Royal Rumble

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Of the people, by the people, for the people . . .

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Oh, c'mon, cut the crap. You don't really believe in that s**t, do you?

Ascend!


You too can be an Übermensch
This is the New World of the Ages.


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And it is . . . B O R D E R L E S S . . .


PDF file
Which means the people have little say about any of it.

Did they ever?

Why so shocked?

This is the way it is. This is the way it has always been.

You've always known it. You just couldn't face it. Better to look the other way. Better to believe the comfortable myths.

Oh, wipe the phony pained expression off your face. No one can see you, anyway.

It is only just you.

It has always been you.

And you want IT so bad.



You really, really want it, don't you?

To many, the New World of the Ages is a nightmare. Same as the old world.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Not for you.

Why be one of the slaves when you can be a master? An Übermensch?

It is the promise of the American Dream. Except that it's more like the Euro-Hindo-Sino-American Übermensch dream, now.

Is this it?

Is it THIS that you want:


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Ohhh, you naughty, naughty little Mensch.
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Most people will tell you the same thing about it:

Arkham Horror was one of the games that I lay awake at night, wondering what would have happened if I had done something differently. It's one of those games where we didn't talk about the mechanics afterwards, but rather the story. It's one of those games where everyone stands up and high-fives each other when something good happens for the team.
---Tom Vasel's review

People will tell you:

It also makes you lose some sanity each time you play it. It’s wonderful having a game that does it’s best to drive you to the edge of a really good panic and then kick you on the stomach and show that yes, things can be a LOT worse.
---Shina's Sketch Diary

You know how it is:

It never seems that players can keep up. If they shut down one gate, another opens. If they overcome one threat, two more spring up. The terror level keeps rising, driving away valuable allies and shutting down useful stores. And that stinkin' Cthulhu is just sitting in the background, laughing and waiting . . .

But enough about American politics.

It all can be so . . . alienating . . .

I find my thoughts drifting to Gegory Weir today . . . The Majesty of Colors:


There are five different endings, and your (in)action throughout determines the outcome.

It's rare to play something with its roots in emotion, rather than mere atmosphere. I can relate to this game, because I once had a dream about vibrant colors that I would never see again. Because I've looked down upon the seething crowds of New York from a 40th-story window. Because I knew a girl who dreamed every night about a sea full of floating corpses. Because I've turned strangers into friends, and friends into strangers.
---Psychotronic, on The Majesty of Colors

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I'm not quite sure what the connection is, but I bet Brooks likes this

Received in my E-Mail this morning:

Dear Amazon.com Customer,

As someone who has purchased or rated It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks by James Robert Parish, you might like to know that Akira Kurosawa: Master of Cinema will be released on March 9, 2010.

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I wish every Dem senator (at least) would read this

Glenn Greenwald on The Democratic Party's deceitful game:

(quotes edited for space follow)

Basically, this is how things have progressed:

Progressives: We want a public option! ...Now that you're going to pass the bill through reconciliation after all, you can include the public option that both you and we love, because you only need 50 votes, and you've said all year you have that!

Democrats/WH: No. ...it's not the right time for the public option. The public option only polls at 65%, so it might make our health care bill -- which polls at 35% -- unpopular.

On both policy and political grounds, a public-option-free mandate seems distastrous for Democrats.

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The math here isn't that advanced, guys...

Hell, even I can do it:

Polls: In Key States, Public Option Far More Popular Than Senate Plan

What do they mean by "Far More Popular?" They mean, there's a difference of about 25 points...
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Everything is under control

Bionic Universal soon to launch fourth generation of Synthesized Humanoid robots. The fourth-generation will no longer have the "simplified subroutine" component (responsible for the second generation model's famous September 11 meltdown), but will include instead a "dock" subroutine allowing the programmer to instruct the B.U.S.H. IV to dock with its owners in time of emergency.

The first generation B.U.S.H. I had to be retired early (after one term only), after it was deemed that this early model antiquated social subroutine's lack of familiarity with the details of day-to-day human life in America, which had become public, made it a liability to Bionic Universal.


The B.U.S.H. II (dubbed "Dubya") replaced the previous model which had been judged not manageable enough during the first Gulf War. This simplified and less autonomous model while more docile was also afflicted with numerous glitches, including a momentary complete shut-down on September 11, 2001, in reason of the absence of some of the autonomous subroutines of the B.U.S.H. I model which had been deemed undesirable.


The B.U.S.H. III (dubbed "Barry") was introduced in 2007 and features several improved social subroutines, including emulation components especially designed with American progressives in mind.


The B.U.S.H. IV (dubbed "the rogue") comes with a simplified interface and is stripped of some of the program generated flexibility of earlier versions.


It is positioned to be the most manageable version of the B.U.S.H. series to date.
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It's a brave new world

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What to say?


Firefighters work on putting out a fire at a seven-story building after a small private plane crashed
into a building that houses the Internal Revenue Service in Austin, Texas on Thursday Feb. 18, 2010.
They hate us for our freedom?

Meanwhile as the War on Terra (aka the Project for the New American Century) continues—you've heard it:

            As of Sept. 1, "Operation Iraqi Freedom" becomes "Operation New Dawn."



The Ministry of Truth explained that the rebranding "presents opportunities to synchronize strategic communication initiatives, reinforce our commitment to honor the Security Agreement, and recognize our evolving relationship with the Government of Iraq."

Nothing that Xe Services LLC (formerly known as "Blackwater") couldn't handle, I am sure.



I wonder whether Richard Lowry's book was any inspiration for the new name.

Pre-order Price Guarantee!


Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you'll receive the lowest price.
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The President's Saturday Address

http://harpers.org/archive/2010/02/hbc-90006579
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Short Cut:

They'd come to see naked hippy girls and a guy who said "fuck" right onstage. Instead they got flat-chested mothers of two waiting tables and a fat junkie who mumbled about due process.

--pp171, Going Too Far, Tony Hendra.
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Attention Michele Bachman Fans!

If you have been at all attentive to the current CPAC conference on C-SPAN you may have seen Michele Bachman proudly present the billboard above today to a large, cheering crowd. Apparently it has begun to show up on the sides of some of America's roadways.

Now while this billboard should perhaps not be confused with another, extremely similar billboard......

the individuals portrayed here are not actually the same. Even if the similarity is striking. But they can at least be accurately described as soul brothers. That should be obvious, drunk or sober.

But the real reason I brought up Sister Bachman is because, among other things, she offered at least one truly striking assertion today (but when doesn't she?) and I wonder if the media will pick up on it? And if this may not be a new Republican talking point?

Of course, the Republic is falling apart. We are hell bent on creating a tyrannical massive central government, which will take away all our liberties. Germany, Sister Bachman told us, was in the same position we are in today in the nineteen twenties. Argentina the same in the nineteen forties. (Get the similarity? Ie, they were approaching fascist dictatorships.)

Okay, so far this is par for the course for Sister Michele. But here's what really struck me as over the top. She began comparing our current economic situation to the recession FDR inherited in the thirties. "Recession," did she say, I thought it was a depression. Was this a slip of the tongue? No, for it appears Sister Michele believes FDR inherited only a mild recession in nineteen thirty three and turned it into a full blown depression with all his big government spending. That the Great Depression was FDR's fault!

The Republican right has long been committed to a Capitalist orthodoxy which insists big government and taxes are bad and deregulation is good. They are truly fighting for their souls in this for if the President and the Congress have even one single big government success (in healthcare, energy, the environment, education, reregulation, etc.) it will prove that they are basically wrong. And that, of course, they can't bear to see.

So what's left to them? Being the Party of No, blocking all progress, and blaming the country's problems on big government progressives.

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Yesterday's Tomorrow Today

You all are acquainted with this brilliant cartoonist I presume? Let's have a toast to those funloving guys who are our Captains of Industry!



http://www.credoaction.com/comics/2010/02/corporate-americans/
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Ask the eight ball

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"I’ll think no more of it !" said she.

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Since when I think of it alway.


The lines are from a poem, by Victor Hugo, from Les Contemplations:

I did not think at all of Rose, Walking with Rose to the woods that day ; Many a chat did she propose, But little enough had I to say. Cold was I even as a stone, Strolling along with careless strides. Of flow’rs, trees, spoke I in muffled tone ; Her bright eyes seemed to ask, " Besides ? " Its pearls the dawn-dew proffered us, And the hushed copses shadowy veils. I hearkened ouzels clamorous ; Rose only heard the nightingales. I sixteen years, and air morose ; Twenty she, with sparkling eyes. Amorous nightingales piped to Rose, Shrill ouzels mocked me with quick cries. Rose, on slender limbs soft-swaying, Stretched forth her fair arms quivering To pluck a ripe fruit earthward weighing, — And her white arm I did not see. A brooklet tinkled clear and sweet Among soft mosses 'neath the trees ; Slowly the heart of Nature beat, The hushed woods felt not any breeze. Rose took off her dainty shoe, And plashed, with pretty pouting air, Her snowy foot in waters blue, — And, ah, I saw not her foot bare. I knew not what to say at whiles, Still following her in solemn guise, Often seeing her dreamy smiles, And hearing often her soft sighs. How fair she was I did not see, Till tripping forth from the wood-way, " I’ll think no more of it ! " said she. Since when I think of it alway.

Je ne songeais pas à Rose; Rose au bois vint avec moi; Nous parlions de quelque chose, Mais je ne sais plus de quoi. J'étais froid comme les marbres; Je marchais à pas distraits; Je parlais des fleurs, des arbres; Son oeil semblait dire: "Aprés?" La rosée offrait ses perles, Le taillis ses parasols; J'allais; j'écoutais les merles, Et Rose les rossignols. Moi, seize ans, et l'air morose; Elle vingt; ses yeux brillaient. Les rossignols chantaient Rose, Et les merles me sifflaient. Rose, droite sur ses hanches, Leva son beau bras tremblant Pour prendre une mûre aux branches; Je ne vis pas son bras blanc. Une eau courait, fraiche et creuse Sur les mousses de velours; Et la nature amoureuse Dormait dans les grands bois sourds. Rose défit sa chaussure, Et mit, d'un air ingénu, Son petit pied dans l'eau pure; Je ne vis pas son pied nu. Je ne savais que lui dire; Je la suivais dans le bois, La voyant parfois sourire Et soupirer quelquefois. Je ne vis qu'elle était belle Qu'en sortant des grands bois sourds. "Soit; n'y pensons plus!" dit-elle. Depuis j'y pense toujours.

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The Call of Cthulhu

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Can't say I blame her.


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Hey!

Who are you calling underaged and stupid?



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Somebody's got to do the politically correct thing . . .

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Happy Valentine's Day!



Which begs the question:

Which is more generally correct?

F = m a

or

F = d p / d t

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After sharing a couple of beers with Pope Benedict XVI, director James Cameron sees error of his ways

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"Avatar Urbi et Orbi," a new revised version of James Cameron's "Avatar," under the direction of Rev. Ferderico Lombardi, more in tune with Vatican's values, is in the making.


We had it from good authority already that James Cameron had decided to scrap the movie as it is right now and start over:



Speculations still abound as to whom the role of Corporal Jack Sully might be handed to.


Chuck Sully?
Anyone's guess is as good as mine.
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I've spent most of the morning dealing with these. Military intelligence gave them to my father during the Spanish Civil War. They are mostly photographs of civilians. Not the kind we often see.

Well, why have I been dealing with them? Because they were on loan for an exhibition in Spain recently and the person who borrowed them mailed them back to me in an envelope which tore open, and the photographs were lost. So I went down to the post office here (before a blizzard is set to arrive) to put fill out a form which will start a search. And, having images of the photographs I had to email them to the post office to help them in their search.

So seeing these photos once again I was struck by how tragic and dramatic they are. That's why I'm sharing them with you.....

If you have never seen war consider yourself lucky. I do.

If anyone is offended, I apologize.

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A MOST EXTRAORDINARY HYPOCRISY!!

Cross posted with full story by SJ at MadMikesAmerica Uptown
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Inalienable Rights

I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way.
~Robert Frost


© Ruben Bolling
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How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Sarah Palin

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The next Ronald Reagan?

So thinks Michael Reagan.

"Welcome back Dad..."

More photos here

I find the whole series of comparison photos rather ridiculous. But that's just me. A lot of people find it endearing. So who knows? After all, I did think, too, that Bush junior was a joke. (I still do.) And there are people who used to think that Obama would be a visionary leader. (I no longer do.) So there is no telling, really.

More than political fiction or a convenient scarecrow for political strategists like David Axelrod, "President Palin" is a looming and growing possibility for 2012.

It could happen...and this is why.

Does it matter?


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