In reply: Oil Spill: Was it an attack by North Korea?

In reply to: THE SWASH ZONE: Consider the Source
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My favorite nutty conspiracy theory, as posted in a comment at a reactionary neocon site. (I won't name or link to it, but y'all know where I find most of my favorite wingnut news and views.) ((I wouldn't link to it at The Swash Zone, but I have no qualms about doing so here at my blog.))

"interesting take in the EU times. According to them, there's a kremlin report that says that our usurper in chief gave a blackout order on U.S. press coverage of an attack on the rig down in the gulf. N. korean mini-sub out of cuba.

Could be propaganda by the ruskies, but it would be par for the course for barry."

The commenter in question isn't lying about having read this in the EU Times -- US Orders Blackout Over North Korean Torpedoing Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Rig | EUTimes.net -- (though I'm given to understand that the story's a bit of satire originally written and posted elsewhere by an American trickster, and "borrowed without attribution" by the EU Times site.)

I guess there are folks who'll believe anything... ...and having spoken to this guy (the AmPow commenter, I mean) before, I'm not the least bit surprised he's buying into this... (Pleasant fellow, aside from being a bit paranoid and xenophobic...)

“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” - Anais Nin
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Revised and extended from a comment submitted for Zoner approval on/at 5/2/10, 2:51 AM (shared time zone)

In reply: "...that full-on visual impact"

In reply to: THE SWASH ZONE: "Read More" (i.e. "After the Jump") Links Now Available for Long Posts
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While it's a groovy tool to have--many would argue that my long-winded ass would benefit from using "read the rest" links, I'd guess--there are times you just need that full-on visual impact. (I happened to recently find myself re-reading this old SWASH ZONE post, fer'instance...)

I guess what I'm saying is, use it judiciously, (and in good health, of course).

Submitted for Zoner approval Posted 8:54 AM, April 30, 2010 (Shared time zone)

Roundup and Commentary - 6/25/09

Blog Posts:

THE SWASH ZONE: Iran Elections: Quit Turning Your Twitter Avatars Green And Do Something

American Nihilist: Sarah, Trig, and Eddie, the HRSBTNGBTBRWGB H8R


Commentary:

There was a whole lot less manufactured outrage (in fact, none that I can find) when it was LettermanTrig...:
American Power: Democratic Values! Left-Wing Alaska Operative "Ghoulshops' Trig Palin!
...
This photoshop no more represents "Democratic Values!" than the photoshop & joke on Chris' site represents "Republican Values!" It's just a few idiots with overly partisan feelings, a nasty streak, and too much time on their hands...:
American Power: Democratic Values! Left-Wing Alaska Operative "Ghoulshops" Trig Palin!

I don't have time to decide... I'm clicking boxes, man...:
Is This Post About Fractals or Procrastination? - Ideas Special Report

The Palin Faux Outrage of the Weak:
Immoderate Monk (If I'm not mistaken, Sister Toldjah is the first blog since I started cross-posting moderated comments to Immoderate Monk, to not approve my comment. There's cowards, and then there's COWARDS, I guess...)

I'm not nearly as sure as you that one's body should take precedence over one's mind in these situations, or that one must present visible physical anomalies to have legitimate issues--and since there is seemingly reliable medical opinions supporting either "matching the mind to the body" via therapy, and "matching the body to the mind", via surgery (in adulthood) theories, I think it should be up to the parents and the kids to decide, without much input from outside observers with political axes to grind--but I appreciate that you read the piece & got back to me, anyway...:
American Power: Protecting the Transgendered, Normalizing Deviancy? (Damn... That's one serious run-on sentence...)

The Right's Misogynistic Hatred?
Misogyny... Only disgusting to some, when it's scatological, I guess...:
American Power: Palin Hits Back at"Malicious" Photoshop of Son Trig

X-post: Iran Elections: Quit Turning Your Twitter Avatars Green And Do Something

Iran Elections: Quit Turning Your Twitter Avatars Green And Do Something - Air America Media - Kase Wickman

(The whole article is damned good and well worth reading, but I'm only reposting the "here's what you can do" paragraphs (the meat) below. I'm also leaving my twitter avatar green because, while it's usefulness pales in comparison to the suggestions in the post, I do think that little green tag makes a psychological difference. YMMV...)

So instead of empty gestures and hashtags, why don't we actually engage in some activism and help, instead of whispering about this like some kind of neighborhood scandal that will never catch up to us because it's an ocean away?

There's always the option of an online donation to a relief agency like Red Crescent, for something immediate and helpful. The world runs on money and blood (as the events in Iran over the last week and a half have so morosely reminded us), and America is too far away to donate the blood that the wounded in Iran so desperately need.

You can also make donations to those covering the ongoing protests and violence, like Tehran Bureau, which is run by an Iranian-emigre out of a house in Newton, Massachusetts and is in need of financial support to keep the site live and bandwidth plentiful. Reliable information is harder and harder to come by, already 24 journalists have been arrested in Iran, and the majority of the rest have been forced out of the country by expired visas and government intimidation.

Don't have cash? There are ways you can help for free without ever leaving your computer. You can create a proxy or Twitter relay to help keep those ever-important Iranian Twitterers connected and informing the world about the situation in Iran. Or change your location and time zone to match Iran, in hopes of tripping up government censors looking for active sources.

If you're more diplomatically-inclined, and looking toward the long term, write a letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council and urge them to take action on international election standards and protection for citizens.

Above all, the thing you must do before any difference can be made is to inform yourself. The term "knowledge is power" wouldn't be repeated so much if it wasn't true. So spend some time reading the news, know what the hell you're talking about, and go out and tell someone else about it, and how they can help.

If anyone has any further suggestions or links to sites & or other things worth doing, please add them in the comments. I'd prefer that this post stay as non-partisan as possible. We all know that "that" side sucks, but wingnuts, moonbats, partisans of all other stripes... ...this isn't about us here in the US.

h/t Twitter / @DivadNhoj1981

X-Post: Is it just me...

...or is holding a politically partisan and divisive protest in DC on the the weekend of 9/11 a really bad idea?

09.12.09 National Taxpayer Protest | The Tea Party Movement Goes to Capitol Hill

Those involved in planning and promoting this--and everyone who attends--should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting the memories of those who were affected by the 9/11 attacks for partisan gain.
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Wingnuts & Moonbats and THE SWASH ZONE X-Post