August 2009 Archives

I'm generally in a more chipper mood today, so I thought I would focus on what the Democrats should do instead of what the Republicans are doing. In a past life I was an assistant debate coach. My duties pretty much were generally relegated to driving the bus and serving as an occasional judge, but I learned a thing or two about debate during those two years. Most people recognize two kinds of debate (Lincoln-Douglass...

Before I go too far, let it be known that this blog entry is meant for everyone and not in direct response to any blog entry here or anywhere. The rules here are stated very simply, "be nice or go home." It seems that society has lost that somewhere along the way. I can't count the number of times I've heard someone say that "Obama wants to destroy the economy" or something similar to those...

As of late, I've spent much of the little free time I have immersing myself in the Autumn Rain universe created by David J. Williams.  In The Mirrored Heavens, I was introduced to his intricately devised political, social, and technological conflicts - the tensions between East and West, the tensions between mech and razor, and the terrifyingly capable terrorist group, Autumn Rain, in the middle of it all. The second novel in the Autumn Rain...

"No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby."-- Henry Louis MenckenToday, two bright and shining examples of the wisdom, insight, and prescience of Mr. Mencken; a poll taken by Public Policy Polling, and the latest inanities from that noted Constitutional scholar, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Yes, she's baaaaack.Related to the debate over health care,...

 Let me be perfectly clear: I support the 2nd amendment, and I will fight for your right to own a gun whether I agree with your politics or not. This blog is NOT a debate about the 2nd amendment or gun control. This blog is about common sense. (Hear that, Glenn Beck? REAL Common Sense!) As you've undoubtedly seen, protesters have taken to openly carry firearms to President Obama's town hall meetings. I'm shocked...

Hallelujah, they've seen the light. "Given hardening Republican opposition to Congressional health care proposals, Democrats now say they see little chance of the minority's cooperation in approving any overhaul, and are increasingly focused on drawing support for a final plan from within their own ranks.Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans' purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month's Congressional recess, as well...

Can we please put an end to this idealistic but unrealistic notion of bi-partisanship? How much clearer do the Republicans have to make it that they have no intention of supporting health care reform legislation, no matter what it contains or doesn't contain? And to follow up on last Thursday's post, how much longer until Democrats realize they can't expect reasonable debate with people who are clearly disconnected from reality?Two cases in point. It took...

My long time readers have heard parts of this story; so if you have, please indulge me this post.  It's extremely relevant to our national debate about healthcare that's mostly been drowned out by corporate interests, paid-off politicians, and ignoramuses who are stupidly engaged in an ideological battle against mythological foes using false arguments fomented by fear mongering, bigotry and big time budgets.  When I think of the fears and disease my family has faced...

Most critics and fans recognize Radio KAOS as the best of the Pink Floyd solo albums (Roger Waters). One of the songs on that album is titled "Who needs information?" He was talking about nuclear war and the desire not to know until something has happened. The song could be rewritten today to describe a lot of people in America. Unfortunately, this isn't a case of having no information, but having bad information. I talked about...

A couple of years ago a violinist in a baseball cap was playing during morning rush hour in the L'Enfant Metro station in Washington, D.C.  A few people stopped to listen, some tossed a few coins in his violin case, the rest just rushed by on their way to work.  The violinist?  Once child prodigy, Joshua Bell, then 39.  He had just played for the Boston Symphony a couple of days before for a minimum...