All Posts Tagged With: "2008"
More on Zou Shiming
My fascination with Zou Shiming, China’s great hope for boxing gold, continues. I can’t believe I just found this New Yorker profile of him written by Evan Osnos, who earlier this summer penned the best China article I’ve read all year, “Angry Youth .”
Excerpt from “The Boxing Rebellion”:
Teacher Zhang stood close to Zou’s face, spoke softly, and tipped a trickle of bottled water into his mouth. When the bell signalled the start of Round 2, Zou sprang forward and buried a left-right combination to even the score. He set his stance farther apart than before and bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. He scissored his legs, an homage to his idol, Muhammad Ali. His first round, it seemed, had been a warmup. He glided around Paraschiv, pausing only to flick a combination into the Romanian’s padded brow. Every time Paraschiv slung his fist, Zou eased out of the way and counterpunched. Paraschiv, pivoting and swinging in vain, did not score another point in the round. Or, for that matter, in either of the two rounds that followed.
Zou rarely knocks his opponents out. He batters them and darts out of reach, like an angry sparrow. Sometimes he holds his fists so low that they drop below his waist, a caricature of Ali. Zou is a light flyweight, the lightest weight class in the Olympics. But, even among boxers his size, Zou is known for exceptional speed. After he beat the Irish fighter Paddy Barnes, I asked Barnes what had happened. Zou’s left hand, he replied. “It’s that fast. I could hardly see it coming.” When the American Rau’shee Warren was on his way to losing to Zou in the 2004 Olympics, in Athens, Warren told his corner that he couldn’t keep up: “I’m telling the coach, ‘Dang, he can move, and I can’t catch him!’ ”
Recommended read, to say the least.
One more excerpt:
Zou is unfailingly soft-spoken and polite, which, in a sport of swaggerers, can be mistaken for lack of confidence. It shouldn’t be. After routing a European amateur champion recently, Zou conceded, “He is good. Outstanding. But I am better.” I asked him how he pictures himself when he fights. “I think I’ve combined martial arts and boxing,” he said. “Martial arts have a soft and flexible side, and boxing is more direct. Putting them together is a specialty of Chinese boxing.” He prides himself on distinguishing China in a way that it has never enjoyed. “Opponents looked down upon Chinese players before,” he has said. “They were happy to take on a Chinese boxer, because we were too weak.
“Now they come and shake hands with you. The stronger you become, the more respect you get.”
I can’t help but think of the Frenchman who, after losing to Zou in the pre-quarters, refused to shake his hands.
UPDATE: Zou won the gold medal today, adding to China’s preposterously high count (51; next best: U.S., with 36, though the U.S. beat China 110-100 in total medals). Most countries win more silvers and bronzes than golds. For the Chinese, the complete opposite is true. They have 49 TOTAL silvers and bronzes.
HypChanneling Returns - 2008 Impreachment of President Bush
HypChanneling returns, this time in beta tripartite diploSpeak, a new UN standard for international crimes, styled as a retro platonic menage a trois.
Our featured High Crimes and Misdemeanor Trio consists of The W (George Bush) as The Accused who is grilled with consistent truthfulness by The JE (John Edwards) who was congressionally appointed to keep him in the game, as The Chief Prosecutor. This trial was presided over by The CH, The Chief Hypocrite, as The Decider. The CH is also the assembler of this first and only report to the public.
You will not read about this Impreachment anywhere else, because of the special circumstances under which it was conducted. Yes, you read that correctly.
It has already begun, been completed and is over and is not even a footnote in history. You nor the MSM or for that matter any of the MLM (Minor League Media ie bloggers) knew or still knows anything about this unusual event, details of which will be unclassified and released after 50 years or after the death of all involved or via leaking by the New York Times, whichever comes first.
History does have a way of repeating at least portions of itself, however there always seems to be a new twist in each incarnation. The 2008 Impreachment was enabled in a secret, unpublished classified compromise amendment, signed by Bush with a disappearing ink pen, which amendment was attached to one of the many bills passed by the Democrat majorities.
These several bills, essentially legitimized all of President Bush’s alleged illegal actions. Despite that, many of the secret signatories still contribute impotent diatribes on the subject of various impeachable acts to the media to “energize” their progressive base. Regardless, Bush and the Democrats toasted in secret underground signing ceremonies, which we got an exclusive grainy photo of.
Too bad we didn’t get a photo with audio, especially at the point where Bush fist tapped Nancy Pelosi, saying, “You go, Girl!” and she responded “Free our President”, insisting on a high five.
The historic compromises included, from Bush, that he would agree to plead nolo contendere, although he did not remember who nolo was and bristled a little at the uppity spanish used.
Compromises from the Democrats included pretending in public that he was never tried or convicted or disclosing any of the terms of his sentence which included permanent immunity from any future crimes, real or imagined, although they reserved the right to complain bitterly and forever about his crimes.
To ensure that they could never say Bush was Impeached, when they wrote the bill they called it Impreachment. Bush thought that had an evangelical flavor and was grateful. They also were grateful figuring that their unlimited assertions of high crimes and misdemeanors permanently into the future would ensure funding advantages over the Republicans for years and periodically re-energizng the base when needed.
The Impreachment proceedings, including the direct exchanges between the Chief Prosecutor and The Accused reportedly were not all retained in media form, except for the copy we obtained. One of the conditions we agreed to reluctantly was never to release enough of it to convince anyone of it’s validity and never to correct the New York Times even when they misreport.
For this report we have decided to release this noteworthy transcribed snippet, we have dubbed “The Outright Lie”.
The CH: Gentlemen, start your engines, you know the rules.
The JE: Thank you Chief. As one Chief to another, I trust that you will not take offense at how I conducted myself during our last interview, I must admit that I was in a deliberative process of learning that my internal adviser had partially turned my good judgment over to the hubris of my circumstances all of which has made me a better man, husband, father and candidate, don’t you think?
The CH: Please continue with the important proceedings at hand.
The JE: Agreed. My thoughts exactly, glad we see things the same way.
Now, Mr President….ahh, Mr President…..after exhaustive reviews of all the films (including direct one on one meetings with one web based filmmaker) and political books chronicling your multiple and outrageous abuses of the public trust, embarrassing your family and your party and your countrymen in full view of our allies and enemies around the globe, as you shredded the US Constitution over and over again, breaking US and international law unilaterally, I saw two Americas.
The W: Like north and south?
The JE: Easy now, Mr President. No. First I saw the average man, struggling to keep his family fed and clothed and in good health without access to health insurance, struggling for a better tomorrow like my dad did in the mills. And then I see your kind, with narcissistic privilege, access, money, unaccountability, taking advantage of others because you can, assuming you are invincible and willing to look the camera in the eye and say I did not do it and I do not know what you are talking about as I’ve responded consistently.
The W: For some reason, that does sound kinda familiar.
The JE: Stop interrupting! Mr President, how could you invade Iraq knowing it was all based on a lie?
The W: All I really know, is what Cheney, Big Al, Hillary, Colin and the Clinton CIA guy told me, that y’al
saw what they all told me about and you voted for me to do it, didn’t you?
The JE: But, Mr Presidnet you knew more than me, in fact you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, a high crime and misdemeanor, that there was no WMD in Iraq! You lied to the American people, to me, to your wife and kids and to the world just so you could get something that hurt us all! You said the reason we had to go into Iraq was to find and destroy the WMD there.
The W: I’ll tell you something I have never told anyone before about this WMD thing in Iraq. Come closer.
The JE: Quiet confession is good for the soul, Mr President, and I pray redemption continues to be the American way.
The CH: Speak up, I need to hear this.
The W: I confess I was upset when Michael Moore said I was not as smart as a Democrat. He said a Democrat would have been smart enough to plant WMD in Iraq after we invaded and could not find any like we thought. I never thought about that…hurt my feelings. That’s my confession, and damn if you’re not right, I feel better now.
The CH: Case dismissed.
Ten Post Round-Up: July 24, 2008
At some point while reading this round-up, your heart will break, your funny bone will be tickled and your ire will be raised.
1. When pop culture meets real-life…it ain’t pretty!
Salt Lake Tribune: Motorist’s quip about ‘Grey Poupon’ met with cocked, black handgun
A Sandy man took offense to a motorist, who, after getting him to roll down his window, asked, “Excuse me, sir, do you have any Grey Poupon?”
After hearing the request for Dijon mustard, the 22-year-old driver pulled a black handgun from his glove compartment, cocked the weapon and pointed it at the three people in the other car. “Here’s your Grey Poupon, roll your [expletive] windows up,” he responded.
2. Hey, Russia! Leave them kids alone!
Reason Magazine: Russia to Emo Kids: I’ll Give You Something to Pine About
Driven to the brink of unhappiness by repeated listenings of “Sowing Season,” by Brand New, the members of Russia’s Duma are mulling over legislation to ban emo and gothic dress in public schools and government buildings. And the emo kids? Well, they’re not gonna take it:
3. Yeah…the impeachment hearing is just for show, to shut the rest of us up…
Alex Jones’ Prison Planet.com: Conyers Tries To Kill Impeachment Hearings Before They Start
John Conyers is now taking the position that no one at Friday’s impeachment hearing can accuse Bush or Cheney of any crime, or any impeachable offense, or dishonorable conduct, or even lying.
Moreover, Conyers is now saying that he will shut the hearing down if anyone does accuse the boys of crimes, impeachable offenses, or otherwise being naughty.
Ten Post Round-Up: July 23, 2008
If this round-up were any juicier, you’d totally stick a fork in it…
1. It is long overdue to retire this policy. Gay soldiers should not be held to a higher standard than straight soldiers who are free to date who they like and not conceal their attractions. It is the gay soldier who is expected to keep their mouth shut and their pants zipped, for fear of losing their job. The military does not have room for discrimination, particularly if they hope to continue with war without end in the Middle East.
KOAA.com - Lawmakers reconsider military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy
Tauscher is convinced it’s time to allow gays in the military to be open about their sexuality, and she’s not alone. Three-fourths of those surveyed in a Washington Post-ABC News poll over the weekend said openly gay people should be allowed to serve. That’s up from 62 percent in early 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.
2. Even relying on some resource other than coal or oil to produce our energy needs is going to come with a very steep price tag.
CNN.com: Wind power: A reality check
One of the big challenges with using wind to replace natural gas is that, unlike the steady flame from natural gas, the wind doesn’t blow all the time.
To make sure enough power is available when the wind isn’t blowing, backup generators would be needed, said Paul Fremont, an electric-utility analyst at the investment bank Jefferies & Co.
That could mean maintaining those natural gas plants in case of emergency, or implementing even more novel ideas like systems in Europe that use excess wind electricity to pump water uphill when the wind is blowing, then release it through hydro dams when the wind stops.
Either way, any type of backup system comes with a price.
3. Sorry, guys. It won’t fit in your wallet. But, on the upside, it will be a perfect fit (that is, if it ever gets mass produced…).
Cool Hunting: Spray-On Condom
While most technologies advanced by leaps and bounds in recent decades, condom design has been relatively static for the last century or so. One visionary German scientist is working to change that. Jan Vinzenz Krause has spent recent years trying to make the world’s most common prophylactic available in spray-on form. The technology’s draw, according to Krause (pictured), is that conventional condoms often don’t fit penises of varying sizes (also pictured, sort of).
Noah 2008
In the year 2008, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, ‘Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me.
Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans.’He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, ‘You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights.’Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard - but no Ark.’Noah!’ He roared, ‘I’m about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?”Forgive me, Lord,’ begged Noah, ‘but things have changed. I needed a building permit. I’ve been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system.
My neighbors claim that I’ve violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision.Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark’s move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.
Getting the wood was another problem. There’s a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!
When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodations were too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.
Then the EPA ruled that I couldn’t build the Ark until they’d conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.
After that the DEA raided my home because someone reported that with all the traffic in and out of my house I must be dealing drugs.
And oh yes, some FBI or NSA agents, I’m still not sure which, are spying on me and have questioned my family and me on three separate occasions and I can tell by the reactions that they don’t believe a word I’ve said.
I’m still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I’m supposed to hire for my building crew.Immigration and Naturalization are checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work.
The trades unions say I can’t use my sons. They maintain I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA insist on inspecting and prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences, and to serve participants with certain qualifying conditions only food based on their fragile medical conditions.
To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I’m trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.
So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark.’Suddenly, the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, ‘You mean you’re not going to destroy the world?’
‘No,’ said the Lord. ‘The government beat me to it.’
Ten Post Round-Up: July 22, 2008
This round-up includes spam, porn, and money talk. Oh, you know you wanna read it…
1. The quote that wouldn’t die…
Talking Points Memo: White House Still Trying to Explain Away Maliki
When a guy you more or less install in power and keep there on a very short leash starts going off the reservation, you first claim there was some sort of translation error. Then you claim that what he says is not what he means. When he continues to reiterate the point, you assert that he knows not of what he speaks.
2. Colorado offers the DNC a gas tax holiday for the convention…
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO BLOG: Planning a private party?…
In Colorado, consumers pay 40.4 cents in taxes on every gallon of gasoline. That includes the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents per gallon and the Colorado gasoline tax of 22 cents per gallon.
3. A win for adult-websites
Wired.com: Net Censorship Law Struck Down Again
The 3rd U.S. Circurt Court of Appeals upheld on Tuesday a 2007 lower-court decision that the Child Online Protection Act violated the First Amendment since it was not the most effective way to keep children from visiting adult websites.
Ten Post Round-Up: July 21, 2008
Some days, it sucks to read the news, because it’s a reminder that our country appears to be being run by a bunch of frat boys, out on a lark and hoping that a grown-up might come along and fix it (all the while forgiving and forgetting who was responsible for the bull$#!% in the first place)! Unfortunately, these hazy days are not ones that we will soon wake from and it will take many generations of grown-ups to fix.
1. Tazing a few sheep to tame the sheeple…
duckplops: Just When You Thought They Couldn’t Find More Helpless Victims
More and more it seems as though the cops have been told to use the tasers first and ask questions later, and have let them know there won’t be any repercussions, even if they kill the tasee.
2. “Toto, we’re not in Kansas, anymore…”
The Huffington Post: Court Confirms President’s Dictatorial Powers in Case of US “Enemy Combatant”
Wake up, America! On July 15, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled by 5 votes to 4 in the case of Al-Marri v. Pucciarelli (PDF) that the President can arrest US citizens and legal residents inside the United States and imprison them indefinitely, without charge or trial, based solely on his assertion that they are “enemy combatants.” Have a little think about it, and you’ll see that the Fourth Circuit judges have just endorsed dictatorial powers.
3. Getting answers for the family of LaVena Johnsona is a step towards getting answers for every family who has lost a soldier to foul-play in Iraq.
Shakesville: ColorofChange.org launches LaVena petition
The online grassroots organization ColorofChange.org, a black advocacy group founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, has lent its support to the family of LaVena Johnson. The group has launched a new petition addressed to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and its chairman, Representative Henry Waxman.
Bob Barr, 2008 Libertarian Presidential Candidate
Dizzy just reported that after the sixth nominating runoff ballot, Wayne Root tipped his support to Bob Barr who was running almost even with female candidate Dr Ruwart. The nominee is usually selected by the fourth round, indicating the level of competitive interest in this years choice.
My personal view is that this choice could represent a lost opportunity for the Libertarian Party to grow in committed members even if it gets more votes than normal this year. It is the most diverse of all political parties and a younger more diverse liberal wing might have become a victim of the entrenchment of Bob Barr with the conservative wing . Barr, historically a conservative southern Republican, while technically a member of the party for three years, only declared his candidacy for the nomination in the last two weeks.
Could it be that Barr jumped in not for the benefit of the Libertarian Party but just to provide himself with a soap box in order to advance his personal agenda?
Could his personal agenda include hurting John McCain by siphoning off enough conservative, Republican and independent votes to guarantee a McCain loss especially given his seemingly unlikely uphill battle after the generalized disappointment of 8 years of Bush/Cheney?
Dr Ruwart reportedly declined to campaign for the VP slot, so that may go to Root. We’ll know later tonight.
If Barack is nominated and Hillary is not chosen as VP, the Libertarian Party might have had an opportunity to garner new, energetic support with a female Libertarian in light of increasing disappointment with the two major parties and a newly energized female voting block due to Hillary’s candidacy.
Dr Ruwart, although a loyal long term Libertarian and previous candidate, might have appealed more to the dissatisfied general public than Barr. She might have been able in light of all current developments to help the Libertarians draw new support. To most Americans she would seem to be a fresh female face perhaps with some extra credibility as an accomplished medical research scientist and successful entrepreneur. to say nothing of her passion for Libertarian principles.
A Serious Look at the 2008 Presidential Race
So I guess, I’ll just vote for the funniest one. Who do you think that is?
Thanks to David at dees2.com.
2008 Bloggers Choice Awards
Click Here to participate in the self described “conservative/libertarian view point 2008 Bloggers Choice Awards.
What is Happening When & Where in the 2008 Primaries
For the lowdown on the 2008 Schedule of Presidential Primaries Click Here.
Democratic Strategy and Choices in 2008 Election by Ben Smith
Keep up to date on what the Dems are doing to furhter their 2008 Presidential ambitions according to Ben Smith.
About 2008 Candidates
This feature will focus on the US 2008 Presidential Candidates. Tell us what you think about each or any of the Candidates. If you do not see one, go ahead and comment below and we will add that candidate to our Drop Down Box Above and our Categories to the Right.
Your comments may or may not alter the election, or change the world, but for sure it will help us Organize All the World’s Hypocrisy Right Here.
We and all the Candidates thank your for your support.
2008 Candidates
It’s the silliest of the silly seasons some say and some say arguably one of the most important decision Americans make. Others say it is not the most important decision, that’s what we mean by arguably. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.