The Upside of Terror
A teenage 9/12 attendee and prospective member of Future School Shooters of America.
America has never had a shortage of quirky subcultures, especially in the political realm. Our vast country is littered with trash of all kinds, whether it be the Afterbirthers or those zany Libertarians—who, once they no longer receive public utilities, will be fertilizing the tree of liberty with the contents of their candle lit outhouses. For a sampling of the entire American landfill, look no further than the 9-12 Project:
The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created.
I know nostalgia ain’t what it used to be, but surely there are more illustrious days in our history than the one where we were too rocked with fear and despair to focus on anything but our immediate survival. (more…)
I Was a Marine Sniper (Links)
Leader of Minuteman Militia Group Arrested for Murder & Robbery Raul Flores, 29, and his daughter, Brisenia, 9, were killed when the group forced their way into the home. Who Is to Blame for the Next Attack? Republicans in Congress have no plausible economic, health care or energy policies to counter the president’s; the only card they have left to play is 9/11. I Was a Marine Sniper I’d like to say [that I went to Iraq because it had to do with patriotism], but no…I just wanted to fucking kill people. Door to Door as Missionaries, Then as Salesmen A security company is employing Mormons with experience cold-calling for their faith. Is That Blog Review Really a Paid Ad? The FTC Wants You to Know Even though reviews published on blogs are often assumed to be word-of-mouth rants or raves, writers often get paid with free samples, gift certificates, and cash—or even (in some instances) the loan of a $30,000 Ford Flex for a year. Facebook May “Undo” Twitter-like Homepage Remember the uproar over the latest Facebook re-design? Enjoy the Free Hulu While You Still Can Speaking at a recent event, newly-installed NewsCorp officer Jonathan Miller said he envisions a future where at least some of the content on the video site is available only to paid subscribers. TV Crews Flee Hollywood for…Hoboken? A first-of-its-kind study confirms that a key part of the TV industry – pilot production – is moving to other states, costing California millions. Blacks Abandon San Francisco No U.S. city has seen a more rapid decline of its African-American population. Stealing the Iranian Election Top pieces of evidence that the Iranian national election was stolen. The “Bomb Iran” Contingent’s Newfound Concern for the Iranian People Much of the same faction now claiming such concern for the welfare of the Iranian people are the same people who have long advocated a military attack that would result in the slaughter of many of those very same citizens. The Harlem That Was Photographs of New York’s most interesting neighborhood in its most neglected age.
Pentagon to Cut Benefits for PTSD Afflicted Vets (Links)
Can someone please remind me why ‘Average Joes’ are supposed to support the GOP? The Bush Administration is rushing to de-regulate hazardous chemicals in the workplace and the Bush Pentagon is cutting benefits for veterans with PTSD. An American special ops intelligence officer says that the number of soldiers killed as a result of America’s torture policy ‘is close to the number of lives lost on September 11, 2001.’ Condoleeza Rice says ‘you won’t…hear from me again‘, and I’m beginning to like her more and more. Everyone is talking about Bush’s admitted ‘unpreparedness for war.’ Meanwhile, Jeb Bush suggests that the GOP create a separate ‘shadow government’. The San Diego Union Trib profiles Howard Kaloogian, a ‘local conservative’ who appeared in that ‘daffy palin ad‘. The following people don’t know history from a hole in the ground: Tom Friedman and Joe Klein. Peggy Noonan is also trying to join the ‘saying stupid things’ club. Upon leaving office, George Bush will miss ‘flying in the presidential airplane and the food at the White House,’ as well as trains, dumptrucks, and making mudpies. California officials will investigate accusations that the Mormon Church violated its tax-exemption requirements by participating in the effort to ban same-sex marriage in California. At Mother Jones, Kiera Butler interviews historian Frank Rich. Finally, am I actually supposed to care about the LA Times‘ front page series profiling the unlikely romance between a racist California murderer and ‘a thoughtful, successful Omaha woman’? Maybe critics are right that LAT owner Sam Zell is in the process of ‘eviscerating some of [America's] best newspapers.’
