Monkeyfister

Image title: Autumn Harvest. by Mark Smith


Today, the Sun rose due East, and will set due West.


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This, RIGHT HERE, is singularly the most beautiful, and powerful movie that I have ever seen. Honestly. This is the movie that I watch to GET RIGHT, when shit really gets me wrong. This movie needs to be shared EVERYWHERE, to EVERYONE.

PLEASE... Take 1-hour, 36-minutes out of your busy life to watch this beautiful video.

BARAKA via Google Video

Baraka is an incredible journey through 6 continents, 24 countries. Painstakingly shot on Todd AO-70mm film. Baraka has no plot, contains no actors and has no script. Baraka is a collection of high quality images, presented in a moving and compelling manner. Created by Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, with music from Michael Stearns and others.

Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as "a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds." For many people Baraka is the definitive film in this style. Breathtaking shots from around the world show the beauty and destruction of nature and humans. Coupled with an incredible soundtrack including on site recordings of The Monks Of The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery.

Baraka is evidence of a huge global project fueled by a personal passion for the world and visual art. Working on a reported US$4 million budget, Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, with a three-person crew, swept through 24 countries in 14 months to make this stunning film.
One of the very last films shot in the expensive TODD-AO 70mm format, Ron Fricke developed a computer-controlled camera for the incredible time-lapse shots, including New York's Park Avenue rush hour traffic and the crowded Tokyo subway platforms.

Please. Please. Please... For the sake of your spirit... Take a pause to watch this. You'll thank me later. Leave comments... I look forward to them.


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Sent to me by a Co-Worker... Those of you who know where I work, will find the very idea of that amazing after watching this...
Yu Koyo Peya

Yu Koyo Peya: An expression from the Ipili Tribe of Papua New Guinea, meaning, "The Land Is Ending."

A documentary by Tyler Kimble summarizing the primitivist critique of civilization, and the arguments regarding collapse.

Richard Heinberg, James Kunstler and Jared Diamond are prominently featured in this 22-minute video.

I recommend to you, good readers, to read Jared Diamond's new book: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.





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More to come. Use Freely and Liberally.


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More to come today.
Use Freely and Liberally.


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United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Today, on United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide elimination of torture. The non-negotiable demands of human dignity must be protected without reference to race, gender, creed, or nationality. Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and we are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.

To help fulfill this commitment, the United States has joined 135 other nations in ratifying the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. America stands against and will not tolerate torture. We will investigate and prosecute all acts of torture and undertake to prevent other cruel and unusual punishment in all territory under our jurisdiction. American personnel are required to comply with all U.S. laws, including the United States Constitution, Federal statutes, including statutes prohibiting torture, and our treaty obligations with respect to the treatment of all detainees.

The United States also remains steadfastly committed to upholding the Geneva Conventions, which have been the bedrock of protection in armed conflict for more than 50 years. These Conventions provide important protections designed to reduce human suffering in armed conflict. We expect other nations to treat our service members and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Our Armed Forces are committed to complying with them and to holding accountable those in our military who do not.

The American people were horrified by the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. These acts were wrong. They were inconsistent with our policies and our values as a Nation. I have directed a full accounting for the abuse of the Abu Ghraib detainees, and investigations are underway to review detention operations in Iraq and elsewhere.

It is often American men and women in uniform who fight for the freedom of others from tyrannical regimes that routinely use torture to oppress their citizens. From Nazi Germany to Bosnia, and Afghanistan to Iraq, American service members have fought to remove brutal leaders who torture and massacre. It is the American people and their contributions that have helped to rebuild these traumatized nations to give former victims hope.

A little over a year ago, American service members and our coalition partners freed the Iraqi people from a dictatorship that routinely tortured and executed innocent citizens because of what they believed in or what ethnic or religious group they came from. In torture chambers, innocent Iraqis were brutalized and the bodies of the dead left in mass graves. Throughout the past year, Americans have assisted the Iraqi people in establishing institutions to ensure accountability so that such acts do not occur again and to help victims recover.

Despite international efforts to protect human rights around the world, repressive regimes continue to victimize people through torture. The victims often feel forgotten, but we will not forget them. America supports accountability and treatment centers for torture victims. We contribute to the U.N. Fund for the Victims of Torture and support the work of non-governmental organizations to end torture and assist the victims. We also provide protection, counseling, and where necessary and possible, relocation in the United States. We stand with the victims to seek their healing and recovery, and urge all nations to join us in these efforts to restore the dignity of every person affected by torture.

These times of increasing terror challenge the world. Terror organizations challenge our comfort and our principles. The United States will continue to take seriously the need to question terrorists who have information that can save lives. But we will not compromise the rule of law or the values and principles that make us strong. Torture is wrong no matter where it occurs, and the United States will continue to lead the fight to eliminate it everywhere.

September 21, 2006, Monkeyfister spoke these words: George W. Bush, YOU are the worst, and sickest type of twisted, lying hypocrite, you motherfucking bastard. Tonight, and every night, I will pray to the Pantheon of Gods for swift, terrible Justice to find you and your fucking cabal of cheap thugs. May you never find rest again.


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My God. I never thought that I'd EVER see this in AMERICA.

No link... It's bloody, fucking everywhere. I've not been able to even set down in this chair, for not wanting to see it or read it again... I simply cannot believe it happened.

Fucking Republicans.

Stoopid Democrats for trusting John Motherfucking McCain.



When and where does the insurrection start? Point me there. It's time.

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It will take a VERY special blogger to rise to the occasion.... Those are BIIIIIG shoes to help fill.

Read This

With work reaching new levels of suckitude, I'm looking for a daily guest/co-blogger for this site - please let me know if you're interested.

Serious inquiries ONLY, please... For ALL of our sake.


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I humbly ask you to set aside any Political viewpoints and go see Aaron Russo's new film America: From Freedom To Fascism

Determined to find the law that requires Americans to pay income tax, Aaron Russo (THE ROSE, TRADING PLACES) sets out on a journey. Neither left- nor right-wing, this startling examination exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America. Through interviews with US Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents, tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, voter fraud, the national identity card (becoming law in May 2008) and the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track citizens. A striking case about the evolving police state in America.

I'm not about to stop paying my Federal Income taxes until FIRM precedence is in place, but, Russo sheds light on some very interesting points, the first is that the 16th Amendment is illegitimate, the second, that the law spawned from the (illegitimate) 16th Amendment is for Corporations, NOT citizens and employees. There IS NO LAW requiring employees and working citizens to pay Federal Income taxes. None. It's been proven in MANY courts... Even the SCOTUS... It's all in the movie. For some reason, the precedent is not yet conclusive-- especially in courts run by FEDERALIST SOCIETY Judges... oddly enough.

Go see it... Have a look at the trailer(s). As I said, set aside your politics, and look at what is being presented. There IS NO LAW.

I'm STILL paying my taxes until a modern case breaks the SCOTUS, and finally sets precendence... even though several already have.


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Lesson: Buy Loose Organic Produce, Wash It and/or COOK IT... Buy LOCAL and ask LOTS of questions of the grower. Better yet-- GROW YOUR OWN. Anything else is simply STOOPID, and you'll get what you deserve.

Part of the reason we're seeing these break-outs of E.Coli, is that Industrial Farming methods include spraying pig and cow shit and piss directly ON the crops. No composting and spreading it on the ground around the crops, or mixing it into the groung BEFORE the crops are planted... Oh no... THAT would make too much sense... and COST TOO MUCH... (waaaaahhhhh) THEN the Industrial Producers have taken to a less thorough "IN SITU" (in the fields) rinsing and processing system, as opposed to a more thorough central system, to save costs, and get their shitty products out to market ASAP.

There is the horrible set up of Industrial Farming... Between the producers' shitty practices and the consumer, we've got incubation time...

THEN, we've got LAZY consumers who do not wash/rinse the produce as they prepare it... LAZY. LAZY.LAZY IDIOTS. It says on the back of EVERY DAMNED BAG OF PRODUCE I HAVE EVER LOOKED AT-- "Wash this produce thoroughy. It is best that you cook it thoroughly..." etc. The warnings are there from the producers, because they KNOW they a producing shitty, dirty produce.

ULTIMATELY... We've got a society more hell-bent on a pretty lawn, and soccer practice, and a world of other distractions-- keeping a garden to raise THEIR OWN food doesn't even OCCUR to them. IDIOTS.

At the risk of sounding like a TOTAL jerk, I say the affected people DESERVE what they got. Lazy fools.

If you grow your own; if you buy your food from a Farmer's Market; if you ask you farmer at the market HOW the produce was grown, and how to prepare it, what precautions you should take; if you buy loose organic produce ONLY; if you PICK YOUR OWN; if you WASH your produce THOROUGHLY; if you COOK your food properly; If YOU GIVE A FUCKING SHIT ABOUT WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY, you will not... OK... you'll very RARELY... have these sorts of problems. You'll NOT have these problems if you grow your own. It doesn't matter WHERE you live... you can ALWAYS grow SOME produce. I've posted on it Here and i posted it to this blog... If you forget the link, you can ALWAYS Search "Peak Oil and your Lawn"monkeyfister just like that. It'll be RIGHT AT THE TOP of your Googgle Search. Here's the link: Here.

Now is the time to get cabbages, spinach, lettuces, late onions, carrots, beets, kale, all the greens, hearty veggies, and roots and tubers in the ground... RIGHT NOW, if you haven't thought about it before now.... NOW! And make little greehouses, like I say in my article... If you live in the far north, buy some straw bales and pile them up around your garden beds, paint milk jugs black, and fill them with water and put then in your garden beds to absorb and release heat. Buy a heater coil if you need to. Your diet might be limited, but, you'll KNOW where it's coming from.


The people affected lately, by this spinach thing, are SUPER-STOOPID, and lazy, convenience-oriented consumers... The SAME people who forced apple cider to be pasteurized. These people DO NOT grow their own produce, don't give a SHIT where or how their food is produced, just so long as they can get it NOW.NOW.NOW, and put in their bellies. The Do NOT care what they put in their bodies, but WILL end up forcing HORRIBLE legislation on farmers that will ruin the smallest, most family-oriented of them.

I've little sympathy for those who were affected. They were lazy. But, I have only anger for the Industrial Farming practices that set them up.

If you care about what you eat, GROW YOUR OWN, and BUY LOCAL... WASH YOUR FOOD THOROUGHLY. To do anything else is to accept the risk.

Wash your food. COOK IT. 180 degrees for 15 minutes kills EVERYTHING food-borne.

Lazy consumers who force legislation because of THEIR OWN foolishness make ME sick. There is NO reason for it.

I have NO respect for the 3,000 mile salad products. If you're not buying your produce locally or growing your own, you're setting yourself up for sickness, and it's your fault.

I've written extensively Here about how you can grow your own produce-- even if you live in Nothern Maine, all year long. Deal with local conditions, and adjust your diet accordingly... THIS is the present and the FUTURE of Industrial Farming... GROW YOUR OWN. Compost, Use chicken tractors, RAISE CHICKENS.

I'm tired of hearing about E. Coli breakouts... There is NO REASON for them. NONE. Those affected DESERVE what they get. Just like I wrote about Apple Cider, below.

Screw you lazy-assed people, suck it up, pay for your laziness, and LEARN from your fucking stupidity, and take charge of what you put in your bodies. I'm tired of you people fucking up everything for small producers. The Factory Farmers don't give a shit, and will continue to fuck up your food... TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for what YOU put in YOUR bellies people.

I'm SICK of you. More than I'm sick of the Industrial Farming system... YOU should KNOW better by now. It's been 50 years of this bullshit farming practice. LEARN, Damnit.

If you click on the links in my sidebar, under the heading Gardening And Permaculture, and READ them, and if read the article of mine linked above, and follow my advice in THIS posting, you will NEVER have to worry about E. Coli EVER AGAIN.

YOU are responsible for YOUR OWN HEALTH. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.... Did your family NEVER teach you ANYTHING?



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Oh my GAWD this is some good, good stuff. I just received the first threee editions of this series and just put down the debut edition. Yes, I'm an old comic book geek... I sold my HUUUUUGE comic book collection to pay for my Freshman year of college at Michigan State University... and it DID. I had the ENTIRE Iron Man series, including the Submariner Iron Man origin, and every single Star Wars comic book as of 1986... Those alone took care of tuition.

I thought that Marvel's "Secret Wars" was sort of bullshit, but, it really did help re-arrange and reset the marvel Universe. This series, "CIVIL WAR," is going to totally re-align the Marvel Universe. I have always been sympathetic to Tony Stark/Iron Man... I ALWAYS loved that suit, and have a family of alcoholics around me... I ALWAYS thought Captain Ameria was OK, but, a little too AMERICA! All that has been turned upside down...

via WIKI

The main thrust of the Civil War storyline centers around the introduction into the Marvel Universe of a Super-human Registration Act. Similar acts have been used as plot points in both Watchmen and The Incredibles, where they have again been used to place dramatic tension within the work. Millar has noted he hoped to adopt a different approach, stating he "opted instead for making the superhero dilemma something a little different. People thought they were dangerous, but they didn't want a ban. What they wanted was superheroes paid by the federal government like cops and open to the same kind of scrutiny. It was the perfect solution and nobody, as far as I'm aware, has done this before."

Millar has thus presented the act as requiring any character in the United States with superhuman abilities to register with the federal government and receive proper training as law enforcement officials. Those who sign can earn a salary and benefits such as are awarded to other American civil servants. This allows Millar to split characters within the superhuman community in the Marvel Universe into two super-powered factions: one advocating registration as a responsible obligation, and the other opposing the law on the grounds that it violates civil rights and that it would turn all superhumans into government agents, thus hindering or disabling them from fighting menaces coming from the government itself. Millar has noted the genesis for this idea sprang from conversations between himself, Brian Bendis and Bryan Hitch, and further credits Jeph Loeb with creating the tagline Whose Side Are You On?.[2] Within the story this registration and the adoption of sides by characters builds events into the titular civil war. Although it has been suggested that the series can be read as allegorical commentary in the wake of 9/11 and The Patriot Act, writer Mark Millar has noted "The political allegory is only for those that are politically aware. Kids are going to read it and just see a big superhero fight."

Screw what "the kids" think, this is all about Bush, and how he's fucked up EVERYTHING.

Now, he's polarized the Superheroes, and they are killing each other, and plenty of innocent civilians because of his policies. This is going to be one halla comics series.

I like this particular promo image... Note everyone to the LEFT (in OUR view) is FOR Liberty and Freedom, and everyone to the RIGHT, is for registration, control, Authortarianism... and the Bush Plan... BRAVO Marvel for taking a stand!!!

It bums me out that THOR is rumoured to take the Bush side of things... and kills a major Superhero... There are some spoilers in the Wiki, but, to me, the spoiler are simply teasers... Spiderman unmasks to the public in this series, which makes it most worthy of buying the series, as does the incredible fight between Iron Man and Captain America... Whoulda thunk it possible?

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My nipples are all atingle, and I'm reachin' fer the gator clamps just thinkin' 'bout this here amazin' e-vent...

via The Rude Pundit hisself:

The Road to Rude, the Rude Pundit's brand new one-rude-man show will preview at the Backdoor Playhouse in Cookeville, Tennessee (the location of the director of the Rude Pundit's previous show, the sold-out Year of Living Rudely) on October 12 for one performance only.

I added the link to the Backdoor Playhouse... It's on the campus there...

I'm going to have to think and work really hard on this one, but, I'm going to try and make it out there. I'll have to stay the night in beatutiful Cookeville, TN, if I do go. If I DO, then, I think it might be a good time for a bunch of Librul Folks in the area to get together and celebrate one of our own.

I'll write i wrote the Rude One, to get some idea where the show crew will be staying, and I'll try and work out reservations at the same place-- providing they are staying in a local hotel. I'll post more on this later... Pencil it in kids... If I go to Cookeville, I'm gonna be bringin' some good tequila, and a big, big bag o' fun for everyone.

Cookeville looks like it's about a seven-hour drive from Memphis, here... not bad. If I have any Memphis-Area readers, I'd be happy to drive you there and back, and would only ask to share the gas money... I drive a Honda Civic... no pleasure ride, room is obviously limited, but it'll get us there and back cheaply. Lemme know...


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In case you missed it, or like me, are cable-free since 2003, Norm captured it, and it's available at One Good Move.

The topic: Bill Clinton's incredible Global Initiative. Incredible? you ask... YES, incredible. The two biggest donors to the Global Warming issue are Barbara Streisand and Rupert Murdoch... Only the Big Dog could bring those two together for a common cause... Some amazing work is coming out of this project, and lives are being saved.

DO check it out.

I added the link to the Clinton Global Initiative to the sidebar, under "Some Really Nice Things."

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Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added.

I think this will make things easier.

I don't know how long the Trackback feature will last. It depends on if I start getting filled up with spam and the pr0ns...


Mmmmm... pr0ns... I like them panfried in butter and lots of garlic and fresh basil.... I often slice in some fresh tomatoe.. over some penne pasta... it really can't be beat, this pr0ns recipe...

Habeas Corpus was first written into Law in the Magna Carta, the Charter of Brittania, in 1215. We enshrine one of the original copies in the National Archive, directly across from the Constitution of the United States of America, and the Declaration of Independence. We wrote Habeas Corpus into the Bill of Rights:

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

One more point to which I say NO COMPROMISE.

Contact Your Senator IMMEDIATELY. Tell him or her, "NO COMPROMISE, and NO support for torture and illegal Warrantless wiretapping."

This MUST.NOT.STAND.


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ANY "compromise" that allows for torture of ANYONE, and/or illegal wiretapping of American Citizens without a Warrant is a direct violation of the Constitution and Other Treaties, and an invitation for Mass Civil Disobedience, Civil War, and the eventual Dissolution of the Union.

I see NO COMPROMISE in this.

If this is what George wants, I for one will volunteer to give it to him.

I took an oath 10 years ago, when I joined the Navy and again 3 years ago to "Defend and protect the Constitution of the United States." I take that Oath seriously, just as I take the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence seriously.

I'll give my life proudly for the defense and continuance of the Union and especially, the Rule of Law.

I'm one of the few well-armed and prepared Liberals in the Left-Blogosphere, and I don't have a problem living up to my Oaths. I'm Duty-Bound, after all.

If this is what George wants, I say "Bring It On."

These bastards are hell-bent on destroying this fine country of ours, and I'm ready to stand in their way, to preserve it with everything I've got-- including my life, and there IS NO COMPROMISE.

I would hope my fellow Americans feel the same way about this.

Those who think that there CAN be a compromise really need to unplug from the intertubes, sit the fuck down, and shut up... THERE IS NO COMPROMISE ON TORTURE, AND WARRANTLESS SPYING IN AMERICA.

To compromise on this is to compromise America, and destroy EVERYTHING that makes us FREE, makes us special in this world, and provides us the moral high ground in international affairs. To compromise is to render us nothing more than the best armed bunch of thugs on the block... Nothing more than just another crack gang amongst others in the world. We will become Somalia. We will become Haiti. We will become the Darfur.

This option is unacceptable, and if the Bush Cabal wants to go there, then I'm ready to don a Sheriff's badge, load-up, and go gang-hunting... I've got the Constitution of the United States of America, and the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence at my back, as the start of my posse. Hopefully, there are others like me out there who'll join me.

THERE IS NO COMPROMISE.

George said that if Congress doesn't allow him to do these things, then "the Program will not continue." It's time to discontinue the program. To allow it to continue is to discontinue the Union. It really is as simple as that.

The only acceptable compromise is this: Geneva III stands as is, no torture, no extraordinary renditions, no Warrantless Wiretapping, and the Bush Administration steps down in it's entirety-- in return, they don't get charged with War Crimes.

Liberty and Human Dignity are not items for compromise. They are to be defended to the end. Anything else is uncivilised.



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Al Gore gave an incredible speech, wherein he laid out a HUGE plan, which, he believes, might save the country, and the world, if enacted... It's a good plan. Remove the Payroll taxes; TAX the hell out of those who use the most CO2-- Corporations and individuals alike, until we get down to target CO2 levels (below current CO2ppm levels), and then we re-phase in the taxes in an equitable manner. The Federal Income Tax is illegal and there is no Law for it ANYWAY...

FULL TEXT HERE

(snips)

One-way trade is destructive to our economic future. We send money, electronically, in the opposite direction. But, we can change this by inventing and manufacturing new solutions to stop global warming right here in America. I still believe in good old-fashioned American ingenuity. We need to fill those ships with new products and technologies that we create to turn down the global thermostat. Working together, we can create jobs and stop global warming. But we must begin by winning the first key battle — against inertia and the fear of change.

In order to conquer our fear and walk boldly forward on the path that lies before us, we have to insist on a higher level of honesty in America’s political dialogue. When we make big mistakes in America, it is usually because the people have not been given an honest accounting of the choices before us. It also is often because too many members of both parties who knew better did not have the courage to do better.

Our children have a right to hold us to a higher standard when their future — indeed the future of all human civilization — is hanging in the balance. They deserve better than the spectacle of censorship of the best scientific evidence about the truth of our situation and harassment of honest scientists who are trying to warn us about the looming catastrophe. They deserve better than politicians who sit on their hands and do nothing to confront the greatest challenge that humankind has ever faced — even as the danger bears down on us.

---

So, what would a responsible approach to the climate crisis look like if we had one in America?

Well, first of all, we should start by immediately freezing CO2 emissions and then beginning sharp reductions. Merely engaging in high-minded debates about theoretical future reductions while continuing to steadily increase emissions represents a self-delusional and reckless approach. In some ways, that approach is worse than doing nothing at all, because it lulls the gullible into thinking that something is actually being done when in fact it is not.

An immediate freeze has the virtue of being clear, simple, and easy to understand. It can attract support across partisan lines as a logical starting point for the more difficult work that lies ahead. I remember a quarter century ago when I was the author of a complex nuclear arms control plan to deal with the then rampant arms race between our country and the former Soviet Union. At the time, I was strongly opposed to the nuclear freeze movement, which I saw as simplistic and naive. But, ¾ of the American people supported it — and as I look back on those years I see more clearly now that the outpouring of public support for that very simple and clear mandate changed the political landscape and made it possible for more detailed and sophisticated proposals to eventually be adopted.

When the politicians are paralyzed in the face of a great threat, our nation needs a popular movement, a rallying cry, a standard, a mandate that is broadly supported on a bipartisan basis.

A responsible approach to solving this crisis would also involve joining the rest of the global economy in playing by the rules of the world treaty that reduces global warming pollution by authorizing the trading of emissions within a global cap. [The Kyoto Protocols]

---

Here in the US the extra cost of efficiency improvements such as thicker insulation and more efficient window coatings have traditionally been shunned by builders and homebuyers alike because they add to the initial purchase price–even though these investments typically pay for themselves by reducing heating and cooling costs and then produce additional savings each month for the lifetime of the building. It should be possible to remove the purchase price barrier for such improvements through the use of innovative mortgage finance instruments that eliminate any additional increase in the purchase price by capturing the future income from the expected savings. We should create a Carbon Neutral Mortgage Association to market these new financial instruments and stimulate their use in the private sector by utilities, banks and homebuilders. This new “Connie Mae” (CNMA) could be a valuable instrument for reducing the pollution from new buildings.

---

For the last fourteen years, I have advocated the elimination of all payroll taxes — including those for social security and unemployment compensation — and the replacement of that revenue in the form of pollution taxes — principally on CO2. The overall level of taxation would remain exactly the same. It would be, in other words, a revenue neutral tax swap. But, instead of discouraging businesses from hiring more employees, it would discourage business from producing more pollution.

Global warming pollution, indeed all pollution, is now described by economists as an “externality.” This absurd label means, in essence: we don’t to keep track of this stuff so let’s pretend it doesn’t exist.

And sure enough, when it’s not recognized in the marketplace, it does make it much easier for government, business, and all the rest of us to pretend that it doesn’t exist. But what we’re pretending doesn’t exist is the stuff that is destroying the habitability of the planet. We put 70 million tons of it into the atmosphere every 24 hours and the amount is increasing day by day. Penalizing pollution instead of penalizing employment will work to reduce that pollution.

(end snips)


There is SO much more... GO... READ IT ALL.

RUN AL, RUN!!!!


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I spent as much of the day as I could listening to the new line-up...


5am-6am The Mark Riley Show -- Riley is REALLY GOOD, it's a shame that only the East Coast is awake to hear him.

6am-9am The Young Turks -- Get this content-free gaggle of jabbering fools off the radio. If I wanted the Morning Zoo, I'd tune into Z95fm. I know all the BIG BLOG Kidz loves them some Turks, but, having finally heard them, I've no idea why. Do they EVER get around to discussing ANYTHING of substance? I'd rather listen to Sports stats or the National Weather Service... or get an elective root canal. (quote h/t's to members of BCF)

9am-12noon The Sam Seder Show -- Just as Sam has grown into a GREAT Talk Show host... you move him to a slot where no-one NOT unemployed can listen to him... Way to go, AAR.

12noon-3pm The Al Franken Show -- Al REALLY needs a GOOD sidekick for his schtick...

3pm-6pm The Randi Rhodes Show -- Deserves MORE time, or a better slot. But, they cut her time, instead.

6pm-8pm The Rachel Maddow Show -- Better in the morning. She was the PERFECT Liberal alternative to NicePoliteRepublicans in the morning, a joy to wake up to, and for the morning drive. Can we AT LEAST have her old format back? Did you idiots REALLY have to micro-manage down to this level?

8pm-9pm "Politically Direct" w/ David Bender -- Can we have Mike Malloy back? PLEEEEAAASE??? How's 'bout 1 extra hour of Randi, and an extra hour of Rachel? The extra hour would fill in the "Eco-Talk" slot (see below) Give Bender a 3 or 4 hour slot on the weekend. Bender is GREAT weekend programming-- he breaks up the monotony of those worthless "Best-Of" shows.

9pm-10pm "Ecotalk" w/ Betsy Rosenberg -- I'd rather stream an hour of Global Public Media, and get REAL, in-depth coverage of a topic, thank you very much. Betsy's fine, don't get me wrong... I for one am appreciative of ANY eco-programming, but, really... This is PRIME-TIME weeknight radio... Give her a PRIME 3-hour block on the weekend, where she can cover 3-4 topics in DETAIL, and RERUN THAT during the week, after Werbe... break it up into 15-20minute filler spots during the week.

10pm-1pm Peter Werbe -- Werbe is WONDERFUL... I've listened to him for years at WRIF 101.1fm, out of Detroit. He's the best choice for the late-nite slot, if we can't have Malloy. I'll give you all that one, AAR.

For the weekends-- PLEASE ditch those gawdawful "Best-Of" re-runs, and tap others for inexpensive programming. I can think of several good possibilities: Expand Tom Hartman's show, Expand "Ring of Fire", Put Bartcop Radio in a slot, Bob Kinkaid deserves a slot, Ed Schultz is a good listen, Joe Vecchio's "Cup-O-Joe Show" could use the airtime, and that's just for starters.

Guaranteed, from 12pm-3pm on Saturdays, I'll be watching "The Victory Garden" on PBS, and then tuning in to "Live At Lincoln Center" for Opera on PBS. Reruns of three gabbling Turks is NOT getting my ear. At least I'll be LEARNING something worthwhile for three hours doing chores on a Saturday afternoon.


AAR-- you were fun while you lasted.

Time to start pushing Head-On Radio, whom AAR SHOULD have tapped for content in the first place. Had they tapped Head-On for weekend content, they might have garnered more weekend listeners, who wandered away from AAR for all the re-runs and "Best-Of" shows... SePuKu on the National airwaves is an ugly, ugly thing to witness.

Maybe I don't take change easily, anymore, in my middle-age. But, I did five years of radio in the 80's and 90's; held Program Director and Production Manager positions (I once gutted and re-built-- physically AND programming-wise, a radio station... new construction, format change from jazz to open-format/new-music... I think I've got some creds here); and have worked in the entertainment industry for all but 6 years of my professional life. I know cool from crap, and my instincts tell me that this move was the worst, and last one for AAR... I hope I'm wrong, but, my entertainment/political instincts are rarely wrong. I hope they are in this case, as we NEED a viable liberal voice on the airwaves, but none of this programming even feels right. The programs and formats that DID work now seem forced, flat and unnatural.


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Nice Bluegrass...



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Amongst the new links I added to the sidebar, is one of my very favorites:

ThrowAwayYourTV.com

There you will find TONS of free to download videos, clips, movies and documentaries. No subscription fees, no nuttin', just the goods, delivered via fast servers. You can also UPLOAD videos into directories, making this one hell of an excellent website. I highly recommend it.

To get you started, here's a whole bunch of Penn & Teller's Bullshit episodes...

Have fun!

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The article is presented as an interview with the interviewer, and is quite good. Many points are well, and thoroughly covered, and David Remnick delved into some off-the-beaten-path topics in interviewing Big Dog. One small bit rather impressed me:

via New Yorker Online

He plays a hell of a lot of golf and he’s a voracious reader. His library’s got a lot of books about policy, a lot of history, a lot of Presidential biography, and a lot of books on religion—that’s a sincere interest. His taste in fiction, although I don’t think it’s limited to this, seems to be of a lower brow: he loves thrillers and police novels and stuff like that. I borrowed a book from him that he had just read—“The Party’s Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies,” by Richard Heinberg, not exactly summer reading—and it was full of underlinings and what looked like the most serious undergraduate’s markings, with lots of exclamation points.

I added the links to the quote... I'm thoroughly impressed that Clinton is reading the good stuff on the Peak Oil topic, and obviously and genuinely interested and engaged in the subject. even more that of all the books in his library to loan, he chose this particular one to loan to a New Yorker writer... Good on him.


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You'll notice that I've added a bunch of new links to the sidebar, and a whole new category: Gardening and Permaculture. Poke around, have a look, and enjoy!


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Atomized, but not gone...

Die Zeit Article via Watching America

If political theories have an address, the address of neo-conservatism reads 1150 17th Street NW, Washington, DC. There on the fifth floor in rather ordinary-looking offices reside a half dozen right-wing intellectuals, who supply a steady stream of arguments for the propagation of democracy and a world dominated by America. The little club is called The Project for the New American Century RealVideo. In 1997 nearly every important American neoconservative signed the club's founding charter. The thinking that evolved here then circulated amongst a group of friendly think tanks. With the election of George Bush to the presidency and especially after 9/11, the significance of the think tank increased, even if the staff size remained small. Neo-conservatism was a dominant force in American foreign policy, and the network of friends had become a network of power.

Now, nine years later, the Project for the New American Century is closing – due to a shortage of funds, it is said. Those that remain there are looking for work. Their ranks are thinning. The New American Century has taken too long to arrive. An ideology is packed up and in moving crates. One couldn’t have a sight more pregnant with symbolism.

One needn't look long for the crisis of neo-conservatism. The magic word is Iraq. The central project of this foreign policy school, the democratic transformation of Mesopotamia [Iraq], has not gone as hoped. Theory didn't withstand contact with reality, and that reality has now swept away some theoreticians. And at the same time, a harvest of new treatises is emerging.

Now might be a good time to get over to the PNAC site and snag up all those letters, statements and publications before the site gets pulled... They'll come in handy one day.


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