Comments on: Stage fright. http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stage-fright one writer's daily download Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:47:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jeff borden http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-256083 jeff borden Thu, 14 May 2009 14:21:46 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-256083 Coozledad, What is truly amazing to me is how quickly torture evolved into a partisan issue. When in God's name did conservatism equate with torture? It's not just the Dark Lord Cheney, but the elves like Lindsey Graham who are staking their movement and their party to this abhorrent behavior. I'm damned, damned, damned disappointed by President Obama's decision to fight the release of these photos. I'm even more disappointed by the sizable number of Americans who say in polls they would support torture. It's not a majority, but the numbers are still quite high. What kind of nation have we become? Coozledad,

What is truly amazing to me is how quickly torture evolved into a partisan issue. When in God’s name did conservatism equate with torture? It’s not just the Dark Lord Cheney, but the elves like Lindsey Graham who are staking their movement and their party to this abhorrent behavior.

I’m damned, damned, damned disappointed by President Obama’s decision to fight the release of these photos. I’m even more disappointed by the sizable number of Americans who say in polls they would support torture. It’s not a majority, but the numbers are still quite high.

What kind of nation have we become?

]]> By: coozledad http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-256072 coozledad Thu, 14 May 2009 12:11:09 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-256072 The Iraqis already know what went on at Abu Ghraib. I talked with a guy who was a guard there who said Cheney's KBR boondoggle couldn't even keep the floodlights on, so there were regular escapes; and after the escapes- Pinpoint mortar attacks. When story and pictures broke here, the sweep of the insurgency had already picked up. The Iraqis had already gotten the word Saddam had been replaced with Saddam. The US servicemen and women who died during that phase of the war were just more folks taking the heat for Junior's incompetence.The best light the Bush Administration can hope to be viewed in, is they were in over their heads, they refused to listen to career soldiers, they embraced torture in a panicked effort to provide justification for their war, and they condemned every future American POW to a hell on earth. Thirty percent of the people in this country believe these guys were acting in our interests, and doing a hell of a job at it. That the way you win wars is to duplicate the successes of the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria: You roll prisoners around in shit, and jab at them with sticks like a bunch of reform school sociopaths on meth. Now we'll get the bend-over-backwards-to-suck-your-own-dick justifications from the usual parade of losers who framed the whole setup for the war. The Iraqis already know what went on at Abu Ghraib. I talked with a guy who was a guard there who said Cheney’s KBR boondoggle couldn’t even keep the floodlights on, so there were regular escapes; and after the escapes-
Pinpoint mortar attacks.
When story and pictures broke here, the sweep of the insurgency had already picked up. The Iraqis had already gotten the word Saddam had been replaced with Saddam.
The US servicemen and women who died during that phase of the war were just more folks taking the heat for Junior’s incompetence.The best light the Bush Administration can hope to be viewed in, is they were in over their heads, they refused to listen to career soldiers, they embraced torture in a panicked effort to provide justification for their war, and they condemned every future American POW to a hell on earth.
Thirty percent of the people in this country believe these guys were acting in our interests, and doing a hell of a job at it. That the way you win wars is to duplicate the successes of the Imperial Japanese Army in Manchuria: You roll prisoners around in shit, and jab at them with sticks like a bunch of reform school sociopaths on meth. Now we’ll get the bend-over-backwards-to-suck-your-own-dick justifications from the usual parade of losers who framed the whole setup for the war.

]]> By: Danny http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-256016 Danny Thu, 14 May 2009 04:43:16 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-256016 Word at the water cooler at work is that somebody got caught having relations of a sort in a conference room. I really hope they clean those tables. Very busy couple of days for me, but hopefully we'll get the long and short of this story. We really need to get to the bottom. Word at the water cooler at work is that somebody got caught having relations of a sort in a conference room. I really hope they clean those tables.

Very busy couple of days for me, but hopefully we’ll get the long and short of this story. We really need to get to the bottom.

]]> By: beb http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255991 beb Thu, 14 May 2009 01:55:40 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255991 <I>moe99 said on May 13th, 2009 at 1:37 pm Gotta say Obama reversing himself on the torture photos the day after Liz and Dick Cheney did a full court press on them, looks like he is bowing to Republican pressure. Not. too. smart.</I> Obama walked into quicksand when he decided to "win" in Afghanistan. As with Iraq, there is no definition of "winning." And the US is fighting a internal insurgency. If history has taught us anything it is that a foreign power can't beat an insurgency. Right now Obama has a big issue - the accidental murder of a hundred civilians through an air strike. He quickly fired the general in charge at the time. And he doesn't want to release these inflammatory pictures NOW, when anti-American feelings are so high there. Only it doesn't matter. As an occupying force the US will always be hated, whether or not these pictures are released. Of course it could be that Obama doesn't want to release these pictures because then people will demand a full investigation into prisoner abuse, and can only lead to war crime trials for Bush and Cheney. Since Obama clearly does not want to be responsible for trying the previous administration he may feel that suppressing these pictures is he only way out. But that makes him an accessory to their crimes.... Frankly in light of the above, I'd much rather talk about Nancy's first day as a teacher. It's much less depressing. moe99 said on May 13th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

Gotta say Obama reversing himself on the torture photos the day after Liz and Dick Cheney did a full court press on them, looks like he is bowing to Republican pressure. Not. too. smart.

Obama walked into quicksand when he decided to “win” in Afghanistan. As with Iraq, there is no definition of “winning.” And the US is fighting a internal insurgency. If history has taught us anything it is that a foreign power can’t beat an insurgency. Right now Obama has a big issue – the accidental murder of a hundred civilians through an air strike. He quickly fired the general in charge at the time. And he doesn’t want to release these inflammatory pictures NOW, when anti-American feelings are so high there. Only it doesn’t matter. As an occupying force the US will always be hated, whether or not these pictures are released.

Of course it could be that Obama doesn’t want to release these pictures because then people will demand a full investigation into prisoner abuse, and can only lead to war crime trials for Bush and Cheney. Since Obama clearly does not want to be responsible for trying the previous administration he may feel that suppressing these pictures is he only way out. But that makes him an accessory to their crimes….

Frankly in light of the above, I’d much rather talk about Nancy’s first day as a teacher. It’s much less depressing.

]]> By: joodyb http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255984 joodyb Thu, 14 May 2009 01:17:47 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255984 somebody got to somebody: http://tinyurl.com/friedmanspeech somebody got to somebody:

http://tinyurl.com/friedmanspeech

]]> By: moe99 http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255969 moe99 Wed, 13 May 2009 23:29:50 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255969 sigh. sigh.

]]> By: Rana http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255959 Rana Wed, 13 May 2009 22:47:16 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255959 Dorothy - arguably the work done on those "entertainers'" hair could be considered a business expense, no? Dorothy – arguably the work done on those “entertainers’” hair could be considered a business expense, no?

]]> By: Rana http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255957 Rana Wed, 13 May 2009 22:45:17 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255957 Nancy, if it's an independent study situation like you describe, you may never need to lecture your class at all, at least not in the formal sense. If it works anything like the upper-level seminars I've taught, "lecture" is more informal. A student would raise a question, or I'd realize that there was a basic concept that was still eluding them, or I'd noticed in a previous class that it was time to bring up a certain bit of background that wouldn't have made sense earlier, and then I'd just talk about it, sometimes with the help of the board, sometimes not. The whole "stand before the class and speak with the assistance of visual aids" structure of a formal lecture is really more useful in a large class that has to get through a ton of material, or in a class where you are learning the material one step ahead of the students and need that crutch. In a smaller class where you know the material already, and where a good chunk of it is presented in response to specific issues or student needs or interests, you may be better off in a less structured mode. It's rather like posting on your blog and responding to the comments, actually! Nancy, if it’s an independent study situation like you describe, you may never need to lecture your class at all, at least not in the formal sense. If it works anything like the upper-level seminars I’ve taught, “lecture” is more informal. A student would raise a question, or I’d realize that there was a basic concept that was still eluding them, or I’d noticed in a previous class that it was time to bring up a certain bit of background that wouldn’t have made sense earlier, and then I’d just talk about it, sometimes with the help of the board, sometimes not. The whole “stand before the class and speak with the assistance of visual aids” structure of a formal lecture is really more useful in a large class that has to get through a ton of material, or in a class where you are learning the material one step ahead of the students and need that crutch. In a smaller class where you know the material already, and where a good chunk of it is presented in response to specific issues or student needs or interests, you may be better off in a less structured mode.

It’s rather like posting on your blog and responding to the comments, actually!

]]> By: mark http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255953 mark Wed, 13 May 2009 22:23:46 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255953 Yes, moe, he's a GOP puppet now. During the big telephone conference today, though, there was no consensus on how to use this power. Half wanted to order him to immediately appoint John Yoo to the SC vacancy. Half thought the power should be tested first by ordering him to tell Michele he never really liked her meatloaf. Yes, moe, he’s a GOP puppet now. During the big telephone conference today, though, there was no consensus on how to use this power. Half wanted to order him to immediately appoint John Yoo to the SC vacancy. Half thought the power should be tested first by ordering him to tell Michele he never really liked her meatloaf.

]]> By: moe99 http://nancynall.com/2009/05/13/stage-fright/#comment-255948 moe99 Wed, 13 May 2009 21:34:48 +0000 http://nancynall.com/?p=3890#comment-255948 It's unfortunate that Obama caved. Now the Repubs will think they have him under their control. Until this sordid mess is fully aired and dealt with in a responsible manner (including prosecutions where necessary)it will be growing like a chancre under our national skin and feeding off of our fears and hatreds. It’s unfortunate that Obama caved. Now the Repubs will think they have him under their control. Until this sordid mess is fully aired and dealt with in a responsible manner (including prosecutions where necessary)it will be growing like a chancre under our national skin and feeding off of our fears and hatreds.

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