Anything you want to say is fine with me. I just can’t seem to muster the energy or enthusiasm to write anything tonight.
Connect
Sorry to put you on the spot like this, but, for a change, I’d like to hear from you today
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The owner of Arthur’s on Michigan Avenue is apparently investing in his property and trying to change the public perception that his bar caters to prostitutes and other creatures of the underworld.
http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/arthurs-owner-undertakes-effort-to-clean-up-ypsilanti-township-bar/
I regret being old.
I’m spending my morning reading about Dee Snider.
“Being rich and famous is hard,” he said, “but being poor and famous is hell.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/nyregion/15about.html?_r=2&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB
House of Hair is an American institution.
repave cross street.
I’m curious as to the motives of Julian Assange. Personally, I like what he’s done. I like knowing that government contractors, for instance, supplied young male sex slaves for Afghans. But I’m not sure what his motives are, other than to get famous in order to have more sex. What does he have against the United States? Why not also focus on governments like China, and companies like Monsanto?
I don’t like Assange either, but perusing through the Wikileaks site, there’s quite a bit of breadth in terms of what’s available. At this point, he’s being presented as an easy to digest boogey man figure that the media and rightists can latch on to, when, in fact, a data site like Wikileaks is actually the product of a number of people.
We just only hear about what pertains to the US.
That being said, I think he’s a creep and wish that Wikileaks had been an odd site from a few anonymous information rebels, rather than a publicity tool for Assange.
Regarding Assange, has anyone seen a reputable account of his alleged sex crimes? I don’t know much about the guy either but the story kind of sounds like an intelligence operation set up.
WikiLeaks wasn’t a publicity tool for Assange until people started getting really pissed off about what they were posting. In my trips to WiiLeaks in years past, I don’t recall noticing any mention of Assange. He only became an issue after teh helicopter video was posted and the concerted effort to take down WikiLeaks began. PR-wise, it’s a lot easier to attack a man with personal failings than a website that that publicizes the underhanded way governments and global corporations operate.
I want to say though, that I’m not saying I think he’s innocent of the crimes with which he’s being charged (nor do I think that he’s guilty, for the matter of that). I like what Naomi Wolf had to say in the huff-post:
“In other words: Never in twenty-three years of reporting on and supporting victims of sexual assault around the world have I ever heard of a case of a man sought by two nations, and held in solitary confinement without bail in advance of being questioned — for any alleged rape, even the most brutal or easily proven. In terms of a case involving the kinds of ambiguities and complexities of the alleged victims’ complaints — sex that began consensually that allegedly became non-consensual when dispute arose around a condom — please find me, anywhere in the world, another man in prison today without bail on charges of anything comparable.
Of course ‘No means No’, even after consent has been given, whether you are male or female; and of course condoms should always be used if agreed upon. As my fifteen-year-old would say: Duh.
But for all the tens of thousands of women who have been kidnapped and raped, raped at gunpoint, gang-raped, raped with sharp objects, beaten and raped, raped as children, raped by acquaintances — who are still awaiting the least whisper of justice — the highly unusual reaction of Sweden and Britain to this situation is a slap in the face. It seems to send the message to women in the UK and Sweden that if you ever want anyone to take sex crime against you seriously, you had better be sure the man you accuse of wrongdoing has also happened to embarrass the most powerful government on earth. “
Let’s not forget the torture of Bradley Manning, who leaked many of the documents to Assanage and company.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/14/manning/index.html
@Bob
I heard an NPR segment on the sex charges and they both arose from woman who had consensual relations with him (at least initially) w/ something about a condom breaking and the woman wanting him to get tested for STD… I think he might of had sex with one woman the next morning in bed and she claimed she was sleeping when he instigated it. Neither woman initially wanted to press rape charges either and it sounded like one of the woman was his stalker… sounded like he might of been a creep but….. definitely a setup or a money grab at this point in my opinion based on what I heard.
He sounds like a selfish scumbag who likes to take off his condom during sex. It doesn’t mean that Wikileaks isn’t doing good work.
But that’s not what I came here to say. I wanted to point people toward an interesting conversation at AnnArbor.com about U-M privatization.
http://www.annarbor.com/news/should-university-of-michigan-go-private/index.php
Pete, I agree with you. House of Hair rocks. See also Dee’s wonderful testimony against the PMRC back in the 80s. “If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it,” said he.
Can I just say how much fun Krampus was?!?! And I got to wear my outfit and since Mark did not report that I looked fat, I therefore did not look fat! And Krampus is also a teacher! And I ran into a friend who I had lost contact with and now we are FB friends again! And the nice beer was super delicious! And I met the eyeball lady! And one of the other teachers here gave me chocolate covered espresso beans this morning and holy shit it’s like crack for teachers!!!!!!
Someone gave *Patti* *chocolate covered espresso beans*?!
Patti, I’m not sure the universe can contain you on chocolate covered espresso beans. :)
I know, right? And then I went back for more…pretty soon, I’ll be selling my worldly possessions for the coffee beans.
Not to be sexist, but Sarah Jessica Parker is a lot sexier as a pile of teeth and eyeballs.
Teacher Patti, you are not fat. I declare it therefore it is so.
Sarah Jessica Parker? I thought that was Andy Dick.
I’ll be in my bunk.
http://www.spd.org/2010/12/cover-of-the-day-december-15-2.php
I would just like everyone to know that Christine M. is my new best friend.
Thanks girl!
Speaking of Fuzzy Math, has anyone else read “The Truth Wears Off
Is there something wrong with the scientific method?” in the latest New Yorker? (by Jonah Lehrer Dec. 13, 2010)
It’s both astute and fairly troubling for those of us who place stock in how our systems work. The gist of the article is 1) that most researchers, who get published, find what they expected to find 2) much of what is published is never attempted to be replicated/corroborated 3) when someone does attempt to replicate the results, it often fails the test 4) despite failing the test, the results are still counted as fact.
In short, people develop a hypothesis, prove their own hypothesis, publish it, and their results are accepted (despite lack of outside support or even in the face of contradictory results).
Here’s an excerpt: “Biologist Richard Palmer suspects that an equally significant issue is the selective reporting of results—that is, the subtle omissions and unconscious misperceptions, as researchers struggle to make sense of their results … The disturbing implication of his study is that a lot of extraordinary scientific data is nothing but noise. This suggests that the decline effect is actually a decline of illusion. Many scientific theories continue to be considered true even after failing numerous experimental tests. The decline effect is troubling because it reminds us how difficult it is to prove anything.”
I’m sorry if you can’t access the full article without a subscription. But, if you can, it’s worth a read. Even if it keeps you up at night.
Re: Arthur’s
I wonder if it would be possible to add some windows. I’ve never had a very positive experience inside any establishment that lacks windows.
Ah! The story mentions a window. Hooray.
Bars with windows are for people who wear white shoes and play golf.
Have you seen the Pope receiving a lap dance?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rbxov7CVi8&feature=player_embedded#!
In the spirit of the holidays, here’s information on a charity event I thought that some of you might be interested in.
http://i.imgur.com/hRyy0.png
I have been to Smarty Catz a bunch of times now on weekend nights. Always have a blast. Owners are really great. Just an FYI.
Why is it that a sick comment about a woman with CP looking for a holiday gang bang is followed by a mention of Smatry Katz? Did their business model change again? Weren’t the bikini lunches enough?
Interesting article on Assanage’s creepiness toward women.
http://gawker.com/5714043/the-creepy-lovesick-emails-of-julian-assange?skyline=true&s=i
Jonah Lehrer’s article is excellent; anyone who still believes in the scientific method should read it. Science is based on objective observation and analysis, and we’re not particularly good at those.
Arthurs Bar is a nasty skank-hole of a bar…and not in any endearing way at all. My wife was threatened to have her “motherfucking ass beat” one night, because she decided to sing a Michael Jackson song at karaoke. I don’t really fear alot of hick bullshit. I am from up north. But Arthurs made even me a little nervous after that.
What ever happened to the Idle Hour? Is that place still open? That was a fun little dive. We got threatened with bodily harm doing karaoke at that place too..but I could have totally taken that guy, so no big whoop.
Arthurs was cool in the first year or two but once the violence started, everyone else left. Its location is at the cross roads of prostitution, drugs, and a neighborhood in perpetual economic hell. Its a neighborhood bar – he’d have a better business situation if he sold and moved on.
Al Franken: “Grassroots supporters of net neutrality are beginning to wonder if we’ve been had” by Obama and FCC Chairman Genachowski
http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2010/12/20/al-franken-%E2%80%9Cgrassroots-supporters-of-net-neutrality-are-beginning-to-wonder-if-weve-been-had%E2%80%9D-by-obama-and-fcc-chairman-genachowski/
The FCC vote on Net Neutrality is today. Please make some calls.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2010/12/call-fcc-today-1-888-call-fcc-to-defeat.html
I have nothing positive to offer. I just realized that about myself. I’m in my 30’s, so it took me a hell of a long time to come to that assessment, but I’m almost positive about it.
That hasn’t stopped anyone else from posting here, Flo.
Hi everybody. I’m Jenn and I have a yeast infection in my throat. It’s nice to meet everybody.
Looks like Favre won’t be playing the last game of his career today against the Lions. I was so hoping to see Suh tear his head off. It would have been a great way to start the new year.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Brett-Favre-inactive-Minnesota-Vikings-Detroit-Lions-