Against God....

Desmond Morris has a fascinating essay on the born-again creature he is calling "mini-man". Here is the killer quote from the piece:

In theory, the existence of Mini-Man should destroy religion, but I can
already hear the fanatics claiming that he has been put on earth by the
Devil.

I understand the rational passion that fueled the genesis of the above statement, but really Mr. Morris, not even God himself could destroy religion.

The need for obeisance is apparently a basic human quality built into our genes. Since the vast majority of humanity is religious, obviously most people feel religion's beck, and readily curtsy at its call.

Science fiction writer Phillip Jose Farmer's classic Riverworld series sum up this primal need gorgeously. In his books all of humanity is simultaneously resurrected on a terra-sculpted planet. There is no disease, no old age, no shortage of food, and all handicaps have been mended.

Only the tiniest hand-full of humanity actively seek out the creators of this alien world. Rather, most folk fall into the same old patterns of slavery, greed, war, and religious gluttony they practiced on earth.

That pretty much sums up Homo sapiens. Which is to say: nothing + nothing can erradicate God from the human psyche:

Against God, God himself contends in vain.

[Aside: By the way...as of this moment no one has penned a wikipedia entry for Home florensis. That is remarkable.]

Osama bin remembered

Ya all want to win on Tuesday?

Then this ad right now.

Total + total saturation.

Don't bother to run anything else.
Just that ad...again and again and again.

Left cross to the right nostril

Democrats need to shut up about the hideousness of the latest Bush-Cheney ad. Poor poor liberals, they really do kvetch too much and use their knuckles too seldom.

Liberals need to learn that revenge is a plate best served hot. That, in fact, every good blow deserves a returning smack. Carping about the crap you are being smeared with does one no good. Which is all to say: If you don't fight you lose: blow for blow, smack for smack. Do unto your Republican brother as he so gleefully does unto you.

Here is an ad idea to counter the wolves ad with a rejoinder so stiff...
it will knock more than a few republican noses out of joint:

Video: Bush picking his nose in public.
Voice over: Bush in a press conference saying about Osama:

"Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't
necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And,
again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly
am not that concerned about him."

They want to pick a fight? Don't whine.
Shut up and sock it to 'em.
Violence and anger and a willingness to decimate civility is what Republicans respect.

Othewise my dear liberal do-gooder... you are destined to be road kill once again.
And quite frankly, I am sick of seeing your guts spilled in the road election after election.

Bless you Father Tobias

My father was adamant years ago that I read Andrew Tobias' The Only Investment Guide You Will Ever Need.

Now it is my turn to be adamant: Put Andrew Tobias' blog Money and Other Subjects on your daily must read list. The man is phenomenally optimistic about Kerry's chances. Every time I get to the point of screaming: "How can this country possibly elect a feral jackass like Bush?"--Tobias settles me down. He is always preternatually optimistic and rational. A rare blend indeed in a country gone over to beast and brute and political bedlam. Even more remarkable, every now and then, he is rapaciously funny. For example this joke appears in today's post:

JOKE

Q. What's the difference between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War?

A. George W. Bush had a plan to get out of the Vietnam War.

Now that is an assessment that is as funny as it is accurate.
As Tobias argues in this post: Bush went to war with NO PLAN to win the peace.
NO PLAN!
NO PLAN!
NO PLAN!

And some dare call that leadership? I choose to call it what it is: a sick fucking embarrassment.

Kerry's remarkable photo

Rolling Stones has an online interview with Kerry. Apparently it is this month's cover story, and so this picture of Kerry appears:

That is really a remarkable picture.
There is something sad in it, something honest, and something profoundly empathetic.

Most telling: it is not a teethy picture.
It is the sort of face America now needs to show the world.
Less teeth, less false grin, more empathy.

This picture says to our old allies: "I feel your sadness and anger for what has happened in Iraq. Help me make things right."

---

In the presidential debates Kerry's only weak moments--if one feel's compelled to argue that he had any--were in his closing statements. He didn't always quite condense his vision for America into smooth words. In the Rolling Stone interview he does that both tersely and tastefully:


Finally, if you were to look back over eight years of a Kerry presidency, what would you hope would be said about it

"That it always told the truth to the American people, that it always fought for average folks. And that we raised the quality of life in America and made America safer. I want to be the president who gets health care done for Americans. I want to be the president who helps to fix our schools and end this separate-and-unequal school system we have in America. And I want to be the president who re-establishes America's reputation in the world -- which is part of making us safer. There's a huge opportunity here to really lift our country up, and that's what I want to do."

Simple, sweet, succinct.

Old farts shouldn't panic

Seniors are panicking for flu vaccine all over the country. Long lines in Frisco, mild panic in Tucson, and "pure, unadulterated, manufactured panic" in Huntsville.

Relax... I bring you trembling seniors some good news. Especially those who voted for Bush last time and will vote for him again...

In the third debate Bush said:

"But the best thing we can do now ... given the circumstances of the company in England, is for those of us who are younger and healthy, don't get a flu shot," Bush said in the final presidential debate with Senator John Kerry, his Democratic opponent."

Seniors, I suggest you heed your man's advice. He obviously knows what's best for you. So you really ought to listen up. In essense what he is saying is: Sit down and shut up.

Clearly you are in good hands with President Bush.
I hope you are enjoying his tender loving care as much as I am enjoying watching you handle his advice. I've got a wide schadenfreude smile on my face.

Sometimes in a democracy, we really ought to get the kind of government we voted for.

podcasting

Have you been following the podcasting storm?

It appears to be happening at a bittorrent rate (a phrase which I suggest should mean exponential^exponential).

I'd like to ask a question:

Shouldn't the same thing be done for television that is being done for radio?
That is: pushing selective video content onto private hand held players?

If so...

Shouldn't Steve Jobs rethink his ideas about a video enabled ipod?

Doh ?

It seems a natural fit. I want selective video pushed onto my own personal player. Connect it to my computer, update, and off I go and watch it where and when I want.

Too cool. A can't miss application.
You heard it hear first.