An old pipe just up and broke this morning near the University Bridge. It just broke. Nobody hit it with a machine or anything. It just broke.
Joel Connelly is peeved that Democrats aren’t bellying-up to the crapshoot that is primary election politics:
State Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz dismisses Feb. 5 as “stupid Tuesday.” With big states holding primaries that day, he argues, nobody would come to the Evergreen State.
Pelz’s arguments are incorrect and self-serving.
In 2000, Washington had a presidential primary that counted. A total of 1.3 million people voted in it — versus the estimated 60,000 Democrats who turned out for caucuses in 2004.
In 2000, Washington killed the Bradley campaign and didn’t do much for McCain either. While I’d love to see Washingotn hold a primary that matters, it isn’t happening until Iowa and New Hampshire are wrested of their control over the nominating process. And it’s worth noting that Washington didn’t share it’s primary date with lots of other states that year.
Pike Place Market needs some serious TLC. While it seems like Nickels wants a property tax to pay for the improvements, why not tax the cruiseship tourists who cram into the place on the weekends? If we’re marketing Pike Place to folks across the country (and world), then they should help pay too.
Somebody has got to tell the no-growthers (like Skip) that adding housing supply has a measurable effect on housing prices. Somebody, please.
Why does my favorite Seattle Times editorial columnist have to be the conservative guy? Why oh why?
That hole is nothing. I can dig a hole like that in one night. In fact, maybe one of my buddies just did … :)
I see higher Seattle water rates coming …
And just a little bit ago, our lovely WA GOP Congresspersons voted for endless eternal war, and blind obedient loyalty to the commander in shit, who lied us into the mess and refuses to consider getting keep our citizens from dying over there. Endless war must be very profitable to the likes of these folks, the ones who suggest that politicians shouldn’t make decisions about war, somehow completely overlooking the fact that politicians put us there and keep us there. They need to feel the shame.
The fish-throwing guys were throwing blue, plastic crates last Sunday at Pike Place Mkt. It was after 5PM, though.
Now I want a “flying blue, plastic crates” t-shirt.
http://www.votevets.org/index......;Itemid=16
GENERAL EATON’S LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH ON VETO
Dear Mr. President,
Today, in your veto message regarding the bipartisan legislation just passed on Operation Iraqi Freedom, you asserted that you so decided because you listen to your commanders on the ground.
Respectfully, as your former commander on the ground, your administration did not listen to our best advice. In fact, a number of my fellow Generals were forced out of their jobs, because they did not tell you what you wanted to hear — most notably General Eric Shinseki, whose foresight regarding troop levels was advice you rejected, at our troops’ peril.
……………………………………………….
As someone who served this nation for decades, I have the utmost respect for the office you hold. However, as a man of conscience, I could not sit idly by as you told the American people today that your veto was based on the recommendations of military men. Your administration ignored the advice of our military’s finest minds before, and I see no evidence that you are listening to them now.
I urge you to reconsider your position, and work with Congress to pass a bill that achieves the goals laid out above.
Respectfully,
Major General Paul D. Eaton, USA, Retired
“THE ASSAULT ON REASON: HOW THE POLITICS OF FEAR, SECRECY, AND BLIND FAITH SUBVERT WISE DECISION-MAKING, DEGRADE OUR DEMOCRACY, AND PUT OUR COUNTRY AND OUR WORLD IN PERIL.”
new book by Al Gore
http://www.buzzflash.com/store/reviews/598
I was all set to write something unpleasant about Mr. Pelz, when I read Lucy’s post above.
General Eaton, in his quiet, measured terms spoke louder than anyone here could. We just need to make sure that his words are repeated as many times as possible in as many places as possible.
Every time one of our resident neo-cons tries to spread the lie that the military supports President Bush in this debacle, we just need to repeat General Eaton’s words.
Thanks, Lucy. I’ll rain all over Mr. Pelz later. This is more important.
Headless Lucy @ 5:
Thank you for posting that letter written by Major General Eaton. It completely cuts through all the rhetoric.
Now, Republicans & conservatives clearly have a choice, either support the troops and America for a change or continue supporting George W. Bush and al Qeada.
Puddybud, please do not attack votevets.org like you do other military advocacy groups like the IAVA.
Here’s what I’d like to see the Democrats do next.
1) Send a “clean” bill to Bush.
2) Fund the “Emergency” war spending bill for 90 days.
3) Cancel their summer recess and conduct hearings all summer long into how we got from the USS Cole bombing to where we are now.
4) The list of people needs to start with Bill Clinton, his cabinet, staff, CIA, NSA, Richard Clarke, etc.
5) Then continue hearings, under oath of course, with Bush’s administration, and people like Hans Blix to testify.
Then we can get a clearer picture on Bush’ decision making process to determine if he’s competent enough to continue his war in Iraq.
We know he’s not, but getting Generals, intel experts, etc to tell their stories in the unvarnished truth will force many a Republican congressman and senator to reconsider their options when the articles of Impeachment are written.
BREAKING NEWS
WASHINGTON – Senators subpoenaed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Wednesday, ordering him to provide all e-mails related to presidential adviser Karl Rove and the firings of eight federal prosecutors.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18442392/
uh-ohhhhh somebody’s in trouble.
Headlice that’s a great one. At least now algore is writing about something he knows all about.
LMAO….
What a dumshit..
BREAKING NEWS
BREAKING NEWS article continued
The order compels the Justice Department to turn over “complete and unredacted versions of any and all e-mails and attachments to e-mails to, from, or copied to Karl Rove” related to the firings, written on White House, Republican National Committee or any other e-mail accounts.
The committee is probing whether Rove and other top White House officials conducted official business on RNC accounts intended for political work, then deleted them in violation of the law.
Which Publican crook goes to jail next? There are so many possibilities!
Ok, friends, neighbors and Mr. Redneck. Here’s another little bit to cheer all of us that normally consider ourselves to be politically to the left of Attila the Hun. (You might want to read it too, Mr. Redneck.)
It seems that William F. Buckley Jr., Editor at Large of the National Review, has concerns about the future of the Republican Party.
Mr. Buckley is known for being careful with his words. I notice that he said “problem of the Bush administration“. And he continues:
It seems that the National Review agrees with Senator Reid about the status of the war in Iraq. Mr. Buckley then continues with some of the ramifications for the Republican Party:
Oh, my. There’s a problem with Mr. Buckley. His conservative bona fides are so well established that he cannot simply be dismissed as a “RINO”. Anyone seriously suggesting that somehow William F. Buckley Jr. is some sort of liberal or Democrat will simply be laughed at by anyone with any knowledge of the man. He manages to sum it up nicely when he says:
Can anyone remember the Whigs?
Ref: http://tinyurl.com/2c3u2r
@ 14:
Let’s take up an office pool. With soooooo many possibilities everyone should win soemthing!!
John @ 15:
Those conservatives will just say he’s a “cut-n-runner” who defected to the looney far left.
It’s just that simple. They’ll send the attack dogs on WFB just like any combat veteran who opposes there views.
The “People” sent a very large telegram last November to the Republicans. They know it. I guarantee of the 21 Republican Senators up for re-election in 18 months, they’re going to start singing a different tune.
The Republcian Party won’t go the way of the Whigs, but the modern day Christian conservative movement is dead and George W. Bush led the charge with his followers close behind in the implosion of their movement.
Buckley also dates the current crisis with the Republicans as BEGINNING with the GIPPER.
There’s nowhere for these cockroaches to run to anymore.
now why am i not surprised that the “world’s creepiest father” is from washington state….
“WASHINGTON — A man accused of raping his own daughter and posting video of the attack on the Internet was being held in Hong Kong Wednesday in what authorities called the arrest of one of the world’s most notorious child molesters.
Kenneth John Freeman, a 44-year-old former sheriff’s deputy from Washington state, was apprehended by Chinese police Tuesday night using arrest information from U.S. authorities. It’s not clear what Freeman was doing in Hong Kong, but “obviously, he was trying to escape,” said U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman Nikki Credic.
Freeman was arrested on charges of child rape by Washington state police in November 2005 and released on $50,000 bond. The former reserve Benton County deputy sheriff failed to appear in court in March 2006.
The Web video of the attack became one of the most widely downloaded child pornography videos in recent years, officials said.”
wow….need i say more?
YUP! There’s nowhere for these cockroaches to run to anymore.
I expect they’ll put on tophats, grab a cane, and start in on a little soft-shoe routine.
re 19: Deflection? How sad….
Any more news on Anna Nicole, Dumbosghost?
George W. Bush is a shithead.
christmasSOLDIERSghost @ 19:
Yeah, you forgot to mention he’s from the RED, RED city of Richland, WA. and a registerd REPUBLICAN!
Thanks for playing, though.
Barelli – I agree. The current crop of Republicans are certainly no conservatives. Reading a great book now called “Conservatives Betrayed…” All about how GWB and the big gummint republicans turned on us conservatives.
I can tell you that conservatives are NOT going to vote for McCain or Guiliani. And sas not gonna vote for an empty skirt like The Magic Negro or TSWITW. You guys might get the chance to realize your totalitarian dream…
@ 21 were there any Natalee Holloway sighting on FAUX NEWS lately?
They’ll probably want to dust off the Terri Schivo footage.
No, no, no. . . better yet they’ll pretend it’s 1998 and the Monica Lewinsky scandal is in full bloom.
What losers!
FUCK YOU MTR!!
George W. Bush is a PURE conservative. He ran as a conservative, he talks like a conservative, but more imoprtantly he conducts himself like a consevative. You assholes voted for him, you own him. You’re not going to get to discard him. He’s your albatross.
@ 19
He’s also a huuuuge conservative Republican.
19 This guy was a COP??? Where?
I’d still take you to task, though, on our state having a monopoly on weirdness. We just like to tell ourselves we have the best, first and most of everything, from the zippiest oflattes to the wettest of rain to the kinkiest of perverts.
I apologize for the lack of an in the above posting.
25 I beg to differ. Much as many of us might have disagreed with them, “conservatives” weren’t previously known for trillion-dollar deficits. For BushCo to call themselves “conservatives” is like a serial rapist calling himself a “great lover”.
ArtFart,
We accept your
THAT SHERRIF’S DEPUTY PROBABLY WORKED FOR THE EMPTIEST SUIT IN THE HOUSE – SHERIFF GOODHAIR.
I DON’T KNOW ONE WAY OR THE OTHER BUT I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF IT WAS TRUE.
THAT SCUM DEPUTY WAS FOR SURE INSPIRED BY WASHINGTON’S MOST FAMOUS REPUBLICAN – TED BUNDY.
H/T TO GHOST WHOSE MIND NATURALLY GRAVITATES TO SUCH MORSELS.
““conservatives” weren’t previously known for trillion-dollar deficits.”
It all started with Reagan.
RICHLAND, WA – MY BAD. I KNOW NOW.
Hold up, GBS. Mr. Redneck has a point that, by the definition of “conservative” that was in play before the neo-cons took control, neither President Bush nor almost any of the current crop of Republicans are actually conservative.
Of course, Mr. Redneck and his ilk were the folks that pushed honest conservatives out of the Republican party. Lots of folks that considered themselves conservatives now also consider themselves Democrats.
Conservatives used to believe in smaller government. They might personally disapprove of a person’s lifestyle, but wouldn’t think it an appropriate use of the power of the government to do something about it. Where government had a role to play, they expected it to do so efficiently and fairly.
Conservatives believed in balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility.
It’s odd how the entire political spectrum has shifted. Many of the folks that used to be called “conservative” are now called “liberal”.
Remember a Governor that signed the most liberal abortion law in the nation and raised taxes to pay for a state budget shortfall? That would be Ronald Reagan.
How about a Senator that opposed the religious right on matters of gay rights and abortion? That would be Barry Goldwater.
On the other hand, neo-cons like President Bush and Mr. Redneck believed that government should enforce some sort of social norms, expanded the power and scope of government, and seemed to believe in borrowing their way out of debt.
The problem is that the neo-cons, having been caught in their own webs of lies and deception, now want to have people forget that, while they are dropping President Bush and his crowd as being insufficiently conservative, they are themselves no more conservative than he is.
A bit more reading did, however, find me reading articles from the current crop of neo-cons claiming that William F. Buckley Jr. is no longer considered a conservative by the neo-con crowd.
No problem. We’ve got room for one more former conservative over here.
William F. Buckley, Jr., Liberal commentator. Wow. That is just too weird.
21….no, it’s in an OPEN THREAD….do you know what that means? speaking of dumbasses!
“Yeah, you forgot to mention he’s from the RED, RED city of Richland, WA. and a registered REPUBLICAN!”
is this just wishful thinking, or are you stating fact?
because,frankly, i think it’s beyond strange to think of a guy’s political leanings on a story like this ,BUT, hey, look where i am posting. you guys would make anything political.
do you really think that i [or any sentient being]would think it was okay if he was a republican? think again! he is scum…the scum of the earth. my point is that it didn’t surprise me in the least that he was from washington state…..the state with a pedophile on very corner….cause you’re so “tolerant”……
do you read?
“the state with a pedophile on very corner”
Actually, you can find many corners without a Republican on it.
ArtFart @ 30:
I’ll have to respectfully disagree with you. When Reagan came into office in 1981 the National Debt was about $1.6 Trillion, by the time him and Bush Sr. left it was it was $4 Trillion. (Accounts for $2.4 Trillion of the total debt)
President Clinton rant he debt up to $5.5 trillion then stopped the borrowing and started paying the debt down to $5.3 trillion. (Accounts for $1.3 trillion of the total debt.)
Bush dipshit went from $5.3 trilion to about $10 Trillion dollars. (Accounts for $4.7 Trillion of the total debt and climbing.)
Irresponsible Republicans from Reagan to Bush dipshit have borrowed $7.1 Trillion that has to be paid back with interest!!) Clint borrowd 1.5 trillion, but stopped borrowing (good thing) and retired $200 billion of debt.
They are KNOWN for running up TRILLIONS upon TRILLIONS of dollars of debt from hostile nations like CHINA!
Uh, Christmasghost?
Perhaps we’re all just a bit oversensative here when it comes to right wingers posting attacks, but when you started your original post with
most of us probably didn’t think that you meant that pine needles cause child abuse.
However, I’m willing to take you at your word that your comments were not aimed at the political leanings of Washington State.
So, you were trying to insult and degrade the entire population of my home state, instead of just part of it.
Ok, I’ve got your message straight now.
christmasSOLDIERSghost.
Do I read? Yes. The bigger question is do you comprehend what you read?
Apparently not.
BTW, I/we got your implied suggestion “now why am i not surprised that the “world’s creepiest father” is from washington state…
Grow up, sweetcheeks.
Ghost sucks dicks like all Publicans. All publicans are traitors and cowards. How’s that for personal attacks and who gives a fuck who likes it?
I don’t treat traitors with respect. Real Americans never do.
Barelli – You gotta understand that democrats have to LIE in order to get elected. They run to the right and lead to the left. The kooks that are in charge now lied and ran as conservatives, and now that they’re in charge they’re in the process of establishing themselves as comissars of their totalitarian regime.
They were able to fool enough people to get elected, but now they’re showing themselves for who they really are. Their term will be short…
re 24: MTR: Do you experience a constant, horrified shrieking noise in your skull?
Get a bottle of Jack Daniels and drink the entire bottle in gulps.
I guarantee you, the shrieking sound will abate.
Oh, and just to set the record straight, Christmasghost, Washington’s child victimization rate is between 5.1 and 10 per thousand children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
While this is certainly unacceptably high, there are only six states in the 0 to 5 percent category, and there are a lot of states with higher percentages.
So your claim that we are somehow coddling child molesters and are the state with a “pedophile on every streetcorner” is not only incorrect, but is insulting to everyone that loves the State of Washington. That would include me.
Gee, Christmasghost, why don’t you just insult motherhood or apple pie or something?
How long is this bullshit gonna go on?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....ces02.html
When is LiarFuckingCantwell going to start applying that “deep knowledge of energy issues” to get gas down to a buck/gallon again.
Headlice – All I hear is a checker game…
Hey, while yer here… can you explain again how the amount of wealth in the world is a fixed amount?
And didja see the article in yesterday’s times about there being 68000 millionaires in FUKC? 68000 people you can envy and hate.
Fucking loser…
Ba-rel-lllliiiiii
You hold up. The Republican Party has changed radically since the days of the Rockefeller Repbulicans. What you see today IS conservatism.
“Conservatives used to believe in smaller government.”
They don’t believe, and never have embraced the Jeffersonian ideal of small government that serves the people, they want unregulated, Lazzie-faire governement. Huge difference that cannot and must not be confused or blurred.
“They might personally disapprove of a person’s lifestyle, but wouldn’t think it an appropriate use of the power of the government to do something about it. Where government had a role to play, they expected it to do so efficiently and fairly.
You’re jokin’ me right?!?! There are books on this subject, I don’t have the time to cover all of it here.
“Conservatives believed in balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility.”
Hate to sound like a broken record, but, You ARE jokin’ me, right?!?!?! If their rhetoric matched their actions we’d be in a different place fiscally in this country. This one just about made my jaw drop to the floor.
“Remember a Governor that signed the most liberal abortion law in the nation and raised taxes to pay for a state budget shortfall? That would be Ronald Reagan.”
Here’s where I have to get off this parade. You act like Ronald Reagan did some fantastic job running California. That would also be the same state that used to have FREE college education until Ronald Reagan and Hatchet-man Casper Weinberger screwed that all up.
John, I really respect your opinions and you have great thought and debating skills, but sometimes you go out of your way to defend the indefensible and this is certainly one of those times. When you talk about people like Goldwater, that isn’t MTR’s idea of a conservative either. His idea of a conservative is Ronald Reagan. Mark my words. Ronald Reagan is no Barry Goldwater conservative, just read Reagan’s “State’s Rights” speech in Philadelphia, MS and get back to me on that it’s implications for the time, race relations, and the Republican Southern Strategy. Bonus points of the significance of the location.
Respectfully,
GBS
PS: “William F. Buckley, Jr., Liberal commentator. Wow. That is just too weird. ” I agree.
re 45: “Hey, while yer here… can you explain again how the amount of wealth in the world is a fixed amount?
And didja see the article in yesterday’s times about there being 68000 millionaires in FUKC? 68000 people you can envy and hate.”
Can you explain again how the wealth of the world is MORE than it is at any given point in time?
Financially, I am very comfortable, MTR. Can you explain to me again how a British millionnaire can get a better steak or a more comfortable bed than I can?
Actually, GBS, I agree with you about the job Ronald Reagan did as Governor. It was lousy. But… At least back then he realized that someone actually had to pay for the services rendered by government. That was back before he took a bite from the neo-con apple.
You’ll notice that most of my statements are written in the past tense. Conservatives believed in most of those things. They might screw something up, but it would have been from decent motives.
I suppose that part of the reason for my statements is that, way back when, most of my friends considered me to be a conservative. Balanced budgets, small, unobtrusive government that stays out of people’s personal affairs. A dedication to personal liberty and Constitutional rights. That used to be mainstream conservativism.
No, I’m not defending the people that call themselves conservative today. I simply use the term that they chose for themselves (neo-con) to differentiate them from the few honest folks that are still willing to use the title “conservative”.
The “new conservatives” actually look pretty much like the old authoritarians to me. Mr. Redneck is correct that they aren’t really conservatives. Of course, neither is he.
One more tidbit. I tend to use Ronald Reagan as an example, not because I like his politics or think he was a particularly good President, but simply because the neo-cons idolize him so, and yet his views would be completely unacceptable in the current Republican party.
While I voted against him every time I was given the opportunity, I choose to believe that Mr. Reagan meant well (although I acknowledge that others have reason to disagree).
I just think he was out of his depth as a political leader, and took advice from the wrong folks. He tried to do a good job as President, just as he tried to be a good actor in the movies.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043325/
MTR @ 3:23 p.m.
Y’know, for an engineer, you’re not that bright sometimes.
There is a finite supply of oil in the world. There’s oil we haven’t brought up yet, but it’s all in tough to get at places. The days of being able to dril a few thousand feet and hit oil have come and gone. Those fields are all drilled.
At the same time, we are using more of the stuff than ever before. By “we” I don’t mean Seattle, or the United States, or North America (although all those are true). That means China, India, etc. etc. 300 million Chinese are joining the middle class. They all want cars. Chinese cars don’t run on rice.
Stable-> Declining supply + Rising Demand = Higher prices.
You are never going to see buck a gallon gas again in your life, and no politician on the planet is going to change that.
There may be some way to deliver 125,000 BTU of energy for a buck, but a lot of smart people have been trying to crack that nut, and there’s no sign of much forward motion yet.
We need better transit so we can avoid roads and bridges at all costs!
JSA – WTF? Are you saying supply and demand has something to do with gas prices? What kind of fucking bullshit is that? What are you… some kind of free market guy? HTF did you wander off the reservation?
Let me help…
The only reason gas is 3.50/gal is that because GWB is in office and he’s from Texas. Doncha know there’s oil in Texas. Another reason is that Cheney used to work for Halliburton and they’re in the business. Finally, it’s the greed of oil companies. Those 3 things totally explain why gas is so expensive.
Fucking idiot… market forces affecting prices… Sheesh…
Headlice… back me up here…
splain to JSA howcum gas is 3.50 per gallon. He’s spouting that free market bullshit about supply and demand…
go ahead… straighten him out…
LMAO….
jsa – you are absolutely wrong… all it’ll take for gas to be a buck a gallon again is for LiarFuckingCantwell to hold hearings about “gouging”. They’ll tremble at the sight of the 99th most influential senator and prices will drop like a rock overnight.
I’m sure of it…
http://WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK/MON.....VIEW19.XML
MONDAY VIEW: CHEAP SOLAR POWER POISED TO UNDERCUT OIL AND GAS BY HALF
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Last Updated: 11:31pm GMT 18/02/2007
“Within five years, solar power will be cheap enough to compete with carbon-generated electricity, even in Britain, Scandinavia or upper Siberia. In a decade, the cost may have fallen so dramatically that solar cells could undercut oil, gas, coal and nuclear power by up to half. Technology is leaping ahead of a stale political debate about fossil fuels.”
John 48/49:
As you know I’m intentionally caustic on this blog towards conservatives by design. You on the other hand still engage conservatives with passionate reason.
‘Good on ya’ as they say down under, but I for one refuse to debate on the blog with unprincipled people such as MTR.
Reagan is the iconic symbol of conservatism, although he isn’t the first of that genere to hold the presidency.
I grew up in California, and what Reagan and Casper Weinberger really did was to gut many services, vital ones, too, to balance the budget.
I guess I take “exception” to your use of the term “conservative” and apply it to small unobtrusive government, balanced budgets etc, as to mean the opposite of what Democrats do. When history in these matters is on the side of the Democrats.
I wouldn’t disagree with you that Reagan “meant well” it’s just the ends do not always justify the means with these people.
But, more to the relevant point of our discussion, is that MTR claims Bush is no conservative and clearly, Bush is a conservative in the mold of a Ronald Reagan. The difference is that Bush is, and has a track record of, a failed CEO.
While I vehmently disagree with Ronald Reagan in principle about a lot of things, I would not charaterize him as a failed CEO.
If MTR wants to say “Bush is no successful CEO.” I’m good witn that.
But if he says “Bush is no conservative.” I call bullshit.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/mon.....view19.xml
MONDAY VIEW: CHEAP SOLAR POWER POISED TO UNDERCUT OIL AND GAS BY HALF
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard Poop
Last Updated: 11:31pm GMT 18/02/2007
“Within five years, solar power will be cheap enough to compete with carbon-generated electricity, even in Britain, Scandinavia or upper Siberia. In a decade, the cost may have fallen so dramatically that solar cells could undercut oil, gas, coal and nuclear power by up to half. Technology is leaping ahead of a stale political debate about fossil fuels.”
I’ll tell you when the Texas oil-patch folks are going to get their faces a little reddened. It’s going to be when the Judiciary hearings turn up all the email traffic between Houston and the Oval Office.
http://www.treehugger.com/file.....ng-oil.php
THIN-FILM SOLAR TECHNOLOGY COULD BE SERIOUSLY CLOBBERING FOSSIL FUELS IN TEN YEARS
MTR:
What’s this shit I hear that you’re not really a producer, but an engineer?
Is it true I can find out your real idenity over an Sound Politics?
Apparently, the rumor mill is that you outted yourself shortly after the Nov 2004 elections. Is that true?
Also, your name isn’t Mark, but Jeff??
What’s up with that?
MTR:
“Hear me now and understand me later.” Hans and Franz
“Technology is leaping ahead of a stale political debate about fossil fuels.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/mon ey/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/ 02/19/ccview19.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/mon.....view19.xml
GBS:
I understand and, to a large degree, agree with everything you just said.
When I’m asked why I’m a Democrat, my answer is, and has been for many years, that it’s because I believe in balanced budgets and smaller government that stays out of people’s personal lives.
Republicans talk about those things, Democrats deliver them. I prefer the reality to the rhetoric.
HL @ 59:
No doubt that the US government could create trillions of dollars in private wealth developing alternative forms of energy, but if we don’t get away from failed conservative leadership we’ll be left far behind next generation of profit leaders in the green energy market that WILL emerge.
It’s dumb shits like MTR, that vote for idiots like Bush that keep us from being leaders in the next world economy boom.
Mark,
Yeah, it’s a lot easier to set up idiotic straw men than actually think things through.
Since you have free time, and you need to work those brain cells a bit could you explain in your own words what a chi-square analysis is and how it works?
re 64: Yes. With their snide, smirky, know-it-all ignorance and ability to obfuscate the truth, they’ve managed to ensure that this country will be a 3rd world ghetto.
MTR must have gone back to the Kool-Aid well for a re-fill.
John @ 63:
The truth is I haven’t always been a Democrat. In fact, it wasn’t until the Republicans Impeached Clinton did I register as a Democrat. I was registered as “non-partisan” and never voted in primaries. I never felt either party was exactly right for me, although I almost always voted Dem in the general elections. When the Republicans abused the Impeachment clause of the Constitution to try and unseat Clinton, I knew I had to add my voice to the party of the Democrats in order to battle against the political force of conservatism that was/is betraying the Constitution.
My political belief system is based on our Founding Fathers ideals. In particular; Washington, Franklin, Paine, Madison, and my personal favorite Thomas Jefferson.
The irony of it all is that if these men were alive today, those “flag wavers” in conservative party and the Jerry Falwell, James Dobson types would chastise them like any other Liberal of today.
Most people do not understand the significance of why Thomas Jefferson was so adamant about the Separation of Church and State.
The first person who can correctly explain Jefferson’s philosophical reasoning for the Separatin of Church and State before 5pm today I’ll buy them lunch.
Hint; the answer has nothing to do with religion or tyranny.
re 65:
http://www.georgetown.edu/facu.....i_tut.html
CHI SQUARE TUTORIAL
You can always count on Georgetown: Clinton’s alma mater
Reagan was a great president. Let’s review:
1) Lead us out of the “malaise” created by the worst president this country has EVER had.
2) Lead the largest and longest economic expansion the world has EVER seen.
3) Won the Cold War, dismantled the USSR, liberated hundreds of millions of people, and put communism/librulism/marxism/socialism in the shitcan of history where it belongs.
Pretty good record…
“Typically, the hypothesis tested with chi square is whether or not two different samples (of people, texts, whatever) are different enough in some characteristic or aspect of their behavior that we can generalize from our samples that the populations from which our samples are drawn are also different in the behavior or characteristic.”
Perfect…
So do a chi squared analysis of current temps and historical temps to see if there are significant differences.
It’s really just a test to determine whether differences are “signal” or “noise”. In the case of “global warming” the temps we see now are just in the noise range. There is nothing unusual about them.
The hypothesis of global warming is therefore rejected.
Sheesh… it ain’t that fucking hard…
JSA – WTF is wrong with you. What part of “GWB is from Texas” don’t you get.
All that free market shit was thought up hundreds of years ago. It no longer applies. This is 21st century. We’ve moved beyond that to a socialist utopia. Supply and demand no longer has any effect on prices.
And Headlice agrees with me. So there…
Well, GBS, I do know that he had ongoing correspondence with a major Baptist denomination that strongly supported the separation of church and state.
The Baptist’s position was that when religion and politics were mixed, it was to the detriment of both.
When the church becomes a path towards political power, it corrupts the church. When the state determines what people are required to believe, religious faith becomes a matter of expedience.
So, do I get lunch?
MTR the liar wrote:
“2) Lead the largest and longest economic expansion the world has EVER seen.”
Economic expansion?? That loser of a president had two of the worst economic RECESSIONS on his watch. Dumb ass.
Since you’re obviously no economist, a recession is a “contraction” of the economy for a period of time no less than 6 months. Reagan’s recession lasted 18 and 24 months.
And, he created the largest deficit and national debt in US history (at the time.) Bush of course eclipsed all those shit records.
You own him, Dick.
Danbury Baptist and no, the answer I’m looking for does not involve religion.
Times up.
Answer posting in just a minue. Although, if you post the correct answer before I post you still get lunch.
Thomas Jefferson wrote many letters to friends and colleagues on his poltical and philosophical views.
In reading his letters on the subject of religion and politics it becomes clear that Jefferson believed in order to have a truly free state that “the opinions of men must be beyond the reach of civil authority.”
In other words, religion was/is purely and opinion. But more importantly, if government could control your opinions, on any subject, then the free-thinking and passionate, reasoned debate would not flourish. Therefore, a Democracy could not survive without free thought. Two hundred years later, George Orwell coined the appropriate phrase “thought police” in his novel 1984.
70
Reagan is responsible for the disaster that Bush has caused. Reagan put a smiley face on governmental capriciousness. He divided the nation by destroying the social compact that had made this nation great. Reagan encouraged people to follow a principle of telling their neighbors to fuck off. He had an incidental role in the end of the Cold War and the demise of the USSR. He promoted tax cut and spend as a political value. He got involved in foreign engagements that were unjust, ill-conceived, and just flat immoral. Bush is the direct product of Reaganism. Reagan was truly one of the worst presidents ever, and history will not treat him well. And, you should see a physician about that boner for Reagan that persists even after the old bastard’s death.
The correct answer would be the Separation clause was the first step down the slippery slope of the government controlling your thouhts and opinions.
In fact, our founding fathers thought so highly of this that they made it an interagal part of the 1st Amendment.
No laws regarding establishment of religion.
Freedom of Speech.
Freedom of the press.
The right to peaceably assemble.
4 of the 5 protected rigths of the 1st Amendment protect the foundations of opinions, and free thought.
The right of redress is another matter.
President Jefferson gave a number of different answers to this question, depending on whom he was addressing. For example, while his answers to the Danbury Baptists focused on it being beyond the scope of government to decide matters of a religious nature, he also seems to have had a distrust of the clergy.
Mr. Jefferson had some good reasons for his opinions of the clergy. During much of his life, they were strongly influential in civil government, and this was often detrimental to civil liberties.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, governments make poor churches and churches make lousy governments.
PL @ 78
By “foreign engagemants” that were “immoral” would you include on that list giving Saddam Hussien the necessary intelligence on Iranian troop positions so that he could effectively deploy weapons of mass destruction (chemical weaons)?
That kind of immorality? That kind of contribution to a dictator and terror?
John @ 80:
No question, Jefferson was very open about his disdain for public proselytizing. He was no fan of any organized religion, which is why he was a Deist.
I did provide the hint that the answer I was looking for did not involve religion or its tyranny.
I was purposefully looking for the philosophical reasoning as it pertained to our fledgling democracy.
Tell you what, GBS
Next time you’re over in Gig Harbor, give me a call. I’ll buy you lunch.
Hope you like teriyaki.
Damn, I was in Tacoma this morning!! I could’ve just shot acorss the bridge.
I’ll keep your offer in mind and take you up on it. Hell, I might even buy. I love teriyaki.
GBS @ 81
Why, yes, I would include befriending Saddam on the list. Of course, attacking small island nations that posed no imminent threat to anyone might also be included on the list. Oh, and then there was Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador . . . What a fucking bastard Reagan was. I have to say, I really didn’t like him much. The Republican Party treats him like he was God incarnate. The Republican ability to deify idiots is truly remarkable. The whole party needs therapy.
I hesitate to step into this maelstrom, but. . . .
The last real Conservative in public life was probably Everett Dirksen.
TFF @ 86
Everett Dirksen was a great man and a great senator. As a child, I remember my left-winged father, a minister, had good words for Dirksen. I think you may be right.
Thanks for the link lucy.
There’s one little rub nobody talks about in these articles about whizzy new technology like solar cells and other forms of intermittent power.
The sun shines during the day, but we use most of our energy at night.
Storing enough power to run a house, let alone a neighborhood or a city is not in any way, shape, or form a solved problem.
I have a machine room. We have a UPS to keep our servers from dying if BC Hydro pulls the plug on us.
It cost $25000, is the size of a refrigerator, and provides enough juice to run a good-sized house (250A @ 110V).
It will keep the lights on for 20 minutes at full capacity.
If you want to run your house off solar from 6-10 pm, that’s $300 large, and kiss your basement good-bye.
This is another unsexy problem that hasn’t been solved.
GBS: Prove to me where I attacked anything with your worthless rant.
Take your rant: “Puddybud, please do not attack votevets.org like you do other military advocacy groups like the IAVA.” and shove it.
You know all too well Voice of Chalk Scratching would OUT ME CUZ HE DON’T LIKE ME! I have not said anything past my original measurement on the first day you posted it. Others have complained about your Al Gore loving guy but not me!
Voice of Chalk Scratching would out me in a heartbeat! That’s the way he is. But for the moronic doppelgangers like [headlice/harry poon/col biff/col tucker/col XXX] he gives a BIG FAT PASS TO THEM!
GBS@82 To truly evaluate Jefferson’s Deism, you have to drag in that renegade Quaker, Thomas Paine. It was at Jefferson’s invitation that Paine returned to The United States of America after escaping Robespierre and becoming disenchanted with Napoleon. In truth, it has been said that Paine proposed the very name of our nation,“The United States of America”.
DarrellDumbass@89 Darrell, your ingrained dishonesty and self-deception are tedious. Goldy doesn’t need to out you. You Outed Yourself!. You signed your post when you were making a fool of yourself trying to educated Goldy on the beginning of the Sabbath. Goldy told you then, and I will repeat his comment now: You are beyond your ken. You called yourself “Darrell”. I call you “Darrell Dumbass.”
You compounded this stupidity by posting on (Un)Sound Politics, giving your email address. A simple Google search of this address revealed another posting of your’s on another board, signing your FULL NAME. Darrell E. Dumbass.
Subsequent events give this as Darrell Eugene Dumbass.
Dumbass you were, Dumbass your are, Dumbass you will remain
re 89: Storage Batteries.
re 73: What part of destroying your market and the law of supply and demand don’t you get?
The Great Depression did not happen for lack of goods — but lack of ability to pay for them.
Cheap labor = No Market
harry:
That’s the point. A UPS is storage batteries and a little circuitry to invert AC and DC. The quantity of batteries to run a house while the sun don’t shine is staggering in size and cost.
I would love nothing more than to have a house that runs on solar, or wind, or hamster power. We’re not quite there yet.
One problem is that people see computer and electronics technology consistently get better, faster, and cheaper every year and assume that everything will get better at the same speed. Power systems don’t improve at technology speeds. They improve about the same rate that cars do.
Getting to the point where this is ready for prime-time will require at least one or two big breakthroughs.
Puddybud @ 90:
SHOVE IT, huh?
Hey, you were the one who poo-pooed the IAVA because they score Democrats higher on supporting the troops than Republicans. And, you went on to make false accusations that they were cherry picking the legislative bills to make it “look” like they were slanting things on purpose to the Dems. Remember?
You should, because you said you were going to write Paul Reickoff. Accusing a NON PARTISAN military advocacy group whose sole mission is to advance the causes for our troops because they tell the unvarnished truth is not supporting the troops.
You should have embraced the news because at least you know where your political leaders stand and you could either stand with them or add your voice against them. Like I did for railing against Jim McDermott for only getting a “C”. Average isn’t good enough when it comes to our troop.
Instead of calling on your party leaders to “step up to the plate” and change their positions on legislation that effects our troops, you discounted the IAVA. In doing so, you discounted the views, opinions and needs of America’s combat veterans from the War On Terror.
Who do you think knows what’s best for our combat veterans; combat veterans or you?
No offense, but I’m going with combat veterans on this issue. If you go with combat veterans then you’ll be with mostly with Demcocrats on this issue, but this should be a commong ground issue not a partisan issue.
Why your republcian leaders won’t come to the common ground with us in supporting the troops is beyond me, but, like the other Cultre of Crime/Corruptions issues you own this problem, too.
Come on over to the Democrat tent, Puddybud, there’s plenty of room. We already have Pro-Life Democrats, Puddybud, you won’t be alone.
Now, don’t you feel a bit sill telling me to SHOVE IT!
Make nice and apologize already.