Alex in Wonderland has a serialised story, the first part of which is here. The whole category of story posts is here. The first post is:
Winter, the year of our Lord 1672, and I find myself looking down upon a small village nestled in the hills of the English countryside. A light dusting of snow lies across the rooftops and surrounding countryside. The muddy, rutted road is frozen hard, underlying the snow are treacherous ice patches to feet and hooves alike. The wind has a harsh, bitter edge and I pull the brim of my hat down and wrap my cloak tighter. Behind me I can hear the donkey that carries my tools and Harold calming his horse. “Here master?” he asks.
“This is the place.” I say, looking down once more at the thin trails of smoke coming from the chimneys. I have lost count of the number of these villages I have visited these last 5 years and how, come summer or winter, they all look the same too my hardened eyes. I know what I must do. Without a word I put my heels to my horse’s sides and begin the ride into the village, Harold following wordlessly.
This is my first visit to a village in over a month. I know the villagers will greet me with reverence and fear for they have called upon my services as a last resort. As I ride toward the centre I see the furtive glances, the crosses made upon chests, the hurrying of children from my sight as if even the merest glance from my eyes will condemn them. It does not bother me now. I am here to perform God’s work and the innocent have nothing to fear. A Higher Power than I will judge them – of this I am certain. I see squalor and decay wherever I look and I know for certain that these are desperate people, that I may be their only hope for something, but what? I have never understood what people see in what I do. I serve God in the best way I know how but these people seek only to serve the demon of revenge.
Slowly I ride towards the inn in the centre of town seeking somewhere to rest before meeting the mayor of this place. I am sure he expects me to come straight to the town hall but all this will be done in my time, not his. I am used to people waiting – waiting increases the anxiety and in their anger or haste they show me things I might not see otherwise. It is important I am sure – or at least I can show I am sure because that is what they want from me the most, the one thing man is not capable of. Infallibility.
Blogosaurus looks at Notes toward a sociology of Bush hatred. The post is described as A non-incendiary attempt to understand why Bush is hated with such passion and vitriol, and to suggest to people who believe that he's guided 24/7 by the Bible (Antichrist portions in particular) that they might look in a different section of the bookstore to better understand the way he thinks.
The Anonymous Clerk talks about Tummies.
I've noticed recently that tummy's seem to be in style these days. They're not exactly being marketed yet - Banana Republic and Calvin Klein still prefer to show us about 2 inches worth of flat, almost scaphoid, abdomen between blouse and low-rider jeans. I don't think it will be long, though, before the moguls of industry look around and realize that people really like the tummy. I'm not talking pudge here - I don't think rolls or creases of fat will ever be in style. I'm talking about the natural convexity that happens between a woman's pubic bone and her naval. And those short, billowy fall skirts are the perfect device for showing that off.
How does the clerk feel about all this? It's lovely. Even the little corner of a smiley face that pokes out from the lateral aspect of that low riding, forward tilting skirt when she has a little extra cellulite on that tummy is nice. But at the same time, I don't think I'm ready for Ck to tap into the power of the tummy. Feminists whine about how women are forced to mold themselves into lean models of anorexia in order to be attractive. They're dead wrong. Men love tummies. We love hips, we love thighs, we love asses and we love it when they're shaped the way god meant for them to be shaped. But as soon as the women of our society discover this little secret of ours, I think we're in trouble. You'll never stop the blond bomshells who know exactly how attractive they are from using the power they have over men. But if the 5'9", 38-26-40's out there with big arms and tummies start tapping into that same power, we could be on the verge of a major social upheaval.
Here is the compromise I propose: women, you may keep your big asses and keep your tummies and we will still love you and we will still fuck you. But you had damned well better be ashamed of that body. I will stop comparing you to the CK model so long as you continue to obsess over her. Deal?
Costa Rica Expat has 12-volt bulb in the dark:
On my short list of URGENT things to do this week: Buy five gallons of bleach and attack the thick, slick greenish black stuff growing on concrete patios and walkways, an annual wet season chore. If bleach fails, try muriatic acid. Buy poison and fight the new ant colonies in the back yard and somewhere in the attick near the front of the house. Call the fumigator to get rid of mosquitos and hammer down the indoor bugs again. Flush the septic lines and pour boiling water down drains. Take the ATV in for a new set of nubby tires and wash the mud off headlights and mirrors. Lay in a stock of canned goods, dry goods, cigarettes, frozen meat and cleaning supplies, in case the weather gets really gnarly this year...
The Lone Fortress has Kerry endorsed Bush's troop moves:
Earlier this week, President Bush announced a "major realignment of U.S. forces around the world", a move that in my opinion, is a long time coming. This is just common sense:Bush said about 60,000 to 70,000 uniformed personnel would move from overseas to posts in the United States over the next decade. The move would also involve about 100,000 family members and civilian employees, Bush said.The new plan will help us fight and win these wars of the 21st century," Bush said in a speech before a convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Pentagon and senior administration officials told CNN that most of the reductions will come from Europe -- the rest, from Asia.
The Corner discovered that Kerry enthusiastically endorsed President Bush's plan:The overall effort of a president right now ought to be really to try to find ways to reduce the overexposure, in a sense, of America's commitments. A proper approach to the Korean peninsula, for instance, should include the deployment of troops, the unresolved issues of the 1950s and ultimately, hopefully, could result in the reduction of American presence, ultimately. Those are the kinds of things that we ought to be trying to achieve in our foreign policy.Posted by Simon at 07:27 AM | Comments (1)
Popping Culture has Boo!:
Now, I am a fan of dramatic cinema. I've taken screenwriting classes, and my favorite films of all time are dialogue-driven. I enjoy a good thematic script.Still and all, there's just something about a movie that's really and truly SCARY. I don't mean there's a cat that jumps out at you in the dark... that's startling, not scary. I remember in John Carpenter's The Thing, a scene where the monster, disguised as a friendly mutt, reveals itself. There was a feeling of slow inevitability, as innocent victims were trapped and just had to watch the transformation happen. SCARE-EEEEE!
The Thing still holds a place in my heart as the scariest flick I ever saw. That movie-long sense of paranoia is a wonder that could only be created by inspired writing and film direction. (Note here that I don't count the time we were watching Alien at the Farwell's house and at a critical moment, Mrs. Farwell, who had snuck outside, pounded on the viewing room window. I very nearly wet 'em.)
Ashish's Niti says Poorer Countries should take advantage of Farm Subsidies by Rich Nations:
Third-world countries always protest against huge agricultural subsidies given by rich nations like US, Europe etc. They charge that subsidies are causing prices of farm products to drop, causing farmers in poorer countries to loose their livelihood. Without a hint of irony they cite these subisidies as example of exploitation by rich countries! These countries then go about erecting trade barriers against agricultural imports in the name of protecting their farmers. Given the fact that people in the poor countries are dying of hunger and malnourishment these protests against "cheap" imports do not make any sense.Since, farm subsidies make farm products cheaper, poorer countries should welcome them. Poor countries should remove all import barriers against subsidized farm products without waiting for WTO negotiations. Subsidized farm products will reduce poverty and malnourishment and thus they should thank rich countries for the subsidies as they represent net transfer of wealth from tax payers in rich country to the poorest people in poorer countries...
The Samp has The Samp: For the love of irony:
It starts out with an RV driving around the country. First stop? The Kansas State Fair. The female “roving reporter” asked fair-goers, “What would you do if you didn’t have any joint pain?” The unclean would respond with dumb answers, that probably actually work. Oy.The next stop? I couldn’t watch any longer.
The irony is, people (especially the “ad agency types”) have been making fun of and discounting infomercials for years...
Varifrank has Varifrank: A Little Trip In Mr. Peabody's "Wayback" Machine:
Take a step with me into the "wayback machine". Forget what you know about history and observe history in the past and how it effects you in the present.We set the dial on the "wayback" machine to 1939...
Keystone Military News has A Soldier's Thank You:
[NOTE: please go to the site to see the video referred to]
The video speaks for itself. It is the thanks of a soldier who spent quite a lot of time in Iraq and he wanted the people who supported him and his unit and the American public to know how much that support meant to him. This is quite an impressive thank you letter and those who get emotional better have the tissues handy.
Chaotic Clarity has Barefoot in the Rain:
The weather here is strange - we are in the midlde of a full blown rain and thunder storm and August is supposed to be our hot, dry, summer month!I ran out of ciggies a few hours ago [I know dirty habit ] and finally the craving got bad enough that I decided to brave the storm to go to the shop.
I donned my groovy red wellies and set off - the shop was closed [very odd - it's run by some indian guys and is never, ever closed] and the nearest shop is about half a mile away! I needed a pack so badly that, even though the rain was pelting down and the thunder was crescendoing, I decided to walk to the other shop.
A Word of Warning: Do not, I repeat, do not wear wellies with no socks.
Hobo Dog Blog asks why gulf war now?:
a perfect excuse? a mindset? see a pattern here?
other links
when the truth is found to be lies
Live Sensibly has Pioneer?:
We talk a lot about drinking, we talk about drinking a lot, we talk about other people's drinking problems but not about our own. Until we quit, that is. Then we talk a lot about our old drinking problems. And, if we drink again after quitting, we either talk about quitting again, or we quit talking about drinking again.I'm here to break a couple of those traditions. I have caused myself real problems with my drinking in the past, but I turned it around by taking responsibility for my behavior. I didn't do it alone, but the control was mine to seize. Today, I am unabashed about relishing a couple of cold beers on a hot summer evening, and I am content with - even empowered by - the fact that more than half of my days are comfortably alcohol-free.
I need your help: Prove how wrong it would be for me to think I'm the first person to put up a personal website where I talk about solving a drinking problem without quitting. Post links to folks who are have already done it here in the comments, or drop them in an email message to me.
Writer's Edge talks about Blog this, blog that:
Confusion and controversy continue to rage over what's a blog, at least among the people my other day job encounters (web designers and developers). There were diaries, journals, and logs. Now there are logs online, or web logs, used as diaries or journals. The nouns diary and journal have overlapping dictionary definitions, however, a diary is only personal and a journal can be a publication. A log is a record of performance, such as a ship's speed. Add to this the fact that some journalists (in the news writing sense) are publishing blogs, blurring traditional delineations and definitions. Also, as I wrote on July 30 in Professional, Amateur, or Other?, any online writing, however rotten it's written, is considered published...
Funny Business talks about Open-toed Shoes:
Until the summer of 2002, I thought wearing open-toed shoes was fashion forward. Now I know its a corporate taboo.I had no idea that by baring my toes, I was sending messages I might not want to send. I was not aware that wearing open-toed shoes to work was tantamount to flying the wrong flag.
A friend, who’s a banking industry consultant, was the first to inform me she would never wear open-toed shoes on a client call.
“Why not?” I asked naively...
In Bill's World says Buy This Patriotic American's Records:
Oh, my, they're mad at Charlie Daniels again. Boo-hoo-hoo.Step 1: Read the rest of this news article...
The Hatemonger's Quarterly has “Becoming a Famous Public Intellectual: A Test,” or “Richard Posner: A Study in Decline”:
By now, dear reader, you are probably wondering whether we, the crack young staff of “The Hatemonger’s Quarterly,” want to waste our halcyon days penning feckless barbs and tasteless yuks. Of course not: We have dreams too. And, just like everyone else who’s ever read a book or two, we, the crack young staff of “The Hatemonger’s Quarterly,” long to become famous public intellectuals. Or, barring that, Naomi Wolf.In fact, we have decided to use today’s edition of “The Hatemonger’s Quarterly” as a stepping-stone to the glitzy world of the public intellectual. For some time, we have had a collective theory about public intellectuals: We harbor a suspicion that many of them spend at least half of their days looking up their own names in Google, glorying in the manifold mentions of their coruscating genius. Except Richard Posner: He’s too busy writing a book every three minutes.
Just bein' Frank has ruminations regarding ron reagan's rantings:
Ron Reagan made it seem like President Bush was the only thing standing in the way of cures for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and a myriad of other tragic illnesses. In fact, stem cell research has been taking place across America -- with private and federal dollars -- and it has gone almost nowhere."
[...]
"Now, even if you don't agree that embryos are human beings, isn't this policy a wise and prudent one for a government to take? Millions of taxpayers would object strongly to their tax dollars being funneled to what they believe is killing human life. Why force your beliefs on them when the research could be funded privately?"But Ron Reagan turns the issue on its head, accusing religious people of imposing their views! ... As if we were debating a ban on stem cell
research."
[...]
"Solid science is behind the pro-life movement on this one. An embryo/fetus/unborn child cannot be anything other than a living human being. But even given that, many liberals still favor abortion and stem cell research and euthanasia. That's because the leftist idea, expressed here, essentially is that it's okay to kill innocent human beings under certain circumstances."When Pope John Paul laments our 'culture of death', this is what he means. In the leftist mentality, anyone whose life is deemed unnecessary or unproductive can be legitimately exterminated. It's a mentality that's not only morally repugnant, but also Orwellian! (Human life does not derive its value from functionality!) When the right to life is not absolute, aren't all our other rights on thin ice? When the right to life is denied to some, isn't it in danger for the rest of us?"
Pink Sun Drops says The Sun is Dropping Pink:
My Intro: Today I decided as depressed and bored as heck as I am that I'd so some web surfing as I usually do when I'm depressed and bored. Only this time I happened upon blogs, namely Rude Cactus's (Cacti?) blog. From there my search into blogs deepened, and you know what aside from wondering if these people have ANY life they look incredibly interesting. Especially from those who actually know how to make REALLY COOL web blog pages. Not here. So I do have a life but right now I don't feel like it. Wait this was supposed to be an intro.
Wide Awake says They Still Don't Get It:
Lately, (Around June 17, 2004), there have been a series of articles on National Review that have aroused my attention. They are by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, and they dissect the modern conservative movement. These articles are made up of excerpts from their book, The Right Nation. After clicking on the link to Amazon, I realized a large… well… thing: that most people who buy this book are liberals. Since I had known from their writings that they weren’t exactly people who would normally write for the National Review, I decided to do something I rarely do: read the Amazon book review...
A Modern American has A Quiet Slap in the Face to Wendy's:
Remember when John Kerry and John Edwards ate at Wendy's with their wives? According to the New York Post, it was just a photo op. The food that they really ate was ordered the night before from the Newburgh Yacht Club the night before, to be picked up while the group was at Wendy's. I guess they just couldn't eat normal food.
Infidel Cowboy has misunderestimated and maligned:
If President Bush is as dumb as Teresa and Michael Moore and his ilk claim, how is it that he tricked Senator Kerry and the rest of the nation into supporting the war? Of course, President Bush is not stupid. But I have to wonder, are the rest of us the dumb ones, or is it the detractors who seem to be blinded by their own smug superiority while delivering such insightful commentary as equating Bush to Hitler, who are the dumb ones.
Welcome Vodkapundit readers. Please take your time and have a look around. Most of your questions are likely answered here and there are many great entries on the front page and in the archives. If you have a blog yourself please help spread the word with a link and even adding it to your blogroll. And if you know of a new blog that should be displayed here, let me know.
It leads me to an interesting observation. This has been going for a little over a month and has been generously supported by many of the bigger bloggers, such as Michelle Maklin, Misha, Dean Esmay, Glenn, NZ Bear, Jeff, Matt, American Digest, ,Sgt Hook, Silent Running, Kevin, Joe at WoC and many others. I am deeply appreciative of their help. However it seems that the support has mostly come from what could be dubbed "conservative" bloggers; my attempts to get interest from those on the "liberal" side of the political fence, in order to give more balance to the entries here, has been met with either indifference or frankly rudeness (with the significant exceptions of Tim Dunlop and TalkLeft). I know I shouldn't read much into that, but that's how it stands at the moment. I would dealy love for some of the "liberal" bloggers to promote this site so as to get a better balance of entries. Help me to help you.
This is NOT a partisan site, nor is it meant to be solely about politics (try this as an example). It is purely a showcase, a display of new bloggers. I would be greatful for any extra publicity any bloggers could give to this site (from either side of the political fence) and some of the entries here too. I have been impressed by some of the quality and have found some great new blogs to follow. I hope you do too.
And make sure you keep coming back to the Showcase!
More than Right talks about Comment Junkies Anonymous:
Hello. My name is gpcii, and I’m a Comment Junkie…I have come to terms with this "illness". In fact I am starting a support group at More Than Right where you can peruse my blog and leave comments about your addiction to leaving comments. Together we can conquer our need for leaving comments on other blogs and therefore, have time for our own. All you need do, is leave your comments here, and I will graciously carry your burden for you.This program is not a yearly event, not monthly, not even weekly, but daily. Come here every day, and leave your comments, and we will help you overcome your desire to leave comments. In fact, some may want to do it hourly.
It is my great privilege to help you with this addiction. Just leave a comment.
Laser Cub talks about Defending Marriage:
Senators are debating whether to seek a Constitutional amendment against gay marriage. Advocates of a ban say they aren't anti-gay -- they just want to preserve the sanctity of marriage as an institute between a man and a woman. When it comes to defending marriage, I say right on. With more than half of all marriages ending in divorce, American men and women can use all the help they can get. It's just that in the case of a gay marriage ban, I think lawmakers' efforts are a little misplaced.
Whether you like to get your information from religious groups or the news, I think you'll find most people agree on one of the biggest causes for heterosexual divorce -- and it's not gay marriage. Believe it or not, one of the issues couples most fight about is money. So wouldn't it seem like if politicians really cared about preserving marriages, they would spend more time worrying about the economy? And does it seem like maybe conservatives are pushing for a gay marriage ban so voters suffering from job losses will worry about social issues, instead of economic ones?
MJ's Blagh, Blagh, Blagh reports on 2 1/2 Hours:
I'll be going in...for 2 1/2 hours. Did you get that? 2 1/2 hours. The radiology dept. cannot survive without me coming in for those important 2 1/2 hours. Evidently, all hell will break loose if I am not there. Patients will wander in circles not knowing where to check in. (No, they never see the huge "Imaging" sign hanging over the desk.) Patients with broken appendages will have to crawl to the Lab desk and plead for help. Horror of horrors, they may accidentally check in with physical therapy! I can see why my presence is required.Does anyone realize that I don't work there anymore? Maybe they missed that part at the going-away party they threw for me.
JPerspective has Michael Moore Exposed!:
Lately it seems like everytime I get into a political discussion with a Kerry supporter (or Bush hater) the conversation invariably turns to the Moore movie Fahrenheit 9/11. Any solid points I might make are followed by the left wing mantra "have you seen the movie?". Its their blind mantra. If I haven't seen the movie than I must not be as enlightened as they are. My usuall response is to mention that the Nazi's made propaganda movies too. When the German masses went to see those propaganda films they came out believing that the Jews were the cause of all the worlds ills. The part that is the most shocking is that many Jews are the ones touting the Moore movie as required viewing. Michael Moore is not only an Anti-American propagandist liar, he is also openly anti-Israel.
Fuki talks about Stupidity in Print:
I just finished reading this week's Time. As usual there is plenty of what can only be labeled as stupid, but this one quote in the "LETTERS" section really struck me as above and beyond in its level of stupidity."Moore's movie may be a mix of fact and fiction, but anything that opens discussion on the invasion of Iraq is good for America" -- John MirandaHmm...so anything that opens discussion on the invasion of Iraq is good for America?
Ninety soldiers dying in a terrorist raid would certainly cause discussion on Iraq. Would that be good for America?
Another major attack here in the US would open the discussion on Iraq. Would that be good for America?