...writing 100 Words a day, almost every day.
New study finds that companies design advertising to encourage people to buy their products.
Tobacco companies designed cigarettes to appeal to women's desires to be thin and healthy in ways that went "far beyond marketing and advertising," health researchers said Monday.This, of course, is shocking to those of us who fondly remember the failed "By The Time You Get Cirrhosis, Hospitals Will Have Bionic Livers" campaign that Coors ran once upon a long ago in a land called YouAreStupid.They said internal documents released by tobacco companies under a 1998 court settlement show the companies created cigarettes, including "slim" and so-called "light" brands, in part to attract women.
Checking out lots of books from the library, knowing that when you see them stacked by your bedside you will think to yourself "I really need to read those before working on my own book," is a great way to - uh - avoid working on your own book.
If you have one. Which I don't. Not yet anyway. For the reasons why, please consult Procrastination Tips 1 through 93.
Good luck finding the other 92 of them, as I haven't written them yet. Why? See above.
If you're curious what I am reading, though, it looks like this:
Peru's "little mermaid," a baby born with legs fused from her thighs to her ankles, will undergo delicate surgery Tuesday night to begin repairing her rare birth defect, her doctors said Monday in a statement.Looks like a big middle finger to the G-man. Chalk up another point for medical science, while the "intelligent designer" is still looking at a big ol' goose egg.
Wait, this story is probably just some liberal scheme to discredit God in the culture wars!
You can't fool us, god-hating-liberal secularist Jane-Fonda-dry-humpin' media! Someone get David Limbaugh on the line! We need his thoughtfulness!
Secularists are not like Nazis, says David Limbaugh, well - not yet, but oh lordy lordy the revolution is a-comin' and them good Christians are gonna be against the wall!
But I do believe the climate that now exists in this nation with respect to Christians is the very type that existed in societies, including Nazi Germany, preceding this more severe form of persecution. The soon-to-be-persecuted class was originally stigmatized as mean-spirited and intolerant, justifying suppression of their liberties. The demonization grew systematically, and eventually full-blown persecution occurred.The more nonsense like this I read, the more convinced I become that the religious right-wing is comprised largely of nutters with intense persecution complexes. I don't think anyone was even aware there was a "culture war" raging until they manufactured it.
It's fascinating: 83% of the population considers itself Christian, there are tens of thousands of churches across the land, we have a President who wears his religion like Bill Clinton wore White House interns, and Christians from all walks, be they good folk or evil men like Pat Robertson or Fred Phelps, can practice their religion freely, and idiots like Limbaugh call it oppression.
Note to dumbasses, regardless of religion: a government that doesn't endorse your god is not the same as a government that denies your god.
Please set your OppressionMetersTM back to "zero" and join the rest of the thinking world.
(found via Ankle Biting Pundits, who consider David Limbaugh "thoughtful." No, really don't laugh.)
While the Intelligent Designer can't tell his ass from his elbow, medical science comes to the rescue.
Based on his comments, I get the distinct feeling that Patrick doesn't like me very much. No, not very much at all.
Note: If that is what he calls "lapping me" on insults, I'd hate to see it when he thinks he is losing.
Note the Second: Lee's blog is an enjoyable read, particularly if you have an interest in writing.
Note the Third: If you're not compelled to click through on that second link, might I mention they're discussing oral sex? Well, sort of.
Note the Fourth: Speaking of Lee's blog, what the hell did Lindsay Lohan do to herself? Is she on a hunger strike?
You mean to tell me that the American Family Association is despicable? I won't hear a word of it!
Primarily because anyone with four or five active brain cells figured this out a long time ago.
Here's their latest bit of compassion:
Senator Specter apparently wants a place on your wall. Here's why he shouldn't get the chance.The greatest irony in all of this is that the AFA writer making fun of Arlen Specter's appearance is one to talk; he looks like a dumbed-down version of Alley Oop.Pick your poster child: Arlen Specter, bald from chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin's disease, saying that he is Exhibit A for embryonic stem-cell research ... or those cute little kids in the AP photo with this caption: "President Bush appeared at the White House with babies and toddlers born of test-tube embryos, some wearing shirts that read 'former embryo.'"
"I look in the mirror every day," says Specter, "barely recognize myself. And not to have the availability of the best of medical care is simply atrocious."
I love the smell of ad hominem in the morning.
Cranky Liberal, seeing the glorious light of the divine Jesus as explained by one Tom DeLay, is proposing some tax code changes.
He’s right. Even though those leftover embryos will NEVER become more than what they are, they are real humans. Just because they are no longer dividing and organizing into distinct life forms, they are real human beings. I say we pass a bill right now that recognizes them as such....why stop there? Let's pass a bill confirming that - hey, Catholic brothers and sisters - every sperm really is sacred, and a human being to boot!I think that each fertilized egg in a clinic should have full status as an American citizen, protected forever from harm. The parents of course should be able to claim each and every fertilized egg as dependents on their taxes. They are, after all, human life. I think I’ll talk to my wife tonight about setting up 7 or 8 in-vitro Americans. Maybe then I could afford to fill the tank up in my Jeep every week.
I can see my revised 2005 W-4 already - total number of allowances? 400,000,000,000,000 - give or take a few hundred million.
I'm gonna be rich!
Proof that the World Wide Rant is unadulterated evil.
It may take a little while to load, as calculating evilnicitousness is no easy task.
(found at Paperback Writer)
Update: Sorry, that should read evilnicitousnessosity.
Those of us who have some level of appeciation for the Second Amendment have, for the most part, joked at some point about the banning of knives too.
Whoops, apparently some limeys* were listening.
A&E doctors are calling for a ban on long pointed kitchen knives to reduce deaths from stabbing....and the attempted disarming of a nation continues. The wife and I have talked about moving to London at some point, but I dread a day where, when confronted with danger, the only weapon available to me is my scathing wit. Take that, scoundrel!The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.
Next up for banning: lead pipes, metal chains, and dirty looks.
* Remember, I'm married to a limey. I can call them names.
20 Questions with the Sith Sense
The real content you've come to love or hate will return tomorrow. I think.
I did it again. Like a hundred times over.
I can sing along with the entire Gin Blossoms' album "New Miserable Experience."
Oh, and Del Amitri's "Change Everything."
Hey, I didn't say I was proud of the fact.
Thanks, it would appear I already do:
You scored as Materialist. Materialism stresses the essence of fundamental particles. Everything that exists is purely physical matter and there is no special force that holds life together. You believe that anything can be explained by breaking it up into its pieces. i.e. the big picture can be understood by its smaller elements.
What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com |
(You do go over there for your daily dose of literary whateverness, do you not?)
You can view the Princeton lecture archives via the mystical magical electronic wonderland of the Information SuperhighwayTM.
I hear you can also find porn on it. The net, not Princeton's archives. Although that'd be kinda neat, huh?
(h/t to The Heathen Hold)
Do you work in an office full of cubicles?
Do you really like smooth jazz?
Do you like to listen to it on the radio in that office full of cubicles?
Well, would you knock that shit off, please?
Note: Highlighting text is your bestest pal.
| Sociopath You are 100% Rational, 28% Extroverted, 57% Brutal, and 57% Arrogant. |
| You are the Sociopath! As a result of your cold, calculating rationality, your introversion (and ability to keep quiet), your brutality, and your arrogance, you would make a very cunning serial killer. You care very little for the feelings of others, possibly because you are not a very emotional person. You are also very calculating and intelligent, making you a perfect criminal mastermind. Also, you are a very arrogant person, tending to see yourself as better than others, providing you a strong ability to perceive others as weak little animals, thus making it easier to kill them. In short, your personality defect is the fact that you could easily be a sociopath, because you are calculating, unemotional, brutal, and arrogant. Please don't kill me for writing mean things about you! |
You can take the test here. I found it via Tman.
Dennis Prager: dumbass.
Me: so not a dumbass.
(found via Tainted Bill)
Looks more like a stubby wee wee* to me.
Did Jesus have a stubby wee wee?
(via Pharyngula)
* With diamond piercings!
I've tried to get excited about the filibuster debate and the resultant "compromise," but I just can't.
I suppose it's because I think that all the Republicans shouting about "up or down votes" will be the same ones saying "boo hoo hoo" and "we want it back" the moment the tables are turned. Because they will be turned in time, the delusions of some notwithstanding.
Yes, there will come a day when Oliver Willis can slather himself in Oreo creme as a bizarre form of celebration of a massive Democrat victory and it will then be his turn to whinge about how those nasty Republicans won't let President Donk get up and do his thing.
Wake me when it's over.
Update: Wow, my rating over there is a -3 right now. No pleasing some people.
Rick Santorum isn't much for reading big books.
Danish director slams the United States:
Danish director LARS VON TRIER shocked crowds at the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL yesterday (18MAY05), when he branded US President GEORGE W BUSH "an a**hole" and launched into a bitter tirade against globalisation.Asked for comment, the United States said they still really like danishes, especially the apple ones at McDonald's. They also hoped that as we continue to export our chief cultural icon, the Golden Arches, that the rest of the world will love apple danishes too.
At present, I have a few thoughts I can certainly not prove, but the gaffe over the Michael Isikoff story in Newsweek concerning the Koran and the toilet is redolent with bad odor. Who, indeed, was Isikoff's supposedly reliable Pentagon source? One's counter-espionage hackles rise. If you want to discredit a Dan Rather or a Newsweek crew, just feed them false information from a hitherto reliable source. You learn that in Intelligence 101A.This would almost appear reasonable if such a story hadn't dealt a blow to our present success on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Doing so to discredit Newsweek would be, as they say, cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.
And you don't even need Intelligence 101A* to realize that - but a brain helps.
* What's with the "A?" Mailer manages to ruin even the simplest cliche!
A pregnant Montgomery teen who showed up at St. Jude Educational Institute's graduation to protest the high school's decision not to let her participate in the ceremony is telling her story to one of the nation's top-rated morning news shows.See, now if she had just gone and aborted her child before anyone was the wiser, the Catholic school would have happily approved of her marching across the graduation stage.Cosby, who is almost six months pregnant, was told in March that she would have to finish out the semester at home. She later learned she would not be allowed to take part in the private Catholic high school's commencement exercises.
Of course, the Church is against abortion, so doing so would have put another notch in her "one-way-ticket-to-Hell" belt.
Ms. Cosby couldn't win for losing.
In the end, she took matters into her own hands:
But on Tuesday, she showed up at the graduation and announced her name after the last graduate received his degree and walked across the stage. She, her mother and another family member were escorted out of the church by police after Cosby returned to her seat.
Been a full day with our out-of-town guest: early morning drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park, much sight-seeing, lunch in Estes Park, scenic drive back to the Interstate, up I-25 to Fort Collins late to find out that New Belgium Brewery is - it appears - closed for renovation, then home to eat a light dinner and watch the very depressing movie "Closer."
To make it up to you, some pics from our day:
Oh, and I also jotted down my 100 Words.
So, how was your day? Do tell.
Because everyone needs their 100-word daily dose of Andy (and others).
Update: Wow, you write a short story picking on Dr. James Dobson and people start giving you negative votes. Who knew they were so sensitive?
I mean, come on, Dobson's an ass.
The Commissar tells us all about a great new school where kids don't get indoctrinated but truly, truly educated.
Unrelated: Does anyone know who is the owner of the boobs in that needlessly inflammatory anti-ACLU shirt in his BlogAds?
There's a certain irony in that picture, given that right-wing nutters generally hate sex and instead prefer to self-flagellate while begging forgiveness for thinking of Ethel Merman in a 1920s one-piece bathing suit.
Still Unrelated: Please don't take that to mean that I think the Commissar is a "right-wing nutter." He's far, far and many moons removed from that. I was speaking more to the designer of the shirt.
You know, if you even notice the shirt when you look at the picture; which - if you didn't - I'd fully understand. I didn't even notice she had a head until a couple hours ago.
You know, my May 17th entry over at 100 Words or Les Nessman was pretty good too.
If I may say so, without sounding too arrogant more arrogant than usual.
Of course, the last two days I've been laying claim to the Spirit of Les, posting tributes in lieu of content, like masking tape in lieu of office walls. I'll do better on the morrow, my sweets, on the morrow.
P.S. You should check out the rest of the 100-word works and contribute your own in the comments. Because I say so. Although, you don't have to listen to me, 'cause I'm not a scary Sith lord like the goobers in line in costume or nothin'.
Intelligent Designer may need to revisit drawing board:
One of Orlando Romero's calves has a leg up on the other 25 calves born within the last two weeks on his ranch east of Tucumcari. The calf was born with an extra leg, with two hooves, growing from its back.Do you think maybe Donald Trump could fire God?
Hey, ABCNews (and fellow Associated Press yahoos), how about not publicizing how the Apprentice ends while the damn show is still airing in the Mountain/Pacific time zones?
Thanks a lot, dumbasses.
(But I'm glad she won, although I realize that is indicative that I should probably get away from the television at some point. However, I'm still cooler than all those people flocking to see George Lucas screw up Star Wars again.)
Faces and pavement really don't go together.
Update: This could also be called "Gravity: It Works!"
I can, like, hardly wait to see Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith!
You know, eventually, on my DVD player.
In my own home.
Where, uh, dorks are outlawed.
(c'mon, dorks, you know I'm all about lovin' ya)
...and is now working over here.
We quickly grew tired of the "intricacies" (read: limitations) of Blogger and Blogspot, and are now livin' it literarily large on Movable Type. Don't fret, little ones, the Blogspot site will - in due time - redirect you to the new home if you find the above link a little harder to remember.
As soon as we can stop in-fighting, we'll decide on the final name of the site, register the domain, and then hug and kiss and call each other George.
Thanks for reading, although my entry for May 16 is the only one I happen to be particularly pleased with so far (of my own works, that is).
...to our political discourse with this headline:
Computer Virus Spews Right-Wing SpamThose darn Republicans!
Oh, wait, reading the next line down:
Computer Virus Spews Neo-Nazi-Tinged Spam in English and German Into InboxesNote to the good people at ABCNews: Despite Michael Moore's full-mouth protestations to the contrary, "right-wing" does not equal "neo-Nazi."
Ah ah ah, your bias is showing.
(found via Michele)
Yes, we should be mad about this:
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A day after Newsweek magazine backed away from a story that U.S. interrogators had desecrated copies of the Quran, the U.S. military said it must reach out to angry Afghans to ease tensions.Newsweek blew it, and blew it big. Tensions flared and people died.At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured last week when thousands of demonstrators marched in Afghanistan and other parts of the Muslim world in reaction to Newsweek's May 9 issue, officials and eyewitnesses said.
But, really now, let's be frank: these idiots got upset over someone possibly trashing a book.
Mass-produced pressed pulp with some ink blots on it has more importance to them than human life. I'm sorry, that's just all kinds of messed up.
Despite the fact that many religious righters like to say that evolution and atheism are religions, I promise that if you come to my house and poop on my copy of "On The Origin of Species," I won't go into a murderous rampage or protest in the streets. I might, however, ask you to buy me a new copy and please don't come over again until your bowels are under control.
Even American Christians, while they're never quite sure what to do with all those little, colorful "Good News for Modern Man" New Testaments they've received over the years, probably wouldn't kill anyone for scribbling in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
So, yes, we should point a finger at Newsweek and scorn them. We should also point a finger at Islamic Fundamentalists and laugh.
Sixty years ago, in the spring of 1945, Allied forces liberating Europe found evidence of atrocities which have tortured the world's conscience ever since. As the troops entered the German concentration camps, they made a systematic film record of what they saw. Work began in the summer of 1945 on the documentary, but the film was left unfinished. FRONTLINE found it stored in a vault of London's Imperial War Museum and, in 1985, broadcast it for the first time using the title the Imperial War Museum gave it, "Memory of the Camps."You can view the entire film online; it is more graphic and more disturbing than what I've seen previously.
As it should be.
Some will say we shouldn't have to watch such things; they've said the same thing about footage of 9/11. I feel people need a visceral appreciation for the horrors of such events, for if we as a people forget them, we can only expect to be reminded of them in the future as we see the faces of the newly slaughtered on the evening news.
(h/t Michael Demmons)
Interesting news from the abortion front:
Having an abortion almost doubles a woman's risk of giving birth dangerously early in a later pregnancy, according to research that will provoke fresh debate over the most controversial of all medical procedures.Left unanswered in the article are such items as:A French study of 2,837 births - the first to investigate the link between terminations and extremely premature births - found that mothers who had previously had an abortion were 1.7 times more likely to give birth to a baby at less than 28 weeks' gestation. Many babies born this early die soon after birth, and a large number who survive suffer serious disability.
Regardless, women should be provided complete medical information before making a decision on an abortion.
Ironically, the same people who will suggest - no, demand - women be told about this latest study are probably the same ones who don't think rape victims should be informed of all their options, at least not in Catholic hospitals. It goes back to that "logic" thing (and when so accused, many Catholics will say "What about St. Thomas Aquinas? HUH?" - apparently implying that Catholic thought hasn't budged much since the 1200s).
Anyway, it's an interesting study. I'll have to do more digging on it.
You should be reading 100 Words or Les Nessman!
How many times do I have to tell you?
OK, fine, everyday it is. You brought this on yourselves!
Michael Demmons points us to this this story about a jellyfish "with 24 eyes, four parallel brains and 60 arseholes."
The eyes occur in clusters on the four sides of the cube-like body. Sixteen are simply pits of light-sensitive pigment, but one pair in each cluster is surprisingly complex, with a sophisticated lens, retina, iris and cornea, all in an eye only 0.1 millimetres across.No, we must remember that according to the Intelligent Design crusaders that anything less than a fully-functioning eye is useless (which is probably news to almost blind people who can see light and shadow and use it for improved navigation).The lens structure is unusual because the refractive index - the extent to which it bends light - is graded from one side to the other. Because the image is focused way behind the retina, it appears blurry. So cubozoan eyes are good for spotting large, stationary objects, while filtering out unnecessary detail such as plankton drifting with the current. From here it would be an easy step to evolve an image-forming eye.
Paul from Wizbang was, as always, unavailable for comment; however, had he been, I imagine it would have been something along the lines of "What's so impressive about 60 assholes? I've got a hundred sycophantic ones in my comments alone!"
Mildly entertaining, despite some questionable claims.
(from my pal and yours, Yvonne)
At Cannes Film Festival, a British documentary film claims that terror fears are exaggerated.
A previous film by the same producers claimed that "no, really, boiled food is delightful."
Christian Science is honestly - truly - kooky nutty crazy.
No lie.
Nifty news reporting, though.
Sure, sure, so the wee Fiona had her birthday 11 days ago. It's still not too late to buy her something cool like this.
Gotta raise my little rationalist heathen right, you see.
(found via Pharyngula)
In conjunction with Michele, Sekimori, and a guy named Todd, I announce, with some trepidation and a little bit of pride and a spring in my step and a party in my pants, the subdued launching of:
In lieu of 100 words, on those days when creativity fails or life gets in the way, you might get a picture or memory or blurb of Les Nessman.
So, you see, it's a winning situation for you no matter what.
Go, check it out, won't you, dear?
Go over a year without wearing the retainer you were given when your braces came off 16 years ago. Look in the mirror and notice that some of your bottom teeth are slightly out-of-line now. Decide to push the retainer back on to get them moving in the other direction. Wake up with a mouthful of hurt and loose teeth.
...but I'm willing to make an exception for a killer who admits to stabbing his own 8-year old daughter in the eyes.
A judge denied bail for 34-year-old ex-convict Jerry Hobbs after prosecutors said he admitted in videotaped and written statements to beating and stabbing his daughter Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias on Mother's Day.He also then asked how was he, an older, larger, ex-convict was supposed to be able to effectively disarm a 9-year old girl without stabbing her multiple times and then turning the knife on his unarmed daughter*.He claimed the older girl pulled a knife on him, but prosecutors said they doubt that.
It was self-defense, your Honor! Self-defense!
Put a bullet in his head and be done with this piece of human garbage.
* Based on the story, I'd say there were no chainsaws handy.
To wit, Brian McNicoll, writing about the Kansas evolution non-debates at TownHall.com:
But so far, the scientific community of Kansas and surrounding areas has refused to participate. This proceeding, they say, is beneath them because all issues regarding the origin of life are settled.Do they say that? Uh, no, they don't.
McNicoll's just provided an out and out lie. An intentional falsehood. Nothing is beneath these creationist yahoos, despite Jesus' admonitions to be honest and such. Lying for the Lord is a-ok!
Put this to a dedicated Darwinist: How did two apes, two animals driven by nothing but instinct to survive, mate and produce a thinking, discerning, right-from-wrong-knowing human being? Two of them, actually – one boy and one girl, in more or less the same neighborhood, travel not being as convenient then as it is now.Brian, get even the slightest understanding of evolution, and we'll talk.You’ll hear all manner of stammering and yammering about how it’s not that simple, how saying we have a common ancestor doesn’t exactly mean that, at some point, two animals mated and produced a free-thinking person. But the fact is, it is exactly that simple. Show me how this could’ve occurred, shoe me the “missing link,” and I’m foursquare on your side.
Until then, we'll marvel at the irony of how your name is so close to the word "Brain," when you clearly lack one.
Update: I e-mailed Mr. McNicoll last night with my concerns, in my usual snarky manner, and - unlike his TownHall.com cohort Ann Coulter - he responded this morning. We now have a bit of a civil e-discourse going on, and he has yet to see the error of his ways, but I have hope (because I'm a naive idealist under this cynical exterior).
Whoops.
Update, unrelated: On the drive home, I realized I should have called this entry "Queer and Self-Loathing," but I decided to Google it first.
It's been done.
Dumb ol' creative people.
(bumped to the top)
Those of you who are regular readers with reliable long-term memories may recall that, a while back, I had been pimping yet another creative writing exercise. In the end, eight brave souls other than myself decided to play along, several of them before knowing the rules (which makes them really brave or really dumb, but brave sounds better, so let's run with that - you guys rock!).
Latest Update: Copygodd has posted his tale of love, hope, and desperation for all to enjoy. It's fresh!
Gimme gimme more more more »