Travellinbaen

Freestyle III

Freestyle II was filling up, so I’m putting up a clean slate. If you’re new to the Travellinbaen Universe, this is where you post pretty much anything you find interesting and want to discuss, including video links, news, or just your own personal thoughts or observations on any random topic.

91 Comments

91 responses so far ↓

  • travellinbaen // May 19, 2010 at 11:40 am

    I know there are a lot of varied political viewpoints here in the TBU. Regardless of who you like, are the mid-term elections already shaping up to be fascinating? Long term incumbents are being dumped in the primaries in Utah and Pennsylvania! Establishment candidates going down in Kentucky and forced to a runoff in Arkansas. That never happens.

    My personal ten cent analysis is that the country is moving away from the “center” and heading either left or right, depending on the locale. I think this is a good thing for two reasons–one, we are all sick of attempting to vote for a certain philosophy only to be confounded by a tax and spend conservative or a corporatist liberal (among other things); and two that the anger is being channeled into a peaceful, democracy style “revolution”. Voting the bastards out.

    Here’s the trick though. Nothing can happen in America politically unless these diametrically opposed politicians that I (hope) are going to soon fill the capitol can compromise. In our history they have done it capably on occasions, and on others they have failed. The trick is to find areas of compromise and agreement that the folks back home can live with, and with the toxic nature of political discourse on the radio and internet these days, that’s not easy.

    It will be interesting to see how it all plays out over the next 6 months. It will be a Republican year, but how much of one I think is still in doubt.

  • Jessie Lou // May 19, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    Thanks for the new page – it was getting harder for me to get into.

    I was glad Arlen Spector lost – he needed to go on home and retire. I think your comments are correct.

  • Mac // May 19, 2010 at 2:41 pm

    It is going to be a bad year for incumbents, especially on the left side of the aisle. This will be a good thing in my opinion because the most toxic poison in Washington is career politicians. Thats why there should be term limits. And I know the arguement from the other side of the fence that we already have term limits because we can vote them out. While this sounds good in principle (especially to the career politicians), the reality is much different. People rail against pork barrel spending but pork projects are precisely what they expect out of their congressmen. It’s like, no one else can do it…except our guy. And if that congressman is doing a good job with those pork projects, he gets voted back in indefinitely.

  • face // May 20, 2010 at 10:32 am

    Old school baseball brawl.

    http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?affiliateId=CommentWidget&affiliateId=facebook_share&content_id=5955859

  • irvine redd // May 20, 2010 at 10:55 am

    Mac, I definitely agree with you, we need definite term limits. Or at least an age limit. We don’t trust the elderly to drive, but yet we allow them to help shape the way our country is run. I mean does Robert Byrd really need to be a senator well into his 90′s? It ought to be that 70 is the cut off. If you’re in the middle of your term when you turn 70, you get to serve out the term but not run for re-election.

  • irvine redd // May 20, 2010 at 10:57 am

    Face, one of my favorite sports writers, Bill Simmons, posted a link to that video the other day on his twitter page, and that fight is awesome. Fans coming out the stands, tons of intentionally hit batsmen, lots of fighting. Sports in the 80s were much cooler in the fighting aspect. The clips of those Celtics–Lakers finals games are great to watch for the physicality alone. You could never clothesline a guy anymore, or pull a Robert Parrish and just flat out punch somebody.

  • travellinbaen // May 20, 2010 at 11:15 am

    Nice link Face. I watched that game live and somebody I knew was at the game but I can’t remember who it was now.

  • travellinbaen // May 20, 2010 at 3:28 pm

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UbtuLjEyVA&feature=related

    This CBS report from last night may piss me off more than anything yet on the oil debacle. I don’t know what all the administration can do to mitigate the damage, but I do believe they can do something and they better hop to it or else this will become “Obama’s Katrina.” EPA ordering a less toxic/more effective oil dispersant into use today was a start. I can’t help but wonder if that was a response to this video of BP goons and United States Coast Guard personnel threatening to arrest the media on public waters. Its sickening, and the administration better make it clear this was done outside of its authority and that it won’t happen again.

    BTW, have y’all seen the engineering estimates from Purdue and elsewhere that the true amount of oil is closer to 75K barrels or more than it is to the often repeated 5K.

  • travellinbaen // May 20, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    Fish, you around? Is there gonna be a war in Korea? Some serious fur flyin’ over there. Keep your head down.

  • irvine redd // May 22, 2010 at 10:54 am

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/16/texas-schools-rewrites-us-history

    So that article is about some of the changes taking place with Texas school curricullum. All of this offends me on so many levels. These people are purposely distorting our history in order to indoctrinate children into an understanding of America that is fundamentally flawed. As a person with a history degree and a deep passion for the subject, and a profound believer that history is the basis of how we understand the world and move ourselves forward within in it, this upsets me deeply. These people are diminshing Thomas Jefferson, only one of the greatest Americans, and promoting the idea that we don’t have separation of church and state. They are attempting to force the belief that God is the sole force of our law and governance, which anyone who has studied our founding fathers knows is not true. People like Jefferson and Franklin were certainly not fundamentalist Christians, and as we all know these two were both cornerstones of the philosophical basis of our country.

    The ultimate problem is Texas’ overall influence on the national sale of textbooks, and this could force other states to use books that equate George Wallace with Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement, and which purposely misleads children on several topics. These people want to promote the idea that God put us here as a beacon of freedom for the world, which is an utterly ridiculous concept. Especially considering the first 100-plus years of our history, when we enslaved every colored human being that moved, and basically made sure women were as close to slaves as possible. I’m pretty sure God didn’t approve of that.

    All of this is wrong. And not from a liberal or conservative viewpoint, but from the standpoint that education is suppose to challenge and teach all sides, not indoctrinate children into one viewpoint or another. It is supposed to be the foundation of a child’s life, the building block from which they start to move into society and develop into fully functioning members of our wonderful country. And to allow politicians to select and choose what kid’s are to know is ridiculous. That is job of academics and teachers

    And I hate to make the reference I’m about to make, because I typically abhorr when people do this, but feel it’s relevant in this situation. Evil empires like Nazi Germany do stuff like this. Purposely distorting history for the intention of indoctrinating children into a certain belief.

    Politically speaking, I like how conservatives got their panties in a bunch about Obama giving a speech to school children, but haven’t said a word about this.

    Teaching our kids shouldn’t be politicized. Facts are facts regardless of whether they gel with a certain political or religious belief. Our founding fathers weren’t just military men and politicians, they were intellectuals, who enjoyed and craved learning and discovering things about our world, and we have rightly celebrated them for this. To distort their views in order to push a certain political ideaology is un-American. It is against what we stand for as a country. Freedom and liberty are all encompassing ideas, not things to toy with and mold like play-doh to meet one’s desires. Texas’ choice here would make our founding fathers throw-up.

    So Texas State Board of Education, in the words of Jon Stewart (a person I’m sure you hate), “Go #@ck yourself!”

  • travellinbaen // May 22, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    That’s a quality weekend rant right there. And I agree.

  • irvine redd // May 22, 2010 at 1:52 pm

    It couldn’t be helped unfortunately.

  • Mac // May 22, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    Excellent write up IR. I agree with you 100% that it is horsepoop(not sure of the cussin’ rules around here). A couple of thoughts. Although I disagree with what they are doing, I wholeheartedly support their right as a state to do it. I understand that Texas influences the texts across the country but there has got to be some end around other than telling Texas they can’t do it. Also let me add that our educational texts have been slanted for a long time. Christopher Columbus no more discovered America than I can poot rainbows.

  • Jessie Lou // May 23, 2010 at 6:56 am

    I knew that Texas Curriculum debacle was going to get your goat. We cannot change history but it looks as though we can change the story about the history. People do this all the time with their own personal lives and what they choose to tell people about themselves; it happens in the moment they choose to interpret anything by justifying it to meet their own needs vs. what any given thing really means. Like Mac said above about Christopher Columbus not discovering America – that is a fundamental thing that is taught – it makes me wonder how many untruths there are that we do not know about? Another great conspiracy for a Sunday morning before I go to church. I’ve been reading some Martin Luther (not the King) this morning and I’m pretty sure this would upset him greatly as well.

  • irvine redd // May 23, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    Have any of you ever watched the show Assume the Position with Robert Wuhl? It’s on HBO. Anyway, in one of them he covers Columbus and Paul Revere. And he relates it to an old western movie, where at the end a character says, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Washington Irving is responsible for the Columbus myth. Longfellow, I believe, is responsible for the tale of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, which was actually done by Isreal Bissel. Revere only road 19 miles. Bissel went from Boston to Philly. And I don’t think either one of those should be taught the way they are.

    On not telling Texas to do it, the problem is there is only an end around if you are a large state that also pumps a lot of money into the textbook market, like say California or New York. Now the problem that arises from diversifying textbooks across different states is that it’s much easier and cheaper for publishing companies to simply print one version of a text, if they start doing multiple versions they will, as I’m sure you’ll agree, be spending more money and thus charge more to state’s that want a different, more reality based version, of the texts. So it’ll get more expensive for the state, and if you’re a state that is already low on the financial totem pole, like say Mississippi, you simply can’t afford it, and end up with bass-ackward texts, and dumber kids, which we can all agree Mississippi doesn’t need.

  • smilyj // May 23, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    I wish I had a basis to determine which history is more accurate. The proposed new versions or the probably slanted to far left older version. Its a shame that even this comes down to ideology. I guess an end a round would be a board that is made up of even numbers of lefties and righties. Maybe picked by the states. Or that may just end up being one big brew-ha-ha also.

  • travellinbaen // May 23, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    I don’t remember being slanted to the far left, or at all left in high school. Matter of fact, I was pushed pretty far right. Only subsequent life experience changed my outlook. Now, things might have changed in the last twenty years, but I somehow doubt the more moderate TX school boards let that happen. I’m certain there was not a far left slant to any TX board over the last…well, probably ever. What’s going on now is propaganda pure and simple. But I imagine it will backfire, these type things usually do.

  • irvine redd // May 24, 2010 at 8:48 am

    I don’t recall there being a slant on any of the stuff I learned. A good teacher won’t allow that to happen. Mine did not. You are more likely to get a slant when you get to the college level where the reading and topics are much more indepth. For instance there are 2 teachers at Ole Miss that teach US History 1945-Present. One teacher is uber-conservative (has a picture of Reagan on his wall in his office), and when you get to Reagan, the book he uses is very pro-Reagan. The teacher I had for that class had a very anti-Reagan book he used. But at the high school level and below this doesn’t happen because the texts are mostly generalized versions of history, not specific academic books.

    The only way to determine what’s slanted where is to read up on the topic. Broaden your horizons and read things that challenge how you feel about the topic. Like right now I’m reading Woodward’s book Plan of Attack, about the build up to the Iraq War within the Bush Administration. Honestly, it makes Bush (at least through the first 200 pages) look better than he came off at the time, while making Cheney and Rumsfeld look much worse (I have a problem with guys who never went to battle clamoring for war over the voice of someone who did[Powell]). I want to learn about what went down and I’m trying to do it without my already entrenched bias’ against what they did. And I feel like that is a value that should be taught to kids, especially when it comes to history. Kids need to learn to approach a topic openly and try to learn all sides, not force fed a particular viewpoint, because that prepares you for college when you get professors whose particular idealogies mold the way they teach a course.

  • Smilyj // May 24, 2010 at 8:59 am

    I meant history teachings slanted. And maybe not as much when we were in high school. That was 20 years ago. But possibly more that way progressively since. Everything they teach is done differently now it seems. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes not. They do math differently, language has changed and for sure there seems to be more political ideology on both sides seeping into the subject matter. If they allowed California to choose curriculums, (which they usually do have influence, not sure why they don’t now), the texbooks would be far less conservative, but not necessarily more accurate. I think students should get prospectives from all points of view. Then figure out things on their own. As it is now, the powers- to-be think they can use this opportunity to mold views to their liking. I also, think it is another example of how they think everyone else except for them is just plain stupid. This goes for ideologues of any persuasion. People of all ages are smarter than they think and hopefully, eventually the middleground can be found.

  • Mac // May 24, 2010 at 9:13 am

    Thats one of the reasons it is so important to converse with your kids daily. And I mean really talk to them. So you can know if their Obama worshipping teacher is warping their perfect little brains with their socialist marching orders. (I jest, but I am serious) There are numerous individuals shaping your childrens thinking on a daily basis including teachers and their peers. I will do the indoctrinating around here, thank you very much.

  • travellinbaen // May 24, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/05/oil-spill-bp-grand-isle-beach

  • irvine redd // May 24, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    Well I’d have to say I was last in high school 8 years ago, so I feel I can speak for now. For me personally there didn’t seem, and looking back on it I still feel this way, to be any bias from teachers. They just taught the subject. I also dated a girl who’s mom taught the non-honors history course and she made me take her exam once while I was with her daughter, and I must say it was dumbed down with some unimportant crap.

    Good for you, Mac, your supposed to handle the indoctrination. But watch out with that, because your kid will end up feeling the opposite of you. People are surprised I came from my mom.

  • Jessie Lou // May 24, 2010 at 4:51 pm

    Yes, indeed, I am conservatively middle, if there is such a term. IR sounds much more like TB than me, but I am good with that. I can think of much worse. I’ll take that over his sperm donor any day of the week.

  • Mac // May 24, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    Yep. You can’t help but to steer your kids but I hope that I can teach them to be free thinkers. To evaluate the facts at hand and make a decision, regardless of what the sheep around them are doing. If I can accomplish that, I will consider my life a win.

  • Jessie Lou // May 25, 2010 at 7:55 am

    Mac – if you are taking your own advice and conversing with your kids daily about any and all topics (even the uncomfortable ones) then you will accomplish your goal. You will not always agree but it makes the debating fun if you can take that tack with it. Also it is important to learn to “agree to disagree” – you will run up on that situation more times than not in the real world.

  • smilyj // May 25, 2010 at 8:50 am

    I agree to disagree. Ha. I dont think one person’s experience can be a barometer of the entire country’s school system. Obviously, it depends greatly on what area of the country that you received your schooling. I am going by what I have read and heard about the education system. And yes, I don’t believe everything I read or hear, but I am assuming some truth to it. That said, I don’t think that a close minded approach, left or right, is beneficial. I guess it is a problem not easily solved. Especially if one state can determine curriculums for the whole country. The culture differs greatly from one area of the country to another. I believe that is why its so hard to reach compromises sometimes. People tend to believe that the culture and philosophies that work well where they live should be the same for everyone. I think it’s important to recognize that and adapt to it. I don’t see that happening at any level. In fact, it seems to be more divisive now than ever. Or maybe I am just paying attention more now but I don’t see any unifying qualities from very many of our so called leaders.

  • Jessie Lou // May 25, 2010 at 11:15 am

    Smilyj that is also a good reason to make sure your children are well traveled and see other places where the culture is different. This can be done in your own country as well as abroad. I was a little nervous with IR doing the Study Abroad program in college but it was a great experience and I highly recommend anyone doing that to see how other people live.

  • irvine redd // May 26, 2010 at 7:54 am

    The best decision I made in college was doing study abroad. By far the best choice. I got to see more parts of the world, and during a time when I was pretty carefree. I also got to represent the South in a positive light. I was pretty cognizant of the stereotypes of us Southerners and happy to showcase us as intelligent and inclusive folks, and not the racist hicks we’re portrayed as. Plus it was fun to be the only Southerner around. The ladies loved the accent.

  • travellinbaen // May 26, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    Y’all need to go see Harmony today. A poetic piece on the beauty of cussin’.

    http://lifeinthelo.blogspot.com/2010/05/sht-happens-and-there-is-nothing-we-can.html

  • Harmony // May 26, 2010 at 11:28 pm

    Thanks for the shout-out TB..that was very nice of you!

  • Madd Dawg // May 27, 2010 at 10:03 am

    Why don’t we try this at the federal level?

    http://wcbstv.com/politics/chris.christie.new.2.1714647.html

  • B.R. // May 27, 2010 at 10:07 am

    ROBERT, La. (AP) – Scientists: Gulf well leaking at least twice as much and possibly 5 times as much as estimate. President Barack Obama is having a press conference on the oil spill at around 11:45am. Tune into WLOX News for the latest.

  • Madd Dawg // May 27, 2010 at 10:28 am

    Let’s see what happens here. Either the cuts go into effect and thousands more doctors begin to refuse to see Medicare patients, or the cuts do not go into effect, and the Medicare system’s $34 trillion unfunded liability continues to grow. With a single-payer system favored by some, the government could put its boot to the throat of doctors and hospitals forcing them to bend over and take these pay cuts because there would be no one else to pay them. The long-term result would be fewer doctors and, thus, the rationing of health care services like we see in many countries with socialized medicine.
    ___________
    Uncertainty over Medicare pay sets doctors on edge
    May 27, 6:26 AM (ET)
    By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
    WASHINGTON (AP) – For the third time this year, Congress is scrambling to stave off a hefty pay cut to doctors treating Medicare patients – even as the Obama administration mails out a glossy brochure to reassure seniors the health care program is on solid ground.

    The 21.3 percent cut will take effect June 1 unless Congress intervenes in the next few days. Recurring uncertainty over Medicare fees is making doctors take a hard look at their participation in a program considered a bedrock of middle-class retirement security.
    ___________

  • Madd Dawg // May 27, 2010 at 10:31 am

    my $100 says that Pelosi/Obama will delay the cuts once again in a politically-expedient move and push the problem down the road for someone else to handle when they are no longer in office.

  • sweet // June 1, 2010 at 11:13 am

    Speaking of June 1…..Happy Birthday JLou!

  • Madd Dawg // June 1, 2010 at 12:57 pm

    YES!!!
    _________
    http://video.foxnews.com/v/4217630/benefits-of-beer
    ________

  • Jessie Lou // June 2, 2010 at 9:28 am

    Thanks Dude – First day of hurricane season and I have alot in common. It was a great start to my 47th year!

  • Harmony // June 4, 2010 at 9:41 am

    Happy (belated) Birthday Jessie Lou!!!

  • Jessie Lou // June 4, 2010 at 1:11 pm

    Thanks Harmony! Still celebrating through the week.

  • Mac // June 6, 2010 at 9:08 am

    Powerful message here. Especially if you have daughters.

  • Harmony // June 7, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Thanks for this Mac…I’ll be using it on FB now.

  • Mac // June 7, 2010 at 9:15 pm

    NP Harmony. I posted it on my FB and was disappointed that I only got a couple of comments. I thought it was incredible.

  • Harmony // June 7, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    I hate it when a good post goes unrecognized…such a shame. The video is both brilliant and heart-wrenching…more of our daughters should know that they are worth more than their appearance alone. Very endearing..thanks again!

  • Madd Dawg // June 8, 2010 at 9:08 am

    excellent find there Mac. I have a 5 year old daughter, and will remember Ms. Makkai’s message.

  • Jessie Lou // June 8, 2010 at 11:14 am

    I can understand how she feels – I’ve had many in my family tell me how “worried” they were about how I would end up looking based on my looks at age 13. Red hair, buck teeth, weighing in at 65 lbs is a look only a mother could love and she did. Add to that a sister who was the family beauty and who was told at many opportunities while I stood there – and no one ever knew what to say to me (if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it comes to mind). However, it was all good character building and it makes me cognizant of what I say to others. Words can cut right to the bone or build you up to the clouds.

  • Madd Dawg // June 8, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    Precursor to Cartman’s Ro Sham Bo??
    _____________

    http://video.foxnews.com/v/4231317/swift-kick-to-the-shin

  • face // June 9, 2010 at 9:14 am

    The most hyped pitching prospect in baseball history made his debut last night and struck out 14 in 7 innings.

    http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100608&content_id=10944784&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

  • irvine redd // June 9, 2010 at 9:59 am

    I got to watch Strasburg last night. Pretty solid pitcher, and that curveball is nasty. The 14 strikeouts were impressive but the 0 walks might surpass it, considering it was his first MLB start. You’d think nerves would have caused at least one walk. Being in Richmond, VA I have to try to get up to DC for at least one of his starts. He seems like the kind of guy you have to see in person. Glad he lived up to the hype, and hopefully it continues for him.

  • Madd Dawg // June 9, 2010 at 10:04 am

    This week has been the most attention the Washington Nationals have ever received with Strasburg’s debut and the selection of 17 year old hitting phenom Bryce Harper in the draft. They now have two solid building blocks in place for the 2013 team. I hope the Nats fans are patient.

  • Jessie Lou // June 9, 2010 at 11:11 am

    Isn’t Straburg only 21? That is impressive as well.

  • irvine redd // June 9, 2010 at 2:47 pm

    JL, yep Strasburg is 21.

    Also, it’s been kind of cool being in the DC sports market for the last few days, despite the fact that the DC fans can be a tad annoying. Next year, I might be able to head up and catch both John Wall and Strasburg, which would be pretty cool.

  • Madd Dawg // June 11, 2010 at 9:19 am

    Shockingly, it appears that Obama’s policy of appeasement by reaching out to the radical Muslim world did not work. I can’t understand why not as these people seem pretty reasonable to me, and Iran appears to be terrified of the US.

    Maybe the real world is a lot different than the Ivy league campuses populated by the so-called liberal intellectual elite.
    ___________
    Taliban hang 7-year-old boy accused of being a spy
    BY Corky Siemaszko
    DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
    Updated: Thursday, June 10th 2010, 1:09 PM

    Taliban militants took terror to a new low by accusing a 7-year-old boy of spying – and hanging him high.
    _____________

    ______________
    Iran’s Ahmadinejad says Israel is ‘doomed’
    By D’Arcy Doran (AFP) – 2 hours ago

    SHANGHAI — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday Israel was “doomed” and singled out US President Barack Obama for scorn, blaming Washington for orchestrating new nuclear sanctions against Tehran.

    Speaking during a visit to the World Expo in Shanghai, Ahmadinejad denounced the UN Security Council’s sanctions resolution adopted Wednesday with Chinese and Russian backing as “worthless paper”.
    _________________

  • travellinbaen // June 11, 2010 at 10:17 am

    You mean reaching out to radical Muslims by drastically increasing drone attacks in Pakistan or by dramatically increasing troops in Afghanistan and going on the offensive in Taliban controlled areas? This might be one of your funnier contentions. Tell Drudge I said hello.

  • Madd Dawg // June 11, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    My boy Drudge says GFY ;-)

    BHO has increased drones attacks and, after numerous months and 3 rounds of “studying” the issue, did agree to temporarily increase troops in Afghanistan (following exactly the Bush strategy in Iraq which BHO had lambasted as a Senator as having no hope of success – oops) before beginning to pull them out in a few months. No, I mean bashing Isreal and reaching out to Muslims:
    -by his speech in Cairo where he says he is sorry for American actions and seemed to blame Isreal for all of the problems in the middle east;

    -by his bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia;

    -by his publically taking the Palestinians side on the settlements:
    BHO – “On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations – large and small – that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.”

    and http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304510004575186092753338702.html

    -by his abandoning Israel in the face of ever increasing threats from Iran and the terrorists–the same ones, by the way, who try every day to kill Americans;

    -by his recent harsh treatment of, and public disrespect for, the Isreali Prime Minister at the White House

    -by his agreeing to have the corrupt and anti-US UN investigate the Isreali actions from last week

    http://weeklystandard.com/blogs/sources-obama-administration-support-anti-israel-resolution-un-next-week

    -by his policy of appeasement to Iran who continues its attempt to build nuclear weapons while laughing at us

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061004110.html?referrer=emailarticle

    See map of Middle East at http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/archaeology/berytus44/maps/Middle_East98.jpg

    Israel just needs to stop picking on tiny Iran, Syria, Turkey and Eqypt.

  • Madd Dawg // June 11, 2010 at 3:22 pm

    I just posted a detailed response, and the site says “Your comment is awaiting moderation.” WTF??

  • Mac // June 11, 2010 at 5:29 pm

    Censorship. Lmao.

  • travellinbaen // June 11, 2010 at 5:57 pm

    I’m not on the computer today. But I started the message board in large part to accommodate your unsupported rants.

    Go post it. The freestyle page is disappearing soon anyhow.

  • travellinbaen // June 13, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    Not a word of this supports your original contention that Obama’s somehow responsible for Taliban atrocities.

    Without addressing most of it…I refuse to engage in a talking points argument–that is not to say none of the talking points have merit, but they are far more complex than to be distilled to pithy accusations such as abandoning Israel. Anyway, I take great issue with the contention Bush’s surge achieved “success.”

    I will say, contrary to my expectations and Obama’s it was and remains tactically successful. However, I am of the opinion that our unsustainable military expenses, largely due to the war in Iraq we had no reason to wage, is one of the chief culprits of our collapsing economy. Therefore, as long as we remain over there in force, spending billions per year, I will never concede anything in Iraq is a success.

    If we are able to reduce our presence and financial drain there to a reasonable amount in the next decade or so AND leave with an ally in the Iraqi government that need not be forced at gunpoint to work with us, I will completely reevaluate my opinion on not only the surge and not only Bush but the religion of neocon-ism in its entirety. But my faith is pretty low that this will come to pass.

  • travellinbaen // June 13, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    PS, “Freestyle”ends Monday. Go to http://www.tbu.yuku.com , get your account and we’ll talk all the politics you want. I will only censor commentary over there that includes personal attacks. You can even use the H word.

  • Madd Dawg // June 14, 2010 at 11:20 am

    H#LL YEA!

    Wait……

    Nevermind. I will simply go back to sending you emails, so you might want to go ahead and set up a block on emails from me now.

  • travellinbaen // June 15, 2010 at 12:32 pm

    Ok, MD, Mac, TDW, Irv….and the whole Hee Haw gang…..go forth and visit http://tbu.yuku.com and join the message board.

    I gave you a good dose of politics today, including an opposing view on one of Mac’s links of the day.

    Obama and the oil spill, Pelosi’s high rent district and teamwork from Ron Paul and Barney Frank.

  • Mac // June 15, 2010 at 10:45 pm

    Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow. We will miss thee Freestyle. Where else am I supposed to post http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57rxhQXwRfg&feature=related.

  • travellinbaen // June 16, 2010 at 9:30 am

    Glad you jumped through the hoops Mac. Once you get used to the yuku board, I think everyone will find it’s much more useful as far as opening new topics and having continuity in discussion. Also, it’s not only politics over there, electric bougaloo is welcome too. Painful, but welcome.

    Then again, if everyone hates it after a couple of weeks or no one joins in except me and you, I’ll just make it disappear. The free market at work, you know. We libs believe in fair competition.

  • travellinbaen // June 17, 2010 at 11:42 am

    Ok, the message board idea has bombed. So Freestyle is back.

  • travellinbaen // June 17, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    with the rebirth of Freestyle, I want to kick it off by thanking Rep Joe Barton (R) Texas, for saying what he and his ilk really believe. Please never stop being who you are Congressman.

  • Jessie Lou // June 17, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    So sorry about your message board – I had not had time to learn it yet, although I did sign up.

  • irvine redd // June 18, 2010 at 12:32 pm

    I loved Barton’s comments, then his subsequent back tracking when he realized most Americans agree with forcing BP to set that money aside to help pay for the destruction they’ve caused.

  • Madd Dawg // June 21, 2010 at 9:53 am

    I didn’t join the message board because you were telling me to do so. I was sticking it to the man!

  • Madd Dawg // June 21, 2010 at 9:57 am

    Mac,
    How is it possible that enough people saw Electric Bugaloo I such that it would justify a sequel?

  • travellinbaen // June 21, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    Hell it was for your benefit more than anything MD.

  • Mac // June 21, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    MD,
    It was just overwhelming flyness is all I can figure.

  • Smilyj // June 23, 2010 at 9:23 am

    I would’ve joined TB but been on a break from the TBU. Babies are tiring. Mine is unbelievable. Must be getting paid back for something. Between work and the baby I just cant get enough sleep to rest my brain in order to compete with the intellectual prowess of the sight…….Mac is gay. kNelms is a wannabe. Hey Sweet.

  • sweet // June 24, 2010 at 10:39 pm

    Hey Smily

  • travellinbaen // June 25, 2010 at 11:47 am

    Excellent interview with the Rolling Stone Journalist who did the McChrystal story. Why is Rolling Stone the only media outlet with real reporters?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/25/michael-hastings-rolling_n_625261.html

  • Mac // July 4, 2010 at 6:58 am

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXsmLMV1CrM

    Yea Government!!! Another well thought out idea. Do we really need more proof that the govt and big business are one and the same?

  • travellinbaen // July 9, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    http://www.housingwatch.com/2010/07/09/mortgage-defaults-more-common-among-the-wealthy/?icid=main|main|dl5|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.housingwatch.com%2F2010%2F07%2F09%2Fmortgage-defaults-more-common-among-the-wealthy%2F

    Still blaming Bill Clinton for helping brown people too much?

  • Mac // July 9, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    How long has the housing crisis been going on? The fact that this is happening now so late in the game tells me that they are doing it on purpose. I don’t know enough about the mortgage industry to fathom how this is financially advantageous but I guess it must be. “Brown people” who defaulted on their loans were not sorry sumbitches. Those cats were trying. Now, “brown people” living in guvment housing, sitting on their front porch all day, every day…well, thats a different animal entirely.

  • travellinbaen // July 9, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    You are correct about the rich doing this purposely.

    Actually, the original crisis was almost completely engineered on Wall Street and none of those mf’ers are defaulting on any “flat” or “loft” notes I don’t imagine.

  • travellinbaen // July 12, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    Anybody checking in at TB this week? Just wanted to let ya’ll know I’m in trial. I’m trying to put together a post or two recapping the experience to give you, if you are the least bit interested, an insight into what goes through a lawyer’s head during trial, other than the nuts and bolts of the case. I’m making notes, will write the posts if I can find the time. Can’t publish anything related to it in real time for fear of (admittedly unlikely) a juror stumbling upon it–the Judge would not take kindly to that I’m sure.

    Hope all are having a good week, and hope I’m happy enough with the result to follow through with my plan.

  • Jessie Lou // July 13, 2010 at 7:46 am

    I remembered where you were. That would be a good topic – may help me deal better with those around me next time I have to go work a trial. The psychology of all the egos is very interesting.

  • Mac // July 13, 2010 at 9:48 am

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKy-WSZMklc&feature=related

    Oscar Grant was straight up murder.

  • Smilyj // July 15, 2010 at 11:45 am

    I know. I know. DOLLAR SIGNS! Just kidding. Kick ass and take names TB.

  • travellinbaen // July 15, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    We lost. It was an uphill battle and the bailiffs caught up to us as we were loading the car to leave to tell us “if we (the bailiffs) were gamblers we’d have lost a lot of money today.” Small consolation, but a nice gesture.

  • Jessie Lou // July 15, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    What kind of case was it? Sorry to hear it – losing is never easy.

  • travellinbaen // July 16, 2010 at 11:26 am

    Just wanted to let y’all know I’ll be back in action next week. In the meantime, here’s a few links I promised Mac a few days back to some customer service ranting.

    http://travellinbaen.com/2009/08/07/a-cable-company-customer-service-conversation/

    http://travellinbaen.com/2009/06/09/another-customer-service-conversation-gthatt-edition/

    http://travellinbaen.com/2008/08/18/a-customer-service-conversation/

    PS, Mac, I agree, regarding the BART murder…err manslaughter. It happens a lot more often than we want to admit.

  • Fish // July 19, 2010 at 7:55 am

    TB,
    This isn’t a customer service issue but your CS issues have reminded me of this telemarker prank call. Check it out if you haven’t heard it.

  • travellinbaen // July 26, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    Perhaps you’ve noticed the new Twitter section to the right side of my page? Click the “T” to follow TB on Twitter if you like. Irv also tweets btw and also btw, I know my “twitterinbaen” subtitle is not kosher, but hey, I like stickin’ it to the man, remember?

    Anybody else tweet? I resisted for a long time, but I must say, I’m enjoying it, especially for the info and links I see from tweeters I follow.

  • travellinbaen // July 26, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    Fish, that’s gold.

  • irvineredd // July 26, 2010 at 1:36 pm

    The best part about twitter is the info I get from the people I like. All my favorite comedians and writers are on there. So I get some good laughs, and good info. Also, if you decide to get on, I fully support the idea of following chadochocinco, yes Chad Johnson. That guy is ridiculous. And worth the entertainment.

  • B.R. // July 27, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    I guess i will start a topic since there are some Ole Miss grad’s and fan’s in the T.B world. I read that Coach Nutt has the go ahead to pursue Jerm. Masolia (former Org. Q.B) What are ya’lls thought on bringing him to campus..

  • Jessie Lou // July 28, 2010 at 7:40 am

    My boss and I were talking about this. I understand that he has had some discipline problems (which I have not googled for further information) – do we really need that?

Leave a Comment