In light of Paramount’s cowardly decision to ban not only The Interview but also Team America (which itself is required viewing for Slopers), I offer the following:
Slope of Hope Blog Posts
Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.
Quayle Quotes
Just for the hell of it………a political blast from the past – – favorite Dan Quayle quotes:
- “Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.”
- “One word probably sums up the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared.'”
- “Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.”
- “I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future.”
- “We are going to have the best-educated American people in the world.”
- “People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history.”
- “For NASA, space is still a high priority.”
- Shortly after Bush announced the Space Exploration Initiative, which included a manned landing on Mars, Quayle was asked his thoughts on sending humans to Mars. In his response he made a series of scientifically erroneous statements: “Mars is essentially in the same orbit [as Earth]….Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe.”
- “You all look like happy campers to me. Happy campers you are, happy campers you have been, and, as far as I am concerned, happy campers you will always be.” (In a speech to American Samoans, April 1989)
Democracy In Action
This is a riot: watch the gubernatorial debate in Florida as the two candidates have a pissing match over………….a fan. One of the candidates wanted a fan for a little bit of cooling, and the other guy insisted it was against the rules of the debate (in point of fact, the rules forbid “electronics” like, oh, say, having a personal computer or iPhone during the debate, which makes sense – – – most folks agree a small electric fan does not qualify as “electronics”). Pull up a chair, grab a Coke and popcorn, and enjoy:
The Great Deformation
This is going to be a review of David Stockman’s 768-page tome The Great Deformation, and 
although I never thought it was possible, it makes me angry to write this book review.
I’m not angry because I don’t like the book. On the contrary, this is the best economics book I’ve ever read. Indeed, it may be the best and most influential book I’ve ever read in my life. I only wish I had read it the moment it was published in April 2013. I only finished reading it today, and for the entire time I’ve been plowing through it, I’ve been trying to think of what I would say in this review.
Why am I angry, then, to write this? Bluntly stated, because nothing I can say will make what I want a reality. And what I want is for every literate person in the United States to read this book, cover to cover. I want them to read it. I want them to understand it. I want them to agitate for the changes that it recommends. (more…)
Taupe: It’s Not Just For The Oval Office Anymore
Whether it’s politics or business one thing remains the same: if you are designated or perceived as the leader, everything you say or do is viewed with an eye searching for obvious and hidden meanings. While at the same time the higher the level or more commanding the position, that search goes from the naked eye to one looking via an electron microscope.
Words matter, the way they are said can matter even more, yet what is just as important is the posture, and yes – that can include even your choice of attire. (more…)
