Rhetoric Bullshit

Why does the general population put up with so much rhetorical bullshit?

Why is it that politicians (especially in W's freak show) can get away with spouting off so much flowery, flourishy, non-substantiave bullshit?

Crazy Condi Rice said after her confirmation as Sec. of State that "history depends on us" as Americans now. Well, if anything, the future might depend on us. History, on the other hand, couldn't care less. It's over with. And even if she said the "future depended on us" that would be a bunch of bullcrap because the future is going to come whether we do anything about it or not. It's not like digging around Iraq for weapons or terrorists is going to guarantee the arrival of a future. It's coming no matter what.

Bush had all sorts of stupid things to say in his 2nd Inaugeral. Isn't anyone else pissed off that he actually didn't say anything?

The governor character in the fantastically fun musical, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, talks in crazy, meaningless metaphor and lofty fluffy talk. Eventually, a reporter says something like, "You know, I see the mouth moving, but nothing is really coming out."

It's so true...We're being treated like idiots. Whether you agree with their message or not is one thing, but I just think that people should be offended that we are being talked to in this way. But, there are Americans who will shed a tear and salute the flag if they hear a phrase like "Democracy will be a beacon unto others until all have been touched by its radiant light, even those in the darkest of hours" and those folks love hearing this sort of garbage.

High School Sex

This map illustrates the sexual contact of nearly 300 students from a high school in Ohio. It is really neat to see how when one sleeps with someone how many others they sleep with. I have circled the only male-male contact I can see. You know the students at the school will spend the next year trying to figure out who those two dark grey dots are. The study and a news story about it can be found here.

HRC

Just got an invite from the Human Rights Campaign to a $200/plate dinner in Phoenix. Now, I'm sure this would be an amazingly cool event, but I have no $200. Anyway, I was impressed with some of the national sponsors that had their logos on this invitation. Many of these are huge international companies that you don't necessarily think of when you think "homosexual rights." Here is the list of sponsors on the invitation:

Platinum Level - Volvo, Citigroup, IBM
Gold Level - American Airlines, Mitchell Gold, Olivia, Prudential Financial
Silver - The Advocate, Out Magazine, Washington Mutual Home Loans, Showtime
Bronze - Nike, Cingular, Replacements Ltd, John Hancock Financial Services, Coors, Deloitte

For some reason, Nike and Coors stand out as surprise sponsors.

Mac Mini

Apple had some great announcements this week that I must share with my Windows using friends. First is the computer seen here on the left. Yes this is the entire computer. It comes with memory, hard drive, and a cd burner/DVD drive- all for only $499, but Apple explains their computer best.

"Designed With Exquisite Finesse: Most low-cost PC manufacturers slap together Frankenstein machines by hacking away features from the high end (of three years ago, anyway) & putting the warmed-over parts in ill-fitting cheap plastic boxes. They don't really have a choice, since they don't design any of the parts, from operating system to motherboard. That's why most budget PC cases seem to be littered with a mish-mash of uncoordinated stickers from every component vendor on the planet. But Apple engineers can handcraft a new machine from scratch. For Mac mini, that means taking the time to decide just which elements make a Mac a Mac and then figuring out how to shrink them. And that process just happened to reinvent the whole concept of a desktop computer."

So if you have a keyboard, mouse, & screen hooked up to your PC that is slow as hell because you have more viruses than a gay man in a circa 1978 bath house, then go get yourself a new Mac mini. You can use all your current key board etc & then toss the big ugly PC in the trash where it belongs.

Also announced this week was a cheap iPod. Its the size of a pack of gum Go check it out too. Its only $99!

New Years

Pictures from Staci & Todd's New Years celebration in San Diego are up.

Check them out!