Month: October 2007

Photographer Troy Paiva has documented what he calls "Lost America": night photography of the American West. here’s what he wrote about the photo above:

One of the abandoned houses on the hill above Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA. About 20 houses sat untouched and forgotten for 30 years in one of the most valuable real estate markets in the world. The entire neighborhood was torn down as part of the redevelopment of the base in 2006, even the trees and streets were removed. Night, 100VS chrome film, 4 minutes, f5.6, full moon, green and red-gelled strobe-flash.

A Flickr gallery of Hunters Point can be viewed here.

Is Larry Craig gay? Last night, Senator Clinton said that release of White House papers detailing her past record – especially her Cheney-like refusal to allow any public daylight into her healthcare task force – was subject solely to bureaucratic delays. Her former co-president, Bill Clinton, also recently said that he wanted total transparency with respect to these papers. Mike Isikoff finds – surprise! – that these statements are only "true" in the sense that anything the Clintons say is "true." Money quote:

[W]hile publicly saying he wants to ease restrictions on his records, Clinton has given the Archives private instructions to tightly control the disclosure of chunks of his archive. Among the document categories Clinton asked the Archives to "consider for withholding" in a November 2002 letter: "confidential communications" involving foreign-policy issues, "sensitive policy, personal or political" matters and "legal issues and advice" including all matters involving investigations by Congress, the Justice Department and independent counsels (a category that would cover, among other matters, Whitewater, Monica Lewinsky and the pardons of Marc Rich and others). Another restriction: "communications directly between the President and First Lady, and their families, unless routine in nature."

Archives officials say Clinton is within his legal rights. But other Archives records NEWSWEEK reviewed show Clinton’s directives, while similar, also go beyond restrictions placed by predecessors Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, neither of whom put any controls over the papers of their wives.

You can download Bill Clinton’s letter here. You want to turn the page on Cheney’s and Bush’s secrecy and unchecked executive power? Don’t vote the Clintons back into the White House.

Somehow, this seems to be about so much more than it is:

(Hat tip: John.)

A reader writes:

As a defense of the Fundie Atheists you described yesterday, you have to understand where they are coming from. I went to a school where each day began with the innocuous statement "let us pause for a moment of silence" over the loudspeaker. The only reason that this statement was read was that courts had already barred the school from saying "let us pause for a moment of prayer." Students interpreted the statement the way the legislature intended it – as a way to have a moment of group prayer without calling it prayer.

I’ve learned to have a thicker skin as an adult atheist, and things like "under God" in the pledge, God Bless America during every baseball game or the moment of silence in schools don’t even register with me. But a nonreligious parent who has a kid singled out in a room of bowed heads each morning? I can see why he would take action. It wasn’t fun for me throughout school and I can imagine it’s not fun for his daughter now. I have mutual respect for any religious expression that people want to undertake, but singling out kids with a mandated, school-endorsed moment of prayer isn’t part of that.

Look: I’m a defender of the rights of atheists. And I’m passionate about secularism. But I don’t think these public displays of milque-toast religiosity are that big a deal. I grew up in a country with an established church and as part of my government-funded education, I attended Anglican morning services on a daily basis. I handled it. In fact, I’m sure it helped my Catholicism to endure. And I’m not a little grateful that it introduced me to the Book Of Common Prayer. A little coexistence with the majority is not going to kill anyone. Chill.

Remember that? A reader writes:

Darlingest! I’m counting on you to mention how it didn’t exist, was pervasive for a moment, and then disappeared. She even laughs in response to polling.

He said "Assad," it turns out, as Philip Klein reports, not "Osama." It still seems to me to be a bit cracked of Giuliani to accuse his opponents of wanting to invite dictators to their inaugural balls, when they have merely stated they are prepared to negotiate with them. (Has Giuliani ever negotiated anything?) But at least he wasn’t accusing them of inviting a mass-murderer of Americans to their parties. It was an AP error. Happy to correct the record.

Belly-dancers perform for the Utah Federation of Republican Women. I’m really not making this up:

Barking exotic-sounding nonsense at her drummer, Yasamina demonstrates an undulation, a difficult move even for a practised dancer. A few women follow stiffly along; most remain frozen.

“All right,” she sighs, nearly losing her accent, “Who ees ay sexy Rrepooblicahn?” The women exchange sideways glances, then mumble in unison: “Mitt Romney.” …

What is belly dancing doing in Utah, where the Mormon church bars “moves that are suggestive of sexual behavior,” where many people don “armor of God,” an undergarment they are not allowed to take off, where I am one of the few Arabs anyone has ever seen? Though its origins in the state are unclear, its appeal is strong. For a Latter-day Saint, belly dancing can be a form of rebellion. For non-lds women, it’s a way to make friends in a place where community outside of the church can be difficult to find.

Is this a great campaign, or what?

Htet Zaw, 35, a Burmese journalist who was an activist and a dissident writer during last month’s pro-democracy protests poses in a safe house October 30, 2007 in Mae Sot, Thailand. Htet Zaw was on the run and eventually made it over the border three weeks ago to Thailand without getting arrested. Around 100 Burmese monks protested yesterday in Pakokku, south of Mandalay, Myanmar for the first time since the violent military crack down last month that killed at least 10 people. By Paula Bronstein/Getty Images.

Craigslist has a classic rant about fellow travelers on the NYC subway (hat tip: Slate). Money quote:

I have compiled a list – a spilling of my mental Rolodex of the people I share the subway with on a daily basis. These are the monsters I can’t get used to and won’t accept. They annoy the ever-loving piss out of me. Thing is, I never see these hooligans all at once, but I do see one at least once a day. – Lady that fans herself with a piece of paper in the train car with broken a/c: Look lady, the air is hot. Not just your air but everyone’s air. We are all breathing in each other’s nasty hot breath and germs and here you go creating a gust of hot wind. This does not cool you down and it is especially fucking annoying when the car happens to be stuck that day, all is silent and we are forced to listen to the flip flopping of your paper up and down as you breath in and out deeply. So fucking ridiculous.

– Chinese guy with yellow nails and a bag of chicken feet: Dude, I’m not even kidding, you are nasty as hell. No one likes a set of long man-nails near them EVER and here you are wrapping those daggers around the center subway pole nearly slicing innocent bystanders as the plastic bag of chicken feet sways near your legs. Oh yes, and what are you going to do with those chicken feet anyway? Take advantage of us poor unknowing customers by grinding them up to use as filler in the next batch of HAPPY FAMILY from the local Jade Garden? I mean Jesus.

It’s so good I’ve posted the entire rant after the jump. It made me feel better just reading it. So if you’re having a rough day at the office: enjoy.

OK, I have been riding the subway every day for a lot of years. When you start riding, it doesn’t take a much time to see all sorts of characters. At first, these people sightings might be somewhat shocking or even funny, but you begin to grow used to the pants less, toothless, yelling, drunk, cracked out, stinky, sweaty, and perverted characters that ride the subway. They really don’t bother you much; in fact I welcome a little cameo from these guys once in a while. After all, it is part of our city culture.

That said I have compiled a list – a spilling of my mental Rolodex of the people I share the subway with on a daily basis. These are the monsters I can’t get used to and won’t accept. They annoy the ever-loving piss out of me. Thing is, I never see these hooligans all at once, but I do see one at least once a day.

– Lady that fans herself with a piece of paper in the train car with broken a/c: Look lady, the air is hot. Not just your air but everyone’s air. We are all breathing in each other’s nasty hot breath and germs and here you go creating a gust of hot wind. This does not cool you down and it is especially fucking annoying when the car happens to be stuck that day, all is silent and we are forced to listen to the flip flopping of your paper up and down as you breath in and out deeply. So fucking ridiculous.

– Chinese guy with yellow nails and a bag of chicken feet: Dude, I’m not even kidding, you are nasty as hell. No one likes a set of long man-nails near them EVER and here you are wrapping those daggers around the center subway pole nearly slicing innocent bystanders as the plastic bag of chicken feet sways near your legs. Oh yes, and what are you going to do with those chicken feet anyway? Take advantage of us poor unknowing customers by grinding them up to use as filler in the next batch of HAPPY FAMILY from the local Jade Garden? I mean Jesus.

– Asshole with the sunglasses on: OK, there is no sunshine on the subway. This is not the L train pal. You sit there with your black as night shades on clearly staring at people for as long as you please. That’s just wrong. Your probably staring at the lady’s tits who is standing above you or even undressing some poor middle schooler with your eyes. Not only are you taking ample amounts of time to fanaticize about unsuspecting riders, but you look like an idiot doing it. This is especially worse when you also chew gum with an open mouth like a friggin’ cow. You are drawing attention to yourself now and I can tell by the direction of your neck muscles that you were staring at me! Lady on the 8:30 F train Monday morning – you know who you are!

– Jerk that leans over you to look at the subway map: OK, your ball sac is 2 inches from my face. You don’t care do you? Even though you’ve traumatized me and I lean back in my seat to shy far far away from your jewels, you lean in closer to get a better look at where to transfer from the E to the D train! Yuk man, have some manners. This is worse when you are sleeping with your head in your hands and wake to find a pants slacks covered man bulge in your grill.

– Ghostfarter: OK, I know it may be hard to hold it, but if you had diarrhea this morning of course your farts are going to reek! I mean the train is crowded with little ventilation yet you subject us to the rotten remnants of your ass-meal. This is inconsiderate and nasty! Hey if one clipped out, OK – it’s happened to the best of us but you try to move around a bit and circulate. Don’t just stand there and poof out stinker after stinker while you read your paper! I’m talking about the well-dressed guy in the suit or the one hot chic on the train, it was probably you!

– Asshole with the book bag: If your bag more than 3 inches off of your back for god’s sakes put it in front of you toward the floor! This is common knowledge!! I can’t tell you how many times some retard with a book bag extending 3 feet tall off his back has decided to turn around and talk to his friend or bend down to tie his shoe and clock me one without knowing the difference. Yeah, that was me who bumped you on purpose. I hate you!

– Lady that hugs the pole on a crowded train: Are you fucking blind!?? There are other people riding the train with you jerk but yet you proceed to make sweet love to the silver pole. Can we maybe hold on for a second TOO so we don’t break and ankle??!!! Then, when we ask you to move you PRETEND you don’t speak English. Real nice. Why don’t you walk to work with a broomstick and hug that you shitbag.

– Nail Clipping Fool: This means you regular business guy with no regard or oblivious Asian lady. Jesus Christ, does anyone have manners?? DO NOT CLIP YOUR NAILS ON THE SUBWAY! I should be making signs for god’s sakes! Not only are we subjected to the resonating sound of your clipping but your nail shrapnel is flying every which way and hitting men, women and children. This is by far the most disgusting thing ever. I’d like to take a free shot at your gut while fellow train riders hold you up.