Open Thread

Posted by BooMan | Nov 27, 2007 | 29 |

What’s on your mind?

About The Author

BooMan

Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.

29 Comments

Man Eegee on November 27, 2007 at 7:51 pm

Laundry. It’s been awhile…
- BooMan on November 27, 2007 at 7:55 pm
  
  Fuck it, dude. Go bowling.
  - Family Man on November 27, 2007 at 8:00 pm
    
    What Boo said. Slack some.
  - Man Eegee on November 27, 2007 at 8:30 pm
    
    I would normally agree, but I’ve been saying, “Fuck it” for the past couple of weeks so there is now a mound of clothing that is reminiscent of the muppet Sweetums and is scaring Bud.
  - shergald on November 27, 2007 at 10:10 pm
    
    Fuck you too. But here is an interesting emessage from The Nation. Hence an important front page topic regarding the horrors of Reaganomics and its premiere economist shlock, the one that thinks the rich have the secret to conquering poverty:
    
    Dear EmailNation Subscriber,
    
    Nation columnist Naomi Klein’s new book, The Shock Doctrine, has drawn tremendous praise and remark since its publication in eight different countries since September. Doing nothing less than outlining a new way of thinking about politics, economics and society, the book is based on breakthrough historical research and four years of on-the-ground reporting in disaster zones.
    
    The Shock Doctrine vividly argues how what Klein coins “disaster capitalism” — the rapid-fire corporate re-engineering of societies reeling from shock — traces its origins to the University of Chicago under Milton Friedman, and saw early expression in Chile in the mid-1970s when Friedman advised Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
    
    “Not only were Chileans in a state of shock following Pinochet’s violent overthrow of Socialist President Salvador Allende;” writes Klein in the November 26 issue of The Nation, “the country was also reeling from severe hyperinflation. Friedman advised…impos[ing[ a rapid-fire transformation of the economy–tax cuts, free trade, privatized services, cuts to social spending and deregulation. It was the most extreme capitalist makeover ever attempted.”
    
    Read the article and watch this VideoNation interview with Klein.
    
    Klein will be speaking tomorrow, Wednesday, night at New York University with Nation writer, author and UCSB professor Lisa Hajjar in a conversation on torture and democracy moderated by Shiva Balaghi, Assoc. Director of the Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at NYU. The talk is part of the Beyond Empire Working Group supported by the NYU Humanities Council and is co-sponsored by The Nation. The event takes place from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Hemmerdinger Hall, Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East. Picture ID is required to enter the campus buildings. Admission is free of charge and open to all.
    
    Klein will also be speaking in Miami, Minneapolis, Los Angeles (with Robert Greenwald), Portland, Oregon and Denver in early December. Click here for details.
    
    See The Nation’s national online calendar for more info on events taking place near you.
    
    Finally, please visit The Nation online to read new Nation blogs, to view newsfeed links updated each day, to see when Nation writers are appearing on TV and radio, to get info on nationwide activist campaigns, and to read exclusive online reports and special weekly selections from The Nation magazine!
    
    Best Regards,
    Peter Rothberg,
    The Nation
    
    P.S. If you like what you read at TheNation.com, please consider subscribing to The Nation at a sharply discounted rate. Subscribing is the only way to read ALL of what’s in the magazine week after week–both in print and online.
    - americanforliberty on November 27, 2007 at 10:26 pm
      
      what does that have to do with laundry…google disaster capitalism..gives new meaning to shock and awe
      - shergald on November 28, 2007 at 3:52 pm
        
        I have a comprehension deficit. Don’t rub it in.
        
        What does this have to do with the price of laundry? Is that what you are asking? I really can’t answer. The last time I was in a laundromat, it took 50 cents to get the washers going, and 25 cents to dry. Do they really want more?
Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 8:08 pm

What’s on my mind…I got rear-ended today, and not in a good way. But the awesome thing is there isn’t a scratch on my volvo and her car is smushed and hissing steam from the radiator.
- CabinGirl on November 27, 2007 at 8:20 pm
  
  Glad you and your car are okay.
  - Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 8:28 pm
    
    Well, I actually do have this little neck ache…
    
    Did you finish the socks?
    - Man Eegee on November 27, 2007 at 8:31 pm
      
      shall I fly over to administer a massage? 🙂
      
      (glad you and the car are ok)
      - Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 8:34 pm
        
        Of course you should, dear….strictly therapeutic, of course. 😛
      - Family Man on November 27, 2007 at 8:39 pm
        
        Maybe CG could send you a therapeutic neck sock. Is there such a thing. 🙂
      - Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 8:42 pm
        
        Well, that doesn’t sound very fun in light of Manny’s offer.
      - Family Man on November 27, 2007 at 8:49 pm
        
        So you’re say CG’s therapeutic neck sock wouldn’t be as much fun as Manny’s offer? 😛
      - Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 8:58 pm
        
        Well, duh.
      - Family Man on November 27, 2007 at 9:01 pm
        
        I guess you’re right. I’ve been out of the sock and message thing for a long time. 🙂
      - Family Man on November 27, 2007 at 9:05 pm
        
        I’ll leave all of that to ya’ll, because I going to sleep early tonight.
        
        See ya.
      - CabinGirl on November 27, 2007 at 10:49 pm
        
        Now you have me remembering the Owen Wilson sock massage scene in You, Me, and Dupree…ick.
      - Indianadem on November 27, 2007 at 8:43 pm
        
        38 years of fire/rescue and I never got to cut up a Volvo. They hold up very well in crashes, as you can see. Glad you and the car survived;-)
      - Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 8:47 pm
        
        That’s comforting testimony considering that my teenage son drives an old Volvo as well. They’re pretty much bullet-proof!
      - Indianadem on November 27, 2007 at 9:26 pm
        
        My very first ever car loan was for one of these. I think it was around $55 a month.
      - boran2 on November 27, 2007 at 10:06 pm
        
        Here’s another:
      - Man Eegee on November 27, 2007 at 8:51 pm
        
        i’ll write up a ticket for the hot stone treatment 😛
      - Second Nature on November 27, 2007 at 9:09 pm
        
        Mmmm, hot stones….
Renee in Ohio on November 27, 2007 at 8:29 pm

Demetrius is really busy working on a project, and I’ve got lots to do because this is the last week of classes before exams. And I just found out I have to have someone “observe” my class this week. Yikes.

Oh, we’ve also got a flat tire on one of the cars. Since there’s not time to deal with it at the moment, we’re having to share a car. So far that hasn’t been a problem–just have to hope it stays that way. I know it would be the “green” thing to only drive one car anyway, but it makes me nervous having one of them out of commission. There’s always the real possibility that the one I’m driving will die and Demetrius will need to drive the other one to come rescue me.

But I did at least finally finish this post, which I’ve been working on since Sunday.
dada on November 27, 2007 at 9:13 pm

didn’t want to bust the margins, bur ID’s comment brought this bit from Red Green to mind: here’s how you do it cuttin’ up, 4WD:

lTMF’sA
- Indianadem on November 27, 2007 at 9:31 pm
  
  One can really work miracles with duct tape! Good one dada.
- ask on November 28, 2007 at 12:11 am
  
  Thanks for that one, I can’t stop laughing.

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BooMan

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