Stein refers to Liberals as "angry, smug, and terminally self-righteous." Funny because I use the same adjectives to describe Conservatives.
His book is just smoke. Conservatives living in NY or San Francisco are well aware of their circumstances. The worst they get is social maligning.
It seems like a more useful book could be written from a left-leaning perspective. Someone should tell this guy how the gay/lesbian/transgender folks are treated in between the coasts in this country. Unfortunately, a "survival" guide is often exactly what they need.
I think this is despicable. Former civil rights activist protests ordinance to protect gays (via WMC-TV)
I've always been surprised by the homophobia extolled in the pulpits of Memphis, but these statements by William Owens are on another level.
How can someone who fought for their own civil rights be so flippant in denying the same rights to an entire community? And then he has the gall to threaten County Commissioners if they don't vote his way. Unbelievable.
People like Owens are the reason that Memphis is viewed as a backwater hovel by the majority of the country.
Nevada's governor, Republican Jim Gibbons, has refused a brief meeting with President Obama while he is in town for a Democratic fundraiser.
The governor has his panties in a wad because of the following quote from Obama: "You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime." Of course, he's referring to the businesses that received bailout money and the additional oversight they'll face from the government.
Gibbons wants an apology for the millions he says his state has lost in revenue from conventions and meetings.
Shouldn't he be thanking Obama for not canceling this fundraiser he's attending?
Haven't posted anything in quite a while, so I figured I'd give a status report.
My birthday and Christmas were awesome. Finally got a new phone that doesn't bear a strong resemblance to either a brick or a paperweight. Unexpectedly got an iPod Nano for my birthday, which has changed my life in wonderful ways.
The best part about the Christmas break was getting to spend time with my brother. We went to the gym almost every morning. Working out with him was definitely a challenge (for anyone that doesn't know my brother, he's a beast.) but it was nice to push myself more than usual.
I was back in Memphis for New Years. Nancy and I went to the Orpheum to see Lucero and North Mississippi All Stars. It was a great show. Reminded me how much I like concerts at the Orpheum and it was a great way to ring in the new year.
I was really glad to see 2008 come to a close. It was a rough year for me in many respects and I learned a lot from my own mistakes as well as the mistakes of others.
I'm really optimistic about 2009, particularly now that Obama is sworn in. Up until Tuesday morning I had a deep-seated fear that Bush would use his last days in office to nuke Iran or North Korea as a final nail in the coffin of his legacy. Thankfully I was wrong and we now have a president we can feel proud of and optimistic about.
The days are getting longer and the weather slowly warmer. There is a day every spring when I step outside and know "ok, now it's spring" and my heart grows a few sizes and my mind gets a little lighter. It hasn't happened yet, but I feel it coming.
So apparently, if you name your child Adolf Hitler Campbell you can expect a little more hassle when trying to get a custom birthday cake made. Read about the valiant struggle of these loving parents here.
I'm just amazed that the focus of the article isn't "Wait, your son's name is what???" but rather that the parents are upset at what people think of their kid's name.
Oh, and in case you're wondering if the parents are some austere, uber-hipsters being clever... Adolf's little sisters are named:
JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell
and
Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell
Way to go mom and dad, that'll help them along in life. Maybe it's some weird Boy-Named-Sue "get tough or die" life lesson they're trying to instill in their kids, but I call it child abuse.
The IT guy at my office showed me this earlier today. A couple from the UK is getting divorced after the husband cheated on his wife... in his Second Life account.
If you don't know what Second Life is... congratulations, you have your own life which you should continue to lead. But, you should Google it to get a little background then go here for an awesome slideshow that compares the actual couple with their online avatars.
I'm a regular reader at Fark.com, which today linked to this brief piece from The Consumerist. The following was in the comments, which I am using as an inspiration for this post. The comment and my response:
azmoviez:
And the reality of "fast food eating = cost savings" is foolish. Unless you are always just getting items off the dollar menu, you could easily eat better food for cheaper.
I see this guy's point, but you have to do a LOT of work to eat better for cheaper. There's no way I could make myself a hamburger for less than buying one at McDonalds. By the time I've bought buns, meat, condiments, and other toppings, it costs way more. (KFC recently pointed this out with their ads aimed at families, and it's true). Plus, in my situation, I'd have to eat nothing but burgers for a week or throw them away.
If you have a large family (like the Duggars in Arkansas) and buy groceries in large monthly trips and plan your meals ahead, yes you can make meals that cost less. Most of us aren't organized enough to do this, and see our time as better spent elsewhere. If you take the time it takes to cook a full meal from scratch and apply your hourly equivalent wages from wherever you work, there's no way it's cheaper to cook for yourself.
But the fact is, McDonalds offers such cheap prices by virtue of the volume they sell. Since even a relatively large family can't replicate the volume, they can't be cost-effective at "producing" the same items. Same reason why WalMart pushes local businesses out. Without the volume, you can't replicate their prices.
I'm not taking a stance either way. It's just a fact of reality that huge companies have the ability to do certain things more efficiently than most private citizens.
If you don't want to support these businesses, spend your money at locally-owned businesses. Just don't complain when you have to pay more.
