They’re people willing to write for pennies. Typists not writers. They’ve brought down the going rate for pieces of journalism, creative writing, and even technical writing. They have poor grammar, and they wouldn’t know a metaphor if it swung a two-by-four at their heads. Each day, as I attend creative writing groups, teach writing classes, and have meetings with my friends and colleagues, I sit in rooms that are packed with writers like churches are packed with worshippers. We generally come to boast the praises of our craft, but simply end up grumbling... 

“But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears, Take the rag away from your face. Now ain’t the time for your tears.” (Bob Dylan, “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” 1963) Hattie Carroll was a 51 year old African American waitress who was beaten to death at work by a drunken 24-year-old tobacco farmer in 1963.  The farmer, William Devereux  Zantzinger, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for beating Hattie Carroll to death with his cane. How far we’ve come.  No longer do white people beat black people... 

MSNBC nightly newsman, Ed Schultz, went on a paranoid rant last night about how the Republicans “want to make money off your dead corpse.”  Thanks Ed.  In this argument the best thing the Left has had going for it was civility.  Now that you’ve brought yourself down to the level of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, perhaps MSNBC will finally revoke your show.  After all, it was never news or insightful commentary.  You specialize in the-left-can-do-no-wrong yellow journalism.  I thought the blue dog democrats were doing just fine screwing... 

So, if I worked in the Obama administration and I saw the recent Gallup poll, I’d be pretty happy.  Sure he lost 2 points.  But the devil is in the details.  His approval rating dropped from 54% last week to 52% this week.  But he lost 4% among Republicans, folks who wouldn’t vote for him anyhow.  He gained 3% among Independants, a much more valuable vote.  Additionally, he lost ratings among 18-29 year olds, but gained ground with 30-49 year olds.  People in the latter category vote with much higher frequency than do people 29 and younger. As... 

Matt Holliday has been on a terror since joining the St. Louis Cardinals “Holliday…Celebrate. “Holliday…Celebrate.” Madonna’s repetitive opening to “Holiday” (with the appropriate spelling change in “holiday” for the Busch Stadium scoreboard sing-alongs) should be blaring from the speakers at Busch Stadium. Matt Holliday has nearly single-handily carried the St. Louis Cardinals on his back the past two weeks. Holliday has simply been on a terror since joining the squad in late July. His .604 batting average with the Cardinals before Sunday’s... 

Nine-Hundred Forty Three Billion Dollars.  You might be asking: Is that the new cockamamie scheme to rescue America?  The answer is no.  It’s the old cockamamie scheme to rescue America.  Since 9/11/2001 The U.S. has spent a reported $943bil on military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  By next year it will have topped 1 trillion dollars.  Read More →

I tried to ignore this story and pray that it would go away.  A position which might be a great metaphor for America’s policy on racism, but isn’t.  The facts are that Gates was pulled out of his house and got angry.  Of course he was upset that a white Boston cop was harassing him.  Of course the cop was upset that an angry black man was yelling at him.  Where’s the story?  Read More →

Somebody give Michael Irvin a Sharpie and bag of popcorn because he is sounding an awful lot like the guy in the black hat who just left Dallas. Keep the cameras rolling because at any minute, Irvin may blurt out “He’s my quarterback, man. He’s my quarterback” ala Terrell Owen after the Dallas Cowboys’ division playoff loss two years ago. Irvin’s protection of Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo on Wednesday after the first day of practice seemed unwanted and unnecessary. Romo has done just fine this off-season taking care of Romo. He appears more ready... 

Glen Beck, professional douche-bag and Fox “News” anchor, recently declared that Obama has “a deep-seated hatred for whites or white culture.”  I posted the video in the full article.  Read More →

Bill Kristol is a former columnist for the New York Times and now writes a conservative column for the Washington Post.  In an interview last night with Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, Bill Kristol made an odd observation.  He referred to veteran health care as “first class.”  But, according to Kristol, it is too good for civilians, both because of its quality and its expense.  That is interesting.  Perhaps there is an ideological argument for spending more money on veteran health care than on civilian health care.  But for Kristol... 

You’ll want to see the full size image.  So click on that –>  Read More →

Eminent file sharing site The Pirate Bay is facing new legal allegations from Hollywood.  According to the BBC: “Thirteen Hollywood production companies have filed a new lawsuit to try to get the website shut down.” The website’s former owners were sentenced to prison recently and the site was sold soon thereafter.  The site has proposed a new business model; but they have not ceased their “illegal” activities.  So now that the copyright industry has one a lawsuit against TPB, others are swooping in for a piece of that action.... 

Thank you everyone who helped make Filterless a better and bigger blog.  Now that the new blog smell has gone however, many people have moved on.  So I’m changing Filterless back to my own personal blog.  So, to the former writers: Good luck, so long, and thanks for all the fish. UPDATE: The permissions have been restored for all writers, if you feel inspired.  Read More →

Although I’m sure there are other applications, this seems a pretty natural fit for a rave.  Some wizards have figured a way to make a strip of light that can bend, provide even illumination, and can be shot by a shotgun.  No, I’m not kidding.  Check it out.  Start the techno.  Read More →

An icon of internet peer-to-peer file sharing has been sold for nearly $8 million.  The Pirate Bay, which has been in operation in Sweden for six years, has come under new management.  The new owner hopes to move the site forward by way of decentralizing the service.  Rather than hosting the servers themselves, they will move that responsibility to a variety of hosts.  I am immediately reminded of Napster.  The owner’s of Pirate Bay, like Napster, were sued by the recording industry and were forced to relinquish control of the site.  For the past...