tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post2311743396400496034..comments2024-03-28T16:08:29.578-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: The Better to Eat You With, My DearKaren Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-41515385127829933232013-07-27T10:57:26.483-04:002013-07-27T10:57:26.483-04:00Interesting, isn't it, the Great Game - the ch...Interesting, isn't it, the Great Game - the characters change but the plot remains the same. Shouldn't be that surprising though. The current edition of homo sapiens hasn't been around that long. We're so caught up in the machinery of the thing, whatever it is, we just don't see it. A human generation is a short time as the machine goes. I wonder what the generation time of our particular type of machine is. The life span of a human edition perhaps? It's ultimately a question of science I think. I wonder what Einstein would say?<br /> James F Traynornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-10434658628093962912013-07-27T10:47:45.255-04:002013-07-27T10:47:45.255-04:00News from my hometown!
About half of the employee...News from my hometown!<br /><br />About half of the employees at the new Obamacare "call center" will be part-time, and therefore ineligible for health care benefits!<br /><br />http://www.contracostatimes.com/rss/ci_23733819<br /><br />ROTFLMAO!Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-65316943918910595582013-07-26T19:45:18.134-04:002013-07-26T19:45:18.134-04:00Surprise, surprise. 'Lawmakers Who Upheld NSA ...Surprise, surprise. 'Lawmakers Who Upheld NSA Phone Spying Received Double the Defense Industry Cash'.<br />And that was only for a two year period ending in 2012. I imagine they hauled in a bundle since the Amash/Conyers amendment was introduced.<br /><br />http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/07/money-nsa-vote/?mbid=social10181434annenigmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-79173425612815547212013-07-26T19:27:30.398-04:002013-07-26T19:27:30.398-04:00@Fred--
So, "Papers, please?" was inven...@Fred--<br /><br />So, "Papers, please?" was invented in 1915 by that bastion of liberty, the United Kingdom, in 1915?<br /><br />I'll see if I can find a link to the Harper's article. I don't need any more books to read!Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-69481715544983952542013-07-26T19:20:05.863-04:002013-07-26T19:20:05.863-04:00@annenigma (and @all):
On the subject of passport...@annenigma (and @all):<br /><br />On the subject of passports, and borders, Paul Fussell wrote an interesting piece, "BORDER CROSSINGS", for Harper's Magazine, July 1979, p.66-72. Well worth a read (as also is his book, "The Great War and Modern Memory").<br /><br />From "Border Crossings":<br /><br />"Consider the sudden incursion of the passport into modern awareness. The passport was the novel instrument by which England restricted travel during the first world war and by which, like all other countries, it has interfered in it ever since. I say novel because before 1915 His Majesty's Government did not require a passport for departure, nor did any European state require one for admittance-except the two notoriously backward, neurotic venues of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. But after the Great War all Europe exhibited the state of mind Baedeker describes as characterizing prewar Russia: 'If a passport is not in order, its unhappy owner has to recross the frontier, the train by which he came waiting for this purpose.'"<br />... <br /><br />"So novel was the institution of the passport before the Great War that the eleventh edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica (1910-1911) has never heard of it; by 1967 the Britannica is aware of it to the extent of 1,000 words."Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-34208916034130483112013-07-26T18:35:29.153-04:002013-07-26T18:35:29.153-04:00Oops! As I now recollect it it, "dommage&quo...Oops! As I now recollect it it, "dommage" is masculine, so I should have said "<i> quel </i> dommage." <br /><br />Pardon my (lousy) French!<br /><br />My freshman-year, university French is fading fast from my 62-year-old memory. Along with many other things!Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-71008743981146510052013-07-26T18:29:47.020-04:002013-07-26T18:29:47.020-04:00Torture? Kill?
Nah! Nothing so "medieval.&q...Torture? Kill?<br /><br />Nah! Nothing so "medieval." <br /><br />We (The U.S., <i> us'n's, </i> if you like) will just use some "enhanced interrogation techniques" that are designed to first utterly humiliate, and then, render an individual totally susceptible to, confessing to whatever "we" (read: the interrogators) want.<br /><br />A little added "enhanced interrogation" and the "subject" is driven insane, never again to see the light of day or breathe a free breath of air. And, most importantly, never to speak a word of anything that makes sense, ever again. <br /><br /><i> "Quelle domage!" ou "Tant pis" </i> --Barack Obama, Citizen of the World.Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-4855015306060617432013-07-26T18:20:10.396-04:002013-07-26T18:20:10.396-04:00I think the 'partners', Russia and the US...I think the 'partners', Russia and the USSA, are playing Snowden. They've got him confined, controlled, and essentially gagged. All they have to do is wait him out. They're already playing good cop/bad cop and raising his hopes then dashing them. PsyOps is the way they'll get him into a more formal cell than the one where he's currently confined. <br /> <br />It really pains me to think the US Government considers us their property, holding the license/passport to halt our travel wherever we are in the world as if they own us. I can just see us all as their branded cattle. They can drop the panel and get us stuck in the chute anytime they decide to, and divert us to the slaughter. It sickens me. Or they can prevent us from leaving in the first place. I don't want to be owned, especially by THIS fascist government. <br /><br />It's entirely possible and likely that Congress will pass some measure that forces Snowden to be tried in a secret court, when/if he even gets a trial. Obama and Holder can then claim their hands were tied. The death penalty does apply - to traitors. <br /><br />Has anyone read John Kiriakou's 'Letters from Loretto'? The authorities broke their word to him and have made conditions as difficult as possible, including setting up some internal conflicts among the inmates to accomplish dirty work for them - kind of like internal extraordinary rendition. <br /><br />I hope and pray that Ed Snowden has the same kind of internal strength and resolve that Louis Zamparini had during WWII, as described in Laura Hillenbrand's book 'Unbroken'. Snowden's going to need it from now on no matter where he is.annenigmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-22373319224261334402013-07-26T16:53:56.509-04:002013-07-26T16:53:56.509-04:00NYT Headline from earlier today:
"U.S. Tells ...NYT Headline from earlier today:<br />"U.S. Tells Russia It Won’t Torture or Kill Snowden"<br /><br />Current NYT headline:<br />"U.S. Assures Russia Snowden Will Not Face Death Penalty"<br /><br />So is torture now back on the table?! What will the next ridiculous headline be? Suggestions, anyone?<br /><br />In any event, U.S. government assurances --- whether to Russia, Snowden, or on economic matters to the U.S. middle class --- are just pure theater for the U.S. masses. Putin doesn't want to be seen as Obama's lapdog, and so is unlikely to return Edward Snowden. And I doubt that either U.S. government threats or promises in any way influence Snowden. He was absolutely correct in courageously disclosing massive unconstitutional spying by the U.S. government, and as he has said, did so knowing the U.S. would try to crush him. He has already given up a great deal as a result of his actions. That he didn't stick around to receive the full wrath of the empire is not a character defect, it simply shows that he is neither stupid nor a masochist. Yet the imperial spin continues, now joined by a whole host of absurd reader comments on the NYT web site, again denouncing him as a traitor.<br /><br />No traitor, he. Rather, a profile in courage, nationally and internationally. Edward Snowden should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, for his courageous attempt to reverse U.S. totalitarian-style national surveillance is of direct relevance to the form of government that will operate in the most powerful nation on the face of the earth --- and therefore of immense relevance to world peace.<br /><br />And if Snowden should receive that award, we would be in the surrealistic situation of seeing one Nobel Peace Prize winner --- Obama --- reassuring another --- Snowden --- that he (Obama) won't kill him! Even the most creative novelist couldn't invent such a scenario!Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-44757530882031173692013-07-26T16:51:16.656-04:002013-07-26T16:51:16.656-04:00"Hey, Snowden! Stay wherever the hell you are..."Hey, Snowden! Stay wherever the hell you are. That letter from Holder says it all. Putin's a thug but, right now, he's your thug. Keep zigging and zagging, bobbing and weaving. Your chances are not good, but as long as you keep moving you've got a shot. Good luck buddy!"<br /><br />The above is a copy of a comment that I sent, resent and sent again to the NYT before they relented (but I very much doubt will publish) in response to an article on Holder's astonishing letter to Putin on the subject of Snowden, a letter that gives the lie to the administration's and the oligarch's position on Snowden.James F Traynornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-71654804864681676642013-07-25T16:50:48.744-04:002013-07-25T16:50:48.744-04:00Yeah! This guy has got to be the best Three Card M...Yeah! This guy has got to be the best Three Card Monte dealer in the country!James F Traynornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-91731030889278112492013-07-25T10:31:32.941-04:002013-07-25T10:31:32.941-04:00Another shocker--at least from my naive perspectiv...Another shocker--at least from my naive perspective.<br /><br /><i> Steve Pearce, </i> the extremely "conservative" Republican for southern New Mexico, voted in <i> favor </i> of Amash/Conyers.<br /><br />I wonder what <i> that </i> was about?Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-29411694331371937762013-07-25T10:25:12.452-04:002013-07-25T10:25:12.452-04:00Well, it turns out the whole system's still ri...Well, it turns out the whole system's still rigged. I'm not surprised & none of you should be either. For a refresher, here's Glenn Greenwald's column about Villain Rotation from way back in February 2010. (Or just read Call Me Cynical's spot-on post in yesterday's thread again.)<br /><br />http://www.salon.com/2010/02/23/democrats_34/<br /><br />P.S. Michele is still an ignorant white racist bitch. God, that is so fun to say!Willnoreply@blogger.com