With abject apologies to Russian literature - these brothers are the scariest to date.
The past D.C. weekend demo for Fox hero Beck - (financed in great part by the Brothers Koch) promoting JC, Christianity, prayer in schools and more of the same smack of early Hitler days. Popular orator using catch phrases whipping up public support....all based on ideas/concepts against everything this country was created for.
Everyone said what happened in Germany could never happen here....really? All you need is big bucks, media outlets, strong orators and off we go.
Main line Republicans are mysteriously quiet and the pathetic Democratic party - do I hear a peep?
Read more in Frank Rich's column - Sunday's NY Times (Aug. 29, 2010) and the Aug. 30 issue of New Yorker - Jane Mayer's story on the K. Brothers.
OY!!!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Scanning Hypocrisy
El Paso Airport, along with other cities, now has body scanners to check us out before we board our planes - a little extra radiation to add to our "well-being". Do I hear any howls out there from the public that was so worried about government in the health care business? They screamed bloody murder when debates waged on health care reform; implying we could not trust the government to run a health program.
So - now we can trust the government? The TSA makes pronouncements on how little radiation is emitted - (from the TSA medical school? TSA Graduate School of Physics?) And the TSA is monitoring these scanners? Just how much radiation are they giving off - how well calibrated are they, etc. Heaven help us.
Sure, we're bombarded with radiation all the time and even more so when we fly at high altitudes. What's the tipping point? Who decides that something is harmless now? Ten years down the road when illness due to that extra "tiny" bit of radiation strikes - will the TSA say oops?
Oh yes - check out financial/consulting interest in scanning equipment company - a client of former Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff. It's that good old axiom again: follow the money.
I'll give TSA a cheap thrill and let them pat me down, thank you.
So - now we can trust the government? The TSA makes pronouncements on how little radiation is emitted - (from the TSA medical school? TSA Graduate School of Physics?) And the TSA is monitoring these scanners? Just how much radiation are they giving off - how well calibrated are they, etc. Heaven help us.
Sure, we're bombarded with radiation all the time and even more so when we fly at high altitudes. What's the tipping point? Who decides that something is harmless now? Ten years down the road when illness due to that extra "tiny" bit of radiation strikes - will the TSA say oops?
Oh yes - check out financial/consulting interest in scanning equipment company - a client of former Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff. It's that good old axiom again: follow the money.
I'll give TSA a cheap thrill and let them pat me down, thank you.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Texas Republicans - are they for real?
Just saw bits of the 2010 State Republican Party Platform of Texas and cringed. A follow-up to the Texas School Board's selection of school textbooks for the next ten years?
Samples of their ideology: "urge Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving religious freedom, abortion and the Bill of Rights", homosexuality "tears at the fabric of our society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous communicable diseases"
Spread of diseases doesn't happen with heterosexuals? Breakdown of family unit? No divorces, broken marriages in this country? No jurisdiction for religious freedom cases? Yeah - Mel Gibson should like that one.
What planet are these guys living on?
Watch out world - things like this were promulgated by the well-known Austrian painter with a mustache in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Always starts with a few crazies and it grows if it isn't stopped early on.
Samples of their ideology: "urge Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving religious freedom, abortion and the Bill of Rights", homosexuality "tears at the fabric of our society, contributes to the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous communicable diseases"
Spread of diseases doesn't happen with heterosexuals? Breakdown of family unit? No divorces, broken marriages in this country? No jurisdiction for religious freedom cases? Yeah - Mel Gibson should like that one.
What planet are these guys living on?
Watch out world - things like this were promulgated by the well-known Austrian painter with a mustache in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Always starts with a few crazies and it grows if it isn't stopped early on.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
A bit of kvetching and one kvell
Airline kvetching:
I pay for an airline seat; if I must make a change - I have to shell out big bucks. Any changes the airline makes (whether it inconveniences me or not): "tough!" They usually don't alert you to the change, say sorry, or offer any kind of compensation.
Ever been in a coach (economy) seat on a full plane - and the back bathrooms are occupied - you walk up to the front where 8 to 12 (or less) people share one bathroom, it's unoccupied, and the flight attendant says - sorry this is for first class only?
Who designs planes where the aisle seats in economy have almost no room for storage under the seat in front? Airbus seats are fine fine - but the Boeing designers probably all fly first class so what would they know?
Small regional jets - CRJ 900 (used by United) has room in the overhead for a standard 21 inch rollaboard; Embraer, (used by Continental) requires gate checking; why not use colored tags denoting close connections and need to offload these bags first?
Super market kvetching:
Why do they water the produce so much and then charge us for it? (it's sold by the pound and the water makes it heavier!)
Why do they sell veggies by the pound when half or more has to be discarded - like leeks,fennel, etc.?
Kvell:
Big smile on my face when 9 year old granddaughter Miriam called - all excited about her cooking class - "it was so much fun, nana!"
I pay for an airline seat; if I must make a change - I have to shell out big bucks. Any changes the airline makes (whether it inconveniences me or not): "tough!" They usually don't alert you to the change, say sorry, or offer any kind of compensation.
Ever been in a coach (economy) seat on a full plane - and the back bathrooms are occupied - you walk up to the front where 8 to 12 (or less) people share one bathroom, it's unoccupied, and the flight attendant says - sorry this is for first class only?
Who designs planes where the aisle seats in economy have almost no room for storage under the seat in front? Airbus seats are fine fine - but the Boeing designers probably all fly first class so what would they know?
Small regional jets - CRJ 900 (used by United) has room in the overhead for a standard 21 inch rollaboard; Embraer, (used by Continental) requires gate checking; why not use colored tags denoting close connections and need to offload these bags first?
Super market kvetching:
Why do they water the produce so much and then charge us for it? (it's sold by the pound and the water makes it heavier!)
Why do they sell veggies by the pound when half or more has to be discarded - like leeks,fennel, etc.?
Kvell:
Big smile on my face when 9 year old granddaughter Miriam called - all excited about her cooking class - "it was so much fun, nana!"
Monday, June 21, 2010
ANOSOGNOSIC?
Great NY Times blog by Errol Morris interviewing Social Psychology Prof. David Dunning of Cornell, NYTimes, June 20, 2010
"Anosognosia is a condition in which a person who suffers from a disability seems unaware of or denies the existence of his or her disability."
So - in other words a stupid person doesn't know he/she is stupid.
Many supposedly "intelligent" people are intelligent only about the things they know - or think they know. But do they know what they don't know?
Dunning talks about doctors, lawyers, etc. who are mediocre simple because they think they know it all.
All very depressing since Dunning is pessimistic about our ability to solve social problems: "getting along with other people, is something intrinsic to our survival as a species. You’d think we would know where our inabilities lie. But...we’re not necessarily very good at knowing what we’re lousy at with other people."
OK - the pressure is off: I can answer "I don't know" to any question,topic, debate with equanimity now. But what about the nonsense-spouting pols out there - who continue to bombard us with misinformation piled on top of misinformation? So many people believe anything in print or on radio/tv.
How about Anosognosia Anonymous?
"Anosognosia is a condition in which a person who suffers from a disability seems unaware of or denies the existence of his or her disability."
So - in other words a stupid person doesn't know he/she is stupid.
Many supposedly "intelligent" people are intelligent only about the things they know - or think they know. But do they know what they don't know?
Dunning talks about doctors, lawyers, etc. who are mediocre simple because they think they know it all.
All very depressing since Dunning is pessimistic about our ability to solve social problems: "getting along with other people, is something intrinsic to our survival as a species. You’d think we would know where our inabilities lie. But...we’re not necessarily very good at knowing what we’re lousy at with other people."
OK - the pressure is off: I can answer "I don't know" to any question,topic, debate with equanimity now. But what about the nonsense-spouting pols out there - who continue to bombard us with misinformation piled on top of misinformation? So many people believe anything in print or on radio/tv.
How about Anosognosia Anonymous?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tony Awards 2010 - Who Are the Clowns?
The Tony Awards for 2010 - what happened to all the creative people - so few examples of really entertaining new plays/musicals. Revivals are fine (most of the time) but where's the new stuff coming from?
The performance of Sondheim's "Bring In The Clowns" by Zeta-Jones was pathetic. She looked like a bobble doll turning her head back and forth (looking for the clowns?). Her tempo? Sounded like a funeral dirge. Who were the clowns presenting the Tony to her? She accepted her Tony and never credited Sondheim - hmmm.
The entire Awards show was mediocre - and made even worse with non-stop pharmaceutical ads. Am I missing something about theater lovers? Do they need medication for every little ache/pain/bit of discomfort?
On a more delicious note: Have to kvell about Cuisipro's new apple corer - wider, it really gets every bit of core out easily - and a click of the handle easily releases the core. More apple desserts this fall - for sure!
Off to the Fancy Food Show in NYC next week - looking for interesting new goodies.
The performance of Sondheim's "Bring In The Clowns" by Zeta-Jones was pathetic. She looked like a bobble doll turning her head back and forth (looking for the clowns?). Her tempo? Sounded like a funeral dirge. Who were the clowns presenting the Tony to her? She accepted her Tony and never credited Sondheim - hmmm.
The entire Awards show was mediocre - and made even worse with non-stop pharmaceutical ads. Am I missing something about theater lovers? Do they need medication for every little ache/pain/bit of discomfort?
On a more delicious note: Have to kvell about Cuisipro's new apple corer - wider, it really gets every bit of core out easily - and a click of the handle easily releases the core. More apple desserts this fall - for sure!
Off to the Fancy Food Show in NYC next week - looking for interesting new goodies.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Hypocrisy in action
After a week of what appears to be biased media reporting on the Israeli/Turkey incident - I just don't get it,
Seems that humanitarian aid has been flowing to Gaza for some time - and always with approved Israeli inspection before delivery. The agency in charge of this particular shipment of "humanitarian aid" didn't want to be inspected. why? What were they hiding?
Hmmm - wonder what would happen if I sailed through security at the airport - saying - hey - I'm not going to blow anything up - just let me through and don't look at my stuff. After all - I'm a frequent flyer and I do this all the time. I'm sure everyone would be in an uproar if I persisted in barging through the barriers on my way to the plane; we might notice more than a few pistols drawn. And everyone would understand - since we're concerned about our country's security.
But when Israel wants to inspect this ship with cargo provided by an agency which seeks to aid Palestinians,(including Hamas - known for its goal to obliterate Israel) and they're told they can't.....? They're supposed to smile and say - ok guys - just sail right through? Israel's security, defense of country is different than ours?
Am I missing something?
Seems that humanitarian aid has been flowing to Gaza for some time - and always with approved Israeli inspection before delivery. The agency in charge of this particular shipment of "humanitarian aid" didn't want to be inspected. why? What were they hiding?
Hmmm - wonder what would happen if I sailed through security at the airport - saying - hey - I'm not going to blow anything up - just let me through and don't look at my stuff. After all - I'm a frequent flyer and I do this all the time. I'm sure everyone would be in an uproar if I persisted in barging through the barriers on my way to the plane; we might notice more than a few pistols drawn. And everyone would understand - since we're concerned about our country's security.
But when Israel wants to inspect this ship with cargo provided by an agency which seeks to aid Palestinians,(including Hamas - known for its goal to obliterate Israel) and they're told they can't.....? They're supposed to smile and say - ok guys - just sail right through? Israel's security, defense of country is different than ours?
Am I missing something?
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