How about the story in Newsweek recently about the trip shitface took to Austria? The hate/resentment/hate/resentment factor against Bush, was so pervasive cabbies refused to pick up American reporters! Good ol' Aussies! Two thirds of the SS in WW2 were from Austria. I don't watch corporate TV, refuse to listen to corporate radio. For the time being, I get my news from the Internet; them days is numbered, y'all. I just don't find that many updates on B'flash or American Prospect, or even Truthout.org anymore, like in the last couple of months.
One funny video about Bushie is when he's bear-hugged by the dude at some Naval base graduation ceremony. W was nonplussed, like it was the best sex he'd ever had. How ANYbody can bear-hug our home-grown Satan is beyond me. Laura, Laura, where are you at baby?
Posted by Mal Feasance at June 25, 2006 04:45 AMMal, Aussies refer to Australians, not Austrians. For the most part, the Aussies are fond of Americans but can't understand our neocons and Bush. Of course, I can't understand why they support John Howard, either.
Posted by Cookie Monster at June 25, 2006 04:57 AMAussie can refer to Austrians or Australians. It's word play dude. God, has Bush taken away the pleasure of a fuckin' sense of humor?
Posted by Mal Feasance at June 25, 2006 05:16 AMTV is Destroying Democracy
Americans watch (on average) over 4 hours of TV a day.
That is about 2 hours a day for those working full time,
and 6 to 8 hours for retirees, the unemployed
school children, etc...
While in front of the TV, we are not using
our brains. Studies have shown that within
minutes of sitting down in front of the tube
people's brains go into Alpha brainwave mode.
Alpha brainwaves are not associated with thinking,
they are associated with daydreaming. What is the
effect of Americans spending most of their leisure
time in a dream state?
Note: This includes "thinking people's TV".
You may be thinking before the show and after
it. But you aren't thinking while you're watching it.
The effects of TV on the Brain:
http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/usr/h99c/h9951826/television.PDF
Democracy can't exist without social capital,
and social capital (at least enough of it)
doesn't exist when people are glued to the tube.
The only way America can truly be a reality-based
society is if Americans escape from their fantasy
TV-Land.
The effects of TV on American Society:
http://www.prospect.org/print/V7/24/putnam-r.html
Bush's presidency should be a wake-up call that
something is very wrong in America. The invention
of the printing press brought about the Age of Reason.
The invention of TV has brought about the Age of
Entertainment.
See "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman
http://www.tvsmarter.com
http://www.trashyourtv.com/node
http://www.whitedot.org
http://www.turnoffyourtv.com
Posted by Terry at June 25, 2006 05:34 AMThere is a great deal of censorship among those that proclaim to be the "protectors" of the internet. The faux "advertise liberally" circle of links actually censors more posts for bringing up REAL progressive/liberal issues than wingnut and troll posts.
Talk about vote fraud or socio-economic issues is banned - usually deleted without even acknowledging the act. In the meantime, they complain about the NYT refusing to publish letters.
Sure, they are private forums, but they have bestowed themselves with the heritage of liberalism while banning any mention or discussion of liberal issues.
Posted by at June 25, 2006 05:36 AMAs the internet filtering controversy heated up Thursday, my work's Internet proxy disappeared. As soon as it passes however, I bet it'll be right back up.
I generally belive that filters are not an inherent evil - there are sites on the Internet that actively atttempt to inflitrate and install spyware or other malevolent 'unfettered capitalist' software on Windows computers running Internet Explorer. That is a security issue, and a significant monetary drain on the company - I should know, I spent 5 hours defeating a spy-ware infested computer Friday and my hourly rate works out to be half of what most computer repair shops charge per hour. By all means, block the companies that actively want to use your unsecured computer like a cheap inflatable love doll, taking names, passwords, and email and then using your borked machine and fast internet connection to spread their disease.
The problem is that filtering is inherently slower and reactionary to these companies innovations'. The blocker that restricts 1800sextoys4U.tv doesn't block 1800sextoys4you.biz. So your company's spent this expensive Internet filtering tool only to have it be only partially effective, and plus it's not keeping the guy in accounting from visiting yahoogroups.com and looking at middle-aged amteur boobies. Since Yahoo's forums are as much of a threat to your company, just in sexual harrassment suits, blocking those sites becomes more important than blocking the truly evil content on the Internet. Soon it becomes blocking on discussion groups, web-based email, sites for online auction, and then news sites and other 'non-work related information'. The filter has moved from guardian to nanny as it attempts to to enforce what should be an issue of employee discipline. The problem is that filtering software doesn't do either very well.
Meanwhile - network administrators for the filter's customers, which supply the company their block & admit lists for redistribution, become engaged in a guerrilla warfare to keep their pet web sites that they like from disappearing behind the block screen. What's good for the gander is not going block the administrators' tastes. Sites which should be blocked for "discussion group" content like DailyKos, Instapundit, and The Left Coaster remain unblocked, while other sites with less traffic or notoriety like Juan Cole's Informed Comment and My Left Wing get locked down faster than you can make a bowl of easy mac.
Opportunism. It's been said that humans are sentient beings foremost because they attempt to maximize their opportunities. Filtering software was originally designed to screen sexual Internet content, then applied to the growing problems with poorly secured Windows computers because the sex filter didn't work all that well. Then someone realized that you could use those filters to screen legitimate websites of content that you personally objected to, and those sites woked best because most of those sites can't move or circumvent in response to the filters.
Posted by idiosynchronic at June 25, 2006 07:18 AMU.S. General in Iraq Outlines Troop Cuts
The top American commander in Iraq has drafted a plan that projects sharp reductions in the United States military presence there by the end of 2007, with the first cuts coming this September
new bush policy: cut and run!
Posted by benjoya at June 25, 2006 07:30 AM"Filtering software was originally designed to screen sexual Internet content, then applied to the growing problems with poorly secured Windows computers because the sex filter didn't work all that well. Then someone realized that you could use those filters to screen legitimate websites of content that you personally objected to, and those sites woked best because most of those sites can't move or circumvent in response to the filters."
Idio, and that is the reason we liberals fight like hell for no censorship in most areas. Some people fail to understand that there is indeed a "slippery slope." Thanks to Bush, we are already slidding faster and faster down that slope, having stepped over the edge six years ago. If we were truly free, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
I'm sure TLC will have a major post up today, but note that our puppet government in Iraq was forced by the Empire to issue a "reconciliation" plan without any timetable for troop withdrawal, and without any amnesty that would apply to an actual "working" guerilla--i.e. one who had killed anyone.
That'll really be tempting to the Sunni insurgents, yessiree. The Prime Minister must know such a "plan" will be ineffective and makes his government look like fools and quislings to the Iraqis.
Looks like we've thrown away another election, another PM, and another "corner-turning", but as many have said before, we aren't looking to find a way actually to exit Iraq.
Posted by euzoius at June 25, 2006 07:43 AMI can't imagine why you'd have to censor internet usage for adults! I found that the best filter of all was openness. Back when I was visiting Malta (South of Italy), I wanted to log onto a porn site, but there was a reasonably-attractive woman sitting in a place where se could see my computer screen. I'm like "Well, I can log on and look like a complete pervert or (sigh) I can find some other site." I checked the site I wanted the next day.
If a worker is not productive, look at the end of the line, at the worker's output. If there's a problem, look at his or her web-surfing habits and decide "Should this person get a warning of have they already gotten one?"
Back when I was in the Navy, we had someone checking out dirty sites. Well, everybody's internet access went through our T1 line (We tried to get internet radio and it overloaded the server, so THAT was quickly shut down) so our Lieutenant announced "Somebdy's accessing porn site. Stop doing that." End of problem.
I was talking about this the other day at Low and Left.
At the Hayden library at Arizona State University you cannot gain access to Riverbend, The Rude Pundit, Suburban Guerilla, or Jesus General.
I did get access to Juan Cole, the Left Coaster, Low and Left, Daily Kos, FDL and most other Progressive sites.
It seems like some content is more damaging to the students and alumni.
Riverbend? I guess that doesn't surprise me. God forbide anyone hear the truth straight from Iraq. I bet you cannot access Al Jazeera either at the Hayden Library. There is only one reason to block these kinds of sites. Stop the flow of information. That's what fascist do.
Posted by Judith at June 25, 2006 10:33 AMFeingold was on MTP. The more I hear him, the more impressed I am. He said that the Democrats need to stop listening to consultants, and to start listening to the people. AMEN!
Posted by Judith at June 25, 2006 10:37 AMI watched "An Inconvenient Truth" last night. It was enlightening. Does any one remember the web site listed at the end of it? It was globalclimate or something like that..
Posted by headxray at June 25, 2006 11:26 AMhere you go, headxray: climatecrisis.net
Posted by benjoya at June 25, 2006 11:36 AMI watched Syriana last night. Whew!
First thought that came to my mind; If all the oil executives, politicians and intel guys watched it, they would laugh because they know how true it is and there is nothing the American public can do to stop it.
The first words out of my wife's mouth after the ending of the movie were, "How sobering!"
Check it out, great movie!
Posted by Seven of Six at June 25, 2006 11:51 AMSoS - Can't wait! It takes sooo long for movies to come out I'll actually watch in the theater. Syriana was one, but I was away...
I want to see An Inconvenient Truth, but since Click is number one this weekend, I might have to go see that so I have something to talk about with everyone I work with. It looks like a deep feel good type movie.
"An Inconvenient Truth" - movie or book first???
Posted by Dishwashing Engineer at June 25, 2006 02:37 PMTerry - thanks for all the links!
Kill Your Television! Draw or Read.
I love the final scene of The Cable Guy - it's worth the whole movie.
I grew up a t.v. baby so I'm surprised things turned out ok. School House Rocks, Big Blue Marble, Zoom, Vegetable Soup, Land of the Lost, and H.R. Puff N Stuff probably had a lot to do with that..
Posted by at June 25, 2006 02:43 PMWarren Buffet is cool. Honest, pumps his own gas, lives in his 32k dollar house, and doesn't let flash or greed run his life.
And now pledges 30-40 billion to Gates foundation..
It's too bad some portfolio manager that is
totally opposite in character of Buffet will probably be taking care of (and profiting greatly) off of Buffet's hard work.
I hope there are some financial advisors and brokers that look up to him. I bet the majority actually think he's a fool.
Him and hedge funds are the two sides of the investment coin.
Call me cynical after the last 6 years of the democracy demolition team, but what about this?
"US Plans to Fight the Net" by Adam Brookes, Pentagon correspondent, BBC News, 1/27/06. (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4655196.stm).
Pentagon plan, 2003, "Informations Operations Roadmap" signed by Rumsfeld. More than one reference in the plan to "fighting the net". 1st sentence in article is "Bloggers beware".
Considering how corps have cooperated with the administration on data mining & information spin, why would the telcos be any different?