I got these two quotes from Brad's Brain:

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini (widely attributed)

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." -- Sinclair Lewis

I got these here:

"Fascism is capitalism plus murder." -- Upton Sinclair

"Fascism is capitalism in decay" -- Vladimir Lenin

"Green politics at its worst amounts to a sort of Zen fascism; less extreme, it denounces growth and seeks to stop the world so that we can all get off." -- Chris Patten

"Fascism is a religious concept" -- Benito Mussolini

I hate to quote Mussolini twice, but ever since I ran across Brad's post on the modern fascist state, I've been thinking about the alignment between business and government.

Ever since the Supreme Court ruling in Kelo V. New London, there should be absolutely no doubt where government lies on the business equation. Effectively, the ruling said that more tax revenue is for the public good. As credit card companies bombard us with more and more credit card applications, they have managed to reform bankruptcy. Now, if they give us 40 credit cards that we can't make payments on, we can't file bankruptcy to get out from under the crippling debt. But we might be able to get a couple more credit cards. . .

Government has ceased to be about the people, and instead become about the economy. And it's not just the Republicans' fault. It's not just the Democrats' fault. It's everybody's fault. "Everyone votes with their wallet," as the old saying goes. Corporations can afford to vote a bit more heavily than we can, and all politicians listen. That's why the Democrats couldn't pass campaign reform and that's why the Republicans can't. They would be biting the hands that feed them.

Since we, as individuals, don't matter to Congress or the Supreme Court, why should they do anything to help us--like strengthen bankruptcy laws instead of restrict them, like protect our private property?

The Cold War is over, and I think we lost.

Dr. Slump is in America!

I know I have mentioned before that I was once an exchange student in Japan. I know I have repeated so many times that everyone groans when I start a post that way. But please, KEEP READING!

I was at the train station in Isahaya, headed for Nagasaki on looking for something to read. There, on the kiosk was a stack of Shonen Jump books and I bought Dr. Slump #8. I became a fan of Akira Toriyama instantly. It was childish and silly, and I loved it! Before I left Japan, I had collected the entire 18 volume Dr. Slump Set and the first couple or five Dragon Ball collections.

When Viz Comics first began publishing Dragon Ball here, I wrote them monthly asking for a translation of Dr. Slump. For years, I've been waiting, now its HERE!

I just finished reading Volume 1. The first few volumes weren't my favorites, and I don't think the strip hit its stride until Senbei married Yamabuki Sensei late in the run. (Sorry for the spoiler.) The translation is pretty good, although the kids use modern slang, which threw me for a while. Some of the jokes don't translate well, but that's to be expected. And, the series was aimed at teen boys, so there's lots of "poop" humor, not that there's anything wrong with that. If you get a chance, check it out.

I have just completed a complete review of the latest translation of the Bible, and still can't find America. I am forced to conclude that America is merely a theory.

Check out the link.

Seriously.

Otherwise you won't laugh.

Yes, it is a long way to go for a joke.

Now here's a surprise: I'm Goofy.

You scored as Goofy. Your alter ego is Goofy! You are fun and great to be around, and you are always willing to help others. You arn't worried about embarrassing yourself, so you are one who is more willing to try new things. Goofy 75% The Beast 69% Ariel 69% Peter Pan 69% Donald Duck 63% Sleeping Beauty 50% Pinocchio 50% Cinderella 44% Snow White 38% Cruella De Ville 31% Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com

I was betting on Doc!

Hunker down, boys and girls! It's gonna be a long summer!

Even as we (The metphorical we, of course. I'm not doing it.) begin to clean up after Hurricane Dennis, Tropical Depression 5 is warming up in the wings.

I was right.

Mark your calendars, folks.

Gravity is only a theory!

The existence of tides is often taken as a proof of gravity, but this is logically flawed. Because if the moon's "“gravity"” were responsible for a bulge underneath it, then how can anyone explain a high tide on the opposite side of the earth at the same time? Anyone can observe that there are 2 -- not 1 -- high tides every day. It is far more likely that tides were given us by an Intelligent Creator long ago and they have been with us ever since. In any case, two high tides falsifies gravity.

. . .

When the planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, he relied on "“gravitational calculations." But Tombaugh was a Unitarian, a liberal religious group that supports the Theory of Gravity. The modern-day Unitarian-Universalists continue to rely on liberal notions and dismiss ideas of anti-gravity as heretical. Tombaugh never even attempted to justify his "“gravitational calculationsÃ?" on the basis of Scripture, and he went on to be a founding member of the liberal Unitarian Fellowship of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Since the theory of gravity has not been tested against the Holy Scriptures, gravity is only a theory! Therefore, when you drop something, God pushes it to the ground! Birds are kept aloft by God's will! So are planes!

Hallelujah! And praise Jebus!