November 21, 2002


A General for the Democrats?
So, it should surprise no one out there that I'm pretty much a peacenik. And part and parcel of being a dove is an inherent mistrust of all-things military. As a result, I never quite got why everyone assumed that generals would make good presidents. It's not like they can get voted out of office by their troops if they screw up. Having said all that, I have been impressed with the statesmanship that Colin Powell seems to bring to the job. So, the idea of a respected military guy running for president as a Democrat is eye-catching to say the least. I've agreed alot with what retired General Wesley Clark has had to say about US foreign policy, so he'd definitely be a contender if he ran as a Demo. Now, if only he could do something about that whole "domestic economy in ruins" thing.

Can't Knock The Hustle
I thought it was odd that 60 Minutes II would do a segment about Jigga. Maybe the release of 8 Mile let them to look for the so-called "King of Rap". And the piece smacks of shameless self-promotion, but, the fact remains, that Jay-Z has put out a new album every 8 months for the last 6 years, and Roc-A-Fella is probably the biggest vanity label in the industry. The amount of money they generate (somewhere around a half a billion dollars through records, movies, and clothes) definitely makes it worth studying.

Poke the Eye
I'm disappointed in myself that it took me this long to think of these guys. Here's a link to the ACLU's website, where you can send a fax to the White House to express your outrage about the Anti-Terrorist Government Database of Doom. Indulge yourself.

Scared To Death
Thanks to the future Dr. Richard Robinson of the Columbia University Department of Physics for pointing out this little gem. Michael Moore's documentary, Bowling for Columbine, includes a hysterical animated short called "A Brief History of America", that basically breaks down how Moore sees the relationship between historical racism, America's culture of fear, and guns. Fun fact: the NRA was founded the same year that the Ku Klux Klan was outlawed as a terrorist organization. Check it out.

The All Seeing Eye
You know that article I posted a few days ago, titled Uncle Sam Morphs Into Big Brother"? Well, this is what Uncle Brother looks like, and it isn't pretty at all, my friends. Here is the government's uber-database, designed to "fight terrorists" (yeah, right!) by tabulating EVERY electronic transaction you, the American citizen, ever makes. EVER. Every e-mail, phone call, credit card purchase, etc. EVERYTHING. They'll have it on file. Just in case you get a little uppity. And the killer? LOOK AT THE OFFICIAL FREAKIN' LOGO!!!!! Is it just me?!?!?! And did I mention that it's all run by a guy who was one of the major figures in the Iran-Contra Affair? This stinks to high heaven, and the only person I've ever heard say anything about this is Al Gore.