Monday, January 19, 2009

vosotros presents: ¡ YES WE PUEDE !

The times they are a changing, and we at vosotros are feeling it happen. Living in Los Angeles, California, a bastion of America's beauty (and ugliness), excitement and tension are running high as Barack Obama prepares to take office on January 20. The potential for a positive change has never been more real than now, and we have chosen some of our closest friends to express their excitement by covering tunes from America's national songbook! All songs are in the public domain and were recorded locally in under 2 weeks time. So stick a feather in your cap, ride to the top of Mount Rushmore and scream ¡ YES WE PUEDE ! (And don't be afraid to sing along - we know you-all know the words)

Contributors
vosotros, Obi Best, Learning Music (feat. Readers), Dream Kids, weyou, B.R.A.M., and Mooey Moobau

Produced and Conceived By

art by Max Markowitz

http://www.yeswepuede.com/

Keith Olbermann Sums Up the Bush Administration

The true history of the Bush years

Posted by Teresa

The Bush administration is ending. If Bush & Co. didn't entirely wreck the place, it was for no lack of trying. George himself achieved astonishing depths of failure. His most notable achievements were all unintentional, and he still doesn't know what they were.

Here's the biggest one: Although the American people have been fed a diet of cynical disinformation about government for the last half-century or more, the Bush years re-taught millions of them that voting is important, that established parties aren't identical, that primaries are a mechanism for assessing and refining candidates, and that campaign speeches don't have to consist entirely of hot air and patriotic-sounding generalities.

There will be histories written about the Bush administration. They'll be privy to information we don't have yet, because the future is like that. On the other hand, we have our own privileged knowledge: We know how the story looked like to people who didn't know how it was going to come out.

Now, in this moment before a changing world overwrites our memories of the era, let us pause to salute our constant companion of those years: The Onion. Other histories of the Bush years will doubtless be more factual, but none will ever be truer.

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/010952.html#010952

The Most Ridiculous Speech of All

by William Rivers Pitt

President Bush walks away from the podium after addressing the nation for the last time. (Photo: Reuters)

I don't think there's a punch-line scheduled, is there?
- Monty Python

Two separate miracles were visited upon the Earth on Thursday.

In the afternoon, an Airbus filled with more than 150 people took off from La Guardia Airport in New York. Ten minutes later, it was floating down the Hudson River with its passengers standing on the wings and huddled against the arctic cold. It seems a flock of geese hit two of the engines like ballistic feather pillows, and suddenly pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger found himself at the stick of a multi-ton paperweight.

Somehow, Sullenberger managed to bring the plane down on the water like a stone skipped by God Herself, and finally landed it on the surface without damaging the fuselage. Harbor boats came boiling out of docks to aid in the rescue and every single living soul on that plane survived.

The second miracle happened later that evening, when George W. Bush went on television to deliver the last major address of his time in the White House. Like it says in Psalms, this is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

Of course, of course, of course, it was a ridiculous speech. Preposterous. The worst one of all, and boy howdy, that is saying something. This, after all, was the man who gave us "Bring it on" and "Mission Accomplished," and who once was unable to think of any mistakes he might have made. Each of these was a legitimate phenomenon in every respect, to be sure, but the spectacle on Thursday night bent the definition of "absurd" into bold new shapes.

Let's take it from the top.

Fellow citizens: For eight years, it has been my honor to serve as your president. The first decade of this new century has been a period of consequence - a time set apart. Tonight, with a thankful heart, I have asked for a final opportunity to share some thoughts on the journey we have traveled together and the future of our nation.

Translation: I like turtles.

This evening, my thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this house - September 11, 2001.

For the record, he went through exactly 240 words before bringing up 9/11.

Over the past seven years, a new Department of Homeland Security [DHS] has been created. The military, the intelligence community and the FBI have been transformed. Our nation is equipped with new tools to monitor the terrorists' movements, freeze their finances and break up their plots. And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them.

Where to begin?

The DHS is a hopelessly scrambled and hyper-politicized debacle. The military has been transformed into a shadow of its former self. The intelligence community is battered and discombobulated. The FBI works for a Justice Department that belongs in the script for a screwball comedy. The new tools include torture and indefinite detention, which don't work and are against the law. The only real ally we have left is Saudi Arabia, birthing bed of al-Qaeda-style Wahabbist terrorism. File this whole paragraph under "FAIL."

http://www.truthout.org/011609J

Obama to close Gitmo

Obama will end 'don't ask' policy, aide says

by Matthew B. Stannard

President Obama will end the 15-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has prevented homosexual and bisexual men and women from serving openly within the U.S. military, a spokesman for the president-elect said.

Obama said during the campaign that he opposed the policy, but since his election in November he has made statements that have been interpreted as backpedaling. On Friday, however, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs, responding on the transition team's Web site to a Michigan resident who asked if the new administration planned to get rid of the policy, said:

"You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's 'Yes.' "

The little-noticed response, made in a video posted on change.gov, made barely a ripple outside blogs focused on the gay community, but that's not surprising, said those who have been pushing to overturn the ban. Not only was Obama's position expected, they said, but support for reviewing or repealing the policy has grown markedly in recent years, including some from unexpected quarters.

The end of "don't ask, don't tell" might not happen immediately, several critics of the policy said. Although they appreciate clarity from Obama on the issue, they anticipate that the demands of the economy and two wars are likely to trump a speedy policy reversal.

"The question isn't if we do it, and the question isn't when we do it, it's how we do it," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek, whose 2006 bill to repeal the ban earned broad support among Democrats in Congress but did not move forward in the face of a near-certain veto by President Bush.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/13/MNTG159HHG.DTL

Bailout trickles up, not down

by Danny Westneat

"You're good for it."

That's what most everyone has been telling Pam Pentz lately. You can slide this month, Pam. We know you're good for it.

Everyone said that but her bank.

Pam's a horse trainer east of Woodinville. Last month the roof of her Olympic-sized horse-riding arena collapsed under the weight of the snow, all but shutting down her Derby Farms business.

The roof's insured so it will be fixed. But in the meantime she owes her hay man $1,300. The stall guy $2,000. The third-generation outfit that brings wood shavings for her 27 horses is due $1,800.

Don't worry, they all said. You're good for it.

It was nice to hear, but she fretted. How long can these others go without pay? So, to tide her over until her arena is back, Pam, 60, asked her longtime bank for a loan.

It was a pittance, really — a $15,000 line against a farm with at least a half-million dollars in equity. Where she's been in business for 30 years and has never missed a mortgage payment.

But the bank — Banner Bank, which likes to say that "you can take the bank out of the small town but you can't take the small town out of the bank" — said no.

You're not good for it, Pam.

The reason I'm telling you about a piddling $15,000 denied loan is that last fall Banner Bank got $124 million of your money as part of the bank bailout.

Yet Banner is not a troubled bank. It didn't need any rescue. The U.S. government gave the money on the theory Banner would turn around and lend it to people like Pam.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008625047_danny14.html

Couple of days left

Friday, January 16, 2009

2001 - 2009

Homer's 'Eagle Lady' dead at 85

By TOM KIZZIA

HOMER -- Jean Keene, the 85-year-old "Eagle Lady" whose feeding program drew hundreds of bald eagles and scores of nature photographers to the Homer Spit each winter, died Tuesday evening in her Spit home.

Keene had been unwell but continued to feed fish scraps to the eagles this winter. In 2006, the city banned feeding of eagles, but allowed Keene to continue feeding until 2010. She had been at it for 30 years.

Keene's sudden passing leaves the city in an awkward fix. With several hundred eagles currently loitering on the Spit, a sudden halt to feeding could bring starvation or an invasion into local back yards, federal biologists say. It's probably too late in winter for them to go elsewhere.

"Some of the younger birds would probably not make it," said Vernon Byrd, a Homer-based biologist with the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. "They'd have to forage around, start to get into more garbage and boats looking for food. People would come on the weak ones standing around."

City officials said Wednesday that an assistant who has been helping Keene with feeding will be allowed to keep going with existing food supplies, good for seven to 10 days.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/654023.html

The Man with No Morals

Congress Comes to YouTube

Have you ever wondered what your elected representatives actually do in Washington, D.C.? Ever pondered what day-to-day life on Capitol Hill consists of? Do you want to connect with your Senator or Congressman, but don't feel like sitting down to write a letter?

Starting today you can do all these things via YouTube. As the 111th Congress kicks into gear, many of your elected leaders are starting their own YouTube channels. They're posting videos direct from their Washington offices, as well as clips of floor speeches and committee hearings alongside additional behind-the-scenes footage from Capitol Hill. And in conjunction with both the House and Senate, we're launching two new platforms that will help you access your Senator and Representatives' YouTube channels: The Senate Hub (youtube.com/senatehub) and The House Hub (youtube.com/househub).

Learn more from the leadership of the House and Senate, here:

So, why are your elected leaders coming to YouTube? The short answer is: you. Your use of YouTube and other online platforms to speak up on political issues and hold your leaders accountable has shown just how powerful this medium can be. You've shown your elected officials that in order to be in contact with you, they need to come to the platforms you use most, and engage with you directly.

These YouTube channels have the potential to make Congress more transparent and accessible than ever before - but only if you continue to connect and engage with your government on the site. The House Hub and Senate Hub are the digital equivalents of a backstage pass to your government. Find your Senator and Representative on YouTube and make a connection... and if your elected representative doesn't have a YouTube channel yet, give them a call or an email and encourage them to get started.

Yours,

Steve Grove
YouTube News and Politics

http://www.youtube.com/blog?entry=XzRSzC2JAQA

Bush's Most Fateful Day

By Craig Crawford

As we ponder George W. Bush's final week as president, what was his most fateful day in office? One is that day in August of 2001 when he got word in a national security intelligence briefing that terrorist Osama Bin Laden was planning a major attack. Thirty six days later the warning came true.

A censored copy of the intelligence memo that Bush saw on Aug. 6 at his Texas ranch was released by the White House three years later. It was entitled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US," and provided many details about his activities, including that members of his organization, Al-Qa'ida, "have resided in or traveled to the US for years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks." At least 70 FBI investigations were underway to find them, the memo reported to the president.

There was even a reference to Bin Laden's desire to hijack U.S. aircraft, although the memo did not foresee that hijackings would be used to crash into buildings, as happened a little over a month later to the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington.

Bush shuffled the CIA's warning over to his National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice -- and went bass fishing. He never called a meeting or followed up on the matter until nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on Sept. 11, 2001. The day after the intelligence warnings in August there was more recreation time, as Bush played golf and joked around with reporters.

"No mulligans, except on the first tee," Bush said to laughter as he hit a second drive on the first fairway. "That's just to loosen up. You see, most people get to hit practice balls."

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/bushs-most-fateful-day.html

Our One God

President-elect Barack Obama, the Rev. Rick Warren, and the Mythical 'Middle Ground'

by Steven Jonas, MD

Right-wing commentators such as the sometimes hard-to-categorize Pat Buchanan, the comedian Bill Kristol, the still-trying-to-shake-her "Reagan Hagiographer" label Peggy Noonan, and so-called "even-handed" cable news personalities such as "Morning Joe and Mika" of MSNBC were all het-up about why the "left" (these folks wouldn't know a real LEFT if they saw one) is so het up about Pres.-elect Obama's choice of Rick Warren to deliver the Inauguration Invocation. "It's a free country," they say. "There's a wide range of views on gay marriage" (which happens to be Rick Warren's least odious on-the-gay-question position) they say. "Obama is showing himself to be tolerant," they say. Obama is looking for "common ground," they say.

"You'se guys" (which is what they would say to us lefties if they spoke Noo Yawk) are just a bunch of whiners. Or worse, you are just as bad as the Christian Fundamentalists, except I cannot remember when any of the above listed "authorities" ever criticized the latter group for anything. For example, when Gov. Huckabee, the funny man, was riding high for a bit during the Republican primaries last winter, he was on the cable news shows a lot. And thus I saw him a lot. I don't remember one question ever being asked him about the fact that he is not just a run-of-the-mill Right-Wing Christian Fundamentalist (which fact itself never came up in questions), but that he had major Dominionist backing. (Dominionists believe that Constitutional government in the United States should be replaced by the "Dominion of God," based upon their particular so-called "literal" reading of a particular translation [usually the King James Version] of the Bible, in other words institution of a theocracy). No questions there. But that's another story.

These folks then proceed, not surprisingly, to talk about Warren only in the context of his opposition to gay marriage. They trot out all of the traditional arguments in defense of the position (whether it is theirs or not is often left unclear) that "traditional marriage" is "between a man and a woman" and thus should not be/cannot be changed. There are two problems here, folks. First, if that were the only way that Warren demonstrated his antipathy towards gays and equal civil rights for them, one could have a rational argument with him and the people he represents, using one or more of the usual arguments in favor of the gay-marriage-is-just-fine position.

http://tpjmagazine.us/jonas213

On the proof of the supposed evilness of girls

T. Komplexify
Weizguyy Institute of Smart Axes

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the classic proof that girls are evil. The author will briefly discuss the origins of the problem and review the classic proof. The author then indicates a mathematical flaw in the argument, invalidating the statement. The article concludes with a revised and corrected statement of the result.

I. Introduction

I recently received an email discussing the differences between men and women from various mathematical and engineering points-of-view. Most of it was extremely funny, and sooner or later all shall certainly appear within the mathematico-humorist community, properly researched, and appended with standard references in the literature.

However, one portion of the email included a mathematical "proof" of the fact that girls are evil. This proof is doubtless familiar to many readers, having circulated a few times in mathematicians' inboxes. However, for those readers unfamiliar with this well-known proof, we present it now.

II. Statement and classical proof of result

Theorem. Girls are evil.

Proof. It is axiomic in all cultures that girls require both time and money, and any man with either a deficiency in available "quality time" or "disposable income" knows that this a joint-proportion, whence

Similarly, it is has been proved that "time is money" [1], whence

Substitution yields

We also know that "money is the root of all evil" [2], whence

Substituting again yields

Squaring on the right-hand side of the equation yields

establishing the result. Q.E.D.

http://komplexify.com/blog/2006/03/09/on-the-proof-of-the-supposed-evilness-of-girls/

Thoughts

Greenpeace Buys Land To Block New Heathrow Runway

By Dave Demerjian

Greenpeace announced today that it has bought a parcel of land that sits directly in the path of a proposed third runway for London's Heathrow Airport. It's the latest move in a long-running battle between environmentalists who say expanding Heathrow would be an environmental catastrophe, and expansion advocates who say without a new runway Europe's top airport will become an antiquated also-ran.

Greenpeace's plan for the 0.4-hectare parcel, which it purchased from an undisclosed owner, is sure to have expansion advocates reaching for the Rolaids. The group will sell off the land in tiny pieces to environmentalists, celebrities, and anyone else who feels like buying in. This means that if the UK government were to exercise eminent domain laws to acquire the land, it would have to deal with thousands of different landowners and the lawsuits they would be sure to bring. Regardless of where you stand on the expansion issue, you can't deny that Greenpeace's move is a brilliant one.

Among those that have already bought a chunk of the land from Greenpeace are actress Emma Thompson. "I don't understand how any government remotely serious about committing to reversing climate change can even consider these ridiculous plans," she told Sky News.

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/01/greenpeace-buys.html

Bush Hoofs It On Back Home to Texas

by Mickey Walker

Bush is going home to Texas, a friendlier place he dearly loves and can call his own. See, ever since Texans kicked out Jack Brooks, Carl Parker, Ralph Yarborough, Ann Richards, and many more native Texans, Texas has gone to the dogs. Since the days of Governors Alan Shivers, Bill Clements, George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and other indecent political morphs, Texas done got God and fetus power, by cracky. And shoot, religion's been tee-totally good for big oil and awl bidness in Texas, too. None of these God-fearin', whiskey-bottle-hidin', Texicans never got the red ass atall when Bush went AWOL as the VN War raged. Might near all my cousins and neighbors think it's plumb rude to trash a fellow Texan, no matter how much fruit and nuts he's got on his cake. Look. Truth don't matter here, just ask Kay Bailey, Tom DeLay, or John Corn Dog. Us Texans know how to keep a family secret, like Bush getting picked up in Kinnebunkport, Maine for DUI. You just wipe the slate clean, just like nobody could test Cheney to see if he was drunk when he shot that there lawyer in the face in South Texas. What's done and said in Texas stays in Texas, and sometimes in Maine when you got Texans like the Bush's payin' taxes up there, get it?

Secrecy was invented right here in the Lone Star State. I mean is there anything worse than word gettin' out that your sister done been to see a psychiatrist? Coo Coos in the family tree and all? Us Texans can't have stuff like that leakin' out. "Bush's bad he done as president is old news." Texans are quick to tell you. Besides, Texans say, "Look at all the stuff W done us right on. What do you mean, danglin' preposition? Ifen Sarah Palin kin do it, it must be all right, and she ain't even from Texas." Texas don't know nothin' about hockey, neither, but she's a hockey mom, she says, and that ain't no hockey. She'd make a good Texan, with her politics know-how and down home way of speakin', ya know? Buford, down at the Tomball feed store, said Bush hepped us good old boys and done us right by reducing taxes, capital gains, and returning 2 Trillion in tax cuts that was our own money in the first place. "It ain't no paradox I tell you." Buford allowed. "It's just about how we Texans are about standin' up for what's right and what's not. It's our money and the Salvation Army and Head Start can go piss up a rope. And another thang: we don't care whether GW went to no drills in Alabama when he was in the Texas Air Guard. Heck that's too many cow plops down the trail to get worked up about, anyhow. He hepped us keep our hard-earned money instead of lettin' Ted Kennedy give it all away to all them no-counts on welfare."

http://tpjmagazine.us/walker07

Monday, January 19, 2009

by William Rivers Pitt

by Matthew B. Stannard

Friday, January 16, 2009

By Craig Crawford

T. KomplexifyWeizguyy Institute of Smart Axes

Abstract

I. Introduction

II. Statement and classical proof of result

by Mickey Walker

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T. Komplexify
Weizguyy Institute of Smart Axes