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To whom it may concern:

I would like to call your timely Notice and Attention to the fact of your books having been found in the premi of a certain Jim Adkission, as in the near-massacree @ a Unitarian Universalist church near Knoxville, Tennessee on Sunday last; the better, he hoped, to "send a message" about "liberals" somehow "threatening" the traditional pride of place you claim "real Americans" (read: conservatives) hold.

And knowing (un)consciously that your respective works may have motivated Mr. Adkisson's acts, deeds and exploits to the extent where two people were killed, as news reports and bloggers have suggested, perhaps it was time to ask you for once:

Have you no shame for what your words have done?

Have you no sense of remorse?

Have you no sense of Decency, Sir, @ long last?

Have you left no sense of Decency?

What exactly precludes your having any feelings of shame, remorse, guilt, responsibility or culpability for the byproducts of your very words in book (and, perhaps, broadcast) form?

(In case you don't know what I'm talking about, please refer to this Open Letter and read through it carefully. Read it through again and again. And keep reading through it until, preferably, such brings you to weeping and wailing and boohoohooing of the highest order, as if seeking remorse and accepting guilt for your indirectly influencing what some on the Pseudoreligious Right are likely to see as a Hero and Role Model before too long to carry out such deeds as he did.

(But don't come crying to me; you only have yourselves to blame, or so you keep blathering on and on whenever you preachify about Personal Responsibility and Self-Reliance.)

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MEMO TO READERS: As I've mentioned before in situations of this sort, your sharing this message along to your friends and your e-mail circle would be greatly appreciated; the better to make sure The Message gets across.

However, I would recommend avoiding "spam" as a means to an end; "spam" can only undermine the potental effectiveness.

21 hours old

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT, BY WAY OF CONVERSATION THIS MORNING @ THE MOTEL I DO FOR IN WINONA, with a guest out of Austin, TX heading towards Wall Drug and Deadwood:

Having acknowledged where this was his first time in the Midwestern part of the country ever, he took note of where guests @ motels in his part of the country wound up receiving questionable solicitations claiming that they had received "free vacations" to Florida, Chicago or wherever of three days' duration--provided they advanced a "deposit" of some class "to cover administrative and paperwork fees."

Whereupon Your Correspondent promptly pointed out that any "free" offer asking for money in advance was more than likely to be an out-and-out scam, and should therefore be avoided. To which Mein Innkeeper Friend added that the motel didn't sell or share customer names and addresses to anyone, acknowledging that the banks handling credit-card processing for said motels may have so engaged--and to what extent they may have profited from sale of customer lists and databanks.

Not to mention wondering if the practice in question is more likely to involve "cookie-cutter" chain motels more so than smaller, independent "mom-and-pop" such ... and, for that matter, target all the more such holding high-rate and high-fee "sub-prime" VISA and MasterCard accounts.

In any case, the old adage about "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" should still apply in this case.

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METHINKS RECENT DECLINES IN GAS PRICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY (in Winona's case, the prevailing price per "gentleman's agreement" is now $3.599/gallon for regular unleaded, $3.619/gallon for super unleaded and $3.719/gallon for premium unleaded) should also be looked upon as "too good to be true," considering the likely involvement all along of His Fraudulency's Great Within (especially so its "inside of the inside") in the crude oil, natural gas and refined products futures markets all this time, and profiting handsomely in the process.

That, and a group of pseudoreligious in St. Louis holding a prayer service the other day @ a Mobil gas station thanking Elohim for recent gas-price reductions through the agency of His Fraudulency and His Divine Intermediary on Earth and in America, which is probably taking things to the extreme deep end of incredulity and fatousity.

In any case, I would still be the one to recommend maintaining current habits of reducing non-essential auto use ... switching over to more fuel-efficent automobiles ... using public transportation where feasable, and suchlike, as a show of arrogance in and of itself towards the Great Within.

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WITH IRAQ AWASH IN OIL REVENUES TO THE TUNE OF US$71 BILLION IN THE LAST YEAR ALONE, Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki has gone on record as suggesting that the American Colonial Occupation let Iraqi authorities handle its own monies when it comes to infrastructure reconstruction and development, especially so in light of recent notorious scandals involving American contractors having weird and unwholesome types among their ranks.

No doubt nicely playing into the hands of the Zealots and True Believers in xenophobic isolationist articles of faith all along, holding all this time that America=The World, and vice versa; "that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know," as Keats put it in his "Ode on a Grecian Urn."

And staying with Iraq for the nonce, the International Olympic Committee is finally allowing Iraq to send a team (or reasonable facsimilie thereof--as in two, both competing in athletics events) to the Beijing Olympic Games.

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CAN ANY OF YOU SPOT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS from self-proclaimed (and hubris-laden) "capitalist pig" Jonathan Hoenig, as overheard recently on Fox Prolefeed (hat tip to NewsHounds for the remarks):

There is a belief now that individuals, especially young people, should essentially ... "devote themselves" to something greater than themselves--sacrifice their own wants, their own interests, to serve the common good, whatever they happen to believe it is at the time. To me, that's very un-American.

Come to think of it, could we have some Scriptural justification for the argument that serving the greater commonweal above selfish interest is incompatible with Christian Values and Teachings?

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WITH FRIDAY BEING THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE I-35W BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN MINNEAPOLIS, PERHAPS IT MAY BE WORTH NOTING @ THIS TIME that construction of its replacement is progressing @ a faster-than-normal rate, meaning that the contractors involved may be eligible for a special early-completion bonus if same is completed ahead of the November target date.

But then again, Your Correspondent has to wonder if the construction work is being needlessly rushed ahead of schedule for "political reasons" above those of public interest, even to the point where sub-standard construction materials are deliberately being used to expedite completion and, perhaps, influence voters to vote Straight Republican pro Deo, patria et familia come November.

Or, for that matter, whether construction crews are being secretly given some class of drug in the vein of morphine, heroin or D-IX to boost work performance to unusually-Herculean levels so as to expedite the task @ hand (and expected to keep the drug rations hush-hush all the more).

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HOW WOULD GLOBAL-WARMING SKEPTICS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE PAY OF OIL AND GAS INTERESTS, REACT TO THIS INTERESTING ITEM: Bhangladeshi researchers have found that any impact global warming supposedly hath on the land mass of Bhangladesh may be underrated--as in the coastal plain of Bhangladesh actually increasing in land mass thanks to sedimentation from the drainage basins of several major rivers producing, on average, 12.5 square miles/year of new land in the Bhangladeshi delta region over the last 32 years.

In its turn, translating into an estimated 620 square miles of new land mass in some 50 years' time.

Which, given the frequency of cyclones and monsoonal storms across Bhangladesh, may result in such new lands being all the more prone to the ensuing flooding unless steps are taken to ensure their stability, let alone become productive.

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MOST CORDIAL HAT TIP TO THEZOO (ULTIMATELY VIA THE CARPETBAGGER REPORT, KNOW) FOR THE FOLLOWING RATHER ILLUMINATING VIDEO, which is presented without any further elaboration:

Need any more be said?

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AS A PRESUMABLY "MORALLY SUPERIOR" SOCIETY, WE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO EXPECT HARD WORK AND INDUSTRY to be its own reward, and that any deviation from this line is one with "moral lapse."

Especially if one wants to take some vacation time, and even if the employer offers paid vacation leave.

With that in mind, Your Correspondent wishes to call your attention to the following press release from the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau as explains the importance, if not so much the need, for vacations among us "morally superior" Americans--which makes some worthwhile and valid points besides, when you get down to it:

LET NO VACATION DAY GO UNUSED, PROCLAIMS THE WICONSIN DELLS VISITOR BUREAU

Lots of Summer Yet to Be Had, Getaway Good for Your Health Too

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melanie Platt-Gibson, Marketing Director
Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau
608.254.7180, ext. 343 or melanie@wisdells.com

Carla Minsky, Communications
920.924.0297 or cminsky@charter.net

WISCONSIN DELLS, WI (July 28, 2008) -- August is the month for summer vacation, claims the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau, the organization representing over 500 businesses in the community known as “The Waterpark Capital of the World!®” The weather is warmest, the skies bluest and there is that window of opportunity between kids’ summer activities and the fall semester that is narrowing by the day, all suggesting there’s no time like the present to vacation. On top of all that, a getaway can be good for your health. The Visitor Bureau cites recent research from the Travel Industry Association (TIA), the largest trade group representing the tourism industry, that showed the mere anticipation of a vacation generates an increase in positive feelings about one’s life as a whole, one’s family and one’s health. TIA researchers also found that an annual vacation can cut a person’s risk of heart attack by 50%. And rather than detracting from work, vacationing can enhance business accomplishments, with two out of three executives saying they believe vacations improve their creativity.

The Wisconsin Dells Visitor Bureau staff took its vacation platform one step further, blending the TIA findings with research from Expedia.com, the world’s leading online travel agency, that suggests Americans will be leaving in excess of 460 million vacation days on the table in 2008, which comes out to about three per every U.S. working adult.

So, while the country is keyed in on the presidential election, Romy Snyder, executive director of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau and her staff have launched a campaign of their own -- let no vacation day go unused. “There is a lot of summer vacation yet to be had, and we beefed up our Deals and Packages section on the web site to let people know it’s O.K. to break away from work and everyday routines especially when there’s good value in the mix,” said Snyder. “Our latest survey of business owners in the area also showed that visitors seem to be amortizing the cost of gas by spending an extra night in the Dells, another good strategy for using up those vacation days.”

The official web site that Snyder references is www.wisdells.com, with a link to the Deals and Packages section accessed right from the home page. The Visitor & Convention Bureau’s toll-free number is 1-800-223-3557, and their visitor-friendly building is located at 701 Superior Street.

While in Wisconsin Dells, consider a stop at some of the new attractions for 2008. Noah’s Ark Waterpark, America’s largest outdoor waterpark, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a display of waterpark memorabilia and a new play area geared to the young ones called Tadpole Bay. The Wild Rock Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course built around and through a former quarry, has garnered a slew of great golf reviews. Or, if your swing needs some work, check into the new Kalahari Golf Academy at Trappers Turn, the Andy North-designed links. At the Rick Wilcox Magic Theater, master illusionist Rick Wilcox has added the famous Houdini jail escape to his act. The Tommy Bartlett Exploratory landed a replica of the Mercury Space Capsule, originally destined for the Kennedy Space Center. Three campgrounds are sporting new cabins -- Baraboo Hills Campground, Fox Hill RV Park & Campground and Yogi Bear’s Camp-Resort & Water Playground. And two high-end stores have recently opened in downtown Dells -- Artistic Expressions Gift Gallery featuring jewelry, ceramics and art; plus Burl & Boyd, an apparel boutique for women and men.

In the meantime, reconstruction of nearby Lake Delton continues on schedule; this small man-made lake drained at the start of the summer season after severe rains caused it to breach its shoreline. The resorts on the lake have been inventive in offering added-value extras and posting tempting discounted room rates. Overall, 99% of businesses in the Wisconsin Dells area are open, and 93% were never affected by the June storms.

For a listing of all that’s new in Wisconsin Dells for 2008, log on to www.wisdells.com and click on the “what’s new” link under the Destination Wisconsin Dells heading on the home page.

Genoeg gesê?

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TELL ME IF THE FOLLOWING DOESN'T EXACTLY SOUND LIKE ONE FOR RIP LI (more on that shortly):

Conservative editorialist Robert Novak was involved in a hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist in The Nation's Capital last Friday ... and by Sunday, was in hospital diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Since then, he has announced that he will suspend his column for the interim.

What exactly was G-d trying to tell Mr.Novak by such events occuring as they did under these circumstances?

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IN CASE ANY OF YOU READERS GET ANY IDEAS THAT I SHOULD BE SAYING "ONE FOR RIPLEY" AND NOT "ONE FOR RIP LI," please allow me to explain:

For a brief while in the early 1920's, when Robert Ripley was just getting started with his legendary cartoon "Believe It or Not!"--which, in time, would encompass museums, film shorts, radio, television and, more recently, the Information Stuporbahn--he began developing a legendary fascination with China and things Chinese. And one manifestation of this was his briefly signing his cartoons as "Rip Li," a mock-Chinese version on Ripley.

Not to mention his fondness for decorating whole rooms in his residences in Chinese fashion, wearing Chinese robes, hosting lavsh Chinese dinners and even acquiring an authentic Chinese junk he called "Mon Li."

Now you know.

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STAYING ON THE CHINESE THEME FOR A MOMENT, AND SEEING AS HOW THE GAMES OF THE XXIX OLYMPIAD WILL OPEN IN BEIJING in nine days' time from today, perhaps it will be worth noting where:

• Amnesty International has come out with a blistering indictment of the Chinese Government's "human rights policies" (or reasonable facsimilies thereof) since Beijing was awarded the XXIX Olympic Games in 2001, essentially suggesting that the Chinese Government's propaganda slogan of "a more open China welcomes [the] 2008 Olympic Games" was just propaganda slogan, nothing else.
• And, for those of you whining the meme of "Social Engineering! Social Engineering!" (in the key of "Ring around the collar!", no doubt) in service to the Greater Conservative Agenda, you might like to know where the Chinese authorities, for the sake of the Beijing Olympic Games, may impose further restrictions on auto travel in and around Olympics venues in Beijing beond such now in force ... as well as a blanket ban on construction and engineering activity, energy-intensive manufacturing and use of coal-fired power generating facilities for the duration.

But then again, the next Olympic Games after Beijing will be the XXX such in London, scheduled for 2012. (Which, BTW, will be the third time London has hosted the Olympics, having previously hosted the Games in 1908 and 1948.)

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DOUBLETHINK, WHITE HOUSE STYLEE: It took quite awhile, but His Fraudulency has finally acknowledged where the United States is facing Serious Economic Crises within measurable distance, if not yet already.

But, on the other hand, Your Correspopndent would like to know what exactly is precluding His Fraudulency's Great Within, let alone His Fraudulency "himself," from acknowledging tacitly and @ once openly that they, and they alone, are to blame for embracing flawed, misguided and discredited socioeconomic thought to the point of creating the very conditions by which the situation is being made manifest just now.

In particular:

• the discredited "supply-side" (a/k/a "trickle-down") school of thought as expects tax cuts to translate into employers creating jobs out of the goodness of their collective hearts and minds, in turn translating into sustained tax revenue collections @ prevailing rates along with a theoretical nil rate of unemploment within free-market capitalistic parameters and paradigms;
• insistence that Americans maintain some semblance of normalcy in everyday routines as part of the Greater Battle Against International Terrorism, and to excuse such as necessary for G-d and Country;
• further insisting that the ur-RAHOWA Against International Terrorism can be financed by keeping taxes all the lower in the hope of creating jobs and, in turn, socioeconomic stability--not to mention wasteful, frivolous and unnecessary consumer spending as part of the preceding point; and
• looking for cheap, cheerful and @ once "fresh and innovative" ways to (howbeit subtly) expect the Lower Classes to develop a "healthy acceptance" of free-market capitalism with American charactristics as Great White Father, which, in its turn, will translate into a Classless Ownership Society based on free-maket capitalistic models and a healthy respect for human rights and liberty after years, even generations, of "helpless enslavement to Socialistic and other un-American beliefs" which State Welfare supposedly promoted (howbeit subtly) among the poor and National Minorities. (To be especially "helpful and beneificial" in pushing for a "complete, final and binding" denationalisation of "failed and failing" State systems of social welfare and Social Security as would emphasise "empowerment" over "dependency," even if it meant invoking crass stereotypes of the poor.)

"Money is the root of all evil."
Why not invest yours in United States Savings Bonds?

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ONCE AGAIN, YOUR CORRESPONDNT WISHES TO REMIND YOU OF WHERE HE INTENDS TO TURN OVER PART OF HIS PROCEEDS FROM THE ONLINE SHOPPING offered @ this "irresponsible" weblog towards Reduction of the National Debt--as if you needed a reason to shop online as a regular visitor here.

So what exactly stands in the way of your actually making purchases as long as you're here?

And can you honestly show me cause why the National Debt ought be of no worthwhile interest to the average person save for selective sound bites on the news so as to discourage actual action, let alone talk?