I’m not shy about political ranting here at Words’ End, but this time I’ll leave it to the professionals. (NYTimes link, login required)
first native os x trojan
Well, it had to happen sometime.
In the name of
“This is clear evidence of God’s existence,” they say.
But if you believe in a god, why do you need evidence that this god exists? And why would you want to convince others of it?
Blue Company now online!!
Well, darned if this isn’t good news! Rob Wittig‘s erstwhile e-mailed novella Blue Company is now available online. Originally, you had to subscribe to it, and it got mailed to you every day for a month. Ingenious use of the medium, and it worked really well. While reading it on the Web might not be quite the same thing, it’s still brilliant. I highly recommend it.
And while you’re at it, do check out Scott Rettberg‘s sort-of sequel to Blue Company, called Kind of Blue.
Live and learn, under God
So, I didn’t actually know that the words “Under God” weren’t put into the U.S. pledge of allegiance until 1954, when America was fighting godless Commies. I find this as hilarious as the present blind enforcement of the phrase’s repetition is idiotic.
Who are you to make me pledge allegiance to your god?!
In high school, at first I thought it was kind of cool to participate in recitations of this sort. After all, I’d just arrived fresh out of the USSR, where vocal pronouncements of solidarity and loyalty to the State weren’t exactly a rarity. As I got older and started thinking for myself a little more, though, it seemed distasteful to have to say “under God.” This is around 1992-3 we’re talking about, Clinton was president, people were a lot more relaxed, and I’d just moved to southern California, where (especially compared to Queens, New York) nobody seemed to ever raise their voice above speaking level. My teachers gave us quite a bit of freedom on this one, saying we didn’t have to recite the pledge at all, but could mouth it or just stand there with our hands over our hearts, facing the flag.
I had my problems with facing the flag as a daily exercise, too, but wasn’t going to fight this particular battle.
Anyway, yes. “Under God” in the pledge of allegiance, and the forced daily recital of the pledge of allegiance, is stupid. It’s not going to get you any thinking person’s loyalty. It stinks of propaganda: “Look at us! We’re good Christians! WE are not mindless ROBOTS who want to take away everyone’s MONEY! Oh, and by the way, you should praise our god.” Spare me, will you? You’ve already made me renounce my godless ways in favor of The Flag whose purpose and ideals of religious and other freedoms you are corrupting. You get my loyalty, and my taxes – for now, anyway; I’m not at all sure I want to while away the rest of my days in the U.S. You made my mother wait over a year longer than the rest of us to get her citizenship, because her line of work back in the old country required inscription to the Party ranks. Over a year. In 1998. Paranoid bunch of…
In other news, I notice that political ranting is becoming a favorite use for this blog. I wonder how many people I’m aggravating.
Get your religion out of my government!
Bush slams gay marriage at Evangelical convention.
Bush vows to protect traditional marriage from courts.
Listen to the NPR report. Note the Evangelicals gloating that Bush is picking up the torch that was dropped, leading a country founded on Christian principles.
Yes, well, this country is also founded on blood, on near-genocide. And on freedom of religion. Including freedom from religion. Oh god, am I furious.
upon finally cleaning off a tarp.
My bathtub is covered in a thin layer of playa dust.
happy!
More on the sex slaves article.
Jack Shafer is one grumpy critic, but Stacy says he often calls people on poor research and in the end turns out to be right. Upon reading Landesman article I referenced below, Shafer wrote “Doubting Landesman”. The Magazine editor, of course, responded immediately, and Shafer rebutted.
Surely politics, and the American emotional need to uphold a moral standards image, plays into the debate. (We wouldn’t have a booming sex slave industry because there isn’t enough clientele for one in our family-values-oriented nation, right?) I’m certain that some of Shafer’s points are valid; his friend the Coastal Expert sure is convincing. It still chills me to the bone to think that this is going on, regardless of its scale.
How the mighty have fallen!
I’ve been tempted by, and have succumbed to, Orkut. The Google-affiliated site seems to be combining elements of Friendster’s unassuming stance with the somewhat risqué elements of Nerve Personals. I’m not sure what I think about that, especially since Orkut seems to be promoting business contacting; but I’m interested enough to see how this works out, so I’ve joined.
I’m happy to invite people, too; in fact, am actively seeking volunteers. I don’t like disclosing people’s e-mail addresses unless they’re specifically okay with it, so if you’re reading it and would like to participate, leave a comment and I’ll ping you through Orkut! One big happy Internet.
Oh, and if you’re already part of it, let me know also. I’d like to find more people.
Oh, you son of a bitch.
I don’t usually swear gratuitously in writing. Lest I continue sputtering uselessly, I will shut up, and refer you to a short post by Xtina, who curses much more to-the-point than I.
When is this goddamn administration going to stop telling me what to do with my body, my interpersonal relationships, my life?!
