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I'll save $2600 under the Obama Tax plan. Yay!
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Real conversations with my children
TV: BLARGH! BLARGH! BLARGH!
Kids: Dad! The TV's doing something!
Me: (run up the stairs) Is that the emergency broadcast message?
TV: THIS IS THE WEEKLY TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM.
Me: Oh, good. They haven't realized that we're really aliens yet and I've replaced your father to take over the world.
Kids: Yeah, whatever. Look - Pikachu!
Me: Nothing? That's all I get?
Kids: Dad! The TV's doing something!
Me: (run up the stairs) Is that the emergency broadcast message?
TV: THIS IS THE WEEKLY TEST OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM.
Me: Oh, good. They haven't realized that we're really aliens yet and I've replaced your father to take over the world.
Kids: Yeah, whatever. Look - Pikachu!
Me: Nothing? That's all I get?
Real Conversations with my Wife
Me: You know, we're about to miss the special two hour church meeting.
My Lovely Wife (MLW): Hm.
Me: Does this mean we're going to go to Hell?
MLW: I thought that was sitting for two hours in church trying to keep the children quiet for TWO HOURS.
Me: I'm guessing not.
My Lovely Wife (MLW): Hm.
Me: Does this mean we're going to go to Hell?
MLW: I thought that was sitting for two hours in church trying to keep the children quiet for TWO HOURS.
Me: I'm guessing not.
Monday, August 25, 2008
God's Aim is Off
Remember how Focus on the Family was praying for rain to interrupt the Obama speech in Thursday in Denver?
Turns out, they got their wish - but their aim is off. The Fox News booth in the DNC got flooded. Whoops.
Turns out, they got their wish - but their aim is off. The Fox News booth in the DNC got flooded. Whoops.
Why does Fox News hate Freedom
First, the video:
Second. Why does Fox News hate freedom?
I'm not asking that question to be snarky or petty. But listen to this "reporter". He stands in the middle of a crowd saying "These people say they believe in the freedom of speech - but they refused to speak for me," he stands in the middle of a crowd and says "I guess they don't believe in freedom of speech", "Do you not believe in freedom?"
Here's a group of citizens exercising their freedom of speech, which includes the right not to speak to whomever they want. Freedom of the press doesn't mean that people are forced to answer your questions - sorry, bud.
Fox News has put themselves into this position. They have clearly been a mouthpiece for one political party, fanning their face with a handkerchief and acting "Shocked - shocked!" when people call them out for their pandering attitude towards the Republican party.
Like now. So sorry, but you don't get to stand in a crowded room and shout "Fire", and you don't get to ask questions - then complain about "free speech" when people exercise that right not to talk to you.
Second. Why does Fox News hate freedom?
I'm not asking that question to be snarky or petty. But listen to this "reporter". He stands in the middle of a crowd saying "These people say they believe in the freedom of speech - but they refused to speak for me," he stands in the middle of a crowd and says "I guess they don't believe in freedom of speech", "Do you not believe in freedom?"
Here's a group of citizens exercising their freedom of speech, which includes the right not to speak to whomever they want. Freedom of the press doesn't mean that people are forced to answer your questions - sorry, bud.
Fox News has put themselves into this position. They have clearly been a mouthpiece for one political party, fanning their face with a handkerchief and acting "Shocked - shocked!" when people call them out for their pandering attitude towards the Republican party.
Like now. So sorry, but you don't get to stand in a crowded room and shout "Fire", and you don't get to ask questions - then complain about "free speech" when people exercise that right not to talk to you.
Friday, August 15, 2008
And this is where the McCain campaign ends
Before it even begins:
John McCain: "My friends, we have reached a crisis, the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War. This is an act of aggression."
If you had someone who went into the first Gulf War to stop Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, well - that was not a serious international crisis.
The Serbian attacks on ethnic Albanians, the rapes and genocide there - that wasn't a serious international crisis.
Genocide in Sudan - well, that's not really serious, even though there's lots of oil in Sudan, which explains why places like China and Russia haven't been eager to get onto the "let's stop Sudanese government backed militias from killing people" train.
9-11? That wasn't a serious international crisis. 3,000 Americans dead, the launch of the biggest manhunt in the history of the world. If you had a loved one that died in that tragic event - guess what. John McCain doesn't think it was a serious international crisis.
The attack on Iraq to go after Osama bin Laden - well, not a serious international event, folks. All of those soldiers there were in for a lark, not to set a country free from religious radicals and hunt down the people responsible for killing 3,000 American civilians in cold blood.
The invasion of Iraq by the United States to stopweapons of mass destruction remove a dictator kill terrorists (that weren't there until after we invaded) - not a serious international crisis, for all of the "Coalition of the Willing" from nations such as Britain and Poland (don't forget Poland, damn it!).
But Russia responding to Georgia's dumb ass move - well, *that* is a *serious* crisis! Ramp up the bombers! Time to increase the size and power of the CIA again! This is *serious* stuff - ignore Osama bin Laden, forget Iran since it looks like we're not going to "bomb bomb bomb Iran" we have a new enemy to fear! Russia's back, and it'll be like old times again!
Or - we could run this clip on the news. Over and over again. Against our soldiers bravely fighting in Afghanistan. Against 9-11 victims. Against Albanian Muslims thankful that the US took action to save them. Of course, we'd have to be complete and utter dicks to do so.
But damn, it is tempting.
John McCain: "My friends, we have reached a crisis, the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War. This is an act of aggression."
If you had someone who went into the first Gulf War to stop Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, well - that was not a serious international crisis.
The Serbian attacks on ethnic Albanians, the rapes and genocide there - that wasn't a serious international crisis.
Genocide in Sudan - well, that's not really serious, even though there's lots of oil in Sudan, which explains why places like China and Russia haven't been eager to get onto the "let's stop Sudanese government backed militias from killing people" train.
9-11? That wasn't a serious international crisis. 3,000 Americans dead, the launch of the biggest manhunt in the history of the world. If you had a loved one that died in that tragic event - guess what. John McCain doesn't think it was a serious international crisis.
The attack on Iraq to go after Osama bin Laden - well, not a serious international event, folks. All of those soldiers there were in for a lark, not to set a country free from religious radicals and hunt down the people responsible for killing 3,000 American civilians in cold blood.
The invasion of Iraq by the United States to stop
But Russia responding to Georgia's dumb ass move - well, *that* is a *serious* crisis! Ramp up the bombers! Time to increase the size and power of the CIA again! This is *serious* stuff - ignore Osama bin Laden, forget Iran since it looks like we're not going to "bomb bomb bomb Iran" we have a new enemy to fear! Russia's back, and it'll be like old times again!
Or - we could run this clip on the news. Over and over again. Against our soldiers bravely fighting in Afghanistan. Against 9-11 victims. Against Albanian Muslims thankful that the US took action to save them. Of course, we'd have to be complete and utter dicks to do so.
But damn, it is tempting.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Worst Person in the World
Rush Limbaugh, yesterday:
Seriously - why does anyone listen to his show? I've never heard him say anything that was useful. Has he ever said anything that actually helped a human being? Or is it just constant mouth diarrhea like this statement?
Ladies and gentleman, my theory that I just explained to you about why -- you know, what could have John Edwards' motivations been to have the affair with Rielle Hunter, given his wife is smarter than he is and probably nagging him a lot about doing this, and he found somebody that did something with her mouth other than talk.
Seriously - why does anyone listen to his show? I've never heard him say anything that was useful. Has he ever said anything that actually helped a human being? Or is it just constant mouth diarrhea like this statement?
That's your comeback?
The McCain response to a new Obama ad that points out McCain voted with Bush 95% of the time:
Woah - Obama voted with Bush 50% of the time - so he must be as bad as McCain!
And - Obama's plan is a "job killing machine." Anyone else getting a mental image of the Terminator?
In the Senate, Barack Obama has voted in lockstep with President George W. Bush nearly half the time, including the Bush-Cheney Energy bill which gave close to 3 billion dollars in new giveaways to Big Oil -- a terrible policy that John McCain opposed. The truth is Barack Obama’s plan is a job killing machine that ignores the struggling economy and raises taxes on family savings, social security and small businesses.
Woah - Obama voted with Bush 50% of the time - so he must be as bad as McCain!
And - Obama's plan is a "job killing machine." Anyone else getting a mental image of the Terminator?
I'm not a fan of Ms. Dowd, but-
This was choice:
Ouch.
“Besides the crashing egos and screeching factions working at cross purposes, Joshua Green writes in the magazine, Hillary’s ‘hesitancy and habit of avoiding hard choices ‘exacted a price that eventually sank her chances at the presidency.’ It would have been better to put this language in the platform: ‘A woman who wildly mismanages and bankrupts a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar campaign operation, and then blames sexism in society, will dampen the dreams of our daughters.’”
Ouch.
A response to why I'm pissed off at the McCain energy plan
As a response to a question someone asked me:
I think the problem is in the hypocrisy that McCain is engaging in.
"I will pursue every idea to save money on energy!" McCain proclaims. Nuclear, oil drilling, wind, solar, alternative. His commercials have pictures of wind farms. Try everything, he reminds us over and over again!
Only - his own record shows the lie. He has spent 26 years voting against alternative energy. He was against offshore drilling until 3 months ago - just before he started getting about $1.1 million in donations from oil company execs. He missed every vote on extending energy credits - even though he keeps telling us that we need to "do everything! Now!"
And his #1 item? Offshore drilling. Something that would make oil companies richer, would not ensure that the energy produced would be sold locally (right now, US produced oil is still sell something like 15-25% of their oil on the world market, while oil companies bemoan they don't have enough), the US government's own report says it will take at least 7 years before an offshore rig is really working (though amazingly, the McCain campaign went from "7 years but this will have psychological benefits on the markets now" to "I hear from oil companies they can have it running in 6 months!".
That is what people like myself are bitching about. If McCain was serious about energy independence and "trying all solutions", he wouldn't have waited until a month ago to start saying "Hey, I love off shore oil drilling and nuclear. Oh, yeah - and wind, while we're at it!" He would have been working with the Republican majority in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 to get Bush to approve offshore drilling (if he really thought it would help), or to fund those nuclear plants, or to do his "magic battery" prize he's been talking up.
He didn't. He spent that time telling people that the war in Iraq was a success, that it would be over in "another 6 months", that he was pleased with Bush's performance so far (until late 2007, when he saw the winds of change and decided to start bashing Bush to get votes). Maybe he thought that Iraq would start supplying oil on the cheap, so we wouldn't have to worry about it. Or he didn't see the upcoming financial collapse or how much money the US would borrow to fund the Iraq war, which lead to a lower value dollar, which lead to oil being more expensive for the US market. Maybe he just didn't care, since he has 8 houses and his wife has hundreds of millions (as he calls his opponent the elitist for working with inner city Chicago people for years) and he has no real idea what it's like to be a single income family with a 60 minute drive and doing everything you can to save money as groceries get more expensive and gas keeps going up.
Like me.
So yeah, I'm pissed at McCain for at the last minute finding "energy independence", while voting against (or ignoring) bills that would actually help to achieve it. I'm pissed at McCain for claiming to be for "all solutions", but 90% of his solutions are "more money to big oil" and "more money to big nuclear" instead of "democratize energy production to give more power to the individual - you know, the stuff that conservatives claim is so important while they support big business." I'm pissed at him lying about the others guy's position while lying about his own record and plan.
And I'm pissed at us, and myself, for a nation for being so incredibly stupid for so long.
I think the problem is in the hypocrisy that McCain is engaging in.
"I will pursue every idea to save money on energy!" McCain proclaims. Nuclear, oil drilling, wind, solar, alternative. His commercials have pictures of wind farms. Try everything, he reminds us over and over again!
Only - his own record shows the lie. He has spent 26 years voting against alternative energy. He was against offshore drilling until 3 months ago - just before he started getting about $1.1 million in donations from oil company execs. He missed every vote on extending energy credits - even though he keeps telling us that we need to "do everything! Now!"
And his #1 item? Offshore drilling. Something that would make oil companies richer, would not ensure that the energy produced would be sold locally (right now, US produced oil is still sell something like 15-25% of their oil on the world market, while oil companies bemoan they don't have enough), the US government's own report says it will take at least 7 years before an offshore rig is really working (though amazingly, the McCain campaign went from "7 years but this will have psychological benefits on the markets now" to "I hear from oil companies they can have it running in 6 months!".
That is what people like myself are bitching about. If McCain was serious about energy independence and "trying all solutions", he wouldn't have waited until a month ago to start saying "Hey, I love off shore oil drilling and nuclear. Oh, yeah - and wind, while we're at it!" He would have been working with the Republican majority in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 to get Bush to approve offshore drilling (if he really thought it would help), or to fund those nuclear plants, or to do his "magic battery" prize he's been talking up.
He didn't. He spent that time telling people that the war in Iraq was a success, that it would be over in "another 6 months", that he was pleased with Bush's performance so far (until late 2007, when he saw the winds of change and decided to start bashing Bush to get votes). Maybe he thought that Iraq would start supplying oil on the cheap, so we wouldn't have to worry about it. Or he didn't see the upcoming financial collapse or how much money the US would borrow to fund the Iraq war, which lead to a lower value dollar, which lead to oil being more expensive for the US market. Maybe he just didn't care, since he has 8 houses and his wife has hundreds of millions (as he calls his opponent the elitist for working with inner city Chicago people for years) and he has no real idea what it's like to be a single income family with a 60 minute drive and doing everything you can to save money as groceries get more expensive and gas keeps going up.
Like me.
So yeah, I'm pissed at McCain for at the last minute finding "energy independence", while voting against (or ignoring) bills that would actually help to achieve it. I'm pissed at McCain for claiming to be for "all solutions", but 90% of his solutions are "more money to big oil" and "more money to big nuclear" instead of "democratize energy production to give more power to the individual - you know, the stuff that conservatives claim is so important while they support big business." I'm pissed at him lying about the others guy's position while lying about his own record and plan.
And I'm pissed at us, and myself, for a nation for being so incredibly stupid for so long.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Why can't McCain have an honest ad?
McCain is out with a new advertisement, making the same claims: Obama is totally going to raise your taxes. That's all he wants to do. Doesn't matter how much you make, Obama is going to raise your taxes.
It's a claim that's been proven false, and Time has a huge rundown on how false this is. Here's my own take on this back and forth:
It seems that the McCain campaign, in their quest to win, doesn't want to really discuss the issues. They want to discuss what *they* say Obama says, rather than what *Obama* says. So they make up lies - yes, lies, pass them off as Obama quotes or policy, such as "His energy policy is tire inflation", or "Obama won't visit the troops", or "Obama wants to raise everyone's taxes", and no matter what Obama shows, demonstrates, or even proves his positions are - doesn't matter, McCain said what they are and that's it.
It's a claim that's been proven false, and Time has a huge rundown on how false this is. Here's my own take on this back and forth:
Obama: I want to let the Bush Tax cuts lapse -
McCain; So that means that you want to raise taxes on *all* Americans.
Obama: And as I was saying, I want to replace them with a tax cut that favors those making $250,000 or less.
McCain: He admitted that he wants to raise taxes on everyone!
Obama: No, just those making $250,000 or greater.
McCain: If you get rid of the Bush Tax Cuts, you'll be taking more taxes from people who make $41,000!
Obama: And then I'm replacing it with *a tax cut for those same groups*. So only those who make more - *more* than $250,000 pay more taxes. Everybody else should pay less.
McCain: I can't hear you! Tax raiser! Lalalalalalalalala!
It seems that the McCain campaign, in their quest to win, doesn't want to really discuss the issues. They want to discuss what *they* say Obama says, rather than what *Obama* says. So they make up lies - yes, lies, pass them off as Obama quotes or policy, such as "His energy policy is tire inflation", or "Obama won't visit the troops", or "Obama wants to raise everyone's taxes", and no matter what Obama shows, demonstrates, or even proves his positions are - doesn't matter, McCain said what they are and that's it.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
What is up with police lately?
It seems that cops - the Serve and Protect guys - are on a bad roll. There's the one who bull charged a guy on a bike - then wrote up a false police report saying the biker was swerving to hit *him*. Turns out the videotape doesn't lie.
There's been videos of beatings and other stuff. But this one is just - stupid.
Police raid a mayor's house, handcuff everyone, start interrogating them, shoot and kill the dogs. Why? Well, there was a shipment of drugs in the mail. That the family hadn't even opened up yet to figure out what was inside.
So if someone *mails* me a package of drugs, police can start busting in and shooting? Man, if I was a drug dealer, I'd start mailing drugs to the chief of police, the fire chief, local journalists - hey, how about the mayor? Wouldn't it be funny if the mayor got roughed up by the police and his dogs killed because the cops thought he had been mailed some weed?
Oh - yeah. Already happened. Right.
There's been videos of beatings and other stuff. But this one is just - stupid.
Police raid a mayor's house, handcuff everyone, start interrogating them, shoot and kill the dogs. Why? Well, there was a shipment of drugs in the mail. That the family hadn't even opened up yet to figure out what was inside.
So if someone *mails* me a package of drugs, police can start busting in and shooting? Man, if I was a drug dealer, I'd start mailing drugs to the chief of police, the fire chief, local journalists - hey, how about the mayor? Wouldn't it be funny if the mayor got roughed up by the police and his dogs killed because the cops thought he had been mailed some weed?
Oh - yeah. Already happened. Right.
Source: The house is home to Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife Trinity Tomsic, and their two black Labs (pictured left). Though the package containing more than 30 lbs. of marijuana was addressed to Tomsic, the couple may have had nothing to do with the drugs. In recent months there have been incidents in which large quantities of drugs were shipped to homes in the D.C. area, where they were then supposed to be intercepted by drug dealers — all without the package addressees’ knowledge or involvement. Calvo and Tomsic may have been caught up in just such a scheme.Cato-at-Liberty
Um - I think the sub is leaking
Not only leaking, but evidently leaking radioactive fluid:
Oh. Well. I'm sure the Japanese will understand.
A U.S. Navy submarine leaked trace amounts of radioactive water for two years as it made port calls in Japan and other Asian nations, the Navy said Thursday.
The USS Houston arrives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for routine maintenance, during which the leak was found.
Last week, Navy officials told Japan that the USS Houston, a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, had only made one port call -- March 2008 -- while leaking the contaminated fluid.
Source: CNN
Oh. Well. I'm sure the Japanese will understand.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
And this is why Republican's off shore voting is being blocked
A decision by US Senate Republicans on Wednesday to block a bill that
would have extended tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy
production, will likely end talks between Senate Democrats and Republicans
aimed at allowing Republicans a vote on increasing US oil and gas production. Source: Platts
Again, you can't block votes for everybody else, then throw a temper tantrum because you didn't get your way. It's called politics. Give something up (opposition to alternative energy funding) if you want to get what you want (offshore drilling). The era of Tom Delay is over - it's time for grownups to sit down, accept other people's ideas, compromise so everybody gets something, and move on.
Cursing the dark rather than lighting a candle
So let me get this straight. House Republicans block voting on every issue for the last week. Alternative energy vote? Blocked. Increase gas mileage? Blocked. Continue alternative energy tax break? Blocked.
But offshore drilling? OMG call the presses - we *need* to have this vote on offshore drilling! *This* is important - even though its going to take 7 years to implement! Even though oil companies have millions of acres of leases - onshore and off - they aren't using now!
Sorry, kids. You don't get to block voting on every other issue, then turn around and squeal because your pet goal is left in the dust. Let the oil companies enjoy their massive, record profits - I guess we'll drive less, tune our engines, inflate our tires, and work to get other sources of energy.
But offshore drilling? OMG call the presses - we *need* to have this vote on offshore drilling! *This* is important - even though its going to take 7 years to implement! Even though oil companies have millions of acres of leases - onshore and off - they aren't using now!
Sorry, kids. You don't get to block voting on every other issue, then turn around and squeal because your pet goal is left in the dust. Let the oil companies enjoy their massive, record profits - I guess we'll drive less, tune our engines, inflate our tires, and work to get other sources of energy.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Only black reporter kicked out of McCain event?
Wow - talk about really going for that swing vote:
Oh, yeah - this is going to look good.
Tallahassee Democrat senior writer Stephen Price on Friday was singled out and asked to leave a media area at the Panama City rally of presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
Price was among at least three other reporters, and the only black reporter, surrounding McCain's campaign bus — Gov. Charlie Crist and his fiancee, Carole Rome, were already aboard — when a member of the Arizona senator's security detail asked the reporter to identify himself. Price had shown his media credentials to enter the area.
Price showed his employee identification as well as his credentials for the Friday event.
"I explained I was with the state press, but the Secret Service man said that didn't matter and that I would have to go," Price said.
When another reporter asked why Price was being removed, she too was led out of the area. Other state reporters remained. Source: Florida Capital News
Oh, yeah - this is going to look good.
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