized treasures throughout the garden
See what is in bloom in August








See our Guided Tours

Plan Your Visit

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

csmonitor




Why you should care about Gregor Mendel


Borders closing remaining stores

Ja Rule sent to prison for two years

Inside CSMonitor.com:

The Culture »