Slavoj Žižek makes a very interesting defense of atheism in the editorial “Defenders of the Faith” (New York Times, 3/12/06). Certainly atheism deserves the restoration of the inherent dignity of its position. But his overall argument, at least in the context of our current realities, is flawed. It could be a readerly effect, since the article looks as though it might have been chopped up. (Boo-hiss to the editor if that is the case – Žižek deserves better.) Still, I…
… Weekly Unconscious Mutterings Meme Week 162 Displacement:: Distancing Grease monkey:: Scripting Vacancy:: Stare Conquer:: Pillage Payroll:: Accounting Personal:: Narrative Housewife:: Slave Lateral:: Incision Tissue:: Specialized Multiplication:: Algorithms
Here is a brief excerpt from testimony that claims the authorization to use torture in Iraq came from pretty high up. Read the whole article at TomDispatch.com and Truthout.org. “Tracing the Trail of Torture: Embedding Torture as Policy From Guantanamo to Iraq,” by Dahr Jamail While President Bush has regularly claimed – as with reporters in Panama last November – that “we do not torture,” Janis Karpinski, the U.S. Brigadier General whose 800th Military Police Brigade was in charge of…
This may come as a surprise to those of you not living in Las Vegas, but there are more Catholic churches there than casinos. Not surprisingly, some worshippers at Sunday services will give casino chips rather than cash when the basket is passed. Since they get chips from so many different casinos, the churches have devised a method to collect the offerings. The churches send all their collected chips to a nearby Franciscan Monastery for sorting and then the chips…
AT&T and BellSouth plan to merge into a single colossus (it also includes Cingular wireless). The merger is the largest yet among U.S. telecom players. AT&T, already the nation’s largest telecommunications company, will become the largest broadband provider with nearly 10 million subscribers. This deal must be protested and stopped. It would resurrect the Ma Bell monopoly that was busted up in 1984 with even more drastic results. We are still in the days of partially-connected media systems, but are…
Jehovah’s Witnesses exposed (download available) – Jeremiah films The comic-book style explanation of Jesus/Michael, his resurrection, and his judgment at Armageddon (minutes 26-29 or so) is especially worth watching now. The destruction of New York in back of the Statue of Liberty resonsates very differently after 9/11. I actually had a lump in my throat from minute 33-36 – it brought so much back to me. Some parts may be a little dull to non-Witnesses, who might not grasp the…