VW Polo: Small but tough.
24 December 2007
17 August 2007
An Important (And Belated) Question
What are the long-term consequences of American unilateralism--namely, the willingness of President W. Bush to employ American military force unrestrained by international consensus or the United Nations?
The answer is increased global insecurity--no one knows who the US will decide to strike next. Additionally, the status quo rules for the use of armed force have changed. If it's acceptable for the US to pursue its interests abroad, unilaterally, using diplomatic, economic and military force to strong-arm lesser countries into compliance, then there is no moral ground to condemn countries such as Russia and China for doing the same. In fact, it's in their interest to cooperate, because the world's sole superpower is being downright bully-ish in pursuing its interests. And they can even use "security" and "combatting terrorism" to justify expansion into other spheres of influence.
The President's actions abroad (the global war on terror, the iraq war, ignoring the UN and global cooperation) and at home (encroachments on civil liberties and the right of habeas corpus, the Patriot Act, labeling dissidents as unpatriotic, labeling criticism as aiding and abetting the enemy) may not be actually immoral, unjustified, and a threat to human rights and the stability of the international community.
But they belong to--and by similarity tacitly lend approval to--the international rulebook of totalitarian and imperialistic government. They have placed the United States squarely into a moral grey and structural area where totalitarian states exercise military force to achieve their own interests unrestrained by the necessity of membership within an international community. In undermining the authority of international institutions like the United Nations and in ignoring treaty obligations, the cowboy president has made the world a distinctly less orderly, and potentially less peaceful, place.
This worries me in a world where basic democratic freedoms and institutions are disappearing under strongmen such as Hugo Chavez (yes, Steve, it does pain me to say it) and Vladimir Putin.
The answer is increased global insecurity--no one knows who the US will decide to strike next. Additionally, the status quo rules for the use of armed force have changed. If it's acceptable for the US to pursue its interests abroad, unilaterally, using diplomatic, economic and military force to strong-arm lesser countries into compliance, then there is no moral ground to condemn countries such as Russia and China for doing the same. In fact, it's in their interest to cooperate, because the world's sole superpower is being downright bully-ish in pursuing its interests. And they can even use "security" and "combatting terrorism" to justify expansion into other spheres of influence.
The President's actions abroad (the global war on terror, the iraq war, ignoring the UN and global cooperation) and at home (encroachments on civil liberties and the right of habeas corpus, the Patriot Act, labeling dissidents as unpatriotic, labeling criticism as aiding and abetting the enemy) may not be actually immoral, unjustified, and a threat to human rights and the stability of the international community.
But they belong to--and by similarity tacitly lend approval to--the international rulebook of totalitarian and imperialistic government. They have placed the United States squarely into a moral grey and structural area where totalitarian states exercise military force to achieve their own interests unrestrained by the necessity of membership within an international community. In undermining the authority of international institutions like the United Nations and in ignoring treaty obligations, the cowboy president has made the world a distinctly less orderly, and potentially less peaceful, place.
This worries me in a world where basic democratic freedoms and institutions are disappearing under strongmen such as Hugo Chavez (yes, Steve, it does pain me to say it) and Vladimir Putin.
07 August 2007
30 June 2007
trippty My Brightest Diamond video
there's an awesome moment parsed throughout of some very poetic ballet on the beach...wait for sort of a stunning moment of silence about a third of the way in
for more, see Asthmatic Kitty records (Sufjan Stevens' label) or mybrightestdiamond.com
for more, see Asthmatic Kitty records (Sufjan Stevens' label) or mybrightestdiamond.com
music for your morning
Yankee Bayonet by The Decemberists w/Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond.
When we saw this in concert, the introduction went along the lines of...
"This is a song song by a rebel soldier to his wife. He was stabbed by a yankee bayonet and is now a ghost, of course, because if he had survived and made his way home to his wife it would have a happy ending and thus not be a Decemberist song."
When we saw this in concert, the introduction went along the lines of...
"This is a song song by a rebel soldier to his wife. He was stabbed by a yankee bayonet and is now a ghost, of course, because if he had survived and made his way home to his wife it would have a happy ending and thus not be a Decemberist song."
25 June 2007
Always, always, always, always, always make sure you're on the correct side of the road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoHOtB1TaUQ&mode=related&search=
here's a heart-restarted. for another sobering thought, next time you see what seems like an overly harsh, brusque, demanding, unmerciful or physical police officer, <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3TDhgdwUeQ">this is why they can't be nice</a>. Not for young eyes and ears.
here's a heart-restarted. for another sobering thought, next time you see what seems like an overly harsh, brusque, demanding, unmerciful or physical police officer, <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3TDhgdwUeQ">this is why they can't be nice</a>. Not for young eyes and ears.
14 June 2007
09 June 2007
02 June 2007
Random Thought Day
1. Ben Folds is the man.
2. The Aviator is a bad movie to miss the first half hour of.
3. I wish I had a shotgun.
4. Just when you think you have one reliable, fun, open, and honest relationship in your life, your motorcycle goes and voids an entire tank of gas all over the porch for no apparent reason and [Newsies moment] "we're off/to the workbench again!"
5. Except I have no workbench. And no screwdrivers. And no can opener or spatula...I do really miss my housemates.
7. It's a beautiful day.
8. I'm watching "Brick" tonight.
2. The Aviator is a bad movie to miss the first half hour of.
3. I wish I had a shotgun.
4. Just when you think you have one reliable, fun, open, and honest relationship in your life, your motorcycle goes and voids an entire tank of gas all over the porch for no apparent reason and [Newsies moment] "we're off/to the workbench again!"
5. Except I have no workbench. And no screwdrivers. And no can opener or spatula...I do really miss my housemates.
7. It's a beautiful day.
8. I'm watching "Brick" tonight.
28 May 2007
20 May 2007
Bible Wars!
Here come the fundies! God, I love my brothers and sisters! Load another verse into the artillery, baby! Weeeeoooh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFMdQTpPKc4&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFMdQTpPKc4&mode=related&search=
03 May 2007
DISCOVERY! You can listen to the best radio show ever online
<a href="http://fancymonkey.faithsite.com/content.asp?CID=15531"> awesomeness here</a>
29 April 2007
17 April 2007
awesome!!
Go to google.com.
Click on Maps.
Click on Get Directions.
From: New York, New York.
To: Paris, France.
Then, read line #23.
Click on Maps.
Click on Get Directions.
From: New York, New York.
To: Paris, France.
Then, read line #23.
Sweet! I'm goin'!
11 March 2007
The Architect of Light (TM) (but not...)
Interesting: suburbia and Kinkade, two "paralell universes."
dlh
10 March 2007
Botswana's New Approach to Safe Sex
goes right up there with those pictures of the amorous lions at Kilimanjaro International Airport...
08 March 2007
How Do We Get Steve Tyler To Sing At Our Church?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Eileen Frawley <Eileen.Frawley@houghton.edu>
Date: 08-Mar-2007 15:09
Subject: Amazing Grace
To: Dan the Holcomb <reifiedbeans@gmail.com>, BEN LAST <benlast@hotmail.com>
How do we get Steven Tyler to sing Amazing Grace at our church? J
28 February 2007
I'm on Facebook!
Oh, I feel like a sellout plebian. But it's really well constructed!
I don't think you can link in from the outside, but you can search for me pretty simply: dan dot holcomb at houghton dot edu.
Relevant, as usual rocks out.
Grace and Mercy
"Jesus, ruin my life."
See also:
Relevant TV's awesome selection of secular and "Christian" music videos. Click the On Demand tab and check it out! Tracks to watch: anything by Death Cab for Cutie, Iron & Wine, Coldplay, Damien Rice, the Postal Service, the Gorillaz, Johnny Cash, Snow Patrol, Switchfoot, and U2.
"Jesus, ruin my life."
See also:
Relevant TV's awesome selection of secular and "Christian" music videos. Click the On Demand tab and check it out! Tracks to watch: anything by Death Cab for Cutie, Iron & Wine, Coldplay, Damien Rice, the Postal Service, the Gorillaz, Johnny Cash, Snow Patrol, Switchfoot, and U2.
Sundry Valentinage, Courtesy of NPR
All Songs Considered...Valentines Edition!
See Also...
See Also...
Valentine, Schmalentine: Songs for the Dumped
Songs for Valentine's Day
Woulda done this earlier--like on Val's Day--but, hey, I had a hot date!
:)
Conservapedia, the Unbiased Pro-American Pro-Christian Online Encyclopedia!
[sigh]
"Read a list of many Examples of Bias in Wikipedia.
Conservapedia is an online resource and meeting place where we favor Christianity and America."
No editing, I swear--these sentences follow each other. Let me elaborate the obvious. Wikipedia is biased, whereas we are pro-Christian and pro-American...
I'm sad.
(thanks, Perrine for the link.)
Oh, and courtesy of Ethan...
CS Lewis is Satan's tool.
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