Tayrona National Park in northern Colombia is billed as a place “where nature and archaeology meet.” It’s home to beautiful beaches and the famed Ciudad Perdida, or “Lost City,” established around A.D. 800. Photograph by Jane Sweeney, Corbis.
Quote of the Day
“Institutional religion in the United States – institutional Christianity in particular – is much, much weaker today than it was 40 years ago. But religion itself is as strong as ever. … But the eclipse of institutional faith, and the eclipse of what I would say was a kind of a Christian center that the country used to have, has created a landscape where religion divides us much more than it used to.”
– New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, discussing his new book in which he argues that religion in the United States has fallen into heresy.
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Amazon’s Trojan Horse
Count Bryce Milligan, publisher of Wings Press, among Amazon’s detractors. In an essay on Paid Content last month, Milligan suggests that the publishing and book distribution giant’s business practices may pose a threat to American intellectual freedom. He highlights the recent dispute between Amazon and the Independent Publishers Group over Kindle versions of some 5,000 titles IPG had in stock. IPG refused to bow to Amazon’s demands for better contract terms. It may be the first volley in a long battle to unseat Amazon’s increasing domination of the publishing world. IPG is second to Amazon in book distribution.
“Amazon’s recent actions have already cut the sales of the small press I run by 40 percent. Jeff Bezos could not care less,” Milligan claims in his editorial, speaking of Amazon’s CEO. He lambastes Amazon’s efforts since 2009 to engage in charity by giving fairly large grants “to nonprofit organizations involved in literature and literacy.” But, there is no application process; Amazon just asks for nominations. Amazon says upfront that it’s looking for “innovative groups with a proven track record of success; an ability to work effectively with us to execute on the organization’s goals, including appropriate public outreach; and an established presence and voice in the publishing community.” So far, these grants have appeared on the doorsteps of otherwise unsuspecting organizations.
Wings Press is a for-profit business and therefore, not eligible for grants – from anyone. If Milligan sounds bitter, it’s understandable. He publishes mostly poetry, a literary art form that’s often ignored by mainstream publishing houses. If making a living from writing novels is difficult, poets embody the true spirit of the starving artist! But, Milligan publishes works based primarily on its literary merits, not just to make money. As a major corporation, Amazon, on the other hand, clearly is out to make a profit. Offering “grant” money to charitable entities is a noble endeavor, but not if the giver is directing profits back to themselves. Thus, is Amazon really just giving a proverbial Trojan horse? It may be a matter of interpretation. Read the rest of Milligan’s essay and decide for yourself.
Additional source.
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April 20, 2012 – 244 days Until Baktun 12
Survivalist Tip: Along with the other fruits and grains I’ve mentioned, think of stockpiling tomatoes. Tomatoes are indigenous to the Americas, although some Italians like to think they’ve always had them for their pizzas. The ancient Aztecs first cultivated tomatoes in the 8th century A.D. They’re actually a fruit and not a vegetable, a fact that usually sends vegetarians into fits of denial. Tomatoes now are considered a miracle health food, since they’re rich in antioxidants. Lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red-orange color, is the main element. Remember, antioxidants protect against heart disease and some cancers. But, some studies have shown that lycopene is especially effective against brain tumors. It’s obvious then that too many people lack lycopene in their diet – severely! Don’t be one of those people. The Mayan gods don’t look kindly upon people who deliberately put themselves at risk for stupidity.
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
Today’s Notable Birthdays
If your birthday is today, “Happy Birthday!”
John Paul Stevens, former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1975 – 2010, is 92.
Actress Elena Verdugo (Little Giant, House of Frankenstein, Marcus Welby, M.D.) is 86.
Actor George Takei (Star Trek, Kissinger and Nixon, Oblivion) is 75.
Singer Johnny Tillotson (Poetry In Motion, It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’, Without You) is 73.
Actor Ryan O’Neal (Love Story, Paper Moon, What’s Up Doc?) is 71.
Actor Michael Brandon (Lovers and Other Strangers, Red Alert, Rich and Famous) is 67.
Actor – writer – director David Leland (Time Bandits, Personal Services) is 65.
Actress Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Blue Sky, Frances, King Kong, All That Jazz) is 63.
Actor Clint Howard (Backdraft, Cocoon, Ice Cream Man) is 53.
Actor Crispin Glover (Dead Man, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Doors, Back to the Future) is 48.
Actor Joey Lawrence (Gimme a Break, Blossom, Chains of Gold, Pulse) is 36.
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On April 20…
1832 – The U.S. Congress and President Andrew Jackson made Hot Springs, AR, the first Federal Reservation in order to protect the hot springs flowing from the southwestern slope of Hot Springs Mountain. It became a national park in 1872, and its name was changed to Hot Springs National Park in 1921.
1841 – Edgar Allan Poe published The Murders in the Rue Morgue, generally considered to be the first detective story.
1871 – Congress passed the Third Force Act, which authorized President Ulysses S. Grant to declare martial law impose heavy penalties against terrorist organizations, and use military force to suppress the Ku Klux Klan.
1893 – Silent screen star Harold Lloyd was born in Burchard, NE.
1902 – French scientists Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their Paris laboratory.
1961 – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave approval for FM stereo broadcasting.
1999 – Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris unleash a barrage of terror on their high school, Columbine, in Littleton, CO, killing 12 students and a teacher, before killing themselves.
2010 – The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, caught fire and sank in the Gulf of México, killing 11 men, injuring 17 others and releasing approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil into the water.
Filed under History
Red Queers Unite!
Rob Schlein
No, I’m not talking about Native American homosexuals! In October 2011, the National Log Cabin Republicans, a gay/lesbian political group, revoked the charter of its Dallas chapter after its president, Rob Schlein, told a national radio audience that businesses should be allowed to fire people just because they’re Black. I suppose he feels the same about Hispanics and Indians, although I don’t know if he feels Caucasians should be equally vulnerable. Not to be overshadowed, Schlein created Metroplex Republicans of Dallas. The city now has the unique distinction of having 2 gay Republican groups. Only in Texas, I guess! But, in a press release issued this past Wednesday, Schlein announced Metroplex Republicans will unite with another national conservative gay group, GOProud. GOProud bills itself as “a national organization of gay and straight Americans who seek to promote freedom by supporting free markets, limited government, and a respect for individual rights.” Funny, respect is what queer and non-White folks have demanded for years now.
A Dallas native, Schlein is a self-made businessman; successfully operating a series of men’s clothing stores in the area. Last September he told radio talk show host Michelangelo Signorile that, as a business owner in a right-to-work state, he should be able to fire someone at will, regardless of race. But, he noted, wouldn’t necessarily tell them that. “I’d find a reason if I wanted to fire them,” Schlein said. It might be worth noting Schlein is Jewish, and his partner his half-Native American.
I knew Schlein several years ago, when we were members of Lambda Pride Toastmasters, a local Toastmasters club he had founded with his partner and some other friends. He told me once that discrimination is inherent in human nature; that we discriminate every day, for example, when we choose what we have for lunch, or buy a car. I promptly told him discrimination is a deliberate act of animosity and bigotry towards an individual or a group, based upon an intrinsic quality attributed to that person or group. Choosing what we have for lunch is merely selection, not bigotry. I was shocked that he’d compare racial discrimination to lunch selections, but that’s before I actually got to know him and his mindset. Later, in a speech before the club, Schlein mentioned that people who don’t have enough in financial assets invite scorn and disrespect, especially in the workplace. That elicited an extremely hostile reaction from me after the meeting. “You mean to say, when people disrespected me at the bank, it’s because I didn’t have enough money in my checking account?!” I literally yelled at him. He fumbled for an answer, as fellow club members stood around shocked by my outburst.
Schlein has also been active in local politics for years. A Reagan devotee, he created some measure of controversy in the Dallas gay community when he aligned himself with the ultra-conservative Texas Eagle Forum. Founded by Phyllis Schlafly in 1972, TEF promotes a staunchly conservative agenda, including opposition to anything related to gay rights. It’s odd, considering Schlafly has an openly gay son; something she seems loathe to admit publicly. I’ve always been curious how queer folks fit into the Republican Party. Some compare it to Hispanics who work for the Border Patrol, but I kind of look at it like Indians who’d join Custer’s army. What’s the point? They won’t like you anyway. Schlein once told me he didn’t care if the average Republican liked him or not; he was more concerned about the overall conservative cause. I guess that’s how a lot of Indians felt in the 1860’s, as they attired themselves in traditional southern regalia; hoping to fit in alongside White slave owners. Meanwhile, Abraham Lincoln was ordering the U.S. Army to massacre as many Indians as possible out West.
On a side note, Metroplex Republicans of Dallas meets once a month at a Mexican restaurant near Dallas’s “Homo Heights,” a.k.a. the Cedar Springs – Oak Lawn area of town. Don’t you know that would get Phyllis Schlafly’s bloomers in a bind?
Filed under News
Picture of the Day
Vendors offered “Nobama” water at the Republican National Committee State Chairman meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, yesterday. It’s made from the purest white water rapids.
Filed under News
Quote of the Day
“If you make the behavior of these people … if children hear it, unsupervised children, okay who don’t have parents watching their – they might go out and experiment with this stuff… When I was a teenager and I saw James Dean smoking, it made me want to smoke…a lot of these dopey kids are confused about who they are. They’re confused.”
– Bill O’Reilly, expressing concerns about the TV show Glee
Goddamned queers! Always trying to make people feel happy and gay!
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Cartoon of the Day
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Tagged as 2012 presidential race, stupid comments, Ted Nugent