gp_archives / 2005 / January

Banned books?

Posted 28 Jan 2005 in education, stupidity, terrorism, war

What the fuck? Did I wake up in the Soviet Union today? In perusing some new blogs, I came across a list of books that have been banned. Well, not exactly banned, but “challenged” in the American Library Association. I’m guessing that means that some pinhead writes a letter and tries to get the book banned by the ALA, so it goes on a list. I wonder if the ALA sends back a membership card and honorary brown shirt to those who “challenge” books? Perhaps instead of simply banning these “dangerous” books, we should hold huge bonfires and burn them instead. Wouldn’t that be fun? Many of the books in this list were titles I read in school. I’m...

Chimera WTF?

Posted 27 Jan 2005 in liberals, outrage, stem cell research, stupidity

Ok, this is SO Twilight Zone it’s scary. Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras—a hybrid creature that’s part human, part animal. Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs. The embryos were reportedly the first human-animal chimeras successfully created. They were allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory dish before the scientists destroyed the embryos to harvest their stem cells. …creating human-animal chimeras—named after a monster in Greek mythology that had a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail—has raised troubling questions: What new subhuman combination should be produced and for what purpose? At what point would it be considered human?...

Help us, Human Shields! Help us!

Posted 27 Jan 2005 in intolerance, Iraq, Islam, jihadists, liberals, military, terrorism, war

With elections being just three days away and car bombs going off daily, killing dozens of Iraqis, where are the “human shields” we saw in Iraq before the war started? Those imbiciles had a stated purpose: human shield volunteers would place themselves at strategic sites critical to the well-being of Iraqi civilians in order to make the bombing of these sites politically untenable. Well, there IS a bombing that continues in today’s Iraq. And it threatens the lives of all Iraqis. Only catch is, it’s being done by other Iraqis. And the sites being targeted for violence are the polling locations for the upcoming election. I’d say that definitely qualifies as “strategic sites critical to the well-being of Iraqi...

Goodbye Michael Powell

Posted 23 Jan 2005 in Uncategorized

Look

SpongeBob GayPants?

Posted 21 Jan 2005 in homosexuality, pop culture

WTF is up with James Dobson and Focus On The Family? Normally I don’t have much of a problem with them, but apparently they’ve got a problem with SpongeBob. US conservative groups are up in arms over a music video featuring children’s TV heroes such as the cheerful cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants. Focus on the Family and other groups say the video – a remake of the Sister Sledge hit, We Are Family – is a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda. I just don’t get it. Admittedly, I haven’t seen the video in question (there’s a good article with more detail about the video here). Maybe it’s got SpongeBob going down on Patrick or something. Maybe Squidward takes it in...

Cautiously optimistic today

Posted 20 Jan 2005 in George W. Bush

Today is Bush’s inauguration for his second term of office. I know there are lots of folks who are very unhappy with that (for various reasons) but I’m not one of ‘em. I certainly don’t agree with the President on everything. But I think he’s done a pretty good job with the country for the past four years. Especially if you consider the economy in recession that was handed to him by Clinton, then the 9/11 attacks, he’s done a damn fine job so far. I do take issue with him on a few things, most notably the heavy-handed thugs in the FCC. But that’s something to be handled over the next few years (and in another post). We...

The greatest (expletive deleted) country in the world?

Posted 19 Jan 2005 in patriotism

WTF? Last night at the Inaugural Youth Concert, the band Fuel raised some eyebrows by saying “Welcome to the greatest f**king country in the world!!” He then followed with a quick apology “excuse my language”. Why, oh please someone tell me why this is news? They are a rock band. Rock bands typically use the “F” word. Last time I checked, we DO live in the greatest f**king country in the world. So unless the “F” bomb went out over the airwaves, why is it a big deal? I understand that at a concert that revolves around a Presidential inauguration, the level of decorum should be a bit higher than normal. But still. Geez, people! Bush is from Texas....

MLK Day

Posted 17 Jan 2005 in racism

Today makes me sad. Sad for how the civil rights movement changed from being one based on the content of one’s character, to a huge entitlement program and one of discrimination against whites. Judging from how some folks in the black community talk today, they never really heard what Dr. King Jr. had to say. Or at least have revised it in their minds. The way things were back then, black people weren’t able to even have the same basic treatment as white people in society. Those days are through. Whenever you hear of something like an idiot at a restaurant like Denny’s hassling black people, it becomes news and the people involved get in trouble. That’s the way...

No WMDs? WTF?!!

Posted 13 Jan 2005 in Iraq, war, WMDs

Well, yesterday the Iraq Survey Group concluded their search and announced that there were no “Weapons of Mass Destruction” in Iraq. This has led to a chorus of “I Told You So” from the left big enough to make the Mormon Tabernacle Choir feel small in comparison. While I have not read the official report, I’ve heard the gist of things enough to draw two possible conclusions. One, that there were truly no WMDs in Iraq, and Saddam really did destroy all his naughty playthings 10 years ago. This would assume that he followed the rules in this regard, despite all the other things he was doing, like that nice Oil-For-Food program he had going with Khofi Anan. Two,...

I’m such a gadget addict

Posted 12 Jan 2005 in technology

Apple came out with their newest iPod yesterday. Such a cool little device! Folks have been speculating for a while that the next iteration of the iPod would be a flash drive instead of a regular disk drive, and it turns out they were right. I’ve already got an iPod. One of the really nice 40Gb ones with the touch-sensitive scroll wheel. But damn, this new one is so small and cute! That’s the weird thing about gadgets. Doesn’t matter how many you get, you always want the newest, neatest model. That new iPod is nowhere near as good as the one I have. It’s just smaller. My guess is the desire for that little thing probably grows out...

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