What he said...ditto

I haven't paid much attention to this blog lately; seems I always have other things to do. It's apparently a cyclical thing for me, so I'll try to begin an "up" cycle and see where it goes.

Thomas Friedman, with whom I don't always agree, has a good Op-Ed in the NY Times today (free registration required to read the link). I think what he's saying is correct, but I'm not sure as a country we'll change the political path we're on. Instead of working to solve so many of the obvious problems in the country we're concerned only with politics. I know politics have been around a lot more years than I have but they level of "noise" has not been this shrill before, at least not in my lifetime. Instead of having substantive debates about the issues we've got people painting Hitler moustaches on pictures of Obama and saying he's a Nazi Communist (do those people even know what each of those terms means, and understand the irony of their statement?). Instead of of using the "town hall" meetings that many members of Congress held over the summer to have a rational discussion over issues, there was an organized effort to simply disrupt them so that nothing got discussed, and no information got shared. I can only think that they were afraid of a calm rational discussion in those town halls because they had nothing rational to present to make their case.

Don't people realize that through their short-sighted hatred of the president and simply being sore losers that they are shooting themselves in the foot, and shooting the rest of the country in the foot at the same time? I do not understand how trying to incite violence against the president is accomplishing anything, other than those people being tools for the right-wing politicians. Devolving the country into chaos will not serve their interests, although they are being told that it will. I can understand them practicing dissent, but they've gone far beyond dissent. The people trying to delegitimize Obama actually seem very proud of themselves; I see them as somewhat pathetic in that they have no rational argument to present and are merely parroting what they're told. Sadly, I don't see this ending any time soon, and not ending well when it does.

For those who consider single-payer healthcare to be socialist

Please read and then sign this:

The Socialist-Free Purity Pledge

I, ________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

• I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

• I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

• I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.

• I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:

Social Security

Medicare/Medicaid

State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)

Police, Fire, and Emergency Services

US Postal Service

Roads and Highways

Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)

The US Railway System

Public Subways and Metro Systems

Public Bus and Lightrail Systems

Rest Areas on Highways

Sidewalks

All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009 federal senate appropriations)

Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)

Public and State Universities and Colleges

Public Primary and Secondary Schools

Sesame Street

Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children

Public Museums

Libraries

Public Parks and Beaches

State and National Parks

Public Zoos

Unemployment Insurance

Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services

Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)

Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)

Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)

Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking

Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies

Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies

If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

• I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

• I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:

Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History

The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments

The government-operated Statue of Liberty

The Grand Canyon

The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials

The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery

All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC

• I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.

• I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

• I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

• I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

• Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

• Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS _______ DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.

_____________
Signed

_________________________
Printed Name/Town and State

Great essay on marriage equlity

There's a very good essay in the WSJ written by one of the attorneys pushing to overturn California's prop 8 at the federal level. He makes some very good points, and takes on some of the anti-gay arguments that aren't, and have never been, valid.

By contrast, there is no legitimate state policy underlying Proposition 8. The occasional suggestion that marriages between people of different sexes may somehow be threatened by marriages of people of the same sex does not withstand discussion. It is difficult to the point of impossibility to envision two love-struck heterosexuals contemplating marriage to decide against it because gays and lesbians also have the right to marry; it is equally hard to envision a couple whose marriage is troubled basing the decision of whether to divorce on whether their gay neighbors are married or living in a domestic partnership.

If we were prepared to consign minority rights to a majority vote, there would be no need for a constitution.

It's worth a read and the entire essay can be seen here.

No comment needed

The new meaning of "economic stimulus"

Just when I think the crazy can't get any more crazy, we reach new lows. And, not surprisingly, it's from the state in which I was born and raised: Oklahoma (no jokes please).

Sally Kern, the anti-everything that's not white, straight, and christian Representative nut job from OK, has decided that the current economic woes in the US are due to our "greater moral crisis". Because we promote "abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery" and Obama didn't recognize National Prayer Day, it's everyone else's fault that the countries economy is in the toilet. I guess all that fornicating is what has led us to this point.

I guess it doesn't matter that republicans are the ones lately being caught with their pants down. Nor does it matter that the current economic problems began under the leader of the compassionate conservative movement, GW Bush.

You can read much more about it on Jonathan Turley's blog. It's really sad that as the conservative movement melts down due to their actions, they continue to look for anyone other than themselves to blame for their failed policies. Sally Kern is a walking joke and it's really pathetic that she's in such a position of power.

Heterosexual privilege

A group of straight identified students at Earlham College put together a list of what they see as straight privilege in their daily lives. In other words, as straight men and women go through their day, what things do they take for granted that gay men and women cannot assume to happen, or ever count on happening? The list is based on an article written by Peggy McIntosh regarding white privilege. It's an interesting list, seeing things straight people can simply take for granted but gay men and women may not ever enjoy in their lifetime.

I won't re-type the entire list but to give an idea, the first three items are:

I can be pretty sure that my roomate, hallmates and classmates will be comfortable with my sexual orientation.

If I pick up a magazine, watch TV, or play music, I can be certain my sexual orientation will be represented.

When I talk about my heterosexuality (such as in a joke or talking about my relationships), I will not be accused of pushing my sexual orientation onto others.

You can see the entire list here.

I would suggest that homophobes who scream about gays getting equal rights means that they get special rights should sit down and read through that list. Of course none will because it helps destroy their argument.

Gay marriage debate flow chart

That about sums it up. Click the image for the full-size version.

Sex With Ducks

This has made the rounds pretty much everywhere already, including CNN, so I'm not on the cutting edge here. But, I've been meaning to post this for days and I'm just now getting around to it. The video is in response to comments made by Pat Robertson regarding the federal hate crimes bill. He's not known for saying things that are...sane...so these girls took his insanity and made a catchy little song out of it.



As an added bonus, Pat Robertson, who just can't keep the crazy to himself, gives really bad advice to someone who wrote into his show. He has somehow (through detailed and extensive scientific research I'm sure) determined that many gay men are gay because they were abused by a coach or guidance counselor when they were young. I don't remember that happening, so I must be one of the few with biological issues. He doesn't give us any advice for how lesbians got that way.



What's interesting is that the person who wrote in mentions that the christian bible says to love one's neighbor as you love yourself. Robertson completely side-stepped that by saying that if it's someone like a son and he's on the path the hell you let him go. But apparently you do that out of love. So I'm not sure how you love your son by forcing him to be something he's not so he won't go to hell, but you love your neighbor by apparently letting them stay on a path to hell. This christianity thing is so confusing. it's also full of irony: Robertson and his kind are very interested in changing their neighbors' behavior if it doesn't correspond to what they approve of. So that loving one's neighbors only goes so far apparently.

More christian values at work

Growing up in the 70's and 80's I was taught in school that all the bad guys were overseas: Brezhnev was in the USSR, Castro was down in Cuba, the Vietnamese were in, well, Vietnam. Anyone in my own country was an American-loving patriot and everything was kittens and daisies, so long as you were American.

However, since I've grown up it seems that the worst people are here in this country. Instead of it being communists, it's christian extremists. And, apparently they all use their christian god not only as a cosmic cash machine, but as a tool in their fight against politicians they don't agree with. What kind of "good christian" prays for the death of any other human? Have these people even read their own bible? I just don't understand that concept of "God hates people who kill and I hate people who kill, so I'm going to kill you." What kind of mental back flips are required to live that kind of cognitive dissonance, and convince yourself that it's not just OK but divinely inspired?

One thing I've never understood about christian prayer (which seems usually to be asking their god for a favor, rather than seeking enlightenment or knowledge) is that the one praying automatically assumes that god is on his side. What happens if two people are praying to their god but asking for opposite results? They each claim to have their god's ear and therefore their god's loyalty. How does their god resolve these conflicts of interest? This horrible baptist preacher is praying for Obama's death, but what if someone else who worships the same god is praying for Obama to live a long time in order to serve the country as its leader? Which one wins?

I don't even need to go into the problem with a religious leader preaching politics, but I do wonder where the IRS is and why they aren't questioning his church's tax exempt status.

America's best christian explains marriage

If you've not seen Betty Bowers' web site it's worth checking out. She is the self-proclaimed America's Best Christian and her site is hilarious.

She has done a new video explaining traditional marriage for all of us, so that we don't have to read the christian bible ourselves and put it all together.

The Defenders

Great video regarding Prop 8 being upheld in CA. I thought it was definitely worth passing along.

Seth MacFarlane interview

I admit than I'm a fan of Family Guy. It's crass and crude at times, and more often than not they don't know when to end a joke. But, this interview with its creator Seth MacFarlane makes me appreciate it even more. In the interview he doesn't talk much about Family Guy but discusses a lot of his personal beliefs. I have to say that my beliefs are definitely in-line with his. And, he's also obviously genuinely funny. Having Bill Maher host the interview only adds to it; I used to really dislike him but that's changed in the last few years. I also agree with a lot of what he has to say and he definitely makes some good points. In fact, there are several good points made in the interview.

Best teabagging quote of the day

If you've not heard of the conservative nutjobs teabag parties today, I'm not going to educate you in this post. Just use the Google and you'll find all kinds of info. Needless to say, it's a big joke. Anderson Cooper came up with the best quote I've heard so far today:

Being poor is fun! Especially when you're not

Plumbing new depths of cluelessness, the New York Times published an article saying that it's great having to pinch pennies. Except they quote people who seem to be doing so more for the novelty than out of necessity:

Ms. Martin is a real estate investor, her husband is a plastic surgeon, and their home sits on the 12th hole of a Cincinnati country club.

How exciting for Ms. Martin and her rather comfortable family to pretend they have no money and can enjoy getting their DVDs from the library instead of Blockbuster and growing their own veggies. What fun! And maybe they can get in a round of golf while they're waiting for their salad to grow.

Other people they interviewed also had to make dramatic changes. One man canceled his wine club membership and uses his iPhone (on which the cheapest plan is over $100/month) to find cheaper gas. Another woman gave up using paper napkins (a change I made at home over two years ago) in order to save money. What hardships these people have endured.

The NY Times should have interviewed people who have faced real hardships recently. There are thousands of people who have lost their jobs, homes, cars, everything. Many of these people have been reduced to living in tents. Where to get a DVD or using an app on your iPhone is not even on your radar when your entire life exists in a tent. It's really sad, and pathetic, that the supposedly "premier" newspaper in the country is so clueless when it comes to reporting the conditions in the country right now.

Summing up the cluelessness, the woman making the ultimate sacrifice of paper napkins is quoted as saying:

“I recently heard a phrase: ‘Never waste a crisis,’ ” Ms. Sikes said. “I love it."

I wonder how much she'd love it if she were living in a tent.

It's not you, it's your name

More legislative brilliance from the great state of Texas. State legislator Betty Brown (who is possibly related to Buster) has said to Asian-Americans that they should change their names because they are too hard to pronounce. Having more "American" sounding names will make it easier for the Asian populations in Texas to vote, or at least that's her argument. I guess it's easier for people like her (people of apparently limited mental ability) to remember a name that doesn't sound Asian. Then she has the nerve to say her comments are not about racism. So, she is effectively saying that it's not about racism, it's just about their ethnicity. That takes some nerve for her to feel such a sense of entitlement that she would suggest that an entire segment of the population should change their names to make life easier for her and people like her, good Americans with American sounding names.

This woman needs to figure out that almost everyone in this country has a surname with its origins from another country, including a name like Brown. Back when I was in elementary school we were taught that America is a "melting pot", made up of people from all different kinds of cultures and that every culture has combined to make America what it is. Apparently this woman thinks that white people with names like Betty Brown are more American than someone with a name of Asian origin. What a moron.

This picture makes me happy

I don't know why exactly, but it makes me smile. Maybe it's because we have a President and his family in the white house who are real people, not out-of-control hillbillies.

How does he go up from here?

Arizona State University has decided that Barak Obama is not worthy of an honorary degree when he speaks at their commencement ceremony in May. So, apparently getting a law degree from Harvard, being the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review, being an Illinois state legislator, being a US Senator, and then becoming president of the US (not to mention the first black president in US history) isn't a long enough list of accomplishments. I guess being president, an office that only 43 other people in history have held, is not enough. What exactly does ASU expect an honorary degree awardee to have accomplished in his/her life? Once a person reaches president of the US, how does one go up from there? Sounds like ASU, a well-known party school, has a rather high opinion of itself.

Blame the women

This article would actually be funny if it were satirical, but it's not. The author is being serious, and based on some of the comments he's not the only one who feels that way. Why is it that conservatives, who are and have been led by white straight christian men, can't see that they are mostly to blame for the current problems with their own movement, not to mention many of the current problems with our society? They somehow feel the need to blame everyone except for white straight christian men. They blame gays, lesbians, blacks, hispanics, women, illegal aliens, legal aliens, all foreigners, liberals, libertarians, and anyone else who isn't a white straight christian male. It's just sad how delusional these conservatives can be. They are perpetual victims, even when they are the ones in power (like for the last 8 years).

It's shocking to me that the author of this piece (who believes strongly in his opinions that he wrote the piece under an online pseudonym) would find fault with things like helmet laws that protect life. I thought conservatives were pro-life; at least they are when it comes to laws trying to control what women do with their own bodies. But, somehow that interest in protecting life only applies to unborn fetuses. Once you're born, you're apparently on your own. Passing laws to protect children under the age of 18 from sever injury or death is not a christian goal apparently, and somehow goes against being christian/conservative. And, apparently we have women to blame for the horrific "overprotective" laws that protect children. I just don't understand why christian conservatives claim to want to help people, but are against anything that actually protects or helps people (unless you count unborn children). In the end they are only in favor of what helps them politically, no matter how much harm it actually does to others.

Continuing with the lack of logic, it's apparently women who are responsible for tugging at our heart strings and making us worry about global warming. Who cares if the oceans rise and inundate almost every coastline on earth? Who cares if the ocean currents are disrupted resulting in major climate shifts in heavily populated areas of the world (such as the northeaster US or northwestern Europe)? It only matters that we are apparently being emotionally manipulated, so global warming is therefore a non-issue. Accordingly we should choose to ignore it.

How stupid does the author have to be to not realize that no matter how an issue is presented, the issue is still the issue? It wouldn't be a problem if conservatives' opinions affected only themselves but they want want their delusions to apply to all of us. It seems like they're running out of arguments when they are reduced to saying that we should ignore issues like global warming because women were given the right to vote.

This guy gets it

Why is it so rare for progressive and/or democrat politicians to really stand up for what they believe in? It's way too common for conservatives to defend their beliefs and make sure the world follows them by making their opinions into law. Democrats and so-called progressives in federal and state legislatures seem a lot less comfortable standing up for their beliefs. They seem to be more interested in toeing the line down the middle of the political spectrum, afraid to piss anyone off. That being said, it's wonderful to see someone like Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal stand up for what he believes and refuse to go along with the conservatives and their agenda. He "gets it", and isn't afraid to say so. Good for him (and for the rest of us).



I love the line "You've already lost." It's really true, although the conservatives will fight tooth and nail to keep society from changing. I do believe that theirs is a losing battle in the long run, but it will get even uglier before it's over. And I doubt the battle will be over in my lifetime.

If atheists ruled the world

Following a theme from my post a few days ago I found this video:



The guys are reading word-for-word posts left on far-right conservative web sites. There are many more that have been collected here. Most, if not all, defy all logic and reason. Worse yet, many of them accuse all liberals of defying all logic and reason while doing so themselves. As my friend Chris said, you can lead a fundie to logic but you can't make him think.