When hopes and dreams are loose in the streets, is well for the timid to lock doors, shutter windows, and lie low until the wrath has passed. For there is often a monstrous incongruity between the hopes, however noble and tender, and the action which follows them. It is as if ivied maidens and garlanded youths were to herald the four horsemen of the apocalypse. –
Eric Hoffer, The True Believer (section 5)
Though this was a fairly busy week in hooker news, it was actually fairly quiet for other interesting stuff (which really isn’t surprising around holidays). This week’s link champ is my best friend Grace, who called my attention to every link down to the first video (a new Amy Winfrey cartoon). The links between the videos were provided by Mike Siegel, Korhomme, EconJeff, AL 360 and Lenore Skenazy (in that order), with the last three from Radley Balko; the second video was discovered by Jesse Walker.
- Scientists may have finally figured out how homosexuality is inherited.
- Woman with inability to control her sexual arousal commits suicide.
- Cops tase woman for trying to buy too many iPhones.
- What could possibly go wrong?
- Big Brother is listening.
- Straight out of Bradbury: fiction dropped from US public schools in favor of “informational texts” about insulation and invasive plants.
- Rape victim who was accused of lying and theft by evil cops sues them and wins $1.5 million.
- Magician says he can make the so-called “fiscal cliff” disappear.
- This is what “feminism” should really mean, but never does.
- The evolutionary advantage of being devoured after sex.
- Gun control fanatic demands ban on imaginary gun.
- Cop glossary: “pit bull” = “dog we murdered”.
- Twelve letters that didn’t make the final cut.
Enjoy this STD PSA from a more enlightened era.
Which means this isn’t a CONSERVATIVE initiative … since, from what I’ve heard of Bill Gates and his politics … he’s the opposite.
With the entitlement / nanny state running at full-bore … it’s no longer about making “well-rounded” citizens – it’s about making citizens who can work to support the nanny state with their taxes. We’re about to endevour upon cradle to grave health care for every American – and we’re going to do that while also funding Social Security, Unemployment, Welfare, etc …
Two words … SEVENTEEN TRILLION … by 2017, the interest on the debt alone will eclipse American military spending.
And we’re going to keep this train rolling along with less than two taxpayers supporting every individual who’s not paying taxes, but is in fact – living off the “system”.
With the birth rate going down in America – every taxpayer counts.
Oh, forgot to mention … in addition to all of the above, we’re in the middle of economic suicide by putting coal plants out of business and refusing off-shore oil drilling … so there’s a little of THAT going on too!
If she had a video camera and a high-speed connection – she could have made a lot of money and not needed a paltry hand-out from Uncle Sam. Is that cold of me to say? I mean, I feel for her but sheesh … another “ailment” for taxpayers to support so this woman can sit on her couch all day and …
That seems uncharitable. People don’t generally commit suicide over ailments that belong in quotes.
If it was the effect of the condition on her ability to earn a living that was the proximate cause of the suicide, though, then the camera bit might have helped. Or whoring. (so much for the myth of the wanton?) The ridiculous stigma attached to such things could have been a contributing factor in such a case.
Not enough information in the article to say for sure. I’d be inclined to put my money on “that condition is just much more painful than it sounds like”, though.
Krulac, it strikes me that full embrace of GOP style libertarianism is not required to embrace an anti prohibition stance of prostitution, drugs, and other personal behaviors.
I am strongly in favor of reducing the interference of government, cops, religious organizations, and for profit entities in our ability to make personal sexual and lifestyle choices.
Without intent to cause an argument, I must say I feel a desire to strongly disagree with content/tone of some of your recent posts.
It strikes me that on personal freedom and ending prohibitions, there are several groups that share these core goals. But if we provoke each other on tangential areas, it’s likely the status quo will persist.
The “GOP” does NOT embrace “libertarianism”.
And since when did pointing out that we’re under crushing, unsustainable debt become … “divisive”??
>”With the entitlement / nanny state running at full-bore … it’s no longer about making “well-rounded” citizens – it’s about making citizens who can work to support the nanny state with their taxes. ”
I’d put it another way. With the capitalist regime at full bore, the nation doesn’t want citizens. Citizens are difficult, they exercise rights. All that is wanted is obedient workers, who will do as they are told for as low wages as possible, for their capitalist bosses.
I don’t see any difference between the two. When a ruling class (no matter what its supposed philosophy) uses law to create a subject class, that is tyranny and any other label is just an adjective modifying it.
To their defense … there are SOME politicians who advocate a “free market” approach to education with less (a lot less) government involvement. These would be the lawmakers that are generally made fun of by the lame stream media.
Here in Louisiana – we have VOUCHERS for private schools which are only available to very poor families. That law was signed by Jindal some time ago but was just struck down as “unconstitutional” by a circuit court judge. Never fear – the LA Supreme Court will overturn that fucked up judge’s ruling. Obama himself axed the vouchers for the poor in D.C.
Why is it that some politicians don’t want the poor to climb out of poverty?
I really don’t think of Greece as a CAPITALIST nation. Nor Italy … nor Spain really – or France, which I think just upped their tax rates on the wealthy. Well, at least they aren’t SCORTCHING HALIBURTON EXON CAPITALISTS like we evil Americans are! 😉
And they’re in the same situation as we are.
“A Trip to the Dentist with Cobra” filled my heart with joy and laughter. That was absolutely hilarious!
OK, I’m confused. There are plenty of non-fiction books that are already required reading material in classrooms. They are called “textbooks.” Why are these non-fiction books (and not even books but instruction manuals???) being read in LITERATURE classes?
That’s sufficiently ridiculous to confuse me and make me think there’s probably a misunderstanding somewhere, and it doesn’t actually say what the report says it says.
Even if true, though, I’m not terribly worried. I remember English class literature. They worked very hard to murder any nascent interest a student might ever have in reading for pleasure. There seems to be a rule that English classes aren’t allowed to assign any book that is *actually fun to read.* So yes, it’s stupid, but it’s not making things all that much worse.
I know I’m showing my age here but back when I was in high school (1973-77) for some of my English classes we were free to pick any book to read. I’d hate to think how many of those books now would be censored.
We read Great Expectations. It was actually pretty good. Read both endings.
As long as finding out what causes homosexuality doesn’t lead to efforts to cure against the “sufferer’s” will, I think that’s great. Also, an extinct lizard has been named after Barack Obama.
The handcuffs… what would Houdini think? I know what I think: not a good idea.
That thing about fiction being dropped for insulation manuals… I checked, and it SEEMS that this isn’t Poe.
The two women getting that man out of prison is an inspiring story.
Spiders are just plain creepy.
Þ is a good letter, and I wish we still used it, and Ð also. Tolkien sometimes used “dh” to represent Ð. Q, on the other hand, is worthless.
The PSA delivers an important message, but talk about lyrical dissonance!