Lady Ozma’s Neighborhood

Avatar: More than Sci-Fi, A Movie of Culture War

Jim
6 days ago
3 comments

I was glad a friend called and asked me to see Avatar tonight. I hardly ever get out on to see a movie, especially on a weeknight. The film is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself as an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body. He later becomes torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of an indigenous people. Avatar is an indictment of any culture that has ever mobilized to overpower and exploit another culture for it's own empirical gain. I did find myself seduced by the matriarchy, albeit innocence and computer-generated female-lead alien. She was clever, cat-like, slim, shapely and feminine, with soft sad eyes, oddly sexy. Plandora, the planet she hailed from, was a place moviegoers have never imagined; it was amazing. But that didn’t matter, I had no role in the movie, I was merely an observer. But it did matter to the Marine character in the movie, whose role to the mission changed after romancing her and being filled with the awe of Planet Plandora. In fact, such action changed his ideology. Unlike a true Marine, he digressed from the mission (originally to persuade the Plandora people to relocate so the military could gain valuable minerals contained beneath their planet’s surface). Although technically sci-fi, there were definite socio-political undertones to the film, which caught my conservative radar. Avatar roots itself firmly enough in Bush-era colloquialisms to carry an air of politically charged discomfort. And in this film, there was a lot white/western-guilt pulls going on. In this film, the cowboy archetype losses to “indigenous”, blue-people aliens, who in the end win, but not without costs. Was Avatar Hollywood’s passive-aggressive production of sending a message to American war-mongers to stop overpowering others for their own social-political gain? That in war, loss occurs on both sides. You be the judge.

We Know the Answer

JudgeBob
7 days ago
13 comments

I propose we take the Gitmo guests and tie them to posts in an open area, then bring out a firing squad. But before the firing squad get down to the dirty work, bring in a couple of pigs and slaughter them in full view of the post-terrorists and have the firing squad dip their ammunition in the pig's blood. Have the firing squad shoot the terrorists 1 by 1 skipping 1 in the middle. Now, take all the dead terrorists and dump their bodies in a single pit and dump the slaughtered pigs (entrails, blood, dismembered limbs and all) into the pit with the dead terrorists) and finally, turn the last terrorist loose.

Any Muslim caught in the act of terrorism or attempting to commit terrorism or preaching terrorism or advocating terrorism ever after shall be given the same treatment.

Hat tip to Ruthie, AGAIN.

I interrupted my focus this post to bring you this little item from American lore in answer to the latest terror attempt. You want America spared the hateful actions of Muslim extremists? Stop pussy footing around and get down to the business of sending them the only message they will respect. Fire every politician who ever said anything stinking of appeasement to or about Muslim terrorists. Start with the bowing president and continue till there is no simblance of a wet noodle spine to be found in any representative we place in power. That and nothing less will be the end of Muslim terrorism on Americans.

General "Black Jack" Pershing

Happy Holidays!

Team Vox
Dec 25, 2009
13 comments

6acardVOX

8 comments

Happy Holidays to you, your family, friends and neighbors from all of us at Vox.
See you in 2010!

Note to Conservatives

JudgeBob
Dec 15, 2009
10 comments

The opposition is not interested in curing global warming, universal national health care insurance, or any other massive program except in how they help their underlying agenda. Whatever you want to call it, the net effect is statism or centralizing power to a government. Any government. If not the United States Congress or the Supreme Court or the presidency then to the United Nations. Someone who will take all personal responsibility off of the individual. Someone to blame for everything. This is why the conservative arguments are not making headway. This is why the conservative agenda is not capable of getting traction in our society.

The KISS Principle "Economics"

From the HotAir blog;

[We’ll never be foolish enough to allow a band of fanatics to use “peer review” to rule all dissenting opinion out-of-bounds, then declare themselves the proud owners of a mighty consensus. You global-warming fanatics underestimate how much youneeded those tactics to gain power. You’ll never have that kind of unchallenged authority again, because we will never stop demanding the raw data, and we’ll drown you in laughter when you mutter something about deleting it by accident. We will never forget that you began with a conclusion and sought to harvest data that supported it – the exact opposite of the scientific method.]

The majority of people everywhere now, do not want to be responsible and certainly do not want to be held responsible for the problems we face. Like little children they don't want to make sacrifices by their own will but would rather be told what they have to do or not do. Appealing to their reason simply will not have any effect on these desires unless and until you first address their emotionalism. They have no shame for the political tactics, the violence they instigate, the outright made up data they use to write studies and reports which support their arguments to get this agenda in place. The kiss of death to a conservative talking point is to base it on reason alone. You have to link it to the real and personal consequence involved for the individual you are trying to reach with your concerns. You don't even have to explain the reasons why you are concerned. Like a parent saying to a child, "Because I said so!" with its implied "-or else I'll spank you!" we simply have to rain consequences on the children for their own benefit. You have to be the grown-up to their irresponsible attitude and behavior the same way you'd be the grown up in the park when one unruly kid is behaving in a way that is dangerous to anyone else. You don't just tell 'em to knock it off, you ensure they knock it off. So must we be vigilant in correcting the childish agenda and liberal behavior. No longer can we afford to allow them to continue until the consequences of their arguments and policy fall on them because like children, they will continue until the damage is irreparable. "Stop swinging that stick, you're going to put someone's eye out!" "Stop increasing government and government spending, our economy is going to collapse. If you feel bad about the poor now, just imagine how you'll feel about the poor when you ARE homeless and hungry. If you feel bad about the uninsured now, just imagine how you'll feel when you can't get a needed operation because the waiting list is too long or they simply won't do it for you. If you feel bad about the damage done to the environment now, just imagine how you'll feel when there isn't any fuel to keep warm so your cherished trees are chopped down for firewood. If you're going to cause me to lose my job by your cap and trade bill, I'm coming to your house to find wood for my fire and food for my kids."

On the voter battleground, not usually in the halls of Congress, (though quite often this liberal disease is employed there as well especially with regard to the banking regulations) as evidenced by liberal talking points on Climategate, ACORN support, war support, and a slew of other damnable evidences, the liberal is not accountable to truth or shame. Regardless of climategate the peer reviewed studies are respected, regardless of ACORN's abuses they were a force for good in national policy, regardless of Democrat's congressional voter support for the war in Iraq it was an unnecessary war.

Some of the best conservative institutions are great at providing statistics and data we need for reason, but on the ground, out here in the battle for hearts and minds, reason is not the most effective weapon. Real or implied, immediate, and personal consequences are. Never leave a discussion on policy with anyone thinking a liberal policy is not immediately and personally consequential.

On the lighter side;

cid:1.2014998702@web82304.mail.mud.yahoo.com

Smoke and mirrors matter to the magician. With them he can make you believe what is not.

Speech and horrors matter to the politician. With them he can make you feel what is not.

Facts and data matter to the scientician. With them he can learn what is true and what is rot.

If he muddies the information, a magician certainly, a politician perhaps, a scientician he is not.

Smoke put in your eyes, Oh the discomfort and disabling of sight.

Smoke put in your arse, Oh the discomfort and disabling ensuing fight.

He who put smoke in my eyes has made me the fool.

He who put smoke in my arse is a fool to think I am fooled.

When I was in trouble, did he think to take advantage.

Now I'm awake, it would be no adage

my anger is unmeasured to recompense disadvantage

Oh look!, he's unconcious. We'd better employ his tobacco enema and resuscitate him.

It's Done! Loss for Government As Board of Inquiry Rules LtCol Chessani Not Guilty of Misconduct

Loss for Government As Board of Inquiry Rules LtCol Chessani Not Guilty of Misconduct

December 14, 2009

Chessani Case - Rob Muise BOI Cropped # 3 name ANN ARBOR, MI – Late last Friday afternoon (Eastern Standard Time), after three hours of deliberation, the military Board of Inquiry ruled LtCol Chessani was not guilty of misconduct and should not be demoted.

Nevertheless, the Board’s ruling produced a mixed result. It ruled Chessani must now retire because he displayed “substandard performance” by failing to conduct a more detailed investigation of the civilians killed as a result of the house clearing actions of four Marines after they were ambushed in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005.

The Board’s decision came after a 1½ hour impassioned closing argument on behalf of LtCol Chessani made by Thomas More Law Center attorney Robert Muise. Muise argued Chessani was a scapegoat to appease the anti-war media and anti-war politician John Murtha. “Here’s your scapegoat. Here’s your fall guy, ” said Muise as he pointed at Chessani, who sat silently at the defense table.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, “It’s indicative of the weakness of the government’s case that it could not prove misconduct at the Board hearing where the normal rules of evidence didn’t apply and the burden of proof was lessened. We are all greatly relieved that the Board ruled LtCol Chessani was not guilty of misconduct and should not be demoted, However, I believe the overwhelming evidence supported a total and complete exoneration of LtCol Chessani.”

Not one of LtCol Chessni’s superiors ─ including top generals ─ who received his report of dead civilians considered such deaths unusual. Not one ordered a further investigation. Instead, they commended him for a job well done. In fact, LtCol Chessani’s immediate superior told him that no investigation was needed because it was a bona fide combat action - consistent with the orders in effect at the time: no investigation of civilian deaths related to combat action. That order was changed in April, 2006, well after the Haditha incident.

LtCol Chessani’s commanding general, Major General Huck, reported up the chain of command, “I support our account and do not see the necessity for further investigation.” This same commanding General was allowed to retire without going to a Board of Inquiry, and he was allowed to retire as a Major General.

Consequently, not one of LtCol Chessani’s superiors faced, nor will they ever face, a court-martial or a Board of Inquiry for their actions in relation to November 19, 2005.

Of the eight Marines initially charged in the incident, six Marines, including Chessani, had criminal charges dismissed and one was acquitted. Only one Marine still faces criminal charges.

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America. The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.

Link to Board of Inquiry Order
http://www.thomasmore.org/downloads/sb_thomasmore/ChessaniBOIAugust2009.pdf

Soft Hearted vs. Soft Headed

JudgeBob
Dec 13, 2009
38 comments

This post is dedicated to Emmi.

Government and the poor

My friend over at Liberty Pen has posted another great video on his YouTube channel. Milton Friedman is one of his major subjects and this video is an interview on TV from back in the early 60's. Friedman gives one of the best arguments against modern liberalism. Topics covered include Social Security, Minimum Wage, and The Great Depression. But the key statement was his comment on the adjectives we use as titles. He says, "I consider myself a liberal in the truest sense of the word, while those who call themselves liberal today are actually conservative. They are conservative in the truest sense of the word because they want to preserve the course this nation is on which is bigger government and moving toward socialism. They think of themselves as soft hearted but the softness has moved into their heads. You know, I want the poor to be helped and for the underemployed to make a living wage, but the laws and policies they want to implement don't get the results they are seeking. A worker with low skills doesn't get higher wages because the law forces the employer to avoid hiring him at all. People I would trust personally actively lie to the American public because they believe these policies are best for the public. For instance, with the Social Security program, the law states that the employee pays half and the employer pays half but the truth is the employee pays all of it. If the employer is able to afford (adjusting for the times) $15.00 per hour he subtracts the amount going out for taxes and benefits so that the employee is actually taking home $8.50 for each hour he works. The rest goes to the government to manage for him." Considering that is nearly half the employee's earning power, you've yet to figure in sales, property, estate, and a slew of other taxes. So if we figured the government's true cost, we can only conclude that the government's take is nearly 60% of our earning power with some 15% coming back in very limited benefits they should have no authority to purchase and dole out.

Today we are seeing how well the government has been managing our money and still many of the American people want the government to take even more for our health care management while countries that have been employing that system are working to get out of these obligations they cannot meet.

Time to close this chapter

Jack Yan
Dec 13, 2009
40 comments

Days blocked on Vox bis

Key to the calendar. Yellow: days when Vox worked normally. Pink: days when the compose screen took minutes or hours to load. Red: days when Vox would not allow me to compose at all.

I’m sure most of you will agree that putting up with a compose screen that will not load for hours or days since October 28 is being pretty patient.
   In that time, Daisy and Six Apart have been great at trying to help me troubleshoot why this is happening. They have conﬁrmed that there is something wrong and that, even at Six Apart HQ in California, they cannot get the compose screen to come up when logged on as me.
   A number of solutions have been proposed, but despite carrying them out, the loading delay remains intolerably long.
   It’s as though the Six Apart servers (after becoming self-aware!) know it’s me and fail to serve the compose page. No code is downloaded.
   I remain convinced that whatever is happening to me is connected to what happened to Patricia (who has only made 50-odd posts on Vox, but has exactly the same symptoms) and Ninja (who can no longer compose with this site without switching to Internet Explorer—Vox is the only site which he has to make a browser switch for). I also believe the bug is connected to the one that locked out all the Australians I knew on this service in August 2009.
   We also have the mysterious period between November 16 and 18 when the site operated normally, and the compose screen came up on demand. What happened on those three days? I had more tags in my account than when the site ﬁrst blocked me from composing, and possibly more neighbours. Yet for those days, everything was normal here.
   I have never suggested seriously that the block was malicious (though it was fun to entertain some outlandish theories), but it does seem to be rather coincidental that I come across bugs on Vox, Blogger, Facebook and other services continually. Many have been documented on this blog. I just never thought that among the last regular blog posts, the bugs I write about would be Vox’s.
   One day I am sure they will ﬁnd the error, or there will be a new version of Vox which remedies it. The underlying code is updated a lot more frequently with incremental improvements than Team Vox will have us know. Until then, I will check in here periodically—to read your posts, delete spammers, and administer the many groups that I run—but we will have to say farewell to my regular updates. I will also click on ‘Create’ from time to time to see if the bug has been ﬁxed, and, if the site ever lets me, post the odd private neighbourhood or friends-only entry.
   Finally, you could say, my disappointment outweighed my patience. As some of you read in a private post yesterday, this is a good time to move on.
   Vox is, after all, still in beta, if its terms and conditions (revised a few months ago) are to be believed, so there’s no point my getting mad about this. It is what I signed up for in 2006 when I began as a Vox beta tester. Three years on, it appears I was still in the same boat, but with a less reliable site.
   Thank you for all your friendships over the last three years. I have enjoyed it and everything this blog has offered. You can still ﬁnd me on Facebook (a site with far worse issues than Vox ever had), Tumblr and at my main blog, where I am already ramping up the posting I do. I have a campaign site for the 2010 mayoral election here in Wellington, and will offer occasional commentary at Lucire’s web edition. If the Vox cravings get too much, I might enter the odd thing at lucire.vox.com, but even that account began to fail a few days ago.
   This is not a total farewell. In the words of Gen Douglas MacArthur, ‘I shall return.’

Late afternoon in Wellington

Jack Yan
Dec 12, 2009
1 comment

A sunny day in Wellington, even if it took over half a day to get a compose screen on Vox. I’m already blogging more on Blogger, so I suspect these posts will become fewer (and not out of choice). This was around 5 p.m. today:

Victoria Street outside the CPO, summer 2009

Happy Hanukkah!

“Grunt Civilian” Gives Account of LtCol. Chessani's many Character Witnesses

Humbled Infidel
Dec 11, 2009
1 comment

“Grunt Civilian” Gives Account of LtCol. Chessani's many Character Witnesses

December 10, 2009

Email post (#2) by H. Hamilton – A report written by a concerned CA citizen attending the Board of Inquiry for LtCol Jeffrey Chessani.

IF the Board of Inquiry doesn't find Lt Col. Chessani INNOCENT of all charges, accusations, and wrong doing, it won't be the fault of Thomas More Law Center! Lead by Col. Shelburne and Robert Muse, this is one of the BEST, nothing gets by, DEFENSE TEAMS this court observer has ever witnessed.

A finding other than "DROP THESE RIDICULOUS CHARGES BECAUSE CHESSANI IS ACTUALLY SUPERMAN!" would be because the Board is deaf, dumb, and blind! (or the fix is in...)

As I entered the court room, late, a phone caller was giving information on how he would figure out Chessani's retirement based on his 22 years, 3 months service with regards to the Board's decision of IF he had to retire, and IF as a LtColonel or a Major. (Considering Chessani was a fast tracked officer who would have been at least a full Colonel by now, punishment has already been instituted and THAT is a travesty! Anything lower is double indemnity if you ask me...)

Today may have been the easiest day for the Defense... One after another, a parade of long term Marine co-officers and friends, even his pastor, as character witnesses, barraged the Board and prosecution with a long list of detailed compliments to the great Lt. Colonel...

Colonel Paul Greg Allen (ret.), a formidable man with a 30 year 8 mos. career, said Chessani was a "Natural leader on one of the most demanding tours (both Battles of Fallujah) and I was excited to get him there..." Chessani is, "Proactive... Quality exceptionally high... Never an over reaction as a commander..." When asked if there was a noticable difference when Chessani was relieved of duty -- "There was never a grievance, his work product was no different..." (And something like) lesser men sacrifice their integrity -- Not Lt. Col Chessani! (I couldn't write fast enough!) "Highest moral integrity -- Absolute integrity!" Allen had seen "many opportunities to stumble and fall and he (Chessani) has never done that." "Command confidence under extreme conditions -- no stripping Marines of their dignity when chastised -- Top 1% or 2% of ALL Marines I've served with -- ONE OF A HANDFUL OF OFFICERS I'D TRUST IN COMBAT WITH MY ONLY SON, MY WIFE'S LIFE, AND MY OWN..." (Yeah, WOW!!!)

Pastor Ernest Ferdinand (Marcus?) Merritt, an exceptional man with an exceptionally more than pleasant disposition, who had coincidently served in the USMC... Admittedly, I was spellbound... I took no notes -- I was also watching the Board Members to see IF they had any reaction, any signs of humanity, with all of the BEAUTIFUL things said so vividly about the Chessani Family, the devotion, the close friendship of their wives and kids, Mrs. Chessani's Sunday School teaching, the Congregation always giving the most votes to Jeffrey Chessani for the top committees which Jeffrey turned down 3 years ago so as not to blemish the Congregation -- at the Congregation's insistence, he has since accepted the 2 posts... A Man For All Seasons...

Sgt. Maj. William Shaw -- BAM! (They had to slow him down at one point for the court stenographer's sake! Mine too!!) 20 years active duty and a ton of duty including amphibious assault... GREAT ENERGY! Spoke to Chessani's always being out amongst the men, never micro-managing, "Very Patient like a father... ALWAYS open and willing to talk about concerns..." LtCol. Chessani was one of the top 2 commanders out of all 20 he'd ever worked with... "Great character, Moral compass, Warrior, Trainer..." When asked if he'd ever want to serve under the LtCol. again? "I WOULD SEEK IT OUT!"

Lt. Col. Carla Maureen(?) Jessup, now Provost Marshall in K. Bay, HI... A WOMAN OF GREAT SUBSTANCE! Anti-terrorist, Battalion Commander, Perris Island, a whole bunch of stuff!! She's known the LtCol. and his family for almost 25 years BECAUSE THE CHESSANI'S ALWAYS HAD THE NON-MARRIEDS OVER TO THEIR HOUSE FOR MEALS AND FOR CERTAIN, CHRISTMAS!! "Most honest leader of Marines... Genuinely cares for the people around him... HE ALWAYS DOES THE RIGHT THING 'CAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO..." Has never known him to or would never expect him to ignore ANY kind of problem..." "He cares for everybody the same... MY FAITH HAS BECOME STRONGER BECAUSE OF HIM... I BELIEVE JEFF HAS VALIANTLY SERVED THE CORPS AND HIS MARINES."

Colonel B. Byrne: (After A 40 minute break, I entered late... Then it was hard to keep up, I'm no pro...) Byrne was in charge of fitness reports of Majors, (GUESS WHO WAS AND STILL HOLDS THE #1 PLACE of ALL Majors reviewed?! Yup, Chessani!) RE 1st and 2nd Fallujah fights -- "Exceptional!" He described a number of circumstances in a very large battlespace that included Fallujah, Abu Ghraib, Zadon, etc. where information had to be communicated to his Bravo Command, 4 Marines killed in complex attack ambush... (not unlike Haditha...) The Battle for Fallujah occurred within 10 days of Chessani's arrival, no question he knew what to do, had experienced a child being killed in a house and he knew to report up the command, Regimental Command would make the decision to investigate, if not, you move forward... As to Military Character, "Jeff is an exceptional officer." As to Personal Character, "Jeff has a personal sense of honor that motivates him." (It is important to note that Chessani is accussed of never having "investigated" the civilian deaths in Haditha... RIDICULOUS!) After Byrne had explicitly said that Reg Command makes the decision to investigate after the reports are "pushed up and pushed down," General Craparata asked the absurd -- "But don't you think that it is your duty to investigate every civilian death?" Answer: NO! NOT IF IT IS A BONAFIDE COMBAT ACTION and you CAN'T investigate IF YOU'RE IN THE FIGHT! (AS IN HADITHA!!) Then Byrne added something very poignant, "And if one of YOUR Marines is thought to be culpable, YOU MAY NOT INVESTIGATE IT YOURSELF! (obvious reasons -- but that's exactly what the Board wanted!)

Since there was a long break before General Toolan's testimony and my children needed me, I had to drop the ball................. We'll find out tomorrow -- AND TOMORROW IS (ARE?) CLOSING ARGUMENTS!!

IF ANYONE IS WONDERING IF THEIR DONATION TO THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER ON BEHALF OF LT.COL.CHESSANI WAS WORTH IT -- IT'S THE BEST MONEY YOU EVER SPENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This email was written and submitted by a private citizen not affiliated with the Thomas More Law Center.

Regular folks: a few seconds to download one page. Me: hours

Jack Yan
Dec 12, 2009
2 comments

Not sure how many hours it has been since Vox was capable of loading a compose window for me. I lost count. I no longer believe that deleting tags has helped, especially as it is now 2.20 a.m. and I had no access to Vox all evening. Please write me with your next theory, Vox.
   As a result of the return to terrible load times, Kimmie’s theory about a dodgy neighbour might still be true. I haven’t deleted everyone from my neighbourhood and started from scratch, which is arguably the next step, if I have sufficient time to waste.
   I have downloaded Firebug (thanks to my friend Andrew Carr-Smith) to see what data Vox loads on to my browser in the times I get a blank compose screen. Answer: none. Nothing even begins to load.
   I still think the Vox server knows when it’s me, Patricia or Ninja, or any of the others who might have left here without telling us why, and fails to serve any compose screen to us. I still reckon that there is something peculiar about our accounts that the programming does not like.