WDR Recommends: A Little Light Reading

We understand that many of you shape your entire worldview by solely looking at this blog. This makes you more knowledgeable than 94.3% of Internet users, and for that, you deserve a pat on the back (WDR Courtesy Note: before forcibly taking your neighbor's hand and placing it on your backside, it is best if you ask for their permission, preferably in writing). However, we feel that your education would be slightly incomplete if you solely rely on us, so we're providing some interesting links that we've come across.


The Right Has No Clue What To Do. Paul Krugman offers up a column that states clearly what I've been saying in private for some time now--the Right knows how to capture a phrase, but never follows through on their promises. All this talk of "small government" was en vogue during the 90's when the Republicans came into power once again, but we saw greater spending and greater deficits--you know, just like Reagan. And we're seeing the rise of that rhetoric once again, and just as repeated history dictates, we're seeing no actual solutions from the Right. Spending cuts sound like a good idea, until you try to figure out what needs to be cut.

Labeling a "Terrorist" Glenn Greenwald provides a scathing critique of the unwillingness to label the "Tax Protester" a terrorist, despite fulfilling every qualification for the term--except for being a Muslim/Arab. This looks at our nonsensical application of the word, from those who target military targets but are Muslim ("Terrorist") versus those that kill civilians, but are white ("Separatist" or some other term). You would think that this is important, considering that if you are labelled a terrorist you can be shuttled off to Guantanamo and be deprived of basic due process, even if you're an American citizen.

Milk Inspires Poetry A product review for a gallon of milk sparks creativity in the minds of Amazon users. Also check out this product that other users bought.

Other People Learn of the Brilliance of "Lady Terminator" A look at Indonesian exploitation films, and finally we have a reason why Lady Terminator exists and is nearly indistinguishable from a porno.

WDR Recommends This week, we recommend renting Black Dynamite. This is an absolutely hilarious film that examines the Blaxploitation era in a whole new light, and will have you on the floor laughing as you repeat back lines like "Now Aunt Billy, how many times have I told you not to call here and interrupt my Kung Fu!"

MUUUUUUR-DER!

Let me first say that I don't mean to make light of a murder (You'd be surprised how many times I say this in a day!). This is a sad story. But there was something about it that caught my eye. You see it? I'll give you time to read it. I'll wait...



OK. Rule 1 of hiking by yourself (especially if you're a woman): Don't hike on BLOOD MOUNTAIN. Seriously, doesn't that sound like some new horror movie? Heck, a few years down the line it probably will be. You might as well camp at the bottom of Rabid Grizzly Canyon or on top of Werewolf Butte on a full moon.

Blood Mountain! Seriously!

A Slightly Educated View of Important Stuff: Immigration v. Health Care

We here at WDR not only bring you random absurd observations, but we bring you all kinds of random observations. You see, we are not tied down to just the absurd, though we do love to revel in it. No, sometimes we take things seriously. Well, not C-SPAN serious, but we at least take it a notch-or-two above barroom banter or stoner discourse. And we do that in items like this new series: A Slightly Educated View of Important Stuff.



If you had paid attention at all to the happenings in DC the past week, you'd know that the hot-button issue has been Immigration Reform. Well, at least it was, since the bill was attempting it got shot down in flames, hardcore.

There was another issue that got some press, mainly because some fat guy in a baseball cap made a movie about it. Yup, Michael Moore sparked some talk about our nation's problematic health care system with his new movie Sicko. However, this discussion was limited basically to magazine writers and newspaper columnists who filled op-ed pages, pushing an agenda one way or another (I'm not naming sides here).



My point is this: while immigration has been the number one priority issue, it has unfairly relegated the more important problem of health care to the backburner. But Nic, you say, the Mexicans are invading our country! We are at risk! How can you say that health care is more important? Well, I can point it out with just plain numbers. The number of illegal immigrants in this country is around 12 million, while the number of uninsured Americans is close to 45 million, nearly 4 times as much. And that doesn't even take into the count the tens of millions of others that have had to navigate the nightmare of making do with atrocious coverage. It's a simplistic view, yes, but it should put the problem into perspective.

And perspective is a huge problem with these issue. So over the next two days I'm going to look at these issues in-depth, and while not offering any dramatic solutions (I am only slightly educated), it should serve as a better primer for discussing these contentious issues.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming: juvenile humour.