Paying taxes is Patriotic!

In a cheeky hijacking of Republican "Patriotism" rhetoric, AlterNet writer G. Pascal Zachary has suggested:

Democrats must re-frame the issue of taxes as one about investment in the country's future. Paying taxes must also be framed as a variety of patriotism and an important symbolic act in a time of threats to U.S. security.

Now that's what I call clever marketing, since it allows you to label all those tax-cutting Republicans and tax dodging corporations as un-patriotic. For the full scoop read A Progressive's Guide to Populist Economics

Life Is Good

Don't get me wrong, even though the title of this blog is "The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul", and even though its entries are frequently a negative critique of those running the world, or living in it, I'm not saying that life for me is not good. Far from it actually, its just my soul that is enduring a long dark tea-time.

In the last couple of weeks I've been reminded in many ways how lucky I have been to retain a well paying job since the Y2K recession and its jobless recovery. I've been reminded how fortunate I am to have an ample roof over my head in a quite spectacularly diverse and well located region. I am reminded how wonderful it was to have grown up with two loving parents who instilled into me the value of a good education, an open mind, a sense of history and value for the outdoors and a necessity for thrift.

And to this day, touch wood, I can count my blessing for a relatively healthy life thus far, with only two trips to hospital in almost 37 years, both involving foot injuries. One when I was about three for a mashed toe that my brother gave to me after dropping a rock on my foot, and the other for a broken foot bone caused by slipping while hobbling to the bathroom in socks with a numb foot after a particularly lengthy jigsaw puzzle session. (Note: I don't do jigsaw puzzles any more so please don't ever give me one).

In fact looking back at my life I can honestly say the only truly awful period of my life was the year after the untimely death of my father when I was 17. That alone might be sufficient to compensate for all my other good fortune, but twenty years on it is difficult to define or measure what the impact of his death on me has been. Certainly my mother suffered immeasurably from his passing and how can one even begin to put a value of twenty years of his life lost, and the twenty years my mother and our family had to live without him. It is simply impossible.

This observation is perhaps a key to why, inspite all of my worldly joys and good fortune, my soul is enduring a long dark tea-time. The spread of this awful virus that so readily insists we need to put a monetary value on human life and misery is just appalling.

Every day I see more and more evidence around me that you and I, whether we realize it or not are simply no longer valued as people, but as pure pawns in a vast economic machine. As a consequence, with every passing day the mangle squeezes tighter and tighter on every aspect of human joe-de-vie (joy of life) that does not have some obvious economic gain. On the endangered, or soon to be exploited list are art, music, poetry, sculpture, writing, open space, wildlife, historic artifacts, diversity and above all simple freedom to live ones life, love and express oneself without harm to others in any way the human condition sees fit to choose.

For Americans that should set alarm bells ringing across the country because it is quite simply a tragic turn around from the very declaration of independence, the rock on which this country's ethos is supposedly based. Whether or not the declaration ever fulfilled its rightful destiny, its a goal, an ideal and something to cherish as a reason for life.

When asking themselves that tragically telling question of September 11th 2001 "why do they hate us" no one with a loud enough voice was ever bold enough to step forward to tell all concerned "because we're so intent on teaching the world to kill the joy of life itself all in the name of a quick buck".

Elsewhere in the world I suspect the above comes as no surprise, the quality of life and freedoms which Americans have long cherished and often enjoyed were always held as a bright shiny star to which one might wish to ascend. But many are now beginning to realize that there is quite a difference between a destination and the journey one takes to achieve it.

Just look under the thin veneer of the present and into the history of America, of Europe, or of virtually any supposedly developed and desirable country and one will find dark and dense layers of intolerable cruelty hypocrisy, and self interested exploitation.

The smart people outside looking in now realize that today, more than ever there is just no reason to suppose or believe that anything at all has changed from the past 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 or even five years ago. So just why should anyone buy into the American, or any other dream? Why should anyone sell their soul for a buck in exchange for a Big-Mac, fries, discount shopping for things they don't need and a minimum wage job at Wal-Mart^*?

So that is why, inspite of all my worldly fortunes I feel the need to call this blog "The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul" and why I will continue to write entries until such time as the tea-time lightens up.

^*batteries, health care and pension not included)

A once in a lifetime experience is just a shuffle away

Yesterday I took my first exam in sixteen years (that assumes you discount my California State drivers test), anyway it actually felt pretty good. Sixteen years is a very long time to go without testing yourself and its good to know at least a few of my brain cells are still firing with some degree of synchronicity. I think I pretty much "aced" the exam, which I believe is the correct American terminology. However I would have to confess by the standards of any exam I've taken before it would have to be among the easiest (right up there with the California drivers test) I've taken in my life.

Anyway, that's all beside the point. What I really wanted to tell you was while revising for the exam I learned something interesting. If you take a deck of cards, shuffle it and then deal it, then the chances are much greater than 99% that no one has ever delt out that sequence of cards before, ever. The reason is that 52 cards gives you 52x51x50x49x48x.... i.e. 52! or 52 factorial unique combinations which is greater than 8x10⁶⁷.

Thats a pretty huge number. In fact such a huge number that every person on earth could deal out a hand of cards every second since man has walked this planet and even since the earth has existed and will exist and there would still be no duplication.

The one assumption is that you can shuffle perfectly, which you probably can't (unless like some you've just been to Vegas and had time to take some lessons).

Indecency used as a smoke screen to silence shock-jocks new anti-Bush stance

Many of you may have heard that Howard Stern's radio show was recently dropped by Clear Channel in six markets including two in Florida - Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. You may also have heard that Clear Channel is claiming that Stern has finally just gone too far with his indecent comments about sex, and racist remarks including use of the "N-word". If you believe the Clear Channel line then this is just another blow back from the now infamous Super Bowl Boob event.

However long time followers of Stern, or even occassional listeners, will know that Stern has always been indecent, outspoken, rude, racist and pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a "Shock Jock". There's really no evidence that he finally stepped over some magic line unless that line really did move right under his feet with great speed in the "Listen with Mother" direction. Even that doesn't make much sense since you'd expect that Clear Channel would make every effort to warn Stern of a change in their level of tolerance and avoid dropping what is surely an extremely popular show for them.

Hence I was extremely interested to find another explanation spelled out in black and white by DownWithBush.com. Apparently Stern recently read Al Franken's book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" (in spite of that book starting with a some insults of Stern himself) and found it to be quite a revelation. On Monday's show Stern made this shocking comment:

"If you read this book, you will never vote for George W. Bush. ... I think this guy is a religious fanatic and a Jesus freak, and he is just hell bent on getting some sort of bizzaro agenda through--like a country-club agenda--so that his father will finally be proud of him. ... I don't know much about Kerry, but I think I'm one of those 'Anybody but Bush' guys now. I don't think G.W. is going to win. What do you think about that?"

He followed it up with...

"These fascist, right-wing a-holes are getting so much freaking power, you gotta take back the country. [Those are] my last words to you. I don't know how many more days I have [left] on the air."

For someone who had previously been a fervent Bush supporter that's quite a turn around. You can read a transcript of his other comments on the book at Things Done, it'll give you a whole new perspective on Stern.

So think about it, did Texas controlled, Republican supporting Clear Channel pull the plug on Stern because on Tuesday's show he has two girls strip, mentions the N-word, then asks a guest how big their penis is and if they've ever had anal sex (all but one of which you could find mentioned on your average episode of Sex in the City). Or was it because on Monday's show he slams Bush and says "These fascist, right-wing a-holes are getting so much freaking power, you gotta take back the country"???

To me its quite clear that Clear Channel was asked to silence a very popular radio show in key Florida markets because someone doesn't want anything spoiling Bush's chances in that state in November, one controlled of course by George Bush's little brother Jeb Bush. The indecency claim was just a very convenient smoke screen to cover up the gag order. Its interesting that I've yet to find a single mainstream news story that has seen through the smokescreen, they are all towing the line that it was Sterns business as usual "smut" that caused Clear Channel to can the show.

So you thought I was a crazy doom monger? Read on!

If you read my entry The Long Dark Winter Time of the North you might have written me off as a crazy greeno (as opposed to pinko) lefty spreading crazy tales of doom and gloom. Well ya boo sucks to you if you did!

A story just breaking today in the United Kingdom revealed that a Pentagon report kept under wraps for months until today, is actually warning of just such a sudden demise of the Gulf Stream and subsequent instant ice age conditions throughout the world. The Pentagon warns "that the potential ramifications of rapid climate change would create global chaos" and "that 8,200 years ago climatic conditions brought widespread crop failure, famine, disease and mass migration of populations that could soon be repeated."

Why does the Pentagon care so much about the global climate all of a sudden? Well think about it - hundreds of millions, if not billions of people waking up one morning to find their homeland is uninhabitable. Just where do you think they'll point the blame? I'll give you one guess...

No on Nader

I'm afraid it has to be said, but I wish Nader could have just stayed in bed on Sunday instead of deciding to run for President. History has told us that this country is already balanced on a knife edge and even a few thousand disgruntled Dean supporters choosing Nader as a next best thing could land us with another four more years under the thumb of Satan's spawn.

There's a time and a place for Nader to run, and that's when this country chucks out its ridiculous electoral college system and gets with the program by adopting an instant run-off system. Until then Nader and all the other disgruntled ABTOTA (Anything-But-The-Other-Two-Again) supporters should focus their efforts on a constitutional ammendment for electoral reform.

How to redistrict your opposition to death

It should come as no surprise that the GOPs redistricting plans for Texas had an alterior motive. For those with short memories the Republicans of Texas decided that they needed to redraw the districts in Texas ahead of the 2004 election even though this is customarily done once every ten years after census data is collected and the last redistricting occured in 2001 after the 2000 census.

Now in black and white you can read the email from Texas Republican Joby Fortson which gleefuly spells out why they did it - to engage in partisan gerrymandering to gain them an extra 6 to 7 seats in Congress and hence the majority of Texas seats. Fortson even includes a couple of Dr Evil like "ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha" exclamations for effect when describing how Congressmen Doggett and Frost will lose their seats.

Personally I find it amazing that there could ever have been a Democratic majority in Texas, but the bizarre nature of the American political system that allows phenomena like a president elected without the popular majority vote never ceases to amaze me.

Repetitive Mistake Syndrome, or why the Internet isn't "Just slow TV"

I came across a very good article today called "World of Ends" with a sub-title of "What the Internet Is and How to Stop Mistaking It for Something Else."

Of course its not the sort of thing that will really explain to your mother, or grandmother what the Inner-Net is. However it is the sort of thing you should read and inwardly digest before you:

• even think about working for a company that has a "really great idea" for exploiting the Internet for commercial gain,
• even think about supporting government intervention in what the Internet does, is or can be used for
• even think about letting corporations try to assert their right to own or control the Internet or any piece of it.

The most important thing this article tells us is the day that governments or corporations manage to hijack the Internet protocols for their own gains then its the day we all need to go off and create something new to replace it. Sure they are currently trying to embed all kinds of spying and control devices in various application layer protocols and devices using the Internet, however as far as I know the Internet Protocol itself remains pretty pure and free of government and corporate idealogical infections.

To misquote a famous bumper sticker, "You'll take my Internet when you pry it from my cold dead fingers"

Bushanomics for dummies

If you've ever wondered what a couple of years of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) can do for you country, you need look no further than what other countries think of your currency. A month back I did just that and found the answers quite staggering. While at home we probably don't notice the effect of currency devaluation, but from afar other countries take note. Its especially noticeable when it happens overnight - like when Argentina devalues their currency and people start protesting in the streets. Meanwhile it turns out the USA has enjoyed a steady but sure decline of our currency by 20 to 30% across the world.

Bush may be able to pull the wool, or a large cloth sack (if you're down in Guantanamo Bay) over the eyes of some, or even most of the Americans. However some of us realize that such a devaluation has some really quite serious consequences. Such as

• declining foreign investment - why put money into a currency that is devaluing faster than the interest rates?
• increasing import costs - our massive foreign trade imbalance (over $400B) gets more and more expensive
• fewer people traveling overseas - trips overseas no longer look like a bargin
• increased costs for US corporations doing business overseas
• etc. etc. etc.

All of these are very serious indeed. Of course the single argument that is used to justify why its okay for the dollar to be weak is its good for exports. But you know that only applies if you are primarily an exporting country and your people don't find themselves buying most of their daily needs from overseas. Unfortunately the manufacturing industry is in steep decline in this country as shown by the massive trade imbalance. In 2000 the annual trade deficit was in the $300B range and considered "a danger signal", now its at over $450B. And no, thats not all, or even mostly caused by Chinese trade which accounts for only $15B a year (it was previously twice that).

So just how bad is it?

Well, in the past two years there's been a 32% decline against the Euro..

And then there's been a 24% decline against the British Pound...

And 22% against the Yen...

And 35% against the Australian dollar...

And 21% against the Canadian dollar...

So, overall you can see that the Dollar is basically having the shit kicked out of it since 9/11. World confidence in the dollar is at an all time low which has lead to the USA struggling to find ways to get foreign investment when our interest rates are at an all time low. And you know what the prime weapons are used to prop up a devaluing currency? Higher interest rates - to encourage people to invest in dollars, and using currency reserves to buy dollars at a higher price, and restricting the money supply. It turns out that none of these is a good thing, increasing interest rates now will spell doom for our jobless economy, and burning currency reserves is usually a very short-lived and extremely expensive band-aid.

As it turns out the best thing we can do to rescues the dollar is restore foreign confidence in the USA. How do we do that? Easy, get rid of Bush. Believe me, if Bush wins the election again in November the foreign markets will give a very clear indication of what they think of the result and the once mighty dollar will continue its Bush induced slide into the toilet. Of course one interesting consequence of this is it may eventually inspire some growth in home manufacturing since it will become easier and easier for local companies to produce goods cheaper than imported ones. But I'm afraid that's probably a long way off and all indications are that corporations like Wal-Mart are dedicated to continuing to feed our addiction for imported goods.

Well you didn't really think I could blog about the economy without mentioning the axis of evil? Bush, corporations and Wal-Mart...

And now for something completely different

Well, not so different, just a different line of attack. Thanks to Fark.com for demonstrating there's a lighter side to every farked up thing you hear about these days.

For instance what to do with all the Space Shuttles once the Bush administration is done shutting down the entire space program. Or how about some examples of other famous costume malfunctions (scroll down, they get better near the bottom)?

The long dark winter time of the North

Old beady eyes keeps telling us there is no evidence for global warming, and most nay-sayers who back him up say we'd have plenty of warning and measured temperature increases over the last one hundred years are insignificant and probably due to local microclimates. Well unfortunately for us the vast majority of the scientific world disagrees with GWB and his paid-for-by-fossil-fuel-company advisors. And also unfortunately for us there's a proven track record of the Bush administration taking the wrong advice and waiting until after the event to even acknowledge it. Indeed his hunt for "a breakdown in intelligence" should stop right at the bathroom mirror next time he's shaving.

Even worse for us there's a well known hypothesis that the arctic ice melting caused by warming so far jeopardizes the very Gulf Stream that warms the north east of American and a significant part of Europe. Furthermore it seems the changes caused when the gulf stream gets disrupted have historically occured very quickly and brought arctic conditions and a return to ice age in just a few years, not decades or hundreds of years. This counter intuitive phenomenom of "an ass sneezes in the Whitehouse and Europe freezes" is described in all its gory details in Thom Hartmann's article The Ice Age Cometh.

You can write-off Hartmann's article as pinko-liberal scare mongering, however the consequences will be rapid enough and devastating enough that there is no second chance if we screw up. If there ever was a clear and present danger, or a weapon of mass destruction aimed fair and square at North America and Europe then this is it. And guess which countries will still be basking in the sun, enjoying rains over their deserts, and pumping oil like its 1999 when the rest of the world is freezing their assets off?

I'll let you figure that one out for yourself.

Why MyDoom is bad for us all

Predictably the MyDoom virus succeded in taking out the SCO web site. Really there wasn't much chance of it failing. While entertaining half a grin that SCO got what it asked for with its agressive "guilty until proven innocent" case against Linux, I can see the writing on the wall for some far more unpleasent repercussions that will affect all of us.

What I forsee is that sooner or later a group of very powerful corporations will start lobbying the government to make it illegal to attach a computer to the internet if it doesn't have some government controlled anti-virus, anti-network attack software installed on it. The government will cease it as an opportunity to push such a thing through under the guise of a national security and anti-terrorist measure.

The major desktop OS manufacturer will also see it as a worthy cause to support as it will be a huge blow to the fiercely independent open source movement which would never endorse such a measure. It will also be an excellent way for it to segway the entire user base of Windows to its new Longhorn version . My understanding is that this ability of Longhorn to leverage hardware and kernel level protection to prevent your system from using non-copyright protected content and unlicensed content, which includes actualy code, will be an excellent way to prevent it from also unintentionally running virus, worm and other malfesant code. Hence Longhorn can be offered up as the answer to all the governments problems with "terrorist threats" to the internet and all systems connected to it.

Personally I think that's the wrong way to go about it. Clearly the ease with which the MyDoom virus, and others like it propogate, and the ease with which it can bring down any website at will is a big problem. However the Internet and Open Source community has had a long history of addressing such infrastructure problems. Someone should be dropping the task of finding a solution in the laps of the Internet engineering task force rather than rely on proprietary and ad-hoc solutions being impossed on all internet users from "above".