March 3, 2012

If Gingrich can be propped up by a billionaire

So can Rush Limbaugh.

How can one boycott a guy like Adelson?

Find out what enterprise he owns and boycott it?

Perhaps Rush ends up being supported by an anonymous billionaire?

Will chasing away his advertisers become a hollow victory?

March 1, 2012

Bill O' Reilly

Uses a segment to let his "Fox n Friends" bimbo rant about the thin arms of Angelina Jolie. Feels compelled to show photos of Karen Carpenter for comparison. They whine in unison about the example being set for young women.

Next segment?

Brings on Ann Coulter.

I dunno. The man presents his hypocrisy in large doses, medium doses, and small doses.

Just as long as you get a daily dose.

February 27, 2012

Is the information age destroying our children?

An analogy from science fiction:

Beings of vastly superior intelligence visit earth. They refuse to share certain technologys because they believe humans are culturally immature. They believe that these technologys would have a net negative impact and perhaps even deter cultural maturity. They do however, intend to share techology using a "graded" approach. In other words, with each leap in cultural maturity, they will share the appropriate level of technology.

February 27, 2012

Fantasy Presidential Ballot for 2016. Unscientific straw Poll

Listed in random order, please vote for one:

Former Florida representative Alan Grayson
The politician that publicly aligned the most with #Occupy.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
Europian style Democratic Socialist that caucuses with the Democrats.

Harvard Law School Profesor Elizabeth Warren
After Americans became alarmed at the size of Bush's unconditional "loans" given to "too big to fail" banks, Warren headed up the Democratic efforts to ensure government oversight through TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program). Warren also was a leader in conceiving of The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Maryland Govenor Martin O' Malley
I just found out about this guy and I really like his delivery. http://www.bluevirginia.us/diary/6082/video-bob-mcdonnell-squirms-in-his-seat-as-martin-omalley-utterly-demolishes-him

February 23, 2012

All progressives move out of the South.

Let the Fox News junkies have what their kind wanted 150 years ago.

Their own country.

No doubt they would secede again under such circumstance.

Let's sit back and watch them collectively devolve into 1750 Puritasim. Perhaps serfdom is truly desireable for those that can't lead themsleves. Perhaps they may even be easliy entertained by stoning a witch or two.

There is no compromise possible with such extremists.

Let them destroy their own parcel of the earth.

February 19, 2012

Missions for Nuclear Weapons after the Cold War.

Written by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.fas.org/pubs/_docs/01282005175922.pdf

Very interesting read.

From a military doctrine standpoint, precision weapons are increasingly making nukes obsolete.

February 19, 2012

"The news is what we say it is"

&NR=1

Starting at 5:00


"Just make the changes that the lawyers wanted"

"We just paid 3 billion dollars for these television stations"

"We will tell you what the news is"

"How about we just pay you money and you just go away"

February 19, 2012

How would Americans respond to "Greek like" austerity?

a) Demonstrations that approximate #occupy in size and scope.
b) Thousands of arrests, lots of tear gas, hundreds injured, peristent news coverage.
c) Martial Law, curfews, wide spread crime, some attributed loss of life.
d) Full scale civil war (ie. Syria)

Which one is closest?

February 17, 2012

I made a hard choice.

Sorry DU.
I was going to buy a membership and get a little star next to my name.
I sent a hundred bucks to Obama's campaign instead.

I'll get the star soon enough but it still has lower priority to my next contribution to oust Rep Doc Hastings (R), Washington.

I believe he is chair of the House Ethics Committee. He also is being questioned about using federal money to improve infrastructure adjacent to his brother's business. A business he "gave" to his brother so that the constituents wouldn't suggest "conflict of interest". Did I say that he chairs the Ethics committee?

February 14, 2012

All this talk about Obama. The real issues are about Congress.

In my opinion, we are collectively spending too much time discussing the Presidential race.

Considering Obama will be running against the trendiest driver of the clown car, I expect a comfortable win. Even if under election year economic decline, I believe moderate, independant Americans have heard enough of the GOP vision to understand they can't go back to Bush economic policy for a cure. #Occupy has had more impact than the network pundits would have us believe.

What is disheartening is that many House politicians run unopposed. In the end, it may be about money, but it is also about message. Even if races are lost, sitting House members must be challenged to articulate and defend their ideaology to their constitutents. I personally believe that the Democrats should not let a single GOP House member run unopposed.

How do we do that? How do we, at a minimum, combat the newly added effects of "Citizens United" at the Congressional level?

The Senate has shown us that it is no longer a question of winning a simple majority. Modern politics require "filibuster proof" legislation. The GOP made a pact with the devil. The precedent has been set. Now both partys will abuse the filibuster and bog Congress down into continuous obstructionism by the minority party.

Is it even worth winning anything other than a super majority? Are we eternelly locked into a legislative quagmire? Has the Tea Party permanently damaged the Congressional ability to legislate?