These Impossible Days http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/ en Copyright 2007 Fri, 27 Apr 2007 10:56:35 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss R.I.P Jack Valenti Former president and creator of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Jack Valenti died yesterday of complications from a stroke. Valenti was a controversial figure in the film industry and a powerful lobbyist in Washington.

I can't say I'm sad to see him go. The man had way too much power. He single handedly created the rating system that we all know and love (or hate) today. He had the power to force directors to change the content of their films for fear of their film not getting put into a theatre or becoming a flop because it was slapped with the all-to-feared NC-17 rating.

The politics of the film industry and censorship is way too deep for this bit, and I fear that little has changed since Valenti stepped down as president of the MPAA several years back. But love him or hate him, one cannot deny that Jack Valenti was a key architect in shaping the entertainment industry into the beast that it is today.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/rip_jack_valenti.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/rip_jack_valenti.html Domestic Fri, 27 Apr 2007 10:56:35 -0700 Dutch Considering Tougher Biofuels Criteria You gotta love the Dutch.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/dutch_considering_tougher_biof.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/dutch_considering_tougher_biof.html Environment Fri, 27 Apr 2007 10:41:18 -0700 SC Democratic "Debate" I have a hard time taking these early debates very seriously. Usually the candidates play it safe at this point in the game and give broad answers such as, "all options are on the table," when asked about things like Iran. Don't get me wrong out of anyone currently in the race, I'm behind Obama. But I was a little disappointed with his answers regarding Iran.

I didn't catch the debates last night but Crooks and Liars has a couple of good clips for your viewing pleasure.

I don't know who this Gravel guy is, but I like his style. He's not afraid to say what he's thinking and say it loud and clear. Unfortunately, guys like this rarely stand a chance. He's not politically correct enough for the Democrats to back.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/sc_democratic_debate.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/sc_democratic_debate.html 2008 Presidential Race Fri, 27 Apr 2007 10:33:31 -0700 Rice Responds to Subpoena The other day, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a subpoena for Condoleezza Rice to testify on issues of the war in Iraq. Rice said this morning, however, that she was "not inclined" to honor the subpoena.

I'm sorry...but it was my understanding that you really didn't have a choice when a subpoena was issued. Am I completely wrong in this. I think I will consult my good buddy Webster on this:

sub-poe-na - A writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure.
Hmmm...seems pretty straight forward to me. I'm no lawyer however and maybe ignoring a subpoena issued by a House committee holds no penalty. But still, can this administration show us any more contempt for our democratic way? Can they possibly prove to us any more that they haven't a shred of respect for this country's systems of checks and balances?

But don't worry...Rice said she was happy to answer any questions via a written letter. Thank God for that.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/rice_responds_to_subpoena.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/rice_responds_to_subpoena.html Domestic Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:37:18 -0700 Kucinich Files Articles of Impeachment Against VP Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), a 2008 presidential candidate, announced Wednesday that he was filing articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. The grounds: that Cheney "purposely manipulated the intelligence process" and "fabricated a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction" with the purpose of getting the public to support the invasion of Iraq.

But the big question of the day is will these charges have any legs to run on? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on the recording as saying that impeachment is "off the table," and the Democratic majority seems to have no desire to remove the Bush administration from office. Instead they hope to hold out until the 2008 election and take the White House back the good old-fashioned "democratic" way. The media also seems hellbent on making Kucinich out to be a left-wing nutjob.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/kucinich_files_articles_of_imp.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/kucinich_files_articles_of_imp.html Domestic Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:26:01 -0700 ECOHUB Roundup - 4.26.2007 EcoGeek has the scoop on the upcoming all-electric Mini Cooper.

Green Car Congress on a Pennsylvania school district receiving a plug-in hybrid school bus.

Treehugger: Canada's new environment policy leaked early and 'Carbonfree' Light Bulbs: Offsets Done Right.

Grist Magazine has the skinny on Schwarzenegger's threats to sue the EPA.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/ecohub_roundup_4262007.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/04/ecohub_roundup_4262007.html Environment Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:34:18 -0700 Long live the Mooninites WARNING: Political Correctness has left the building. You may be able to find it wandering around the halls of CNN or FOX News with his good buddy Sensitivity, but I can assure you, you will not find him here.

If that doesn't sit well with you...then go fuck yourself.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/02/long_live_the_mooninites.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/02/long_live_the_mooninites.html Rant Fri, 02 Feb 2007 22:02:36 -0700 Bush's new healthcare plan Bush announced a new health care initiative Tuesday night at the State of the Union address that I haven't really heard many people talking about. So I thought I would take a jab at it.

Bush's plan: to allow people who are currently paying for health insurance to deduct it from their taxes at the end of the year (with limits I'm sure). One's gut reaction would probably be: "wow, that sounds like a pretty good deal." But I fear that the devil is hidden in the details (as he usually is).

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/bushs_new_healthcare_plan.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/bushs_new_healthcare_plan.html Healthcare Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:44:22 -0700 Ford posts biggest loss in its history Ford Motor Company has posted the biggest loss in the company's history. The auto giant is reporting a $5.8 billion loss in its fourth quarter making its total deficit for the year $12.7 billion.

So my question is this: if Ford is $12.7 billion in the hole for the year, how can it produce advertisements claiming that Fords are the #1 selling cars in America? Seems to me that if that was the case, they wouldn't be hurting so badly.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/ford_posts_biggest_loss_in_its.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/ford_posts_biggest_loss_in_its.html Economics Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:35:54 -0700 Obama forms presidential exploratory committee Senator Barack Obama has filed paperwork to form a presidential exploratory committee. According to a video statement that he released, come February 10, he will announce whether he will run for the office or not.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/obama_forms_presidential_explo.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/obama_forms_presidential_explo.html 2008 Presidential Race Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:47:46 -0700 34,000 Iraqis killed in 2006 That's great. Way to make a country more "stable." I bet Saddam couldn't even boast numbers like that when he was in power. I bet the Iraqi people are incredibly thankful for being "liberated" by such a tyrant.

You're absolutely right Mr. Bush...they sure as hell do owe us a bunch of gratitude.

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]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/34000_iraqis_killed_in_2006.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/34000_iraqis_killed_in_2006.html War in Iraq Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:36:32 -0700 Chavez turns "hard left" CNN's Alberto Padilla has written a rather damning piece of "analysis" against Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in the wake of the president's re-election.
Given the announcements made last week, when he was inaugurated for a new term and named a new Cabinet, we can say that Venezuela is heading towards the old communism of the last century, and more in the Cuban or North Korean style than the Chinese.
So what makes a man a "hard left communist" in the eyes of Padilla? Apparently anyone who refuses to play ball with American economic interests and corporate domination of the globe.

]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/chavez_turns_hard_left.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/chavez_turns_hard_left.html Hugo Chavez Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:12:48 -0700 Wal-Mart supporting piracy? It seems that our good friends over at Wal-Mart think that supporting the "illegal" act of downloading movies and music from the internet is a good marketing strategy. A report on IMDB News yesterday says that the nation's largest (and most notorious) retailer has been purchasing advertising on the Pirate Bay, one of the largest bit-torrent tracking sites on the internet.

Do they honestly think they are going to get all the people that go to the Pirate Bay to get their movies and music for free are going to jump up and run to Wal-Mart to pick up the latest box set?

Quite hilarious in my opinion.

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]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/walmart_supporting_piracy.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/walmart_supporting_piracy.html Wal-Mart Fri, 12 Jan 2007 08:36:22 -0700 744,000 homeless in U.S. The first national estimate in over a decade on the homeless population in the United States has been released, and it doesn't look too good. The study shows that some 744,000 people are homeless in America, although this number could be higher since it is extremely difficult to count people who don't have a permanent address.

California came in as the state with the highest homeless population (at around 170,000) while Nevada had the highest percentage of its population without homes (around 0.68%).

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]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/744000_homeless_in_us.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/744000_homeless_in_us.html Social Issues Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:08:56 -0700 New U.N. cheif wants Gitmo shut down Doesn't seem like Bush Co. is going to have any easier of a time with the new U.N. Sec. Gen.

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]]> http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/new_un_cheif_wants_gitmo_shut.html http://www.theseimpossibledays.com/2007/01/new_un_cheif_wants_gitmo_shut.html War in Iraq Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:03:14 -0700