Filed by Bil at 10:54 am under Politics, Pop Culture, Shameless Plugs
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I have recently had my head forced out of the sand, where evidently it’s been for some time now. It’s what happens when you intentionally ignore both politics and pop music.
(Keep reading…)
Filed by Bil at 2:27 pm under Fightin' Words, Politics, Social Issues
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Now that “Reading Rainbow” is done, what does the future look like? I’m worried because it wasn’t one of those things that fulfilled a specific basic human need. It’s not like it was the only pizza delivery company around; but if it was, you know damn well somebody else would pick up the torch. If there’s one thing that binds us all, liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, it’s the same — we all want our pizza brought right to our front door.
(Keep reading…)
Filed by Bil at 11:22 pm under Homophobia, Politics
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Who is this guy and where did he come from?
I’m appalled by “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but I am neither gay nor in the military, so it’s easy not to listen to me. Here’s a congressman who, while not gay, actually was in the military and, in fact, was in Iraq and earned a Bronze Star for being awesome. He’s an elected official from some blue-collar district in Pennsylvania. These facts – because he’s a decorated Iraq vet, because he’s from a socially conservative district, and because he’s NOT gay – make him perhaps the least likely and the best advocate for getting rid of a stupid, small-minded policy that directly affects our national security.
And don’t get me wrong. I am not one of those guys who goes around worrying about national security. It’s a political potato, and something I find boring after two seconds. But seriously, what’s a bigger threat: having gays in the military or having a military with 13,000 fewer individuals? Think about that one.
And keep your eye on Pat Murphy. He’s a mover and a shaker.
Filed by Bil at 4:21 pm under Environmentality, Fightin' Words, Politics
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I know Michael Moore is a polarizing figure, and there are probably more folks on the side of “I can’t stand that guy” than on the side of “this guy knows what he’s talking about.” However, I do strongly encourage anyone and everyone, even if you despise the man, to read his article from today’s Huffington Post.
Moore talks about the idea of repurposing GM factories not just for GM cars, which we need to let go of, but for other modes of clean, energy-efficient transportation, like cross-country bullet trains and clean buses for rural areas. Read up.
** Later that day…
I found this photo in an article from the Boston Globe:
I can’t tell if it’s on purpose or if it’s a telling sign of some kind, but the three vehicles we see here driving in front of the GM headquarters in Detroit are all made by Ford.
Hm.
Filed by Bil at 10:06 pm under Fightin' Words, Politics
2 Comments
I hate to talk about the economy – we all know it’s crappy, and I’m sure I don’t have much to say about it that hasn’t already been said five million times – and I wasn’t even worried about my own day job…until I read this news story:
GM to force more than 1,000 dealers to close (April 28, 2009)
(Keep reading…)
Filed by Bil at 12:11 pm under Damn Hippies, Fightin' Words, Politics
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According to the LA Times, “The Pentagon is open to the idea of European firm Airbus building the next fleet of planes that carry the president.”
Foreign maker of next Air Force One? That may not fly
If this were to become the reality, that would be like the President cruising around in a Mercedes-Benz or BMW limo instead of a good old-fashioned Cadillac limo.
Ordinarily, I don’t care about buying American vehicles over foreign vehicles; Devon and I bought a Scion instead of a Saturn or Ford because, simply stated, they are better cars. I’m not even a very good Capitalist, but I agree with the idea that better foreign cars should inspire American automakers to step it up. And, on a personal level, I kind of hate the new Cadillacs and the way they brand themselves nowadays (snotty-brat nouveau-riche market).
…But the President of the United States flying around in a French airplane? That’s not cool.
(Keep reading…)
Filed by Bil at 3:31 pm under Damn Hippies, The Arts
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As I walked into the super-cheap Chinese/Korean food restaurant across the street from my office today, I heard the sound of a human voice singing loudly, which is a very unusual thing to hear in that particular restaurant. It seemed to fill the entire dining area, and there were four humans in there who might have been the one singing, but I didn’t know who.
When I listened more closely to the words being sung, I figured out that it was the homeless guy by the free water cooler. The words were along the lines of “This shit ain’t right, it’s broken, bitch, there ain’t no water in here…” and it was all in kind of the same four-note melody.
I ordered the lunch special, and the nice lady behind the counter who knows me (whom I will refer to only as “Nice Lady,” because I don’t actually know her name) confirmed that I was indeed getting the same thing I always get there, the lunch special with white rice. It went like this:
Nice Lady: Hello!
Bil: Hi there.
Nice Lady: Lunch special today?
Bil: Yes, please! Sesame chicken.
Nice Lady: White rice?
Musical bum: Whiiiite riiiice…
Bil: Yes. White rice, please.
Filed by Lance at 12:47 pm under Activism, Fightin' Words, GOP, Gay Agenda, General, Politics, Religion, Social Issues
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As a sure sign that we’ve elected the right man for the job, Mr. President-Elect is in hot water with some of his most ardent supporters for doing exactly what we elected him to do… it’s just that he’s not only going to do it with his most ardent supporters.
The lineup for Obama’s inauguration ceremony was announced yesterday, which includes Rick Warren delivering the Invocation. Rick Warren is the pastor of Saddleback [mega-]Church in Lake Forest, California and author of The Purpose Driven Life, which is one of my Mom’s favorites, and which I never finished reading. Warren has been credited with broadening Evangelical’s focus to social issues that aren’t gay marriage and abortion, including AIDS and poverty, which can be like getting a rabid bulldog to recite Milton.
It’s no secret that Warren supported Proposition 8, and is opposed to abortion and stem-cell research, and when the Inauguration committee released the news Warren will pray at No. 44’s Oath of Office, The Human Rights Campaign sent this letter to Mr. President-Elect:
(Keep reading…)
Filed by Bil at 9:48 pm under Environmentality, Fightin' Words, Politics, Social Issues
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All righty then. The bailout for the automakers didn’t go through. Like everyone else, I’ve got some thoughts and opinions. For the benefit of the readers, I’ll try to breeze right through them and get to something that hasn’t been discussed ad nauseam.
The rejection of the Auto bailout is good because:
- fewer tax dollars are going to help out irresponsible money-giants.
- this will (hopefully) force Detroit to rethink current business standards, increase the quality of their vehicles and maybe, just maybe, focus on environmentally-friendly products.
It is bad because:
- the country is going to see even more jobs lost. Like, a lot more jobs. There would have been mass layoffs anyway, but they might have saved a few.
- it sends a message that Manhattan trumps the Midwest in importance to Congress, and that’s not fair. Where were the tough standards for the Wall Street tycoons who also flew into Washington in private jets?
I am not necessarily a conservative, but I do insist that my tax dollars are wisely spent.
(Keep reading…)
Filed by Bil at 10:22 am under Politics, The Media
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It’s only Tuesday, and look what’s happened:
- Tribune Company files for bankruptcy protection.
- IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrested on federal corruption charges.
If you are awake in Chicago, neither one of these is particularly surprising. Something else that’s not surprising: it was a lot easier to find a story about the Tribune Company bankruptcy filing on the Boston Globe’s website than on the Chicago Tribune’s. Hmm…
I don’t really have anything especially interesting to say at this point in time, but I will certainly be following both these stories as they develop. Blagojevich’s arrest will probably be good for the state in many ways, but the immediate and long-term effects are uncertain. I’m not sure who will replace him as governor, and I have a feeling this will be a hot topic in the next gubernatorial election. (Luckily, the Green Party is automatically on the ballot, so resources can be better used toward actual campaigning. Seriously, people, vote Green in local elections. Seriously.)
As for the Tribune filing Chapter 11…well, I do love the Cubs and I have no idea what this means for old Wrigley Field. My own day job company is partly owned by the Tribune, but we have been assured by our CEO that our company is actually a source of income for the Tribune, not a drain, so there won’t be any effects on our operations. Still, though, you can never be certain.
More to come as these unfold.
