August 2009 Archives

A recipe for chaos:Take one part radio talk show hosts spewing hatred and racism on a daily basis. Add an entire cable television network devoted to inciting their easily misled, easily manipulated, viewers with a constant stream of lies and misinformation. Add a former vice-presidential candidate saying that the president of the United States wants to establish panels to decide who lives and who dies. Stir in numerous comparisons of that president to the likes...

  On October 15, 2006, David Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, did not indict the state's attorney general, Patricia Madrid. The FBI had been investigating Madrid for her connections to a political action committee called Justice for America. They turned all the evidence they had gathered over to the office of the U.S. Attorney and were awaiting his decision to indict. E-mails relating to the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys released yesterday reveal...

They gave us a republic...has a version of a viral e-mail which shows the hypocrisy of the Republicans and the town hall crazies who object to "government run" health care. Take a look:"This morning I was awakened by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I...

Where did this end?In light of another mob scene at a Memphis town hall meeting on Saturday and yet another one planned for President Obama's appearance in New Hampshire on Tuesday, there is a must read post at Down With Tyranny about what has become of political discourse in this country and where history has shown us this could lead. The post is lengthy, but well worth the time. A few excerpts: "This is not...

According to a tweet by Representative John Culberson, I am against health care reform. So are you, if you live in his district. "Everywhere I go everyone I meet in my district are strongly opposed - as I am - to gov't takeover of health care & the energy cap & tax bill" I'll overlook the fact that no one has proposed a government take over of health care, I'm sure it was just...

I am an avid sci-fi buff.  Science fiction films and anime comprise a significant portion of my DVD and Blu-Ray collection.  If I'm reading fiction, chances are that I'm reading something by Arthur C. Clarke, Ben Bova, Kim Stanley Robinson, or something in that mold.  I guess I like that material because it helps give me a vision of the world to come, an ideal of what I am working to build as an engineer...

If one didn't know of the history of the often confusing, often self-contradicting babbling from the semi-literate, barely intelligible, former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin (aka the Wasilla Wingnut) one would find it difficult to believe that the same person made both of the following statements.July 27:"Democracy depends on you, and that is why, that's why our troops are willing to die for you. So, how 'bout in honor of the American soldier, ya quit...

I gave up my small business and took a position with a non-US company last year. I did it because I knew beforehand that my benefits would be 100% paid. What I didn't know is that my FAMILY would also be included in this, 100% PAID. I pay no premiums, period. My co-pays for meds are the lowest I've ever paid. The money back in my pocket--pre-tax--adds a big number to my bottom line every...

An appeal to those who are organizing and fomenting the angry mobs at the various town hall meetings around the country-put a stop to this, please. There has to be someone among you with the foresight to see where it will lead if allowed to continue and escalate. Greg Sargent has this:"An official with SEIU (Service Employees International Union), which has been sending members to town halls to counterbalance the Tea Party brigade, sends over...

  The Obama administration is having a banner week. First up, LA Times: Former President Clinton, two journalists welcomed back from North Korea. Here's a great clip of Hillary Clinton being asked about John Bolton's criticism of the humanitarian mission, in which she addresses the remarks by pointing out that if President Obama walked on water "he'd say he couldn't swim." Priceless.     From North Korea we move on to the historic confirmation...