I understand that a largely held conservative belief is that government is the enemy and should be limited at every turn, but that’s not how I feel. The middle ground would be to recognize that the country is in pain at the moment and needs a government that is truly dedicated to serving the PEOPLE of this country and not increasing the power of the people who just raped us financially and will continue to do so. Read the rest of this entry »
Uh, oh, the government blows
January 23rd, 2010President Joe Exxon
January 21st, 2010Today the Supreme Court overturned a law limiting corporate donations to candidates. Basically this treats corporations, entities that are run by a relatively small board of directors, as individuals. So just as you and I have a single voice and a single paycheck to sway opinion and policy in “our” Senators and Representatives, corporations now have unlimited power to sway them. I wonder who they’ll listen to. Read the rest of this entry »
Afghanistan and US in a Nutshell
December 29th, 2009I mean not to tell the people that read my blog things that they already know and I definitely don’t intend to talk down to those who are nice enough to indulge me. I simply find so many things fascinating, infuriating or downright ridiculous about so many things in our world.
When we were attacked on 9/11, at first I was shocked and saddened. But, secondly I was incredibly intrigued. My naivté on the issues of Muslim fundamentalism led first to anger, but then on a quest to find out why. And why it had all festered in Afghanistan? Over most of the past decade I figured out some fascinating things pertaining to some of the history of America’s involvement in Afghanistan. My abridged understanding is ridiculously surface, but it may just help to understand why we are where we are. Read the rest of this entry »
Happy Holidays!…yep, I said it.
December 23rd, 2009Why healthcare at hyperspeed?
December 21st, 2009If you don’t have concerns over this healthcare bill, check your pulse. While discussing it the other day, I finally conceded that I just didn’t know what was happening. This bill is so complex, and so involved, if you know exactly what’s in it, you’re lying. I’ve been asked by several people recently why this has to rushed through? Why does it have to happen right now? Read the rest of this entry »
Katrina’s Global Warming Fluke
December 18th, 2009
Ha! Isn't this a funny global warming joke?
Just to clear up any misguided cynicism on global warming—just because we still experience snow and cold weather every once and awhile, doesn’t mean climate change isn’t occurring. Incremental increases in temperature raise ocean surface temperatures. This in turn causes unstable weather patterns and glacial melting. This in turn causes disasters like increases in large storm systems (i.e. Katrina and the Indonesian Tsunami) and the droughts that fuel massive wild fires. Read the rest of this entry »
Yummy hormones and profits
December 18th, 2009I’m sick. Well, my son is sick literally. He’s got a fever and is generally not in good spirits. But I’m more figuratively sick. This morning, while visiting the doctor, she requested that we only give him the organic, hormone free whole milk. “But”, I protested,“a lot of the milk on the shelves these days say “our farmers pledge to use no artificial hormones.”” I guess the key word was “artificial”. She told me that recently she had attended a seminar at Harvard where the use of hormones in milk production was discussed. The industry has successfully lobbied to make it against the law to place a label stating that bovine hormones were not used in production. I guess that if the public was educated to the use of natural bovine hormones they might have a problem with it and it might just cut into the poor factory farmers bottom line. Turns out that the injection of “natural hormones” can jack up the production by 60x. Maybe telling people that artificial processes, that plump up the company’s profits, while in turn making us sicker, is just bad for business. This is just another example of how unbridled capitalism is protecting profits over the health and the welfare of it’s citizens. But actually, now that I think about it, it seems that a citizenry in poor health might just plump up another industry’s bottom line. Wow, what a great model for perpetual profits!! And just look at the banks now. “Thanks for setting us up with billions, but you’re really not profitable for us anymore, so we’re just going to turn our backs on you and let you suffer in our wake.”
The American government when run using the model that was intended isn’t really the great satan that it’s made out to be. However, government that’s effectively run by the rich and for the rich is. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re now facing. We can elect Presidents and legislators that claim to represent us until we’re blue in the face, but if even 10% of these politicians are the lap dogs of the corporatocracy, the people of this country will continue to be led under false pretenses. That’s almost the perfect definition of fascism.
Well, I’m happy.
December 2nd, 2009Sorry. I’ve been drinking and I started feeling all mushy.
I love Barack. Still. With all the noise, and yelling and complaining, I still think he’s doing as great job as can be expected in such an annoying time. I’m TRULY trying to complain about some things. I’ve been whining about the fact that Larry Sommers and Geitner were partially responsible for not regulating the financial industry during Clinton’s eight. Why the hell are they now attempting to regulate it. Turning over a new leaf I suppose. Keep your eyes wide. Then, I don’t like the whole “here’s Obama to entertain us with lofty speeches” b.s. But that’s not really his fault. I’m hearing a lot of criticism, some great questions and some crazy (literally crazy) banter, but I still think he’s kicking ass. Recently, the heath care, Afghanistan and global warming debates have reminded me of the last months of the campaign when everyone panicked when the poll numbers started to slide. Friend’s were emailing me with angry rants, the word “terrorist” was being thrown around like hand grenades and people were “mad as Hell and {weren’t} going to take it.” And Obama, with his typical grace, just waited out the storm. Someone sent me this that made me laugh. Still think it’s suiting:
...and he did.
Who is RethinkReform.com?
November 29th, 2009Taken from the Grensboro North Carolina News & Record.
The ”Rethink Reform” TV ad, using the former Congressional Budget Office director who is, of course, paid for her services, was funded by the Employment Policies Institute. EPI was created by Rick Berman, who lobbies for the restaurant, hotel, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries.
O.K. Bob McDonnell, I’m listening
November 21st, 2009Updated for the real world: When I wrote this article I thought I’d give Bob McDonnell the benefit of the doubt, but Bob McDonnell sucks. He’s terrible. He’s exactly what I was worried he would be. He really is a judgmental, ideologue that pushes his puritanical holier-than-thou agenda. Damn Bob McDonnell.
The Devil We Know
What a wonderful idea. Deregulate the Virginia ABC stores to allow private business do it correctly and to drop this puritanical charade that Virginia is obsessed with. While we’re at it, we should allow bars to operate as bars and drop the food sales requirement. We’re all adults out here. We can temper our own habits, thanks. I hope it happens Mr. McDonnell. If and when you use your religion or moral authority to undermine my and my friends rights, you lose my support. But for now, I’m listening.
Read all about it in The Washington Post online