a new, better idea

This CNN's Christiane Amanpour interview of Phillip Pullman is absolutely brilliant.

i will rejoice

Brilliant. Inspiring.

funny (not so funny)

The cognitive dissonance... it's mind-boggling. What gets me are those that get on their laptops (a product of science) and their hand-held devices (another product of science) to showcase their ignorance and/or close-mindedness on the Internet (yet another product of science). WTF? If you don't believe in science, it would be way less hypocritical if you used something like, say, smoke signals to spread your anti-science message, instead of using the cool, convenient tools that exist today because of this "so-called science" you don't believe in. Either that, or STFU, because THIS is what's happening in the reality-based, appropriately educated world.

couldn’t be more out of touch

When Trump was elected, I only hoped that the President Trump would be different that the campaigner Trump. That the xenophobic, misogynistic and narcissistic rhetoric would be replaced with a more humble and measured approach to leading our country. I was wrong. And the Muslim ban is just the latest example of someone who couldn’t be more out of touch with our country and the right way to move forward.

- Michael Bradley, U.S. men’s national soccer team captain

internet comment of the day

You Russians, imbued with that ageless totalitarian mentality that mistakenly believes that Americans and Westerners in General are "Soft" and will not fight for causes that they consider vital to their survival or the preservation of their freedoms . That is, of course the same logic and consequently, the same MISTAKE that Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese militarist under Hideki Tojo thought when they initiated war against the West along with all their succeeding dictators of the post-war era including Saddam Hussein who made that same exact mistaken assumption during the First Gulf War.

I think that the West proved through it's Victory against the Axis forces in the West and it's successful containment of the Soviet Communist threat in spite of Russian provocations and aggression during the 45 years of the Cold war that the ANY attempt to use violence and force against it will result in consequences that ANY aggressor could not bear to suffer.

I'm of the old school of Deterrence. Just like it was practiced during to last Cold War. You Russians only respect one thing and one thing only. STRENGTH. You respect strength and despise weakness. Whatever the reason for that is not important. What is important is that in order for the PEACE to be preserved there must be RESPECT and the only way to get that from you Russians is to have superior strategic power. Not parity, but superiority then the peace will be preserved.

PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH first, last and always

- KREMTROLLINSECTSPRAY, commenting on the Washington Post article "European leaders shocked as Trump slams NATO and E.U., raising fears of transatlantic split"

video: mercedes sosa: gracias a la vida

One of my all-time favorite artists and songs.

hillary one-on-one

Part 2 after the jump

crying purple tears

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your amazing gifts to humanity, Prince! The highest in me bows in deep reverence to the highest in you.

Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called life
Electric word life
It means forever and that's a mighty long time

But I'm here to tell you
There's something else
The afterworld

A world of neverending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night
So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills
You know the one,
Dr. Everything'll-Be-Alright
Instead of asking him how much of your time is left
Ask him how much of your mind, baby

'Cause in this life
Things are much harder than in the afterworld
In this life
You're on your own