So, recent news has made for strong opinions; I don’t think there’s anything more RADIOACTIVE out there than ISIS, hell most people don’t know what to call it ISIS or ISIL–me? I stick by ISIS.
I have been putting a lot of heat in my rhetoric aimed at moderate Muslims. I still hold the opinion that by not fighting back they are allowing real sociopaths to take over. Let’s be crystal clear; these are the actions of radical fundamentalists who are perverting Islam, not the average Muslim. I think our German friend Ingrid put it best when she talked about how good Germans during WW2 remained passive and stood mute at the atrocities because going against the NAZI regime would mean certain death. There’s a lot of similarity in the psychology of WW2 Germans and moderate Muslims in Iraq/Syria.
The BIG difference is that the NAZI would not kill their own people once they took over, the sociopathic Jihadist will. The reason I mention the moderates as part of the problem is because I feel that a lot of progressive minded people, online, have a tendency to stay away from controversy and to say what just I said, even on the most progressive forums means you will get attacked by other so-called progressives.
Anyway my point is that WE should be honest but not let bigots, trouble makers, self-aggrandizing small minds, twist reality or make you feel you can’t make a point out of fear that you will be lumped together in that same group. Here is one such small mind in her own sauce; Pamela Geller, Islamophobe, and all around hate monger-has commission a series of anti-Islamic bus ads running on NYC city buses. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/19/anti-islamic-ads-coming-to-nyc-transit-system/
This troll has been around for a long time, I remember her from her failed attempts to block the Muslim cultural center known as Park 51 (the owner has revised the plans for a cultural center and has instead come up with different uses including condos—HA! Some Jihadist you bigots, the guy acts more like a Right-wing douche bag—G-d bless Merica! Of course this is meant as satire )
Geller, is now trying to, maybe this time she will get her way, to flame things by forcing hundred of thousands New Yorkers; even worse tourists, to view her hate filled garbage. She has found a loophole that allows her to do this, although the MTA was able to block on of the proposed ads too radical so they barred it.
I find the entire thing revolting and I wish someone would do something about it. I have come up with a SMALL plan, I fully realize it’s an exercise in futility but I feel compelled to act, I’m making out a small flyer that I will handout in stations.
The plan? To state the situation briefly; the proposed solution?
On the flier ask that if there is a way for each individual that wants to stand up against the racism to please walk over to another station that does not have the offensive add, if possible to avoid taking a bus carrying the ad, even if it is just one time during the time the ads will run. Then that they should call/email city hall and state why they are participating. If they can to make a photocopy and pass it to friends and family — the focus should be in elevating awareness not a massive campaign.
Fancy Jack
The Realm 
I’ve been busy while phone has been ringing off the hook about this birthday thing.
YOU HAVEN’T MISSED MY BIRTHDAY (well, for three years you have, but separate discussion).
Also: I never posed with members of ISIS. Damn slippery internet.
MIT frat alumni president: “Drunk female guests are the gravest threat to fraternities”
It would be nice to think this demonization of women is an aberration. It’s not
by Katie McDonough
http://www.salon.com/2014/09/24/mit_frat_alumni_president_forget_rapists_drunk_female_guests_are_the_gravest_threat_to_fraternities/
Correct, Caller. If women get drunk, some guys think it’s so much worse than if a man gets plastered (even if he gets violent – or what?). I remember that when I was younger, I was very much in love (or rather, in lust) with this guy who told me that he thought drunk women were so much worse than drunk men, an absolute no-go for him. It took me a while, but this “opinion” of his made me think generally about his view of the world, and his intelligence – which helped me fall out of “love” with him. So women have to be attractive at all times, while men can do any old thing, no matter how distasteful, or dangerous? I personally think drunk men are just as disgusting as drunk women – depending on the degree of intoxication and loss of self-control.
Oh, man, I’ve seen that demonisation all over MRA threads. I can barely even go on them anymore I get so upset at it.
Fifty Years Later: Who Really Won the Battle of Berkeley?
As student activists return to campus to celebrate the 1964 Free Speech movement that galvanized for social justice, big questions remain about the direction of higher education since those radical days of upheaval and hope
by Barbara Garson
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/09/24/fifty-years-later-who-really-won-battle-berkeley
Gramma, judge lifts injunction on Scott Walker investigation!
http://news.yahoo.com/federal-court-lifts-injunction-walker-case-195150769–election.html
“Wisconsin Club for Growth and its director, Eric O’Keefe, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in February to halt the latest investigation”
The Koch’s are funding his defense. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wisconsin_Club_for_Growth
Of course. They created this monster, now they have to defend their “right” to create it.
“club for growth”, yet another corporate-fascist front group, filthy scum.
YES!!!
WOOT!
It’s a start, but the investigation needs to be re-opened.
Ouch!
Why I flicked it in; I didn’t want to have to shower as often. (Out west we have to save water.)
I stopped watching.
Will You Go On The Male Birth Control Pill When It Becomes Available? http://www.theonion.com/articles/will-you-go-on-the-male-birth-control-pill-when-it,36982/
XD
CODEPINK Holds Candlelight Vigil for Peace; Calls on Obama to Return his Nobel Peace Prize
CODEPINK will read messages from people around the world, including Nobel Peace Laureates, saying why Obama should return the prize that he does not deserve.
When: 7:00 PM on Thursday, September 25, 2014
Where: The White House (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, DC)
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/09/24/codepink-holds-candlelight-vigil-peace-calls-obama-return-his-nobel-peace-prize
Say what you will about ultimate evil ISIS, and super hyper mega ultimate evil Khorasan, it really is looking more and more like war without end. I welcome the pushback if only to keep the world thinking about better solutions. While it’s true we gotta do what we gotta do, we also have to do better.
I’m curious what CODEPINK thinks should be done about ISIL?
From Kerry’s perspective, Code Pink was losing sight of some of its founders’ goals of helping people, not just protesting war.
“Code Pink was started by a woman and women who were opposed to war but who also thought that the government’s job was to take care of people, and to give them health care and education and good jobs,” Kerry said. “If that’s what you believe in, and I believe it is, then you ought to care about fighting ISIL.”
We have to be careful who we play with, abroad and at home.
The right’s new religious war: Why they see ISIS as Christianity’s big threat
From Ann Coulter to Ted Cruz, a new strain of far-right thinking is developing a scary foreign policy
by Heather Digby Parton
http://www.salon.com/2014/09/24/the_rights_new_religious_war_why_they_see_isis_as_christianitys_big_threat/
We’ll never be rid of the Coulter/Cruz idiots. eff’m.
As to ISIL. After the horror of WWII, the call was ‘never again’. It’s happening again and as distasteful as it is to confront it, that’s what needs to be done.
eternal-war, yup! muricas new industry!
The US and Arab partners just struck ISIL controlled oil refineries. This will deny ISIL a major source of their funding.
Good news!
“I’m a man of peace, with some exceptions”. It’s a line from a song I know. The fight to destroy ISIL is one of those exceptions.
My sentiments exactly. Except for the man part. 😉
🙂
Dear Irish people,
Some of you recently tasted “American” snacks in the below video. You were not impressed. You said mean things like, “Why didn’t you warn me?” and “Very disappointing,” and “No! No! No!” We just wanted to let you know that maybe some of us had Froot Loops every year on our birthday growing up and that we don’t appreciate your smug European attitude. But also, please don’t judge us. We don’t really like Jolly Ranchers and Kool Aid and Tootsie Rolls; we just eat them because we’ve been brainwashed!
P.S. America has better food like hamburgers and hot dogs!
Best,
Salon
😆
I have to defend Jolly Ranchers. Without sucking on one while hiking in the great Southwest, you’d drink your water reserves way too fast and they’d discover your bleached bones in the ravine five years later.
Who chews hard candy? Duh
I don’t eat any of that, though.
These Irish people are right. I’ve tried Kool Aid, and it’s so awful it’s really a turn-off. It’s yuckily sweet and tastes (and smells!) like chemistry. The other stuff (Tootsie Rolls, Fruit Loops) I heard of but never tried. Since nobody is paying me to eat it, I’ll die without that invaluable experience 😦
Growing up with this stuff people get used to it and like it, but anybody who grew up with healthier (not necessarily more expensive) food, finds it unappetizing. I’m pretty sure it’s exactly these kinds of “food” that make so many Americans so unbelievably fat.
I’ve tried Root Beer before, and that’s another American specialty I can’t stomach. I don’t know whether it’s because of the taste of the root itself or whatever, or because of additives and chemicals.
This reminds me of this Chinese guy during his first visit to an American supermarket who wondered where the food was. Anything in plastic and with additives isn’t food, not really.
Root Beer is pretty much vanilla coca~cola, made better by pouring it over vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day. I’m getting cavities in my teeth just thinking about it.
They tried to introduce root beer into the German market years ago. Nobody bought it more than once. You should see Germans who’ve tried it still shivering with disgust just remembering the taste! It’s obviously an acquired taste you have to be very young to acquire. I can’t remember root beer being sold in any other country but the USA. So it’s really bad for your teeth? Could it be an invention of the Dentists’ Association?
Vanilla coca-cola does sound horrible! Why do they call it “root” beer then? Because of the decaying roots of your teeth? I always thought it was made of a weird plant. Oh well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_beer
Dankeschön, Hobette. So the weird taste is sassafras. Well, sassafras is not for me, but neither is the sweetness of the drink. When I think about sweet drinks, I wonder why people give their beloved dog or cat water to drink, while they themselves want something sweet, which is not good for them. Not that I drink water myself much. I make myself a pitcher of green tea every day, add a little lemon, no sugar, and let it cool. This is what I normally drink, unless I’m drinking coffee, or orange or apple juice, or beer, or wine. I drink about 2 liters of tea per day. It’s not really tasty, but more tasty than just water as far as I’m concerned.
Not anymore. They stopped using sassafras in 1960.
I drink coffee, tea, water, and beer.
There is no standardized recipe. Wikipedia says it can be from any combination of vanilla, wintergreen, cherry tree bark, licorice root, sarsaparilla root, nutmeg, acacia, anise, molasses, cinnamon, clove and honey.
Now that you mention licorice – that could be the taste I couldn’t stand in root beer. I have no idea what sassafras tastes like, but I know I can’t stand licorice.
What do you eat?
What do I eat? Mostly freshly cooked food, lots of fresh bread with butter and jam or ham or tomatoes or chives…, lots of Italian food.
Today I fixed Wiener Saftgulasch (Juicy goulash Viennese style):
http://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/880951193556804/Wiener-Saftgulasch-wie-ich-es-mache.html
It’s beef and onions, garlic, caraway, marjoram, paprika, red wine, beef stock, and it takes 4 hours to simmer. I ate it with dumplings and cucumber salad. It’s slow food, which I’ve really been getting into since I’m retired. Good food is a lot of work, but worth it. When I was still working, I cooked less, but I’ve never really liked prefabricated food. I like to buy things fresh at the farmers’ market. When I was working, I only fixed elaborate dinners on weekends, though.
I’ve been trying to eat healthful foods as much as I can. For instance, my snacks this week have been peanuts, dried cranberries, raisins, celery and apples with peanut butter, and today I had an avocado. However, tonight I’ll have canned pea soup. It’s imported from Germany. I absolutely love to cook, but my disabilities are making that more difficult and often impossible.
I eat canned pea soup once in a while too. Or rather, I used to when I was still working. Now I’m making it myself. I eat about one third, freeze another third, and the last third goes to my poor neighbor who is very appreciative of my food. Same with the beef goulash I fixed today – no yesterday (it’s 1.37 h here, after midnight). Sometimes I go out to eat, mostly at noon, because then I can get a super prices, for example here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187346-d3134244-Reviews-Ristorante_Comeback-Wiesbaden_Hesse.html
At noon there, I get a weekly changing choice of appetizer (for example: salmon or beef carpaccio), an entrée (piccata or pizza or fish), a drink (water, soft drink, beer or wine) and a coffee (espresso or capuccino) for € 9,90, and it’s super yummy. The same at night would be around € 20. For comparison: Kentucky Fried Chicken: two pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, cole slaw and beverage = € 8 something. But then Kentucky doesn’t have noon specials 😉
if you knew what was in those hamburgers and hot dogs you’d think twice!
Went out to hear these guys last night and got home really late. I’m dragging my ass today. Can’t wait to eat dinner and go to bed.
Just observing, I think Obama is going after ISIS full tilt, using everything based on intelligence we have now. That’s always going to be risky, but he’s going for it. We’ve arrested cells here at home and we’re obliterating ISIS’ advanced capabilities on the ground abroad. Like I said before, never fuk with an American president before November elections.
Watch GOP Rep. Blackburn clash with CNN over ground troops to fight ISIS
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/watch-gop-rep-blackburn-clash-with-cnn-over-ground-troops-to-fight-isis/
I detest Marsha Blackburn. Thank you, Ashley.
*Ashleigh
I knew that.
Appeals court strikes down GOP plan to cut early voting in Ohio
In a 46-page decision, the judges agreed with civil rights groups that cutting the early-voting hours would suppress turnout by minorities and the poor.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/appeals-court-strikes-down-gop-plan-to-cut-early-voting-in-ohio/
Excellent!
Another loon from Wayne’s world.
The NRA Has A Funny Definition Of The Word ‘Paranoid’
What does it say about you that you are afraid of people who are legally exercising their right to bear arms? What does it say about you that your fear of an inanimate object, a gun, has led you to suspect everyone who chooses to own that object? And what does it say about you that you are afraid of the almost 10 million legal concealed carry gun owners in the U.S. who don’t commit crimes every year? Who’s the paranoid one now?
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/09/24/3571725/the-nra-has-a-funny-definition-of-the-word-paranoid/
Good evening dear Realm. Today was a good day. Uneventful at work, yay. And I can eat sitting up at my dining table without being in pain, double yay. Have not been well the last couple weeks (prolly combo of stress and bad eating). Was in so much pain I even gave up coffee and switched to green tea. (had to be in a lot of pain to do that, LOL)
So how is everyone here tonight?
Probably on the back page, give ’em a moment.
reading on the back page myself. Hiya Caller 🙂
About to jump in the shower. Hold the fort.
k will do
Hi Waverly. I’m glad you do have a job. Are you in Florida now? Sorry to hear you’re in pain. It’s hard to work that way. I hope you get better soon.
Hi Ingid, yes I’m in Florida now. And I’m feeling much better. The absolute quickest way to alleviate pain for me anyway is to switch to eating raw, organic, vegan, which is something I have quite a bit of experience with.
You’re lucky if you can alleviate pain by eating good stuff, instead of sweet or salty food like some people seem to need.
pain is a great motivator.
BEWARE OF THE IDES OF MARCH!!!!!!!! Oh! wait, nevermind!
Et tu Brute?
“love ya, need ya, want ya, got ta have ya child, great god in heaven you know I love you”
I wanna become a coffee roaster, it’s gotta be a better gig than this blogging thing.
Mr. Hole, how the heck are ya?
A guy I work with said his doctor told him the cleanest coffee (least amount of impurities) is any organic Hawaiian coffee.
how many different organic Hawaiian coffees can there be I wonder?
I swear by Kona coffee, you can tell it apart from others after a few times drinking it.
Made with the highest standards on the planet
Good evening, Jack. So you want to become a coffee roaster? Aren’t there any openings for a barista at McD’s near you? You get minimum wage, and even a free meal (at least that’s what McD’s claims in Germany). Go get it!
Hey who can resist a happy meal? see! I see you’re smiling!
Racism is born of ignorance,can that be stamped out,or fought?it starts with education,and we all know the state of that in America
X BAY BEE !!! How the heck are ya? I asked Mr. Hole the same question but he is ignoring me I guess.
Muddling through Wave,You,how is the new city ang job?
It’s mid eighties here in the day mid to low seventies at night. I’m lovin it 🙂
Where? What are you doing?
Space coast of Florida, aka Central East coast near and around cape Canaveral, doing the same thing I’ve been doing for over 20 years, avionic software development.
cool
Comment moved to the appropriate party position.
Huh?
That’s almost like saying why?
You replie to me instead of X
Yep –I see it got displaced, don’t you love that wacky mad cap that is WP?
This reply is meant for X man I’m sure
Greetings, Beatle. Hope everything is alright in your neck of the woods. Any upcoming concerts?
I actually disagree with that–you can teach people to do long division while chewing bubble gum, Or to recite the Magna Carta, while blowing out their hair— The best way is to expose people to other cultures, visit, the wrong side of the tracks—break bread with people you think you have little in common and best of all travel.
There are plenty of bigots with multiple degrees, books are just a preview of what the world has to offer, an open mind and heart is what KILLS ignorance and hate.
Ok, I’m going to go into slo-mo mode and get on my iPad. Time to feed the kitty and retire into a horizontal position.
Ok gimme a minute or two to post the new page.
I’m outta here. Taking daughter to a friend.
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