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This page mirrored May 18, 2005
Forum?
Working on it. There's a
major issue with the hosting service. I've been working on
this issue since yesterday with incompetent Level 1 tech support
people, and I'm down to one straw from a broken back.
If it's not up this evening,
it'll be down for a few days while I switch hosting
services.
Hey.
Maybe you haven't noticed, but
posting's been light lately. Since before the last
election, the posts I did occasionally make still felt forced...
inspiration hasn't come effortlessly in quite a while, the way
it used to.
I'm not holstering my pen permanently,
but I am taking a sabbatical from Man Damning. My real world
obligations will significantly slow down in May, and by then I
hope to have found my muse again... and tied her up with S&M
gear in a cage in my office to use as I will. Then more
posting will come. And there will be much rejoicing.
The DTMan
Forum remains active, though, and I usually participate at
least once every day. It always has been the most
interesting part of this page, anyway.
Take care, god speed, avoid the
clap, so long, fare thee well, pip pip cheerio, and we'll see
you soon.
The cost of doing business.
This page got hacked again
yesterday, and this time the perpetrator was clever enough to
just insert a redirect exploit instead of something overt like
replacing the page with some stupid "greetz."
Sorry if this caused you any
problems... the 3 of you who may have checked for an update.
PS, happy New Year's Eve.
Brick and mortar.
For years I've heard the
arguments how an internet sales tax was needed, as retail
outlets with overhead costs... land and buildings... couldn't
compete with online retailers.
I've never agreed with the
sentiment, because I never envisioned a way that shopping online
could provide the instant gratification you can get by
purchasing a product at the mall. The equivalent of an
internet sales tax to help the mall would be an instant
gratification tax on the malls to help amazon.com.
Technology evolves, new markets and distribution methods are
created, and the world moves on.
I live pretty far from the bright
center of the universe (Memphis, TN), so my local retail options
are somewhat limited. The local establishments which sell
things such as CD's and DVD's are, even when they have what I'm
looking for (50/50 chance, usually), almost always 20% more
expensive than products available by internet mail order.
But, there are some things for which I want instant
gratification, so I gladly pay this 20%-markup... the instant
gratification tax.
Return of the King - Extended
Edition/Collectors set was released today. Circuit
City, Target, and Wal-Mart were already sold out by the time I
got to shopping at 1pm. Since I was failed by the local
brick and mortar joints, because I couldn't be instantly
gratified, I took my business to amazon.com.
Price on the empty shelf at
Target: $69.66. Price on amazon.com after paying $7 for
2-day shipping: $62.something.
I reckon there's a lesson in
there somewhere.
Or not.
Who cares.
Whatever.
The Silent Generation.
As World War II was coming to a
close, Americans were worried about a repeat of the economic
recession that occurred after the Great War, caused by the
combination of thousands of GI's re-entering the private sector
and a nation scaling its economy back from war footing.
Something happened after WW2,
though, that didn't happen after WW1; the introduction of the GI
Bill. Like the version of the GI Bill as it exists today,
it helped honorably discharged servicemen to attend colleges and
universities, in addition to helping GI's to buy homes, a
service handled by the Veteran's Administration, today.
But I'm getting away from what I
was trying to say... two things happened when home coming conquerors
from Europe and the Pacific became freshman in colleges across
the country: none of them would wear the required "freshman
beanies," and they generally out-performed their
non-veteran peers. Eighteen year old college freshmen were
often heard to say, "Because of them (veterans), we need to
slave to keep up."
Ha.
As a fellow classmate and USMC
vet and said to me the other day, "A little discipline goes
a long way."
2004's Top 10 Worst Things said at Democratic Underground.
"Know thy enemy."
Here's #1:
1) ReadTomPaine:
As we’ve heard again and again recently, if we are
going to beat this bunch of rule breaking GOP
misanthropes, we’re going to have to start fighting as
dirty as they do. I started this thread for one reason,
to get everyone’s ideas on a list of things we as
Democrats can consider to stop the takeover of this
country. This isn’t going to be a thread for the
squeamish, or for the ideologically pure. Best to steer
clear if that describes you.
Here are half a dozen ideas to
get the ball rolling.
1) Get Republicans fired at
your workplace, or fire them yourself if you can – In
the belief that all activism starts with the grass
roots, do us all a favor, and fire your Republican
employees this week. There are legitimate reasons to
fire virtually any employee, so avail yourself of them.
Not only will it quit the gloating you’re hearing
around the office, it’ll stop those donation checks
they are getting ready to write. Might also teach them a
bit of humility regarding the poor and the
disadvantaged. They can be the “Pioneers” of
“Unemployment Window A”
2) Pretend to be a Republican,
and then cut down the next Republican that you have a
conversation with. - The more public/crowed the place
you do this, the better. Use whatever remarks you know
are sure to make the intended impression. “You’re no
better than the liberal scum you claim to hate… get
back into the kitchen… Just wait till we win next year
and toss peons like you into the field or the
workhouse… People in your income bracket don’t have
the right to be Republican or vote etc.” If you need
talking points, just observe in a Yahoo political chat
room for a few minutes and you have all the right wing
bile that you can use and quite possibly all that you
can stand.
3) Create, plant and
disseminate widely “news stories” that discredit GOP
policies – A good way to do this is to print out
stories in the visual style of a major newspaper or
magazine (don’t use the logo or other copywrited
material, however) and theme them similarly to the ones
that targeted John McCain’s platform last presidential
election. Make sure not to slander individuals directly.
Leave stacks of the printouts where people are certain
to find them – i.e. supermarkets, coffee houses, bars,
community centers etc. As in #2 make sure to write these
from the right wing perspective, for maximum effect on
the target audience. Avoid digital media, as it’s too
easy to fact check, not that most GOP voters care to
check these things anyway.
4) Contact the IRS and
anonymously tip them off regarding prominent GOP
contributors in your area. – Lets face it, they are
likely tax evaders in any case (that’s why they are
GOP), so might as well have them go thru an audit and
feel a bit of what it’s like to have a hostile
government prying into their affairs. The tax money you
shake free will be a little payback to your community
for the egregious tax cut they undoubtedly are enjoying.
5) Make sure that you’re the
only ride on voting day for a group of hard right types
who live out of the way, and then don’t show up. –
This works best in low population density areas and poor
right wing communities. Cultivate a group of right wing
friends and make sure they depend on you for the ride on
Election Day. Then don’t show up. Every vote they miss
is an uncontested vote on the blue side of the aisle.
The right needs a taste of Florida 2000.
6) Impersonate Linda Tripp. –
Whisper into the ear of GOP associates to encourage and
get dirty laundry regarding their improprieties, and
then make sure that information gets into the wrong
hands. It’s hard to brag about family values or think
about politics when you’re in a divorce court.
Are you really serious about
winning the culture war? Do you mean it when you say
it’s time to fight fire with fire? Then channel that
anger and let’s hear some ideas. Given the thin skin
of most conservative ideologues, it won’t take much to
have them running far away from such policies and
tactics so we can all enjoy proper, principled political
discourse in the country again. First, however, they
need to be taught that fighting dirty burns them as much
as it burns anyone.
BTW- if you want to take action
beyond the intellectual consideration of these ideas,
please do so on your own. This thread is meant for the
mental exercise of these ideas. Don’t involve DU.
Right
Wing News |
Hat tip: Right
Thinking from the Left Coast.