Of Columns and Gods

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargeYes, all those Greek Columns the Red Staters have been masturbating over, it seems to be Thomas Jefferson's fault. Cause you know, there are NO Greco-Roman inspirations in Monticello. From Wikipedia: Thomas Jefferson owned a copy of the first volume of The Antiquities of Athens, and though he never practiced in the style Jefferson was to prove instrumental in introducing Greek Revival architecture to the United States. In 1803, Benjamin Latrobe was appointed by Jefferson as surveyor of public building in the United States, Latrobe went on to design a number of important public buildings in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, including work on the United States Capitol and the Bank of Pennsylvania. Latrobe's design for the Capitol was an imaginative interpretation of the classical orders not constrained by historical precedent, incorporating American motifs such as corncobs and tobacco leaves into his capitals. This idiosyncratic approach was to become typical of the American attitude to Greek detailing. His overall plan for the Capitol did not survive, though much of his interiors do. He also did notable work on the Supreme Court interior (1806-7) and his masterpiece, the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Baltimore (1805-21). Even as he claimed that “I am a bigoted Greek in the condemnation of the Roman architecture…,” he did not seek to rigidly impose Greek forms, stating that “[o]ur religion requires a church wholly different from the temple, our legislative assemblies and our courts of justice, buildings of entirely different principles from their basilicas; and our amusements could not possibly be performed in their theatres or amphitheatres.” Latrobe’s circle of junior colleagues would prove to be an informal school of Greek revivalists, and it was his influence that was to shape the next generation of American architects. The second phase in the development of American Greek revival saw the pupils of Latrobe create a monumental national style under the patronage of banker and hellenophile Nicholas Biddle, including such works as the Second Bank of the United States by William Strickland (1824), Biddle’s home "Andalusia" by Thomas U. Walter (1835-6), and Girard College also by Walter (1833-47). New York saw the construction (1833) of the row of Greek temples at Sailors' Snug Harbor. At the same time, the popular appetite for the Greek was sustained by architectural pattern books, the most important of which was Asher Benjamin’s The Practical House Carpenter (1830). This guide helped create the proliferation of Greek homes seen especially in northern New York State and the Western Reserves of Ohio. From the period of about 1820 to 1850, the Greek Revival style dominated the United States and could be found as far west as Springfield, Illinois.

The State of Some Other Nation Speech

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargeLike passing a turd that overstayed its welcome by a few days, that is what it felt like to see George W. Bush giving his last and final State of the Union Address (unless he declares martial law in an October surprise and calls off the 2008 election). Bush's speech was a total cognitive disconnect to the real problems of this country. He used the root word "terror" 23 times and never mentioned Katrina once. He complained about earmarks yet this Congress has greatly reduced the number of earmarks. Also he ignores the fact that he never vetoed a single bill from the Republican Congress - some of which were the most earmarked laden in history. Wages are up? Bullshit. The economy is growing? Has anyone told him the stock market is tanking? It is tanking so bad that the Fed rushed out an emergency interest rate cut... and is considering another one. If his economy is growing then why is he signing tax rebate bill? The Treasury Department will need to get a loan from the Chinese to pay for it. You folks remember the last time Bush gave out rebate checks? We needed a $51 billion loan for that one too - and we haven't paid that one off yet.. we are only paying the interest. In Bush's address, he tells us he will send Congress a bill that will cut 151 "wasteful" programs totaling $18 billion. That is it? That is all you have? How about this for a bill? Bring our troops home and save up towards a $100 billion for the next year? How about cutting back on our overly bloated military spending. You know, if you practiced diplomacy you wouldn't need all those damn cannons. And Bush calls out Congress for stifling scientific progress. This is the most anti-science administration in history. Typically, American Presidents have always pushed the frontiers of science and technology forward. This is the only President that has retarded scientific progress to the point where lobbyist and attorneys with no scientific background have edited scientific papers and studies. The rest of his speech seemed to focus on war, war, more war with an extra helping of preemptive war. He goes off on Iran and "militants trained by Iran" but he doesn't even mention Turkey bombing Iraq to kill Iraqis trained by the Iraqis (and probably by the US as an artifact of unintended consequences). I have no idea what country Bush's fantasy was talking about, but it wasn't the United States. These days, I am ready to hear about Camelot.

Where's my Civil Defense Guide to Fallout?

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlarge From Satan's Temple of Deceit: And Iran's active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust. One thing I will say about Reagan (and Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson and JFK), if that quote above was uttered by one of them, I would have thought the threat was real because back in the good old days of the Cold War (can't believe I wrote that) it would have been an accurate portrayal. Leave it to Bush Junior to create the threat of nuclear annihilation where there isn't one. I am MORE worried about what Bush will do with nuclear weapons than I am Iran. Bush has broken every nuclear treaty we have ever signed, avoided new nuclear arms control agreements at every turn and has even ramped up American production of NEW nuclear weapons. I guess the weapons we had on hand weren't enough, you know, the ones where we could destroy the planet hundreds of times over. Has anyone in the Bush Administration EVER set down at a table for peace talks? Has he ever just chatted about peace at the White House water cooler? Has BushCo ever taken a break from thinking about TOTAL UTTER DESTRUCTION for one single minute since they took control? Let me go back to my tired-assed Africa analogy, before we invaded Iraq over WMD I stated you could have thrown a dart at Africa and chances were you would find someone worse than Saddam Hussein. Well, Iran is even farther from WMD development than Iraq was and the rogue nations that have REAL nuclear programs far out number Iran. So why Iran? I hope everyone ASKS that question NOW before Bush goes off and nukes Iran. And will someone please tell Pelosi to stop this madman? Please?