Coffee Shop Philosopher

This bit of unintentional fun is brought to you by the good advertising folks at HuffPo.

A new voice for Geico?

What I like most about the web it the ability to provide content specific advertising that, in this case, is out of context. Many of the comments heap scorn on Geico, though I don’t fault the company’s actions. What Douglas (aka Lance Baxter) did was stupid, as he admits, and Geico is correct in distancing itself.

Frankly, what bothers me most is that FreedomWorks, which received D.C.Douglas’ call privately, elected to make it public, including releasing Douglas’ home phone number and inviting its members to complain directly.

FreedomWorks Matt Kibbe has the gall to then complain about hate speech, noting a 9/11 bomb threat to Freedomworks he said media ignored, and to call for civil discourse. Was releasing Douglas’ home phone number civil? No.

No word yet from Douglas on the temper of those complaints Kibbie spurred on.

Amazing creativity and well past time for a little fun. Trip on over to Vimeo and enjoy more.

Battle of Branchage from seeper on Vimeo.

Are you disaffected because hope didn’t come true with the wave of a hand? If you drop out of the political process, what happens?

Those tea party mobs win. Those who obstruct win. Those sophists who lie win.

Hope endures only if you persist in its pursuit.

This week, my sister, my wife and I held a quiet discussion with my 83-year-old father. He’s been diagnosed with ALS. My sister, Karen, earnestly worked through a Five Wishes living will workbook.

He likes banana cream pie. Our daughter-in-law has been making sugar free pies for him.

To hell with sugar free.

Does it strike you that Mexico is suffering from the same violence the US prohibition era spawned: Capone on steroids? Daily Kos has an interesting take.

Two men hanging from a highway overpass fighting for turf, the right to sell someone north of the border some marijuana. Does this make sense?

The problem is, can we reach a more sensible drug policy in this current era, driven by moralist prohibition politics and “get tough on crime” intransigence? Most of state prison spending is related to substance abuse.