A short post this time.
Time to catch my number of declared Allies up with the Enemies... though I do have a few enemies ready to add when I feel a burning desire to post them. C'mon ya bastards! Push my buttons!
Meantime...
My last Enemy was Scientology largely for their actions of having the now infamous Tom Cruise video removed from the internet. Old news now, but I was not alone in my outrage.
The group Anonymous has led the charge. While I haven't participated in their actions, I am on their side and someday I expect I will be among the legion.
Worth adding... Jay Novella, co-host of the Skeptic's Guide (the podcast produced by the NESS, my last declared ally) has made no secret of the fact that Tom Cruise is his least favourite person on the planet... not that he (unlike Scientologists) knows anyone who hasn't spent the vast majority of his life on the planet.
Showing posts with label enemies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enemies. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Enemies III & Allies II
A quick bit of context for those of you who are now getting my blog entries as notes on Facebook... (actually no one reads the real blog!):
Ages ago I started a series of posts listing people of high profile who are either enemies or allies of my own ideological stand-point. I didn't actually get far before I forgot about the blog. (2 enemies, 1 ally) Now that I'm in the habit again, it's time to get back.
A quick recap: Enemies - Anne Coulter & Ted Nugent. Allies - Dr. David Brin.
I've got one of each for today.
Starting with a new ally:
Technically this is ALLIES. The Skeptics Guide to the Universe. It's a podcast presented by the New England Skeptical Society. I listened to a few recent episodes in early December and was immediately enamoured. I went right back to the beginning of their archive - about three years worth of weekly podcasts.
In essence, the N.E.S.S. are a group of science-minded folk of a variety of political stripes, (Perry DeAngelis demonstrates clear Republican affiliation; Skepchick, Rebecca Watson makes no bones about her leftist standing.) who vigilantly take on any subject where bad science is being practiced. From UFOs to Intelligent Design they take it all on with a hard-line of reason and logic. Psychic phenomenon, homeopathy, sasquatch... it's all in their sights. Through discussion they provide the listener over repeated listening with the tools by which to disect their own cherished beliefs, and like any good group of science-minded folks, they aren't too precious about their claims. They recognize that the flexible fallibility of science is it's greatest socratic strength. Case in point - in one early episode they took on the 'G-spot.' When, only weeks later they were owned (in part by then guest, Rebecca Watson) they were happy to back down. It was awesome to know that they practice what they preach. (The fact that it brought Watson to the show full-time was an added bonus. I laugh a lot listening to Skeptic's Guide, but she makes me laugh the most, next to DeAngelis - who passed away last year, so once I catch up with my listening I won't have his wit to giggle at.)
It's my favourite podcast hands down, and I'm not afraid to admit that a number of things I've taken as fact have been torn apart by them, much to my horror and eventual embrace.
My New Enemy:
Not that he wasn't headed this way before... Tom Cruise. The guy is completely bat-shit crazy. Earlier this afternoon a co-worker forwarded me a link to a YouTube video that had been tagged by muckraker-fabulous Perez Hilton. I'm not a follower of Hilton's blog, for the record.
The clip in question was an edited down version of a Scientology produced video interview with Tom Cruise. The complete and utter nonsense dribbling out of his mouth... "I know. I just KNOW. And I wish I could take a vacation and gallivant, but I can't. It's up to me." (I paraphrase.) Yes, Tom thinks he's Scientology's own personal Jesus. But really he comes off just a bit more like their Manson.
The post had gone up on Hilton's site about five minutes before the video was posted. I watched the ten minutes. Passed it on ONCE. That person watched it with about five extra minutes to spare... and then the video was removed for 'copyright violation.'
Now, you may know that YouTube doesn't make a habit of removing videos unless the copyright holder SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS IT. So... within thirty, forty-five minutes at the outside, of the video being posted on Hilton's excessively well read website, Scientology had very firmly pressured YouTube into removing the video. The Hilton connection is likely incidental, but even so - the video was recently posted - scary!
I should be singling out Scientology as my enemy here - and don't think I won't - but it's far more satisfying to aim at Cruise. The guy is so far off the deep end by now, he's making Britney Spears look like Barak Obama. ZOIKS!
Ages ago I started a series of posts listing people of high profile who are either enemies or allies of my own ideological stand-point. I didn't actually get far before I forgot about the blog. (2 enemies, 1 ally) Now that I'm in the habit again, it's time to get back.
A quick recap: Enemies - Anne Coulter & Ted Nugent. Allies - Dr. David Brin.
I've got one of each for today.
Starting with a new ally:
Technically this is ALLIES. The Skeptics Guide to the Universe. It's a podcast presented by the New England Skeptical Society. I listened to a few recent episodes in early December and was immediately enamoured. I went right back to the beginning of their archive - about three years worth of weekly podcasts.
In essence, the N.E.S.S. are a group of science-minded folk of a variety of political stripes, (Perry DeAngelis demonstrates clear Republican affiliation; Skepchick, Rebecca Watson makes no bones about her leftist standing.) who vigilantly take on any subject where bad science is being practiced. From UFOs to Intelligent Design they take it all on with a hard-line of reason and logic. Psychic phenomenon, homeopathy, sasquatch... it's all in their sights. Through discussion they provide the listener over repeated listening with the tools by which to disect their own cherished beliefs, and like any good group of science-minded folks, they aren't too precious about their claims. They recognize that the flexible fallibility of science is it's greatest socratic strength. Case in point - in one early episode they took on the 'G-spot.' When, only weeks later they were owned (in part by then guest, Rebecca Watson) they were happy to back down. It was awesome to know that they practice what they preach. (The fact that it brought Watson to the show full-time was an added bonus. I laugh a lot listening to Skeptic's Guide, but she makes me laugh the most, next to DeAngelis - who passed away last year, so once I catch up with my listening I won't have his wit to giggle at.)
It's my favourite podcast hands down, and I'm not afraid to admit that a number of things I've taken as fact have been torn apart by them, much to my horror and eventual embrace.
My New Enemy:
Not that he wasn't headed this way before... Tom Cruise. The guy is completely bat-shit crazy. Earlier this afternoon a co-worker forwarded me a link to a YouTube video that had been tagged by muckraker-fabulous Perez Hilton. I'm not a follower of Hilton's blog, for the record.
The clip in question was an edited down version of a Scientology produced video interview with Tom Cruise. The complete and utter nonsense dribbling out of his mouth... "I know. I just KNOW. And I wish I could take a vacation and gallivant, but I can't. It's up to me." (I paraphrase.) Yes, Tom thinks he's Scientology's own personal Jesus. But really he comes off just a bit more like their Manson.
The post had gone up on Hilton's site about five minutes before the video was posted. I watched the ten minutes. Passed it on ONCE. That person watched it with about five extra minutes to spare... and then the video was removed for 'copyright violation.'
Now, you may know that YouTube doesn't make a habit of removing videos unless the copyright holder SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS IT. So... within thirty, forty-five minutes at the outside, of the video being posted on Hilton's excessively well read website, Scientology had very firmly pressured YouTube into removing the video. The Hilton connection is likely incidental, but even so - the video was recently posted - scary!
I should be singling out Scientology as my enemy here - and don't think I won't - but it's far more satisfying to aim at Cruise. The guy is so far off the deep end by now, he's making Britney Spears look like Barak Obama. ZOIKS!
Monday, April 18, 2005
The Enemy List - II
Okay, I take it back.
I thought I knew for certain who was next to go on the enemy list. But then I got up and read this article.
I'm certainly no gun-advocate, but it's not an issue I'm particularly hot on. Ted Nugent might have made the list - although until now I had a certain admiration for his outrageous panache - but this sealed it.
It's not so much the pro-gun message, but how it was signed sealed and delivered. That's fucking nuts. Well beyond the point where I might shake my head and say "Oh that Ted! He's such a character." Nope. Not a character. A fucking wing-nut.
I have the smallest of sympathies for the desire to be rid of "the bad guys." But the utter lack of recognition of the fallibility of due-diligence and the justice system is thoroughly without virtue. What if someone should mark YOU as a bad-guy, Ted? An 'enemy' of all that is right? Oh... I just did. Ka-fucking-blam! You're dead!
On a related note... how was "Cat-scratch Fever" ever a hit? Has anyone ever actually bothered to listen to the song? So lame.
Oh, and it would be unfair of me not to direct you right to the source... after all, it is supposed to be about knowing the enemy. Ted Nugent's Website.
I thought I knew for certain who was next to go on the enemy list. But then I got up and read this article.
I'm certainly no gun-advocate, but it's not an issue I'm particularly hot on. Ted Nugent might have made the list - although until now I had a certain admiration for his outrageous panache - but this sealed it.
It's not so much the pro-gun message, but how it was signed sealed and delivered. That's fucking nuts. Well beyond the point where I might shake my head and say "Oh that Ted! He's such a character." Nope. Not a character. A fucking wing-nut.
I have the smallest of sympathies for the desire to be rid of "the bad guys." But the utter lack of recognition of the fallibility of due-diligence and the justice system is thoroughly without virtue. What if someone should mark YOU as a bad-guy, Ted? An 'enemy' of all that is right? Oh... I just did. Ka-fucking-blam! You're dead!
On a related note... how was "Cat-scratch Fever" ever a hit? Has anyone ever actually bothered to listen to the song? So lame.
Oh, and it would be unfair of me not to direct you right to the source... after all, it is supposed to be about knowing the enemy. Ted Nugent's Website.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
The Enemies List - I
I suppose that if I were to be perfectly honest about it, this list would start with names like:
GEORGE W. BUSH
DONALD RUMSFELD
CONDOLEEZA RICE
COLIN POWELL - although I often find that I have as much respect for him as I could ever imagine having for anyone in the current regime.
But, I think that ideologically, the enemies list should more be directed at the opinion-mongers of the world. (As would an Allies list.) Certainly my nominal opinion is but a drop in the bucket compared to anyone I will list here - and most of their opinions will be more focussed than my shatter-shot of rants on various subjects. But that is exactly why I'm starting my list - to identify the a patchwork of opinion that exemplifies my own.
There has never been a doubt in my mind since I originally came up with the idea of an Enemies and Allies list, that the first name on the enemies list was going to be...
ANNE COULTER!
Her opinions are generally so outrageous that I can't possibly take them seriously. What really irks me about her is that really, she's made a business of it. I don't think she even believes everything she says - I have no doubt that she is in the deepest parts of her blackened soul a devout right-wing daughter of Mammon - but it's really often just too far to take with anything but a laugh.
Really what I see, is an attractive woman, who has discovered that there is a market for a babe to say outrageously, willfully blind, right-wing things. And that she pushes that as far as she possibly can. What is offensive is not so much the things she says, but that she is saying them with the disingenuous purpose of capitalizing on them, not that she believes they are true. Of course she would deny that if accused of it. She has to, right? If she admitted the game, there would be no game.
I can just imagine her lying in bed at night thinking "What's the most twisted thing I can get away with saying about... Senator McCarthy? I know! I'll say that he was a patriot and that he was right! And that he has been unfairly vilified by traitors with an agenda of hatred towards their own country and freedom! Hey! That's so fucked up that I could write a book about it!"
I really cannot believe she believes so much of what she claims to take to be the truth. Her twisting of reality is mind-boggling at times. And the weirdest thing is, it's often accompanied by her claims of the same thing on the part of the people she is attacking.
I read her column regularly. Often I can hardly even find, let alone see, her point - I guess it's THAT hard to make a point when it's so tenuously grounded in reality. But I can't help it. It's a bit like watching a train-wreck. "How can you possibly think that!?" But also, it's the idea of keeping in touch with what the enemy is doing/thinking. This is the epitome of the enemy's insanity - it MUST be monitored.
GEORGE W. BUSH
DONALD RUMSFELD
CONDOLEEZA RICE
COLIN POWELL - although I often find that I have as much respect for him as I could ever imagine having for anyone in the current regime.
But, I think that ideologically, the enemies list should more be directed at the opinion-mongers of the world. (As would an Allies list.) Certainly my nominal opinion is but a drop in the bucket compared to anyone I will list here - and most of their opinions will be more focussed than my shatter-shot of rants on various subjects. But that is exactly why I'm starting my list - to identify the a patchwork of opinion that exemplifies my own.
There has never been a doubt in my mind since I originally came up with the idea of an Enemies and Allies list, that the first name on the enemies list was going to be...
ANNE COULTER!
Her opinions are generally so outrageous that I can't possibly take them seriously. What really irks me about her is that really, she's made a business of it. I don't think she even believes everything she says - I have no doubt that she is in the deepest parts of her blackened soul a devout right-wing daughter of Mammon - but it's really often just too far to take with anything but a laugh.
Really what I see, is an attractive woman, who has discovered that there is a market for a babe to say outrageously, willfully blind, right-wing things. And that she pushes that as far as she possibly can. What is offensive is not so much the things she says, but that she is saying them with the disingenuous purpose of capitalizing on them, not that she believes they are true. Of course she would deny that if accused of it. She has to, right? If she admitted the game, there would be no game.
I can just imagine her lying in bed at night thinking "What's the most twisted thing I can get away with saying about... Senator McCarthy? I know! I'll say that he was a patriot and that he was right! And that he has been unfairly vilified by traitors with an agenda of hatred towards their own country and freedom! Hey! That's so fucked up that I could write a book about it!"
I really cannot believe she believes so much of what she claims to take to be the truth. Her twisting of reality is mind-boggling at times. And the weirdest thing is, it's often accompanied by her claims of the same thing on the part of the people she is attacking.
I read her column regularly. Often I can hardly even find, let alone see, her point - I guess it's THAT hard to make a point when it's so tenuously grounded in reality. But I can't help it. It's a bit like watching a train-wreck. "How can you possibly think that!?" But also, it's the idea of keeping in touch with what the enemy is doing/thinking. This is the epitome of the enemy's insanity - it MUST be monitored.
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