Flat tire, Salvation Mountain © Robert Sommers 2026
Friday, July 12, 2013
Daisy's owl post
She is an excellent writer, and has both a popular blog and a radio show, Occupy the Microphone, back in Greenville, South Carolina where she lives.
I liked this and she is graciously allowing me to reprint it.
He flew from tree to tree about 100 yards in front of me, which is when I first noticed him. He had an enormous wing span. I was walking in his direction, so when I arrived below the tree where he was, I spoke to him. He looked right at me and seemed to be listening. I suddenly understood all the stories about owls being "wise"--they do seem to be smart and attentive, with their immense, intense eyes.
Watching him for a few minutes, I realized he was carefully watching me too, looking me up and down. Very large black eyes; a creepy feeling, as if sizing me up to determine if I could be eaten.
I stood there awhile, sort of communing with the owl. I asked him a couple of spiritually-oriented questions that I won't repeat here. As I said, he seemed to be listening, so why not? The swamp is so, so hushed and quiet. It seemed appropriate to break the silence and say hello.
I then pointed him out to the next couple of cyclists as they whizzed by; these two expensively-sports-attired young fellows ignored me as if I was a crazy old woman (uh-oh). But the next two middle-aged women cyclists stopped and cooed appreciatively at him, taking photos also. A nice Baptist-looking family of cyclists also stopped, their teenage son especially impressed, exclaiming he had never been so close to an owl that was not caged.
On my way home, I idly considered the Lakota legend concerning the sighting of owls in the daytime (portent of death) and wondered if Lakota legends 1) applied to non-Lakota, and 2) applied in Carolina. (Wouldn't Cherokee or Catawba legends apply here instead?) And then I promptly forgot about the owl... until I dreamed about him.
He was answering my questions. He answered them very clearly, but not in "language." They were answers that formed in my mind, and when I woke up, I knew what I should do and what was going to happen.
So, I realize now that the owls are magic.
I posted the owl's photo on Facebook and received a couple of warnings about bad luck. And so I looked up some of the mythology and omens connected with owls. I discovered that throughout the world, they are regarded as signs of both good and bad luck. Also, I learned that the concept of owls being "sisters" originally comes from the indigenous people of Australia (see list below), which I hadn't known. There is a national women's organization called OWL (Older Women's League), which (as far as I know) has mostly regrouped into smaller, local chapters. I always wondered why they chose that particular name; I assumed it was a reference to the wisdom of age. I realize now that the connection of owls/women is part of the world's mythology.
The Owl Pages offers everything you ever wanted to know about owls. I discovered his species: Barred Owl, although many southerners call them Rain Owls, which is certainly an interesting (and appropriate!) name, since we have had so much rain lately.
From the Owl Pages, I found a list of fascinating world-legends and mythology about owls.
Here are some of my favorites:
Africa, Central: the Owl is the familiar of wizards to the Bantu.
Africa, Southern: Zulus know the Owl as the sorcerers' bird.
Africa, West: the messenger of wizards and witches, the Owl's cry presages evil.
Algeria: place the right eye of an Eagle Owl in the hand of a sleeping woman and she will tell all.
Arabia: the Owl is a bird of ill omen, the embodiment of evil spirits that carries off children at night. According to an ancient Arabic treatise, from each female Owl supposedly came two eggs, one held the power to cause hair to fall out and one held the power to restore it. Arabs once believed that the spirit of a murdered man continues to wail and weep until his death is avenged. They believed that a bird that they called "al Sada" (or the death-owl) would continue to hoot over the grave of a slain man whose death had not been avenged. The bird would continue to hoot endlessly until the slain man's death was avenged.
Arctic Circle: a little girl was turned into a bird with a long beak by magic, but was so frightened she flapped about madly and flew into a wall, flattening her face and beak. So the Owl was created.
Australia: Aborigines believe bats represent the souls of men and Owls the souls of women. Owls are therefore sacred, because your sister is an Owl - and the Owl is your sister.
Borneo: the Supreme Being turned his wife into an Owl after she told secrets to mortals.
Brittany: an Owl seen on the way to the harvest is the sign of a good yield.
Burma: during a quarrel among the birds, the Owl was jumped upon and so his face was flattened.
Cameroon: too evil to name, the Owl is known only as "the bird that makes you afraid".
Carthage: the city was captured by Agathocles of Syracuse (Southern Italy) in 310 BC. Afterward, he released Owls over his troops and they settled on their shields and helmets, signifying victory in battle.
Celtic: the Owl was a sign of the underworld.
China: the Owl is associated with lightning (because it brightens the night) and with the drum (because it breaks the silence). Placing Owl effigies in each corner of the home protect it against lightning. The Owl is regarded as a symbol of too much Yang (positive, masculine, bright, active energy).
France: when a pregnant woman hears an Owl it is an omen that her child will be a girl.
Germany: if an Owl hoots as a child is born, the infant will have an unhappy life.
India: The Barn owl is the "vahana" (transport/vehicle/mount) of the Hindu goddess of wisdom, Lakshmi. As such, the owl is held as a symbol of wisdom and learning. The eagle owls, especially the rock eagle owl [Bubo bengalensis] and the brown fish owl [Bubo zeylonensis] are called " ullu" in Hindi and the word is also used as a synonym for "idiot" or "imbecile". The most chilling sound during the quiet and cold winter nights in the plains of Bengal is perhaps the call of the " kaal penchaa", the Brown Hawk Owl. The rhythmic "kuk - kuk - kuk" is believed to be a foreboding of impending death.
Indonesia: Around Manado, on the isle of Sulawesi, People consider Owls very wise. They call them Burung Manguni. Every time someone wants to travel, they listen to the owls. The owls make two different sounds; the first means it is safe to go, and the second means it's better to stay at home. The Minahasa, people around Manado, take those warnings very seriously.
Iran: In Farsi the Little Owl (Athene Noctua) is called "Joghde-kochek". It is said that this bird brings bad luck. In Islam, it's forbidden (Haram) to eat.
Ireland: An Owl that enters the house must be killed at once, for if it flies away it will take the luck of the house with it.
Israel: in Hebrew lore the Owl represents blindness and desolation and is unclean.
Japan: Among the Ainu people the Eagle Owl is revered as a messenger of the gods or a divine ancestor. They would drink a toast to the Eagle Owl before a hunting expedition. The Screech Owl warns against danger, although they believe the Barn Owl and Horned Owl are demonic. They would nail wooden images of owls to their houses in times of famine or pestilence.
Latvia: when Christian soldiers entered his temple, the local pagan god flew away as an Owl.
Lorraine: spinsters go to the woods and call to the Owl to help them find a husband.
Madagascar: Owls join witches to dance on the graves of the dead.
Malawi: the Owl carries messages for witches.
Mexico: the Owl makes the cold North wind (the gentle South wind is made by the butterfly). The Little Owl was called "messenger of the lord of the land of the dead", and flew between the land of the living and the dead.
Newfoundland: the hoot of the Horned Owl signals the approach of bad weather.
Poland: Polish folklore links Owls with death. Girls who die unmarried turn into doves; girls who are married when they die turn into Owls. An owl cry heard in or near a home usually meant impending death, sickness, or other misfortune. An old story tells how the Owl does not come out at during the day because it is too beautiful, and would be mobbed by other, jealous birds.
Puerto Rico: The Owl is called "Mucaro". Back in the 1800s, the people from the mountain coffee plantations used to blame the little mucaro for the loss of coffee grains. The belief was that the coffee was part of the owls' diet, and many owls were killed. There are old folklore songs on the subject, one goes like this:
Poor Mucaro, you're a gentleman
you just want to eat a rat
then the rat
set up a trap
he eats the coffee grains
and people blame you.
Romania: the souls of repentant sinners flew to heaven in the guise of a Snowy Owl.
Russia: hunters carry Owl claws so that, if they are killed, their souls can use them to climb up to Heaven. It is said that Tartar shaman of Central Russia could assume Owl shapes. Kalmyks hold the Owl to be sacred because one once saved the life of Genghis Khan.
Samoa: the people are descended from an Owl.
Siberia: the Owl is a helpful spirit.
Spain: legend has it that the Owl was once the sweetest of singers, until it saw Jesus crucified. Ever since it has shunned daylight and only repeats the words 'cruz, cruz' ('cross, cross').
Sri Lanka: the Owl is married to the bat.
Sumeria: The goddess of death, Lilith, was attended by Owls.
Sweden: the Owl is associated with witches.
And so we see, Owls are often connected with women, and with spirituality... or both.
Since my dream, I choose to see my owl as a good omen. But I also realize that life IS impermanence, and what is regarded as "good" right now, may well be considered "bad" in the future.
Perhaps that is the lesson of the owl. Live completely in the present.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Gilgamesh
The tablets were not fully translated until the end of the 19th century. The book is over a thousand years older than both the Bible and the Iliad. The tale is written in the ancient language Akkadian. The writer is the scribe Sin-liqe-unninni, the first author in history to sign his work.
The gods grant him an intimate friend, Enkidu, himself a mighty warrior. They whore around and battle monsters, standard hero stuff. The story terminates with the earliest known flood story and Gilgamesh coming to grips with his own human mortality after the loss of his beloved friend.
The ark story is very similar to Noah's, with animals aboard of every type and stripe. In fact we meet the sun god Shamash in this tale, very similar to the hebrew word for sun, shemesh שמש. All peoples and cultures appropriate from what has been left behind for them.
This is a very poignant and human book, amazing the wisdom that still resonates within, from across the wide centuries and millennia. I would like to share a few passages with you.
Book X p.188
Shidari said "Gilgamesh, where are you roaming?
You will never find the eternal life that you seek. When the gods created mankind, they also created death, and they held back eternal life for themselves alone.
Humans are born, they live, then they die, this is the order that the gods have decreed.
But until the end comes, enjoy your life, spend it in happiness, not despair.
Savor your food, make each of your days a delight, bathe and annoit yourself, wear bright clothes that are sparkling clean, let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace.
That is the best way for a man to live.
There is a curse invoked by Enkidu that is equally potent and passionate. Shamhat acts as a sex worker for the goddess Ishtar.
Book VII p.146
After he had cursed him to his heart's content, he then cursed Shamhat, the priestess of Ishtar.
"Shamhat, I assign you an eternal fate,
I curse you with the ultimate curse, may it seize you instantly, as it leaves my mouth.
Never may you have a home and family, never caress a child of your own,
may your man prefer younger, prettier girls,
may he beat you as a housewife beats a rug,
may you never acquire bright alabaster,
or shining silver, the delight of men, may your roof keep leaking and no carpenter fix it,
may wild dogs camp in your bedroom, may owls nest in your attic, may drunkards vomit all over you, may a tavern wall be your place of business, may you be dressed in torn robes and filthy underwear, may angry wives sue you, may thorns and briars make your feet bloody,
may young men jeer and the rabble mock you as you walk the streets. Shamhat may all this be your reward for seducing me in the wilderness when I was strong and innocent and free.
Book XI p. 181
King of Shuruppak, quickly, quickly tear down your house and build a great ship, leave your possessions, save your life. The ship must be square, so that its length equals its width. Build a roof over it, just as the great deep is covered by the earth. Then gather and take aboard the ship examples of every living creature.
This is a very eloquent work and does not suffer in the least for its age in its sensitivity to the human condition. Not a lot has apparently changed in this world of ours. Very easy and quick read, if you like myth and epic, you might want to familiarize yourself with its bounty.
The ark story is very similar to Noah's, with animals aboard of every type and stripe. In fact we meet the sun god Shamash in this tale, very similar to the hebrew word for sun, shemesh שמש. All peoples and cultures appropriate from what has been left behind for them.
This is a very poignant and human book, amazing the wisdom that still resonates within, from across the wide centuries and millennia. I would like to share a few passages with you.
Book X p.188
Shidari said "Gilgamesh, where are you roaming?
You will never find the eternal life that you seek. When the gods created mankind, they also created death, and they held back eternal life for themselves alone.
Humans are born, they live, then they die, this is the order that the gods have decreed.
But until the end comes, enjoy your life, spend it in happiness, not despair.
Savor your food, make each of your days a delight, bathe and annoit yourself, wear bright clothes that are sparkling clean, let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace.
That is the best way for a man to live.
There is a curse invoked by Enkidu that is equally potent and passionate. Shamhat acts as a sex worker for the goddess Ishtar.
Book VII p.146
After he had cursed him to his heart's content, he then cursed Shamhat, the priestess of Ishtar.
"Shamhat, I assign you an eternal fate,
I curse you with the ultimate curse, may it seize you instantly, as it leaves my mouth.
Never may you have a home and family, never caress a child of your own,
may your man prefer younger, prettier girls,
may he beat you as a housewife beats a rug,
may you never acquire bright alabaster,
or shining silver, the delight of men, may your roof keep leaking and no carpenter fix it,
may wild dogs camp in your bedroom, may owls nest in your attic, may drunkards vomit all over you, may a tavern wall be your place of business, may you be dressed in torn robes and filthy underwear, may angry wives sue you, may thorns and briars make your feet bloody,
may young men jeer and the rabble mock you as you walk the streets. Shamhat may all this be your reward for seducing me in the wilderness when I was strong and innocent and free.
Book XI p. 181
King of Shuruppak, quickly, quickly tear down your house and build a great ship, leave your possessions, save your life. The ship must be square, so that its length equals its width. Build a roof over it, just as the great deep is covered by the earth. Then gather and take aboard the ship examples of every living creature.
This is a very eloquent work and does not suffer in the least for its age in its sensitivity to the human condition. Not a lot has apparently changed in this world of ours. Very easy and quick read, if you like myth and epic, you might want to familiarize yourself with its bounty.
Michael Chapdelaine
If you ever get a chance to see this guy play, GO! One of the best fingerstylists I have ever seen.
Fracked Up
Microearthquakes (that is, those with magnitudes below 2) are routinely produced as part of the hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) process used to stimulate the production of oil, but the process as currently practiced appears to pose a low risk of inducing destructive earthquakes. More than 100,000 wells have been subjected to fracking in recent years, and the largest induced earthquake was magnitude 3.6, which is too small to pose a serious risk. Yet, wastewater disposal by injection into deep wells poses a higher risk, because this practice can induce larger earthquakes. For example, several of the largest earthquakes in the U.S. midcontinent in 2011 and 2012 may have been triggered by nearby disposal wells. The largest of these was a magnitude 5.6 event in central Oklahoma that destroyed 14 homes and injured two people. The mechanism responsible for inducing these events appears to be the well-understood process of weakening a preexisting fault by elevating the fluid pressure. However, only a small fraction of the more than 30,000 wastewater disposal wells appears to be problematic—typically those that dispose of very large volumes of water and/or communicate pressure perturbations directly into basement faults.
An article in Mother Jones gives further information and explains how small quakes can lead to bigger events much farther away from the original incident.
The scientists looked at three big quakes: the Tohuku-oki earthquake in Japan in 2011 (magnitude 9), the Maule in Chile in 201 (an 8.8 magnitude), and the Sumatra in Indonesia in 2012 (an 8.6). They found that, as much as 20 months later, those major quakes triggered smaller ones in places in the Midwestern US where fluids have been pumped underground for energy extraction.
"[The fluids] kind of act as a pressurized cushion," lead author Nicholas van der Elst of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University explained to Mother Jones. "They make it easier for the fault to slide."
Joystick cowboys and signature strikes
...by the time Obama accepted his Nobel Peace Prize 11 months into his presidency, he'd already ordered more drone strikes than George W. Bush had in his entire presidency. By the end of 2012, he'd ordered six times as many strikes in Pakistan as Bush had. One study, conducted by professors from Stanford (including Cavallaro) and NYU, found that from 2004 to 2012, between 474 and 881 civilians were killed in Pakistan drone strikes. This includes 176 children.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
And July's Orwell Speak award goes to:
SANDAG keeps each piece of data for two years, but when it’s finally purged, that’s not because of some concern about privacy. The data are eliminated because of storage limitations for SANDAG and diminishing usefulness for law enforcement.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is one of a dozen agencies in the county sending license-plate reads into the database managed by SANDAG.
“We all have a mutual goal of crime prevention and catching the crooks,” Commander David Myers said.
The concern from civil liberties advocates is that the data are amassed about millions of innocent citizens, not just criminals, and could be misused. Once the immediate use of scanning a license plate to see if a vehicle is stolen has been served, they argue, the data should be destroyed.
Asked why not quickly delete the information of people not accused of a crime, Myers said the notion is impractical. Besides, he said, how do police know someone won’t commit a crime in the future?
Get yer hot links here
Couple interesting articles of note - Think Progress - Federal Judge Authorizes Chevron’s Sweeping Subpoena Of Activists’ Internet Data
AlterNet - EPA Abandoned Fracking Investigation, and Will Do it Again
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Think Progress - Midwestern Dad Could Be Deported For Smoking Marijuana Fifteen Years Ago
The case involves an $18.2 billion judgment against Chevron in an Ecuador court, for massive environmental contamination from oil drilling. The Ecuadorian court found that Chevron had dumped toxic waste into Amazon waterways used by indigenous groups for drinking water and caused massive harm to the rainforest. Chevron responded by filing a lawsuit in U.S. court alleging that the plaintiffs engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the company.*
As part of this lawsuit, Chevron has subpoenaed Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo to request all information related to the email addresses of more than 100 advocates, journalists, lawyers, and others. These individuals are not parties to the suit, but Chevron alleges that they are involved directly or indirectly in the litigation, and may have been outspoken critics of Chevron’s conduct.
AlterNet - EPA Abandoned Fracking Investigation, and Will Do it Again
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Think Progress - Midwestern Dad Could Be Deported For Smoking Marijuana Fifteen Years Ago
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Swimming Upstream
Another day, another covert program surveillance program disclosed. Or four in this case. Blarney, Fairview, Oakstar and Stormbrew.
View the link in the Washington Post here.
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My pal Hobo Beans made up these cool Prism - Enemy of the State stickers. Do you have yours yet?
Texas sized ass whuppin'
AUSTIN — The Texas House today gave final approval to a hotly contested proposal to ban abortions after 20 weeks — and put in place restrictions that would lead to the closing of most abortion clinics in the state — after less than one hour of debate.
Libertarian meets the gendarmes
This is a video from Rutherford County, Tennessee. Kid knows the laws regarding consent and unconstitutional search. Officers don't care. 21 year old Chris Kalbaugh, a libertarian, decides to challenge Officer Fife and it is on. There are a whole bunch of these videos cropping up on Youtube. Libertarians have been busy filming police stops across the nation.
Take on the man, might cost you a new paint job. My favorite quote is from the cops: "He's perfectly innocent and he knows his rights. He knows what the constitution says." Damn. But everybody should know by now that the constitution can be suspended for reasons of "safety."
The Deputy protagonist has his own somewhat checkered past:
A.J.Ross left the sheriff's department in 2004. He resigned instead of being terminated after failing to show up to testify in court on a day when he had dozens of criminal cases on the docket.
He also missed a grand jury appearance, according to the file.
On top of all that, Ross lied about having insurance when he rear-ended someone in his pickup truck, the file shows.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
No Limit
T recently won an online poker satellite tournament and got invited to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Yesterday was the first day and he killed it. Out of over 6352 entrants he was in the top 50 of the 1c group yesterday, and he ended up with well over 100k in chips at the end of the day. He re-raised with an ace high and knocked some poor guy out.
Today was a day off. If he continues to rip and gets in to the cash, old Uncle Rob is going to be taking a little drive to Vegas to cheer him on. I couldn't be prouder. If he can stand the pressure and doesn't play too tight I think he can do really well.
Soul Kitchen
Not sure where the video is from, Golden Gate Park? The Matrix was Marty Balin's club, located at 3138 Fillmore St., opened in 1965.
Many of the San Francisco psychedelic bands were openly contemptuous of the Doors. Interesting discussion of the subject in Greenfield's Bill Graham book. Their live sound could be very thin and their brooding message a stark contrast to the technicolor optimism peddled by their northern neighbors.
I have several friends who saw them at the Whiskey at less than memorable concerts. Yet their music and poetry has certainly stood the test of time very admirably, incredible tunes like this one.
Whiffed
Catcher Yasmani Grandal went down with a season ending acl, mcl injury the other day. I am not going to cry for this guy, that is for sure. You see, Grandal recently came back from a 50 game suspension for peds, in his case testosterone. He was mixed up with that funny lab in Miami, the same one that A-Rod was hooked up with.
When Grandal came back they asked him if he owed the fans an apology. He sloughed off the question, said everybody makes mistakes and then said this:
"If I have to prove anything, it's to the Padres. The fans need to understand that. My job comes first. The Padres are the ones who have me in the big leagues. They're the ones who have the decision to bring me up or down."This attitude is a slap in the face to San Diego Padres fans. I wouldn't be sad if the guy never donned the Padres uniform again. He lacks both appreciation and apparently, character.
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I love the fact that both Shaq and Kareem have weighed in on the chronic underachiever's exit.
"Dwight Howard is a perfect example of the fact that “potential has a shelf life.” Kareem Abdul Jabber
“He didn’t seem to want to run a pick-and-roll offense maybe because he had run one in Orlando for so long and wanted to get in the post more. Now Houston runs a pick-and-roll offense." Steve Nash
"We've all been in L.A., and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. Everybody wants to do it, but when you get there, there are certain pressures. I think it was a safe move for him to go to a little town like Houston. That's right, little town. I said it." Shaquille O Neal
Of course, you want to talk about a guy who is stealing money, consider Andrew Bynum. Free agent once again, never healthy, never done squat for anybody. Poor Philly. Thank all their lucky stars, he is history. Seven foot tall remora.
Ron's Pals
We went over to our good friends Ron and Lena's home for the fourth of July, something that we have done for decades, thanks to our wonderful and very gracious hosts. Ron has a new trick. He has trained three of the lizards that share his abode to come at his call and dine on a worm or two.
I witnessed this squamate reptillian repast with two different members of his flock. Quite impressive. Later while he was barbecuing, a lizard came over and nibbled on his big toe, signaling that he too was ready to dine.
Remarkable!
Twinkies Twinked
Today comes news that the effective twinkie shelf life has now effectively nearly doubled. The little yellow logs of creamy goodness can now stand on the shelves for 45 days, as opposed to the pre buyout 26 day duration. What gives? They ain't tellin'.
"The improvement was made under the old company, products were introduced to the market on Nov. 1, 2012 prior to the company's liquidation and prior to the sale of assets to the new owners," said Arnold ( the twinkie spokesman), who declined to comment about what methods were used to extend shelf life.
Mira Calton, nutritionist and co-author of the book, Rich Food, Poor Food, said freezing a product prior to delivery would "most likely require additional preservatives and dough strengtheners being added to the recipes."Caveat Emptor?
Monday, July 8, 2013
Two from Stan
It appears that some Christian movie reviewers aren't really happy with the new Lone Ranger. Apparently they are not alone, most everybody I know that has seen the film has panned it or just said it was okay. Not a big Johnny Depp fan myself, hated the Pirates thing and he butchered Willy Wonka. Just ask Gene Wilder. But this is different, Tonto, is (gasp) a pagan!
Here is Stan's link:
"The new "Lone Ranger" film has been a critical and box office disappointment, but the fact that the Indian character "Tonto" is not a Christian has upset some Christian conservatives.
Ted Baehr of the Christian Film and Television Coalition is also upset that the U.S. government is portrayed as "bad" and the army is shown killing Indians, which is historically accurate.
"The government is bad – the army is killing Indians – the bad guy is a businessman, the military-industrial complex is bad,"complained Baehr in his review on Movieguide. "The pagan elements triumph because you're looking at it from Tanto's [sic] point of view. It's not Buddhism, it's not Hinduism, it's a mishmash."
Focus on the Family's movie review site, Pluggedin.com, also slammed Tonto for not being a Christian.
Ted Baehr of the Christian Film and Television Coalition is also upset that the U.S. government is portrayed as "bad" and the army is shown killing Indians, which is historically accurate.
"The government is bad – the army is killing Indians – the bad guy is a businessman, the military-industrial complex is bad,"complained Baehr in his review on Movieguide. "The pagan elements triumph because you're looking at it from Tanto's [sic] point of view. It's not Buddhism, it's not Hinduism, it's a mishmash."
Focus on the Family's movie review site, Pluggedin.com, also slammed Tonto for not being a Christian.
I read both backlinks and it didn't seem that the reviewers were that strident or out of line. Case of conflicting world views, if you want to be outraged, be outraged. I personally would expect native americans in the 1800's to be christians about the same way I would expect martians coming out of their spaceships to be christians but hey, who asked me?
Here is the blurb from Plugged In:
Here is the blurb from Plugged In:
PaPa, PCPC, FRFR, ACapACap, APAP, B, CC, Ab, LL, VV, N, AA, D, M) Strong mixed pagan, revisionist, politically correct worldview, with allusions to “spirits” who have power to influence events, anti-capitalist elements, anti-patriotic elements and themes, some moral elements, some overt Christian elements where Christians pray and sing, a man says we are “under God,” woman asks main character to pray with her and main character says John Locke’s book is “his Bible,” and a moving prayer is said but by the villain, so the Christian elements are tinged with some irony; 19 light obscenities, four profanities, man urinating, defecation by a horse, man dragged through horse defecation, and man vomiting; extensive action violence where people are killed by guns, pierced by arrows, stabbed with swords and knives, and blown up in man made explosions, it’s implied a man cuts out heart of another man and eats it, and animals are cannibals; upper male nudity; alcohol use and drunkenness; smoking; and, greed, cheating, corruption, moral relativism.
I find it a little funny that both sites have a guy in charge of counting "hells and damns." And that they point out anti capitalist elements in the movie. Upper male nudity? Tell me that whoever noticed that is not a closet case. And where exactly does it mention capitalism in the bible again?
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Westboro Baptist to picket Arizona firefighter's memorials. I am a bit surprised somebody hasn't taken these bastards out.
I find it a little funny that both sites have a guy in charge of counting "hells and damns." And that they point out anti capitalist elements in the movie. Upper male nudity? Tell me that whoever noticed that is not a closet case. And where exactly does it mention capitalism in the bible again?
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Westboro Baptist to picket Arizona firefighter's memorials. I am a bit surprised somebody hasn't taken these bastards out.
Stop by for a chat.
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| © Ken Seals / Bill Olson |
For a guy who supposedly knows everything, I have serious holes in my game. Certain family members would be more than willing to give you a full run down if you are curious.
My friend Beth is a birder. She was jogging past my ranch early the other morning with her herding dog and I hailed her and asked her how's trix? Any new birds lately?
Beth said, "Well the chats are still here. I can't see them but I can hear them." I nodded sagely and she kept going on down the road. What the hell is a chat? I didn't want to appear stupid. I would look it up. So I did.
Oh, those guys. I think I have occasionally mixed up their sounds with mockingbirds, which are rampant in these parts. The chats are a shy creature and like to hide in the brush. Great singers. Have seen them around the neighborhood for years, was never on a first name basis.
We have over 492 species of birds in San Diego County, many of them centered near where I live in the north county. The highest numbers of different bird species in the entire country. Quite impressive when you consider that there are only 888 species in the whole nation. In the bigger scheme of things, of course, Columbia towers over us and everybody else with 1821.
Here is a list put out by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy that breaks down the birds on the Santa Margarita River, where I live, which is denoted by an S.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes its behavior as skulking which sounds to me a bit pejorative, although it ain't like the little chat is going to take offense. It describes the chat's song as a collection of whistles, cackles, mews, catcalls, caw notes, chuckles, rattles, squawks, gurgles, and pops. Call a sharp "chuck."
From Wiki: The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) is a large songbird, formerly considered the most atypical member of the New World warbler family, though the long-standing suspicion is that it does not actually belong there. Its placement is not definitely resolved. It is the only member of the genus Icteria.An atypical bird that may or may not actually belong to its family. Hmmm? The chat is defined by its white eye rings and black legs. Now I know. New Word Warblers. Sounds like a folkie band.
Nottamun town
This is an old english folk song that was popularized by Jean Ritchie. It was also recorded by Fairport Convention, Bert Jansch and a host of others. Was a favorite of Jerry Garcia. It may have come from the old english Feast of Fools and is sometimes referred to as the Mummer's song.
In Nottamun Town, not a soul to be seen
Not a soul would look up, not a soul would look down
Not a soul would look up, not a soul would look down
To show me the way to fair Nottamun Town
I bought me a horse twas called a grey mare
Grey mane and grey tail and green stripe on her back
Grey mane and grey tail and green stripe on her back
Weren't a hair upon her that was not coal black
She stood so still threw me to the dirt
She tore at my hide, she bruised my shirt
From saddle to stirrup I mounted again
And on my ten toes I rode over the plain
When I got there no one did I see
They all stood around me just looking at me
I called for a cup to drive gladness away
And stifle the dust for it rained the whole day
And the King and the Queen and the company more
Came a riding behind and a walking before
Come a stark naked drummer beating a drum
With his hands in his bosom came marching along
Sat down on a hard cold frozen stone
Ten thousand stood round me but I was alone
Took my hat in my hand to keep my head warm
Ten thousand got drowned that never was born
Imagining a future that never was.
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| Viberti Golden Dolphin - 1956 |
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| 1940's GM Futureliner, designed by Harley Earl |
This site shows some pretty far out midcentury design concepts for buses and is worth a look.
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| Western Flyer Ledbetter - 1941 |
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Prison Sterilization
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| Margaret Sanger |
The top medical manager at Valley State Prison from 2005 to 2008 characterized the surgeries as an empowerment issue for female inmates, providing them the same options as women on the outside. Daun Martin, a licensed psychologist, also claimed that some pregnant women, particularly those on drugs or who were homeless, would commit crimes so they could return to prison for better health care.
“Do I criticize those women for manipulating the system because they’re pregnant? Absolutely not,” Martin, 73, said. “But I don’t think it should happen. And I’d like to find ways to decrease that.”
Martin denied approving the surgeries, but at least 60 tubal ligations were done at Valley State while Martin was in charge, according to the state contracts database.
Martin’s counterpart at the California Institution for Women, Dr. Jacqueline Long, declined to discuss why inmates received unauthorized tubal ligations under her watch.
Woman arrested for asking police to see a warrant to arrest her 11 year old.
Slaton, TX Police have agreed to apologize if she agrees not to file a lawsuit.
Irony Prize
Gen. Martin Dempsey tells CNN's "State of the Union" that the U.S. will "work our way back. But it has set us back temporarily."
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Don't step on the grass, Sam.
they said if i did not open my door in 30 seconds they were gona kick it in! my name is not Roben Edwards. she does not live here. i told them she was land lady and lives 2 blocks away. they shut my cam off! he breathed on my freakin neck! i think i need two showers now. and one got mad cause i didn’t know where i put my shoes! he said what if i was gona get a gun. omg. i guess i woulda took it to the fukn door the fist time if that was my intent. or shoot from the window. i mean… WTF?
When the turf gestapo get on your trail you are guilty until proven innocent. Cops barge into Robyn Ruckman's home without a search warrant to try to arrest her for not cutting her grass. "I don't see a name tag." "I don't give a shit what you see." They shut off her video recorder after spotting it at 2:31, eventually break her bedroom door down, hand cuff her, rummage through her mail, go through her cabinets and treat her, well you make the call. Turns out they have the wrong woman. That woman lives down the street.
Ms. Edwards -- who owns several rental units on Maple Avenue with her partner Ronald Cotyk Jr. -- was cited with "failure to maintain property" in September 2010 after a neighbor complained about uncut grass and a sizable Rose of Sharon plant, she said in an interview this week. Mr. Cotyk received the same citation, court records show.
Ms. Edwards said she and Mr. Cotyk maintain the yards the best they can, but she is being treated for ovarian cancer. Since she's fallen ill, she said she has paid workers to maintain the yards of her six rental units in Turtle Creek.
She said she and Mr. Cotyk buy boarded-up houses and renovate them as rentals.
Ms. Edwards never responded to the citation, so an arrest warrant was issued, a staff member for District Judge Scott Schricker said. A hearing is scheduled for July 10, and Ms. Edwards said she has had the grass cut and plans to plead not guilty.
Hits and Misses
NSA I.G. Draft Report.
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Learned a new word I have seen several times in the last week. Arrogate. I thought that someone had misspelled abrogate. I was wrong.
Arrogate - ar·ro·gate
/ˈarəˌgāt/
Verb
Take or claim (something) for oneself without justification.
Synonyms
usurp - appropriate - assume
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Another country has offered Edward Snowden asylum today. By my count that makes five, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Berkeley. BTW, appears I was right. He did write the last disputed memo. I can see why the South and Central Americans are pissed, besides the heavy hand we have shown them in the past and the little incident with the plane this week. We treat them with this patrician eurocentric disdain. Red headed step children. Quite patronizing. Now they are going to stick it in our eye.
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The woman that secures the health insurance for my company and family came by the gallery the other day. Said that chances are that I will have to buy insurance from the exchange next year. United Healthcare, the largest insurer working in the state announced this week that it is leaving the state, joining Aetna.
I do not pretend to understand all the ins and outs of the Affordable Care Act but it seems that it was very poorly conceived and crafted. I think that the net effect is going to prove very expensive for me. Thanks, Barack.
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I was talking to a Republican friend the other day and we got to talking about the good things that we can credit this administration for. Or we tried to, I was pretty stumped. I am your basic social liberal, fiscal realist and didn't think it would be so hard to extol his virtues. Let's look at the list, shall we? Maybe I can grade him. 0 to 10. After all he did promise a lot during his campaign speeches. Marvelous campaigner.
Civil Rights and the Patriot Act - Expanded it, helped institute the total surveillance state. Thought that we were getting the second coming of William Brennan, turns out he's channeling Dick Cheney
Grade - 0
Grade - 0
Get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan - Took a while in Iraq, Afghanistan ongoing - 3
Respect States Rights on Medical Marijuana - 0
Environmental - caved on Mountaintop coal removal, Air pollutants, hasn't ruled on Keystone yet - 3 - (incomplete)
Transparency and Whistleblowers - 1
Justice Department was a total joke, see DOMA, Fast and Furious, Aaron Swartz, etc. - 0
Foreign Policy - never met an islamic fundamentalist he didn't think he could do business with, as long as he wasn't blasting them with drone missiles - 2.5
Let Goldman Sachs and the mortgage banks run roughshod - 0
Failed and pretty much worthless homeowner bailout program - 1
toothless SEC - 1
Let Goldman Sachs and the mortgage banks run roughshod - 0
Failed and pretty much worthless homeowner bailout program - 1
toothless SEC - 1
I could go on and on but will spare you. Bad grades across the board. This guy is failing. He hasn't accomplished diddlysquat. He has squandered a great opportunity. Real good at one move, the total capitulation gambit. His only salvation is that the other guy would be probably worse. In fact, I think that there is only one thing that he has done that saves his ass and would probably cause me to cast my vote the same way if I was presented a reset; he nominated Kagan and Sotomayor to the Supreme Court bench. The most important achievement in his legacy is that we get a couple decent judges to counter the pissy old federalist block.
I know that the opposition has blocked him at every turn, it certainly hasn't been easy. But much of his troubles are of his own making, he has problems talking to people in his own party. The aloof, decider in chief. We need one more liberal justice so that Kennedy doesn't continue to make every key decision for the Catholic wing. Hope I don't have to hold my nose again next time, just to stave off the right wing theocracy. Would Hillary be any better? Couldn't be any worse but still a typical politician.
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All this talk about the NSA keeping us safe. I keep thinking about the memo Richard Clarke sent Condi Rice about being on guard for terrorists flying planes into our skyscrapers in August of 2001. We couldn't even react to the most simple intelligence but we can institute the widest intelligence grab in history and that's going to be effective and make us safer. Right. Box cutters and pressure cookers. We go high tech, the enemy goes low tech. Are we really this stupid?
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I wouldn't have such a problem with FISA if it was really about terrorism. But it's not. I have posted the graphs too many times. 87% of the Patriot Act FISA requests are about prosecuting the drug war. And the drug war is largely revolving around a pretty benign substance, weed.
The inadvertent criminal catch provision to the NSA snooping, as defrocked NSA analyst points out, the water carrying for the FBI, is the sleight of hand move that pisses many of us off. The Bill of Rights is hereby suspended until further notice. Your rights are heretofore going to be decided by a secret court of ex Republican prosecutors turned judges under the direction of John Roberts. Have a nice day.
Sound Of The Rain
I loved Rank and File. Very unappreciated band. Here is the first version of the song from their tenure as the Dils. I think the second take has a bit more color.
Who's listening?
Of course I will be crushed if there are no files or dirt extant on me but I guess that I will have to deal with that bridge when I come to it. Thanks, Bill!
Here is a nodes fully opened and charged picture of my immersion network, with names deleted, of course. A handsome web, to be sure.
Friday, July 5, 2013
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