The Round-Up #5

Welcome to the Round-Up. Throughout the week, I will be posting links to the most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I read on DWG's Twitter feed, DownWithGT. Then, on the weekend, I will post links to the 3(ish) most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I tweeted. Here, ladies and gentleman, is the Round-Up #5:

Come one, come all! The US federal budget is yours to compose!

Save us, ye who fears neither the wrath of entrenched interests nor the shellackings of a fickle public

The Round-Up #4, featuring one (Ron Artest) link YOU MUST READ

Welcome to the Round-Up. Throughout the week, I will be posting links to the most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I read on DWG's Twitter feed, DownWithGT. Then, on the weekend, I will post links to the 3(ish) most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I tweeted. Here, ladies and gentleman, is the Round-Up #4:

The Round-Up #3

Welcome to the Round-Up. Throughout the week, I will be posting links to the most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I read on DWG's Twitter feed, downwithgt. Then, on the weekend, I will post links to the 3(ish) most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I tweeted. Here, ladies and gentleman, is the Round-Up #3:

An Open Letter to the President Expressing My Deep Appreciation

Mr. President,

You were, during the campaign, a blank slate on which the voters wrote their expectations, ignoring the expectations of others as if they were written in invisible ink or not written at all. And yet, instead of following the etchings of any group, you are what you said you would be - a liberal, compromising pragmatist who values accomplishments - however small - above all. You are simultaneously what everyone wants and what no one wants.

Or, rather, you are not pure enough for anyone. You are the President we say we want rather than the President who will receive more "yes" responses than "no" responses to the question, "Do you approve or disapprove of the way the President is handling his job?" We say we want change and change in politics but we are not yet ready to appreciate the nuance of true governing. We are not ready for the nuance to leave the meeting and stand at the podium.

Perhaps you are ahead of your time and perhaps your time would never have come; perhaps you should have created your time. Perhaps you are still learning and perhaps you truly are naive. But I want you to know that I appreciate you. I appreciate your dignity and your effort, your respect of nuance and preference for achievement over spotlight.

I may not always agree with you but I am glad you are the President. I am glad for your courage and calm in the face of multiple potential catastrophes. I see you as a man building protection against disaster while repairing damage already done and reassuring the people behind you, even if the last listed is your last concern. You are a man who could make history if only you found the time to tell the right historians.

An egotist in all likelihood, a snob probably, you are the hope of a nation despite your failings and because of your virtues. I only ask the world of you before you realize how different we are from the ones you called upon for votes, understanding in hard times, and national unity.

The Round-Up #2

Welcome to the Round-Up. Throughout the week, I will be posting links to the most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I read on DWG's Twitter feed, downwithgt. Then, on the weekend, I will post links to the 3(ish) most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I tweeted. Here, ladies and gentleman, is the Round-Up #2:

The Round-Up #1: The week's top links

Welcome to the Round-Up. Throughout the week, I will be posting links to the most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I read via DWG's Twitter feed, downwithgt. Then, on the weekend, I will post links to the 3(ish) most interesting, funny, and/or unique articles I tweeted. So, here, ladies and gentleman, is the Round-Up #1:

Updates

- DWG is now on Twitter, which you can see to your right. Mosly, I'm going to use it to post links to interesting or funny articles I find. Then I think Ill post some sort of roundup or something at the end of the week with the most interesting/funny. Well see
- The DWG Manifesto is now posted. The link might wander around the page a bit but right now it's up top. If you don't see it, you can use your browser's search function to find "The Down With GroupThink Manifesto."
- DWG now has an email, which is also at the bottom. Im willing to update people on when I post on certain topics, answer questions, etc...

Mine and others' thoughts on the midterms

In case you haven't heard, one of the most heated midterm elections took place yesterday and...made everything a bit murkier. The Republicans will hold a slight majority in the House while the Democrats will continue to control the Presidency and the Senate. No one can tell you what it means and only the next two years can tell you what will happen, but why let that stop you from traversing political analysis's lands of dis-imagination, repetitive rhetoric, and confidently clueless speculation to discover the interesting and the entertaining? Read on, intrepid one, read on.

If You Care, Go Vote!

According to the news, the Democrats are going to lose a lot of races today and there really isn’t anything anyone can do about it. There simply aren’t enough “contested seats” that are “leaning Democratic.” Personally, I wonder if this analysis creates its own reality where early poll results that favor certain candidates empower those candidates’ supporters to gel quicker and be more vocal, while disempowering candidates whose potential supporters aren’t inspired by a losing candidate. Today, I hope that the analysis does not discourage supporters of candidates already slated to lose from voting anyway.

The only fact is that no one has won anything yet. CNN/New York Times polls and exit polls do not determine winners; only votes do and those haven’t been counted yet. If you care, let your voice be heard. If you support a candidate, go out and vote for him/her or be left wondering if s/he lost because you and others thought s/he couldn’t win.

And don’t tell me your vote doesn’t count. If it doesn’t, then neither does any vote for anyone. Everybody gets one vote, including Tea Partiers, Democrats, and your politically insane friend.

If you care, go vote!

Pot & Holder: Will the Federal Government Force the Failure of a "Legalization Experiment?"

The state of California will soon be voting on whether or not to have the nation's most lenient pot laws, via Proposition 19. Among other things, the Proposition is intended to legalize the growing and smoking of certain amounts of marijuana. The substance would still be regulated, as activities like driving while high and smoking in public places would be prohibited. It also does not legalize the distribution of pot, but rather allows for local governments to do so. Fact sheet available here.

Supporters' talking points include increased tax revenue and, as San Jose Police Chief Joseph Macnamara believes, a decrease in crime that would in turn allow for a productive reassignment of many law enforcement resources. Critics' talking points include that P19 is poorly written and will lower the quality of pot, as well as that it will constrict employer regulations of pot use, unintentionally allow people to drive or operate heavy machinery while high, and be ineffective at allowing the collection of taxes on Miss Mary. Interestingly, someone says an undercover agent told him/her that Mexico's drug cartels hope Prop. 19 is voted down because they fear they would otherwise lose half their revenue.

(Controversy after the jump!)

A-Rod Sucks! and other musings

On Friday, the New York Yankees lost to the Texas Rangers and hence lost the entire American League Championship Series, their last round before the World Series, or championship series. The last Yankee to be called out?  A-@#$%&^! ROD!!!!!!!!!!

The Link-Up Issue 1: The Mid-East Peace Talks

With this post, I am trying out a new idea. I take an issue in the news that interests me and present a number of links, behind which are interesting perspectives or ideas about the issue that are not commonly seen in American media. Let me know what you think.

Please note that I want to update this blog with some reader-submitted links, anecdotes and perspectives. If you do not want what you say posted under "Reader Contributions," please write this in your comment.

This issue of the Link-Up focuses on the Mid-East peace talks. Please note that I am not taking sides, as I don't think either side is entirely in the right. However, I do realize, now that I am about to post this and go to bed, that I did not adequately represent the views of Israelis or even those of Palestinians living overseas or in the West Bank. If you have a link to contribute, please leave it in the comments section and if I think it provides a fresh perspective, I will add it to this post. Obviously, your opinions are also welcomed. Anyway, some background I find interesting below, but first you might want to glance at this map to see the relative positions of Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

Political debate mocks itself and a Nate Robinson video tangent

I can't get this video on the front page, so you gotta hit Read More to see it

HOLY @$!# ! CARMELO ANTHONY?

This is huge people. The New Jersey Nets might get Carmelo Anthony, one of the best players in the league.

For clarity's sake, let's look at how the trade seems to stand:
Nets get Carmelo Anthony and possibly DJ Augustin
Nuggets get Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko, and picks from (probably) Jersey
Bobcats get Devin Harris
Jazz get Boris Diaw

If you're ready and willing, here's that again with each player's current team:
Nets get Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets) and possibly DJ Augustin (Bobcats)
Nuggets get Derrick Favors (Nets), Andrei Kirilenko (Jazz), and picks from (probably) Jersey
Bobcats get Devin Harris (Nets)
Jazz get Boris Diaw (Bobcats)

Part 1: The Trade

Reports indicate that the Nets will lose Derrick Favors, their 2011 1st rounder, and Devin Harris. That's too much. It leaves them with a two-player core of S'Melo and Brooky BroPez (I'm sick of formula nicknames like KD, CP3 and D-Wade so this is my contribution) and no avenue for improvement. They can't sign anyone significant because they used their cap space on Anthony, they can't trade for anyone significant because they have no significant assets, and they can't draft anyone significant for another year because they don't have a 1st rounder. They will improve this year and stagnate next.

It's Just Too Much

Blogger's Note: LOOK AT ME, I POSTED AGAIN! WHOPPEEEEEEEE!

It seems like everywhere I turn, with every suggestion I make, I find calm and peaceful statements of “That’s too [adjective]” or “Let’s just sit and play video games/sit at a café/sit and watch a movie…” Sit        Sit        Sit. It’s calmly and peacefully driving me insane.

Subject: Lack of Posts

A quick excuse/apology to those who check this blog for updates: My responsibilities changed significantly this month and in re-balancing my schedule I have been neglecting to post. I've got a few posts I want to put up but haven't had time to finalize. Hopefully, one will be up this weekend and I will be more diligent in the future. We'll see.

What Is Nature?

Note: Apparently, my post about the NYC mosque was confusing so please let me know if you don't understand what I'm talking about

People see nature as separate from themselves and everything around them. It is an almost abstract concept, something that can be found in designated areas and far-off lands. Nature is what you find when you stray from the path in your local park. It is what you see in pictures of the Amazon rainforest or pictures of Africa that don’t feature starving children.

But nature is everywhere and nature is everything. Nature is the building you sit in while you read this. It is your clothes and the car you drive. It is even the laptop you use at work or school. Nature is not an abstract concept nor is it anything you can separate from your everyday life or your surroundings. Nature is the world in its entirety.

Our Wierd Culture Pt. 1

On "Muslim-West Relations"

Unfortunately, the terms being used in the shouting match over the founding of a Muslim community center and mosque in a building hit in the 9/11 attacks are “Muslim,” “mosque,” and “9/11” instead of “terrorist,” “Muslim,” and “difference.” It was not Muslims that attacked the country but radical Muslims and just as with Strom Thurmond and Republicans, the fringe can neither be considered representative of the whole nor dictate the treatment of the whole. To do so means alienating those who would be friends, strengthening those who are enemies and turning away those who may become friends or enemies.

The Imaginary Industry

As far as I can tell, the idea behind money is this: Since we can rarely trade our goods and services for the goods and services of others in a fair and equal trade that nets both parties something they need (think: sports teams trying to trade stars like Vince Carter for “equal value” in draft picks and players), we need a medium, something incredibly fungible that has equal value no matter the trade. We need money.

So it would seem to stand to reason that all the money existent in the world today should be representative of all the goods and services present. But I can’t shake the feeling that people’s concept of money has become so detached from the actual concept that money has become an entity entirely separate from what gives it value: what we have offered others in exchanges. Some of the wealthiest among us have become so by trading money for money and in doing so made money into an industry.