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Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
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January 09, 2004
Dungeons and Dragons and Democrats- Oh My!
A new blogger name of Kevin Blackthorne started somewhere about the time Saddam was being captured, and so apparently figured the "Ace o Spades" title was up for grabs.
He's earned our note with a particularly amusing and fairly extended casting of the Democratic presidential candidates as Dungeons and Dragons characters. Rev Al, for example, is a "2nd level Cleric/8th level Demagogue." He details special spells and magic weapons. He gets some particularly good mileage out of Kucinich and Clark as special geek archetypes.
If you've ever had any interest in role playing games, this is funny and nicely detailed, a clever roundabout breakdown of that particular food chain.
posted by Al at 1/09/2004 10:38:00 PM
January 08, 2004
The Devil and Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter is The Devil- OK, fine. But partly that means she has a devilish wit. From her current column:
Having already complained to DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe about other Democrats attacking him, Dean recently said: "I'm feeling a little more Job-like recently." That's comforting. A few snippy remarks from the likes of Dick Gephardt and Dean thinks it's the wrath of the God of Abraham. Yeah, that's definitely the guy we want leading the nation in perilous times.
Now, come on- even all y'all pinkos have to admit that this is quite witty. Also, admit that this is a fair criticism of Dean, even if you like the man. After all, in the Christian terminology he now believes in, all have fallen short of the glory of God.
Oh yes, she may be a pain in the ass, but she knows how to stick it up in Howard Dean and break it off.
Which I suppose gets to my dis-ease with Coulter. Obviously she's one of the hottest chicks around, but I'm afraid that if I ever got with her that SHE would end up pitching. I fear that it would be some kind of a Crying Game deal, where the hot chick turns out to be swinging a big ol' wanger or something. I shudder to even consider the "or something."
D'oh!
Speaking of the devil...
Who wants to offer a caption for this picture?
posted by Al at 1/08/2004 12:24:00 AM
January 06, 2004
Who the hell is this Sgt Pepper anyway?
Why is the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album considered such a big deal? MY HUMBLE ATTEMPT at explaining.
posted by Al at 1/06/2004 03:44:00 AM
January 05, 2004
Bush squelching protest
I tend to give President Bush some slack because he seems to be doing a reasonably decent job in his very difficult central responsibility of defending the country from attack. Nonetheless, like any politician, give him an inch and he'll take a mile.
I'll even give him some leeway with the dreaded Patriot Act. Some form of judicial oversight for prisoners in Gitmo might be reasonable, but overall I'm not too worried about the fine points of the civil liberties of enemy combatants.
However, restricting the rights of innocent Americans to protest the government constitutes something unacceptable. McCain-Feingold [ultimately a collusion between all three branches of the federal government] will go down in infamy.
There's another ongoing set of abuses though, that lay entirely on the executive branch- and ultimately George W Bush personally. Story from the San Francisco Chronicle
Basically, there seem to be a lot of reports of squelching of expressions of criticism anywhere physically near the president- and by "near" we mean within sight of tv cameras along his route. This seems to include public streets.
Corralling any kind of protesters a half mile away in a "free speech zone" doesn't get it. As some have noted, AMERICA is supposed to be a free speech zone.
You give them an inch of latitutde for the sake of physically protecting the president, and he'll take a mile of leeway in suppressing little, mildly politically embarassing displays of dissent by brunt force. Alright, maybe you don't want guys carrying protest signs on pointy sticks right up to the president. It seems exceedingly unlikely that actual assassins would announce themselves by showing up carrying a protest sign to draw attention. Still, they might poke him with the pointy stick. That's pushing it, but perhaps we defer to even a somewhat unlikely security concern.
But there's just no excuse from trying to ban people from standing on a public road with a sign criticizing the president. That cannot be reasonably justified on grounds of security at all. It might be bad for the president's job security to see him surrounded by protesters at every step. But hey- that comes with the job.
These abuses are smaller, more retail level micro-censorships relative to the sweeping, formal nationwide ban on political protests by McCain-Feingold. On that basis, you could say that these smaller suppressions of dissent at presidential appearances are therefore not as serious. However, unlike the campaign finance stuff, this is ALL 100% under the control of the president. The FBI and Secret Service work for HIM, not the Congress or the courts.
I would, however, like to take a moment to bash US Attorney Strom Thurmond Jr for collusion. He is apparently prosecuting a South Carolina protester, trying to absolutely get him jailtime for carrying a derogatory sign amidst a group of sign waving presidential supporters.
However, President George W Bush has total control and thus personal responsibility for the policies and actions of federal law enforcement. At bottom, Strom Jr works for Dubya. He could stop this nonsense. He could stop Strom Jr. He could tell the FBI and the Secret Service to, oh...uhm..
Oh, yes- now I remember. President Bush could tell his subordinates to follow the frickin' constitution.
posted by Al at 1/05/2004 02:53:00 AM
Business math versus gay rights
Economics professor Walter Williams constantly seems to be thinking bad thoughts. He expresses the kind of thoughts that would make any decent, respectable person back away. The kind of thoughts based on economics and math, not sentiment.
For example, he argues from statistics in his current column that homosexuality would be a far better indicator (statistically) of high risk than smoking for life insurance companies in predicting their liability:
Another thing I wonder about are those life insurance company advertisements where they offer reduced rates for nonsmokers. Here are the facts. According to an article in Social Science & Medicine in 1991 titled, "Life expectancies of cigarette smokers and non-smokers in the United States," the life expectancy difference between never-smokers and current smokers is about seven years at ages 25-29, and three years at age 75 and older. Thus, it makes actuarial sense for life insurance companies to charge smokers higher premiums.
According to a study titled, "The Longevity of Homosexuals," in the Omega Journal of Death and Dying in 1994, the median age of death from AIDS is 37 and death from other causes 42. In another study, "Does Homosexual Activity Shorten Life?" in Psychological Reports in 1998, the average life expectancy of homosexuals is 20 to 30 years less than heterosexuals.
Here's my question: How come life insurance companies don't advertise lower life insurance premiums for heterosexuals? After all, life insurance companies do ask applicants about other forms of behavior that have an impact on life expectancy, such as: Are you a pilot? Do you abuse alcohol and drugs? And do you have DUI arrests? Why not also: Are you a homosexual? I think I know the answer. Life insurance companies would be charged with lifestyle discrimination. But isn't it also lifestyle discrimination to charge higher premiums to smokers, airplane pilots, drug and alcohol abusers, and drunk drivers? None of these lifestyles has the devastating impact on life expectancy that homosexuality does. The only answer I can come up with is that some forms of discrimination are politically acceptable, while others aren't.
So then, if homosexuality predicts something like three or four (or even greater) times more high risk statistically for early death than does smoking, why shouldn't that factor into setting policies? Why is it all right to refuse coverage to smokers, or charge twice as much, but the apparently far higher risk group cannot be noted or treated differently?
In this or similar situations, is it somehow not only morally acceptable but an active moral requirement to insist that everyone else subsidize, in this case, homosexuals? Does morality and fairness here mean that we are obligated to simply pretend not to notice inconvenient facts?
Alright then, my little pinko friends, here is your homework assignment: explain to me exactly why Dr. Williams is an evil homophobe for noticing these facts- or just what his offense is. I await your correction.
posted by Al at 1/05/2004 12:00:00 AM
January 04, 2004
Fox News gets the early bird's worm on Mars
I happened to be watching a re-run of the excellent Fox News Watch at approximately 2:43 AM Eastern time on Sunday, January 4th 2003 when the Fox News desk broke in live with the first incoming pictures received from the Mars rover that had just landed in the last couple of hours. They had Steven Matousek from NASA on the phone explaining the images.
Flipping around, none of the other networks were broadcasting live at that point. Fox was apparently the only television network on the story. Presumably the other networks will be getting around to some reporting on the story sometime.
Many people complain about the saturation news coverage given to yucky, sensationalistic stories of limited public value. I mostly resist the urge to join this chorus on the basis of honesty, in that I end up watching some of this stuff myself so therefore I can't be too upset with them for putting it on.
Still, I'd rather hear details and repitition throughout the land about the Mars rover, and all the specifics. We'd do better to be hearing again and again about distances and temperatures and landing speeds rather than another legal panel weighing a new detail from Laci Peterson's autopsy.
So, rather than the stick of criticism, I wish to offer this modest carrot of praise to Fox News for being on top of this important positive story.
COMMENTS?
posted by Al at 1/04/2004 03:19:00 AM
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