Revenge of the Bull

Politics aside...

Pick on a bull and what do you expect? I didn't know a bull could jump so high... several meters. But, desperate bulls do desperate things.









Sources:

Associated Press, "Bull leaps into bullring stands in Spain, 40 hurt", August 19, 2010.

More Examples of Left & Right Collaboration

Maybe you've experienced this. You take interest in something you've not noticed before, say a car of a particular color. Then you start noticing this thing all over the place when you didn't before.

Maybe that's what's going on with me and the thesis I'm pursuing about the potential power of principled people on the left & right joining forces to challenge the power and policies of the establishment. I've been addressing this topic in the past few episodes of GDAE Podcast:

Part 1: (20-min abridged) - The Thesis of the Left & Right Joining Together. Motivations and Defining the Thesis. Real-world example: Challenging the Consolidation of Media Ownership.

Part 2: (30-min) - More than a Hypothesis: Real-world examples of Left/Right Joint Efforts to Challenge the Establishment. The call to "Audit the Federal Reserve."

Part 3: (30-min) - More Real-world examples. The late-1800s Populist Movement & the current movement calling for strict adherence to 10th Amendment of the US Constitution.

Now I'm starting to see more real-world cases and other people observing this social phenomenon. The Tea Party movement, for the most part, is NOT a part of this left/right coming together. That's in part because it's partly co opted by corporate sponsors and demagogues like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck (tho the concerns of its diverse membership are similar).

This is also not about establishment conservatives who reject the Tea Party, or , or at least hold them at a distance. Tho, there can be some intersection these principled establishment conservatives too. One example is the conservative and liberal lawyers who challenged the constitutionality of California's Anti-gay marriage Proposition 8. (The two lawyers were conservative Ted Olsen and liberal David Boies, the two of whom battled each other in the Bush v. Gore 2000 election coup). But lets face it, Olsen & Boies are part of the establishment mindset.

It's hard to pin down this phenomenon, in part because it is diverse and complex. But, when you hear the examples and discussions on the previous podcasts, it starts to take shape. I'll be expanding on more examples in the August GDAE Podcast, so stay tuned.

Sources:

Originally posted on Challenge the Establishment Blog.

What Does Israel Have to Hide?

Israel: UN won't question IDF soldiers in Gaza flotilla probe

Sources:

Haaretz, Aug. 9, 2010, By Barak Ravid and DPA.

Feather Installation Bruges

This installation art with feathers was in a church in Bruges, Belgium.

Feather Installation Art, Bruges Belgium

We also got to meet "Mangoboy" who hung where we ate breakfast in our Bruges B&B. I thought it was kinda funny.... like he's running from a tidal wave.

Mango Boy, Bruges, Belgium.

Michelle Bachmann is an Alian Lizard

I'm all for reforming the corporate-corrupted culture of Washington, DC, but I'd prefer not having lizard people lead the charge.


I received an e-mail that reads, in part:

I am pleased to announce that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has agreed to keynote our Robert L. Bartley Gala Dinner this November 9th!

Buy Your Table or Tickets Today!

And, while they are selling platinum sponsorships at $25,000 a pop, and gold ones at a mere $10k, they are also challenging the ruling class:

Congresswoman Bachmann is indeed a friend of liberty. Elected in 2006, she represents a newer class of Congressional representatives tired of the Beltway politics of the 'Ruling Class.'

In her short tenure in Congress, Rep. Bachmann has developed a reputation as a principled reformer who stays true to her conservative beliefs while pushing for real reform of the broken ways of Washington.

I guess it's Spectator Magazine's event. Creepy if you ask me.