Obama '08?

@izzythepush,

Quote:

When disguised, The Red Guy often is without pants or disguise names reflect this in puns or more literal references such as "Mr. Likenopants", "Officer Pantsoffski", "Mrs. Bare Derriere", "Ivan Panced", "Lance Sackless", "Ben Panced," "Rear Admiral Floyd", "The Great Pantsini", "Larry Lackapants", "Mr. Jeans Begone", "Dr. Laxslax" and "Dr./Mr./Prof. Heiniebottom"; Supercow will refer to the Red Guy's incarnations as "El Diablo sin pantalones" (literally, "the Devil without pants").

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@spendius,

Well, I've read bunches, but I don't have Set's memory so I can't just go on and on.

The first book I read that went on about him was formative, as a baseline - not that if I reread it now that I would like the book - maybe I should dig it up from my packed books and reread. It was a good start, whether I would like it now or not.

The Italians, by Luigi Barzini.
http://www.amazon.com/Italians-Luigi-Barzini/dp/0684825007

Of course, my copy was used, old, and crumpled, written many years before this edition shown on Amazon.

I read one book that was pretty detailed about his end days, but of course I don't remember the title. The good news is that I still have virtually all the books I've read about italy, unless they were from the UCLA research library, or police or art procedurals, which are a sort of candy for me, that I tended to save for a while and eventually sold back to used book stores.

I'll nose around and get back to you on books I liked or didn't, re Mussolini. Thinking of a small one, blue cover, early date. Midnight of the gods, or some such inflammatory title.

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@ossobuco,

Adds - a fellow I admire as having a good brain while writing about italy in a non-yet another foreigner in love with italy way is Tim Parks. (Cambridge et al). He's a reviewer for the New York Review of Books, if that means anything. Not to me, since I can only see snippets of his stuff there without paying a fee. But I read Parks before all that.

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@spendius,

spendius wrote:

Thanks for the invitation but I never travel. I'm a cautious man and I might even be said to be timid just as Allan Quatermain confessed to being in King Solomon's Mines. Have you read that masterpiece? You ought to. It was written for blokes our age as well as for the young lads.

I read a few of Rider Haggard's books as a boy ("Montezuma's Daughter" was a reading assignment during my first year in High School and I followed with "She", and "Eric Brighteyes". ) Later I discovered that he was a great plagarist: Montezuma's daughter was taken whole from the Biography of Bernal Diaz (one of Cortez' soldiers), and Eric Brighteyes from the Icelandic sagas.

You should consider some travel. You might even enjoy it. On a mild, clear day like today San Francisco is quite beautiful.

spendius wrote:

(I trust that siggy is as far as you go with WBY.

No, I like most of Yeats' work, and am a lifelong fan of poetry - even of the works of some of your countrymen.

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@spendius,

I've no idea what clever means to spendius, but if you don't see the cleverness in this parody, I can't hope to explain it to you.

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finn, if there was supposed to be a link to something in your post, there wasn't.

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@Finn dAbuzz,

It's not clever at all, it's just a lazy insult. Obama has not displayed any of the characteristics of the debauchery associated with the Roman Empire. Bush, however, with his coke snorting, drunk driving hedonism is another matter.

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@izzythepush,

I'll admit that it requires a certain amount of skill and patience but clever it is not. It is burlesque. Compared to Dante it's pathetic.

A crucifixion scene might have made an interesting point. Bill Clinton has a reputation for having a pagan administration I gather but Mr Obama is known to be a puritan. He once left a stag party in an English pub when the stripper appeared.

So the "parody" is a lie. Atheists use the method to denigrate Christianity but don't lay a glove on it. They just make themselves look stupid.

Mr Obama bounding up every set of steps he comes to is far more revealing. I saw him do it again last night on CBS News. And that's real.

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@spendius,

It's more in keeping with the banal postings of H2O Man. You're quite right, more Pante than Dante.

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@MontereyJack,

I think you mean the post with the photo of Obama waving.

The link was to another image in a website. Apparently the owner of that website doesn't approve of such links.

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@spendius,

Sorry you and izzy don't appreciate it.

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@Finn dAbuzz,

That's okay Finn. We understand. We've been told about the failings of the American educational system often enough. It's satisfying to see some real evidence for the assertion.

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@spendius,

Glad to be of service.

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Here's an interesting e-mail I just got from the Department of Energy, Diversity office. It apparently was sent to all their contractors under the subject line of "Share your Thoughts with the White House". I have been in business for a long time but have never seen anything as blatant as this coming from an agency of the Federal Government.

Quote:

The White House has just launched We the People on WhiteHouse.gov. It's a new way for Americans to create and sign petitions calling on the Obama Administration to take action on a range issues that are important to you - like small business contracting, environmental justice, or civil rights.
Check out We the People.
We the People is easy to use. Here's a message from the White House on how We the People works for you:
1. Create or Sign a Petition: Anyone 13 or older can create or sign a petition on WhiteHouse.gov asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range issues. Your petition will finish the sentence "We believe the Obama Administration should _____."
2. Build Support and Gather Signatures for your Petition: It's up to you to build support for a petition. Use email, Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth to tell your friends, family and coworkers about the petitions you care about.
3. The White House Reviews and Responds: If a petition reaches 5,000 supporters within 30 days, it will be reviewed by a standing group of White House officials, referred to any other relevant policymakers and an official response will be issued.
The idea of petitioning the White House or the government isn't new, but this tool is. The White House has never tried anything like this before, and as a result, they will probably have to make some adjustments as they go. The White House blog will post updates on using We the People.
So think about an issue you care about, who you can reach out to join you, and get started:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/Petitions
P.S. Help spread the word about this new tool by forwarding this email to anyone else who would find We the People interesting.

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@georgeob1,

Blatantly what, exactly?

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

I think what George means is the blatant theft of yet another British good idea by Americans.

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@izzythepush,

I think George means that it is a blatant attempt to place as many people as possible under the illusion that they are part of the administration.

Quote:

The White House has never tried anything like this before, and as a result, they will probably have to make some adjustments as they go.

That jars my senses a little. Shouldn't the two 'theys' be 'it' and 'it goes'? I would put the first comma after 'and' rather then before it.

It looks to me that an English Major has been at work.

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@spendius,

Don't expect a mea culpa, he'll do his best to wriggle out of that.

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@spendius,

spendius wrote:

Quote:
The White House has never tried anything like this before, and as a result, they will probably have to make some adjustments as they go.

That jars my senses a little. Shouldn't the two 'theys' be 'it' and 'it goes'? I would put the first comma after 'and' rather then before it.

It looks to me that an English Major has been at work.

The e-mail was issued by the department that manages the issuance of contracts to their suppliers and consultants, and the group that specializes in contracts for favored minorities It was sent (apparently) to executives of all corporate contractors. Such promotion of White House Political initiatives is quite extraordinary from these sources.

Bureaucratic syntax is very often jarring and odd.

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@georgeob1,

Are you going to share with us what it is you feel is so blatant about the e-mail?

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