Page 132

Page 132 is on extended haitus

2009-05-03T14:32:00.002-04:00

Due to my professional and personal life, I will no longer be updating this blog until further notice. None of the other writers appear to be writing either, so Page 132 is on extended hiatus.

Thank you for reading and corresponding with the writers.

We hope to be back in the future, but I don't know when that will be.

Feel free to contact me at baseball_fan4life AT hotmail if you wish to continue the conversation.

Sebelius was pro-choice AND decreased abortions

2009-03-02T11:23:00.003-05:00

I'm quickly coming to love Matthew 25 Network as the place for progressive evangelicals to discuss issues of faith and politics.

Check out their post on Gov. Sebelius' efforts to reduce abortions in Kansas while being pro-choice.

Brilliant stuff.

Totally agree

2009-03-01T13:01:00.001-05:00

With OMB Director Peter Orszag - "I just reject the theory that the only thing that drives economic performance is the marginal tax rate on wealthy Americans as the only way of being pro-market is to funnel billions and billions of dollars of subsidies to corporations."

Obama may use 50-vote tactic on energy, healthcare

I hope we hear more Democrats saying this same sort of thing!

Cool

2009-02-19T23:43:00.003-05:00

Before I go any further, you have to understand something. I live in a time lapse. By that I mean that the "city" in which I dwell is about 10 years behind most other places. Therefore, I find out about stuff much later than most other people. So, if you've already seen or heard what I'm about to share with you, please humor me. Anyway, you should check out cooliris. It's quite, well, cool.

So, I used to actually write somewhat original content...

2009-02-19T23:30:00.003-05:00

But, now I'm relegated to bringing you stuff like this.

see more pwn and owned pictures

I'm still trying to figure out what was meant by this. This plan is not helpful to any baby making efforts.

And one of the tech dudes shared this with me today. I was laughing so hard I was crying in my office. Seriously, I was bent over my workstation with my sandwich over over my head and convulsing with laughter.

Ha!

2009-02-15T19:57:00.003-05:00

see more pwn and owned pictures
This is so funny on many layers. First, what are the two dudes in the front of the boat doing? Second, the dude in the back!?! If I didn't know better, I'd think it was my dad! Third, what kind of ride are you going to get behind that boat while on that tube?

see more pwn and owned pictures
Freeze frame!

Page 132's godfather autographs book

2009-02-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

My buddy, Grant, helped Donald Miller and his photographer when they were here for the inauguration. I'm plenty pleased.

Will MLB become another WWF?

2009-02-08T03:42:00.003-05:00

After 40+ years of creative cooperation between National Football League officials and their Players’ Union, the NFL dominates the American professional sports landscape at a level of popularity that is the envy of all other sports leagues. Throughout the same 40+ years most of what we’ve seen between the Office of MLB and their Players’ Union is contention, distrust, legal wrangling, player strikes, bad leadership, bad management, scapegoating, finger-pointing, and media spin. Is it any wonder that one of the major consequences of this uncooperative history is that the former “national pastime” is well on its way to a level of credibility rivaling that of professional wrestling? MLB officials have been so spineless that the US government has had to threaten intervention to get them to do drug testing to save their own sport. Then, when MLB finally does drug testing there are no uniform and consistent consequences for those who fail. When evidence of drug abuse does surface, what is the reaction of the MLB Players’ Union? To work WITH the league to discipline offenders and clean up the sport? Not hardly. The MLBPA is much more concerned to protect the guilty than it is in supporting the clean players and protecting the health, reputation, and public regard of the sport. How long will MLB survive when its leaders remain more interested in juiced homer run hitters than a clearly legitimate sport? What are today’s young parents supposed to say to their baseball-fan-kids in the future about this era? “Well son, many of the most famous players cheated, they took drugs, the league looked the other way, many of the career statistics for this era are bogus, but the league never wanted to figure out who was clean and who was not and so there is no way to know which players, which teams, and which statistics are honest and which ones are not?” I can’t imagine an answer like that is going to inspire a next generation of fans (other than those who follow professional wrestling.) How heartbreaking for lifelong baseball fans, like me.

High quality accademic interventions can do what?

2009-01-28T23:32:00.002-05:00

So, I went to a one day conference today on Response to Intervention (RTI) which is a model of addressing the specific academic needs of students prior to referring them for Special Education services. The idea is that through assessment, differentiated instruction, quality instructional techniques, and more time with areas of need many students will not need Special Education services.

Anyhow, the presenter was talking about how a school somewhere used this model, became profecient with this model, and the results were staggering. She said something to the effect of, "Teachers in this school found that these powerful teaching tools brought them more sex."

Breaks my heart every time

2009-01-28T23:15:00.002-05:00

I've been known to spontaneously hi-five my daughters. We can be talking about dance class or the latest master piece on the 'fridge and out of no where my hand goes up and there is no hesitation on their part. We slap the other's hand, smile, giggle, laugh, maybe embrace in a hug and go on about our business.

I've been known to spontaneously hi-five my students. We can be talking about numbers and I'll hear some great mathematical thinking from a first grader and my hand goes up and the kid's shoulders and face turn away and fall slightly back. I smile reassuringly while my heart breaks, feeling pretty sure I know how that reaction became so automatic in a 6 year old, and I spend the rest of the class trying show a group 4 or 5 of the least of these that they are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Martin Luther Who?

2009-01-13T23:58:00.003-05:00

Maybe it's not appropriate for an 11 year old, but I was shocked and chagrined this morning when a 4th grade African-American boy asked me two minutes into a video of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech if he had to finish listening to it. After all, it was too, "boring."

Am I overreacting in saying that I was unbelievably grieved by this young man's response to perhaps one of the most important speeches in American history?

An Obama press conference

2009-01-13T22:30:00.004-05:00

Just way too professional for Jon Stewart's liking:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

President Goofus and President Gallant - Peer Pressers

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Richardson withdraws - I'm gutted

2009-01-04T14:05:00.003-05:00

The big news today is that Bill Richardson has withdrawn himself as the Commerce Secretary.

I've got no insight. No special knowledge.

All I've got is a sense of betrayal and frustration. The Bill Richardson I volunteered for and spent hours organizing for is too smart to be involved in a pay-to-play scheme. However, he's too smart to not know this stuff was happening in his political machine.

I have no sense of where this goes or what happens to his political career.

All I know is that I won't be working in the Commerce Department and have unhitched my wagon from Richardson's star.

Just 18 More Days...

2009-01-03T02:12:00.002-05:00

“WASHINGTON (AP) – President George W. Bush on Friday branded the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel an "act of terror" and outlined his own condition for a cease-fire in Gaza, saying no peace deal would be acceptable without monitoring to halt the flow of smuggled weapons to terrorist groups… Bush offered no criticism of Israel, depicting the country's air assaults as a response to the attacks on its people. The White House will not comment on whether it views the Israeli response as proportionate or not to the scope of rockets attacks on Israel… More than 400 Palestinians and 4 Israelis have been killed in the latest offensive.”

Palenstinian Observers: "100 to 1." President Bush: "No Comment."
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The NRA Called Today

2009-01-02T19:30:00.002-05:00

NRA (after a short description of the political climate in the nation): "So, sir, can we count on you to donate some money in order to battle gun opponents so that the right to possess guns described in the Second Amendment doesn't disappear?"

Me: "I'm not sure that the founding fathers had AK-47s in mind when they wrote the Second Amendment."

Brief silence....

NRA: "Okay, well... thank you very much for your time. Have a good evening."

Me: "Thanks. You have a good evening too."

They are killing each other's children, again.

2008-12-31T15:30:00.002-05:00

How will the American public ever get a "fair and balanced view" of the recurring conflict in the Middle East when even organizations like MSNBC and the AP put out coverage with descriptions like this…

“Bush has been constantly monitoring the air strikes into the Gaza Strip, which Israel launched last Saturday in response to the rocket strikes directed at the Jewish state by the militant Hamas organization.”

Full article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28449657/

The massive Israeli bombing of civilian Palestinian communities is simply called “air strikes.” The perpetrators are simply called “Israel,” while their targets are described as “the militant Hamas organization.” I believe that Hamas also happens to be the democratically-elected standing government of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip no less representative of its people than the Zionist Terrorists of Israel.

How many in the American public know what the weapons used in these Hamas “rocket strikes” look like - compared to what is coming back at millions of Palestinian families huddled together in that tiny acreage called the Gaza Strip? Old, scrappy, land-based rocket launchers versus modern high-tech, fighter planes loaded with massive, sophisticated bombs. Accurate depictions of what’s going on would help!

Am I trying to justify the violence coming from Hamas? Never! But, the American government’s longstanding indifference toward applying massive political pressure to fully develop the “two state solution” - coupled with the colossal military disparity between the desperate, homeless, impoverished Palestinians with their little rocket launchers -and- the fierce, high-tech, terrorism of the Israelis is largely invisible to many mainstream news media consumers in the USA. And the above cited paragraph is a classic example of why this is so.

BOTH the Palestinians and the Israelis need and deserve an adequate homeland with safe and secure borders (monitored by the UN if necessary). BOTH governments are very wrong to be waging war against one another. After 62 years of unending warfare and violence and grief one would like to believe that these people realize that this approach is NEVER going to resolve their differences. And yet, the murdering goes on and on and on.

This real estate may have started out as the home of the Canaanites, and then been “given” to the Israelis (according to the Old Testament.) It may have been taken over by the Turks hundreds of years ago and it may have been partly reclaimed by the Zionists at the turn of the 20th century and then made “official” in 1947 - BUT - we’re in 2009 now and the ONLY way all this bloodshed is ever going to stop is by this “two state solution” which deserves many times more effort than the political leadership of the entire world has invested thus far. May the USA-led world please get serious about helping establish fair and secure borders that will let these two people groups LIVE!
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The post I would have written if I had time re: Warren and Obama

2008-12-19T12:57:00.003-05:00

Over at Huffington Post, Steven Waldman wrote, In Defense of Rick Warren, regarding the invocation prayer.

The whole thing is worth your 45 seconds to read, but the key passage is this one:

For Obama, picking Warren for the inauguration is a smart move. George W. Bush chose Franklin Graham, a hard-right evangelical to do his prayer. Instead of retaliating by choosing a liberal preacher, Obama opted for spiritual bipartisanship. The move helps to depoliticize prayer -- which, of course, is very politically shrewd.

That is what change looks like. If progressives thought change was simply putting our guy in their guy's place, they are sorely mistaken. That's simply same body, different face.

Relgious Pluralism in the 21st Century

2008-12-15T13:52:00.002-05:00

I have to admit that I've been laughing at this story all weekend.

The Department of General Administration, which oversees the Capitol grounds, declared a moratorium Friday on any pending and future requests to put up displays in the Capitol building....

The department declared the moratorium because it received far more requests than it anticipated and that could be accommodated in the display area on the third floor of the building, Valandra said.

The furor over the displays began early this month when an atheist group, reacting to a Nativity scene set up by a private citizen, put up an anti-religion placard. Several pro-religion displays followed.

This week, the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church applied for permission to put up a "Santa Claus Will Take You to Hell" sign, which includes lines such as "Santa's to blame for the dead soldier's fate."...

The moratorium applies to Westboro's application, along with pending requests for a Buddhist display, a Jewish banner, a mannequin of Satan holding a statement against atheists and wishing them a merry Christmas, an aluminum pole in celebration of the invented holiday of Festivus, and a "Flying Spaghetti Monster Holiday Display."

Now I'm a huge fan of letting everyone share their beliefs. I think that is a much better option than the French version where all religious displays in public are banned. However, this has gotten a little out of hand with everyone trying to prove a political point.

If I were to re-write the guidelines, I'd say that religious themes are acceptable. Displays must come from an organized religious group of 500 or more people and only one display per religion.

So what should the new guidelines contain? No displays? Displays for all? Displays that have no overt religious theme? Some hybrid?

Woof, woof... if the shoe fits!!

2008-12-14T16:44:00.004-05:00

"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - President George W. Bush made a farewell visit to Baghdad Sunday... and, in a sign of lingering anger over the war that will define the Republican president's foreign policy legacy, an Iraqi journalist shouted "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," and hurled his shoes at Bush during a news conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East. One of the shoes sailed over the president's head and slammed into the wall behind him and he had to duck to miss the other one. Maliki tried to block the second shoe with his arm. "It's like going to a political rally and have people yell at you. It's a way for people to draw attention," Bush said. "I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it."

Now, there’s the central problem of the past eight years summed up in one statement: "I don't know what the guy's cause was.” Apparently the Worst President Ever is still looking for the USA to be “welcomed as liberators!” After all, if Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz told GWBush in 2003 that this is what would occur when we invaded, then evidently he’s still awaiting that reception from the Iraqi people! Sigh.
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Norweigian Jesus

2008-12-13T13:26:00.001-05:00

Saw this today. White Jesus with blonde hair. How historically accurate.

Another Occasional Trivia Contest!

2008-12-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

1. Arachibutlphobia is the fear of:
A. getting burned by melted butter
B. getting bit by poisonous insects
C. insects crawling into your underwear when sleeping
D. peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth

2. Barack Obama’s mother’s second husband was:
A. Indonesian B. Philippine C. Kenyan D. Wealthy

3. Who was the first Major League player to pitch a ball over 100 mph?
A. Dwight Gooden B. Nolan Ryan C. Roger Clemens D. Tom Seaver

4. On what island did ancient Greek civilization originate?
A. Samos B. Olympia C. Crete D. Rhodes

5. Which of the following inventions was the first to be patented?
A. Chewing Gum B. Dishwasher C. Cash Register D. Rubber Band

6. What U.S. President gave his residence the name “the White House?”
A. George Washington B. Thomas Jefferson
C. Abraham Lincoln D. Theodore Roosevelt

7. What toy was introduced in Australian stores in 1957 after proving to be a popular exercise tool in schools?
A. Frisbee B. Hula Hoop C. Jump Rope D. Roller Skates

8. What famous painting was stolen from a Norwegian museum in 2004?
A. The Mona Lisa B. The Starry Night C. The Scream D. The Last Supper

9. Which Beatle crossed Abbey Road first?
A. John B. Paul C. George D. Ringo

10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created as a promotion for what store?
A. J.C. Penney B. Montgomery Ward C. Macy's D. Nordstrom

11. What happened to Thomas Jefferson's personal library of books in 1815?
A. They were burned B. They were stolen
C. They were donated to charity D. They were sold to pay off his debts

12. What is Europe's longest river?
A. Rhine B. Loire C. Volga D. Thames

13. Who was the first player drafted in the first NFL draft in 1936?
A. Sammy Baugh B. Jay Berwanger C. Don Hutson D. Bart Starr

14. What country pulled out of World War I on March 3, 1918?
A. Austria B. Belgium C. Poland D. Russia

15. Iran is slightly larger than what U.S. state?
A. Alaska B. Rhode Island C. Montana D. Texas

16. What was the name of Mark Twain's wife?
A. Mary Whitman B. Olivia Langdon C. Clara Price D. Becky Thatcher

17. What candy bar was invented by Curtiss Candy of Chicago in 1923?
A. Zagnut B. Snickers C. Butterfinger D. Mr. Goodbar

18. Where is the “geographic center” of Europe?
A. Valmiera B. Taurage C. Vilnius D. Riga

19. Henry McCarty was better known by what nickname?
A. The Tall Texan B. Butch Cassidy C. Billy the Kid D. Sundance Kid

20. What was Elvis' first #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard pop charts?
A. Hound Dog B. Stuck on You C. Burning Love D. Heartbreak Hotel

Obsession has set in

2008-12-10T14:38:00.002-05:00

I guess I am obsessed.

Here is an article by Robert A. J. Gagnon (PDF) that is probably the best, most level-headed discussion of Romans 1 that I've read so far. It is clear and deals with the underlying theological issues and not simply repulsion at homosexual relations.

And further pointing out the ridiculousness of the "sanctity of tradition marriage" movement, here is a post on DailyKos that might be one of the best responses to those that use the Old Testament as their example for "traditional marriage laws."

Gov. Huckabee and Jon Stewart talk gay marriage

2008-12-10T13:11:00.004-05:00

At the risk of seeming obsessed with sex and gay marriage, I think this exchange last night between Governor Huckabee and Jon Stewart is where we are at in America; compare Jon Stewart's calm demeanor as compared to Gov. Huckabee's defensive nature*.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Thoughts Page 132ers?

UPDATED: * = see Steve D's comments in the margins. I may be reading Gov. Huckabee incorrectly.

The Religious Case for Gay Marriage

2008-12-08T21:19:00.002-05:00

Newsweek has an article that has the Old Evangelical Guard up in arms.

The Religious Case for Gay Marriage is a thought-provoking article and sums up nicely why I support gay marriage.

Thoughts my friends?

Now THIS is my kind of Christmas

2008-12-07T14:43:00.002-05:00

hattip to the Old Man for the email link.

Sex God

2008-12-05T12:43:00.002-05:00

I was searching for a particular quote that I think was from Malcolm Muggeridge and came across the following that I thought were pretty interesting.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the quote I wanted...

My Padawan Learner is Here

2008-12-03T11:36:00.003-05:00

At 11:03 P.M. on November 26, Matthias was born in our local hospital. He weighed 10 lbs 11 oz and measured 20.5 in long. The kid is already up chasing his sisters and he finished a 12 oz steak last night for dinner. Here's a picture shortly after birth...

A Peace Award for Mass Murder?

2008-12-02T03:45:00.007-05:00

Pastor Rick Warren presents President George W. Bush with the first PEACE Award!

“Exactly how did Shock-and-Awe “uphold the notion of the sacredness of human life?” While Pastor Rick Warren’s goals are laudable, he sends a horribly mixed message by giving GWBush a humanitarian medal. This man has pointedly taken personal responsibility for the killing of ten of thousands of innocent Iraqi and Afghan civilians. So, what does Warren have to say for them? With this presentation he appears to indirectly sanction killing, while praising the saving of lives. Doesn’t one cancel out the other? I just have a hard time taking this medal seriously when it is awarded to a mass-murderer. And I am an Evangelical! Imagine the reaction this is going to get from the non-evangelical world! Just how deeply does Rick Warren not "get it?"
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Obama as the 21st Century Cicero

2008-11-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

Very interesting article.

Here's the thing: to understand the next four years of American politics, you are going to need to understand something of the politics of ancient Greece and Rome.

There have been many controversial aspects to this presidential election, but one thing is uncontroversial: that Obama's skill as an orator has been one of the most important factors - perhaps the most important factor - in his victory. The sheer numbers of people who have heard him speak live set him apart from his rivals - and, indeed, recall the politics of ancient Athens, where the public speech given to ordinary voters was the motor of politics, and where the art of rhetoric matured alongside democracy.

Evangelicals and Obama

2008-11-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

There have been a lot of stories analyzing the exit polling showing that Obama didn't pick up many evangelical voters. Politico even says, "The evangelical shift that wasn’t"

Obama picked up more white evangelical voters than John F. Kerry in 2004, receiving 26 percent to Kerry’s 21 percent, according to a Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life analysis. With white evangelicals accounting for a full quarter of the electorate, that slight uptick translated into a couple million more evangelical votes for the Democrat.

And Open Left has an amazing analysis of White Evangelical voters. In it, the author points out that not all evangelicals are made equal. Those that live more diverse settings were more likely to support Obama, but those that live in white, evangelical enclaves were less likely to vote for Obama.

From this vantage point, I'd like to point out the difference among evangelicals that I felt about Obama as compared to Kerry. With Kerry, many evangelicals were scared of him. They didn't trust him (Catholicism?) and were sure he'd be a horrible mess for America.

However, with Obama, many evangelicals were more comfortable with him. They weren't excited about him because he's still a gay-loving abortionist, but they were more comfortable with Obama making decisions. Most did believe his born-again experience and could relate to his Biblically-peppered speeches. Sure, they weren't going to vote for Obama, but if he won, it probably wouldn't be the end of the world.

On the flip-side, until McCain chose Palin, evangelicals were less sure about McCain's faith. That meant that several white Evangelicals I know sat out the election. They didn't give money, canvass or phone bank. They did vote for McCain, but weren't very energized to turn out votes for him.

So what should we take away from this? What does that mean for the Democratic Party in the future? I'm not sure. I just know that many young evangelicals in my church were excited about Obama and the McCain supporters were so grudgingly.

I guess we'll have to wait to see how Obama does in the White House...

Tucker Carlson makes sense (today only)

2008-11-26T13:20:00.004-05:00

Normally Tucker Carlson is a doofus, but today he makes a good point. Here is the original article that inspired Tucker.

Project Censored

2008-11-22T14:59:00.002-05:00

How many Iraqis have died? - by Amanda Witherell

The daily dispatches and nightly newscasts of the mainstream media regularly cover terrorism, but rarely how fear of attacks is used to manipulate the public and set policy. That’s the common thread of many of the unreported stories last year, according to an analysis by Project Censored.

Since 1976, Sonoma State University has released an annual survey of the top stories the mainstream media failed to report or reported poorly. Culled from worldwide alternative news sources, vetted by students and faculty and ranked by judges, the stories may not have been overtly censored. But their controversial subjects, challenges to the status quo or general under-the-radar subject matter might have kept them from the front pages. Project Censored recounts them, accompanied by media analysis, in a book published annually by Seven Stories Press.

“This year, war and civil liberties stood out,” Peter Phillips, who's been director of the project since 1996, says of the top stories. “They're closely related and part of the War on Terror that has been the dominant theme of Project Censored for seven years, since 9/11.”

Whether it’s preventing what one piece of legislation calls “homegrown terrorism” by federally funding the study of radicalism; using vague concerns about security to quietly expand the North American Free Trade Agreement; or refusing to count the number of Iraqi civilians killed in the war, the threat of terrorism is being used to silence people and expand power.

“The war on terror is a sort of mind terror,” says Nancy Snow, one of the project's 24 judges and an associate professor of public diplomacy at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Snow — who has taught classes on war, media and propaganda — elaborates: “You can’t declare war on terror. It’s a tactic that’s used by groups to gain publicity and it will remain with us. But it’s unlikely that [the number of terrorist acts] will spike. It spikes in the minds of people.”
She points out that terrorist attacks have declined worldwide since 2003. Some use the absence of fresh attacks as evidence that the so-called “war on terror” is working, but a RAND Corporation study for the Defense Department that was released in August said the war on terror hasn’t effectively undermined Al Qaeda. The study suggested the phrase be replaced with the less loaded term “counterterrorism.”
Both Phillips and Snow agree that comprehensive, contextual reporting is missing from most of the coverage. “That’s one of my criticisms of the media,” Snow says. “They spotlight issues and don’t look at the entire landscape.”

Nobody knows exactly how many lives the Iraq War has claimed. But even more astounding is that few journalists have mentioned the issue or cited the top estimate: 1.2 million.

During August and September 2007, Opinion Research Business, a British polling group, surveyed 2,414 adults in 15 of 18 Iraqi provinces and found that more than 20 percent had experienced at least one war-related death since March 2003. Using common sociological study methods, they determined that as many as 1.2 million people had been killed since the war began.

The U.S. military, claiming it keeps no count, still employs civilian death data as a marker of progress. For example, in a September 10, 2007, report to Congress, General David Petraeus said, “Civilian deaths of all categories, less natural causes, have also declined considerably, by over 45 percent Iraq-wide since the height of the sectarian violence in December.”

Whose number was he using? Estimates have ranged wildly and are based on a variety of sources, including hospital, morgue and media reports, as well as in-person surveys.
In October 2006, the British medical journal Lancet published a Johns Hopkins University study vetted by four independent sources that counted 655,000 dead, based on interviews with 1,849 households. It updated a similar study from 2004 that counted 100,000 dead. The Associated Press called it “controversial.”

The AP began its own count in 2005 and by 2006 said that at least 37,547 Iraqis have lost their lives due to war-related violence, but called it a minimum estimate at best and didn't include insurgent deaths.

Iraq Body Count, a group of U.S. and UK citizens who aggregate numbers from media reports on civilian deaths, puts the figure between 87,000 and 95,000. More recently, in January 2008, the World Health Organization and the Iraqi government did door-to-door surveys of nearly 10,000 households and put the number of dead at 151,000.
And the 1.2 million figure is out there, too, which is higher than the Rwandan genocide death toll and is closing in on the 1.7 million who perished in Cambodia's Killing Fields. It raises questions about the real number of deaths from U.S. aerial bombings and house raids and challenges the common assumption that this is a war in which Iraqis are killing Iraqis.

Justifying the higher number, Michael Schwartz, writing on the blog AfterDowningStreet.org, pointed to a fact reported by the Brookings Institute that U.S. troops have, over the last four years, conducted about 100 house raids a day — a number that has increased recently with assistance from Iraqi soldiers.
Brutality during these house searches has been documented by returning soldiers, Iraqi civilians and independent journalists. Schwartz suggests the aggressive, “element of surprise” tactics employed by soldiers is likely resulting in several thousands of deaths a day that are going unreported or categorized as insurgents being killed.

The spin is having its intended effect: A February 2007 AP poll showed Americans gave a median estimate of 9,890 Iraqi deaths as a result of the war, a number far below that cited in any credible study.

Sources: “Is the United States killing 10,000 Iraqis every month? Or is it more?” Michael Schwartz, After Downing Street, July 6, 2007; “Iraq death toll rivals Rwanda Genocide, Cambodian killing fields,” Joshua Holland, Alternet, Sept. 17, 2007; “Iraq conflict has killed a million: survey,” Luke Baker, Reuters, Jan. 30, 2008; “Iraq: Not our country to return to,” Maki al-Nazzal and Dahr Jamail, Inter Press Service, March 3, 2008

The other nine Project Censored stories appear in the full article at: http://www.inlander.com/index.php
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Obama's Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

2008-11-21T13:37:00.001-05:00

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS' "Sixty Minutes" on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a President who speaks English as if it were his first language.

"Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in agreement," says Mr. Logsdon. "If he keeps it up, he is running the risk of sounding like an elitist."

The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, "Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate - we get it, stop showing off."

The President-elect's stubborn insistence on using complete sentences has already attracted a rebuke from one of his harshest critics, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

"Talking with complete sentences there and also too talking in a way that ordinary Americans like Joe the Plumber and Tito the Builder can't really do there, I think needing to do that isn't tapping into what Americans are needing also," she said.
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Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com.

So true

2008-11-20T17:30:00.001-05:00

Sitting on Top of the World

2008-11-20T15:27:00.002-05:00

by Garrison Keillor
Prairie Home Companion
November 12, 2008

Be happy, dear hearts, and allow yourselves a few more weeks of quiet exultation. It isn't gloating, it's satisfaction at a job well done. He was a superb candidate, serious, professorial, but with a flashing grin and a buoyancy that comes from working out in the gym every morning. He spoke in a genuine voice, not senatorial at all. He relished campaigning. He accepted adulation gracefully. He brandished his sword against his opponents without mocking or belittling them. He was elegant, unaffected, utterly American, and now (wow!) suddenly America is cool. Chicago is cool. Chicago!

We threw the dice and we won the jackpot and elected a black guy with a Harvard degree, the middle name Hussein, and a sense of humor—he said, "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher." The French junior minister for human rights said, "On this morning, we all want to be American so we can take a bite of this dream unfolding before our eyes." When was the last time you heard someone from France say they wanted to be American and take a bite of something of ours? Ponder that for a moment.

The world expects us to elect pompous Yahoos, and instead we have us a 47-year-old prince from the prairie who cheerfully ran the race, and when his opponents threw sand at him, he just smiled back. He'll be the first president in history to look really good making a jump shot. He loves his classy wife and his sweet little daughters. At the same time, he knows pop music, American lit and constitutional law. I just can't imagine anybody cooler.

It feels good to be cool, and all of us can share in that, even sour old right-wingers and embittered blottoheads. Next time you fly to Heathrow and hand your passport to the man with the badge, he's going to see "United States of America" and look up and grin. Even if you worship in the church of FoxTV, everyone you meet overseas is going to ask you about Obama, and you may as well say you voted for him because, my friends, he is your line of credit over there. No need anymore to try to look Canadian."

Today's required reading

2008-11-13T15:50:00.003-05:00

I was looking forward to fraternal strife within the GOP, but it appears that won't happen. The right wing "traditionalists" or the far-right, as I know them, appear to have nearly won. The war was over before it started. :-(

The sad thing is that the Republicans will become a regional party, rather than a national party. And, while I certainly believe in Democratic ideals and policies, a one-party state regardless of who runs it, is a bad idea.

I'm fine with the Republicans being a mess for 2 or 4 years, but being a regional party of the uneducated for years to come is bad for America.

What do you think? RIP the GOP? or does a democratic society need a vigorous debate to survive?

International Pressure can work

2008-11-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

It may not work at the speed we'd all like, but international pressure works on leaders who crave legitimacy.

Check out this headline:

Sudan declares Darfur ceasefire

Senator Clinton for Homeland Security Chairmanship

2008-11-10T13:27:00.003-05:00

I hope Harry Reid kicks Lieberman out of the Senate Democratic Caucus for his shameful attacks on now President-Elect Obama.

Should he do that, the Homeland Security committee would have an opening for Chairmanship. I know that chairmanships are handed out based on seniority, but if Senator Reid was smart, he'd give the chairmanship to Senator Clinton.

She did everything she could to get Barack Obama elected. She never held back and she was out there campaigning for the Obama-Biden ticket for most of October.

It would send a clear sign. We reward those who fight for our causes and punish those that don't.

Simple, easy and the right thing to do.

You must read this!

2008-11-09T20:40:00.002-05:00

Newsweek has a 50,000 word article (in 7 parts) that you must read.

Ch. 1: Barack Obama: How He Did It
Ch. 2: John McCain: Back From the Dead?
Ch. 3: The Long Clinton-Obama Siege
Ch. 4: McCain Camp Retools, Targets Obama
Ch. 5: Obama Sweats the Clintons, McCain Gambles on Palin
Ch. 6: Battling it Out in the Great Debates
Ch. 7: The Final Days

Much of salacious details have already hit the blogs and traditional media, but even the more mundane aspects of the Obama, Clinton and McCain campaigns are fascinating. As you know, I'm a big fan of post-mortems of failed campaigns. I believe you can learn a lot more there than in reading about how the winning side did everything right.

BTW - I don't know exactly what the rules are up on the Hill, but....I'm back.

Magnificent.

2008-11-05T01:50:00.002-05:00

What a phenomenal moment in American history. Obama's acceptance speech put a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. McCain's concession speech was eloquent and classy. What a night.
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You've Been Warned!

2008-10-29T14:02:00.002-04:00

Dear Red States:

If you manage to steal this election, too, we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to our new country: Neuvo California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma, and all the old Slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the Red States pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian Coalition, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq, at once! If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that those WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States we have firm control of 80% of the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and soybeans, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech, UCLA, Berkeley and MIT.

With the Red States you will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson, and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite. Thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red States believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred (unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty, or gun laws), 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% say that Saddam was involved in 9/11, and 61% of you crazies believe you are people with higher morals than we Lefties.

Peace out, The Blue States
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The Inlander Newsweekly Endorsement

2008-10-27T14:48:00.001-04:00

"It's fitting that just as the epitaph of the me-first generation is being written, the next generation is making its case for a new paradigm in American life. And they're making it under the banner of change heralded by Barack Obama.

In the most tangible ways, Obama is the face of America's future — multiracial, open-minded, humble, smart. Electing Obama would be a pivotal, page-turning moment in our history, allowing us all finally to move on from the persistent troubles that date back to the sin of slavery. He's a living, breathing more perfect union — the very best that we, as a nation, can produce. Rising up from humble, only-in-America origins and educated at our best schools, he has the exact pedigree these complex times demand. Most important, his smarts and competence augur a return to those times when America thought and innovated its way to a better future. Obama will make book-learnin' cool again, and we'll get back to common sense for a change. Instead of making our problems worse, we'll start solving them.

In the ongoing quest for a better nation, every four years America ponders what it takes to make a good president. Experience? Yes, of course, but consider that both Buchanan and Hoover were among the most experienced presidents to ever take power, while Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman were among the least. Temperament? Yes, as proven when John Kennedy narrowly avoided a nuclear war. Independence? Absolutely, as when Teddy Roosevelt took on his own party when America needed him to. Brains? Thomas Jefferson — enough said. Wisdom? Both Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan earned theirs over remarkable lives, and they shared those lessons at key moments in our history.

Obama's nearly two-year campaign has offered ample proof that he has the right mix of such gifts and skills; he's got calm, cool and collected covered, too. But what is especially right for these times might be his devotion to the same issue that defined our very first president: national unity. How he is running his campaign matters — by sticking to facts and by honestly and openly dealing with the issues that have come up along the way, he is leaving no scorched earth behind him. As a result, if elected he will be able to bring people from all sides together — continuing what has been the hallmark of his public career. And that's the only way we'll meet the challenges we have arrayed against us."

The full article:
http://www.inlander.com/topstory/292917904403465.php
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Christianity in Iraq and in the US

2008-10-27T13:11:00.002-04:00

Two very interesting stories about Christianity both home and abroad:

'We are killed because we are Christians'

and

More Obama Christian radio

Christian right intensifies attacks on Obama

2008-10-25T12:42:00.002-04:00

By Eric Gorski and Rachel Zoll - AP Religion Writers - Sat., Oct. 25, 2008

"Terrorist strikes on four American cities. Russia rolling into Eastern Europe. Israel hit by a nuclear bomb. Gay marriage in every state. The end of the Boy Scouts.
All are plausible scenarios if Democrat Barack Obama is elected president, according to a new addition to the campaign conversation called "Letter from 2012 in Obama's America," produced by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family Action.
The imagined look into the future is part of an escalation in rhetoric from Christian right activists who are trying to paint Obama in the worst possible terms as the campaign heads into the final stretch and polls show the Democrat ahead.

Although hard-edge attacks are common late in campaigns, the tenor of the strikes against Obama illustrate just how worried conservative Christian activists are about what should happen to their causes and influence if Democrats seize control of both Congress and the White House.

"It looks like, walks like, talks like and smells like desperation to me," said the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Houston, an Obama supporter who backed President Bush in the past two elections. The Methodist pastor called the 2012 letter "false and ridiculous." He said it showed that some Christian conservative leaders fear that Obama's faith-based appeals to voters are working.

Like other political advocacy groups, Christian right groups often raise worries about an election's consequences to mobilize voters. In the early 1980s, for example, direct mail from the Moral Majority warned that Congress would turn a blind eye to "smut peddlers" dangling pornography to children.

"Everyone uses fear in the last part of a campaign, but evangelicals are especially theologically prone to those sorts of arguments," said Clyde Wilcox, a Georgetown University political scientist. "There's a long tradition of predicting doom and gloom." But the tone this election year is sharper than usual and the volume has turned up as Nov. 4 nears.

Steve Strang, publisher of Charisma magazine, a Pentecostal publication, titled one of his recent weekly e-mails to readers, "Life As We Know It Will End If Obama is Elected." Strang said gay rights and abortion rights would be strengthened in an Obama administration, taxes would rise and "people who hate Christianity will be emboldened to attack our freedoms."

Entire article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27369927/

Does anyone else in here find the grotesque misapplication of the word "Christian" to these right wing groups terribly painful? How can these people look seriously at the actual teachings of Jesus and then employ the tactics they do? If this is how they prefer to operate, so be it. But why are they allowed to get away with the use of descriptors like "Christian" and "evangelical" and "moral" when their actions make it so gallingly clear that the terms utterly do not apply? Didn't Jesus call us to humility, self-sacrifing love, and the Truth? I must confess these groups exhibit a mode of identification and action that I simply do not comprehend.
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Is Anyone Still Reading this Blog?

2008-10-23T18:48:00.002-04:00

I just noticed that no one else has posted anything in here (and that there have been very few comments in the margins) for an entire month. Has this blog run its course? Are you all too busy? Too tired? Too distracted? Will anyone even respond to this post?
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The Final Nail in McCain's Coffin?

2008-10-19T20:37:00.001-04:00

Powell endorses Obama for president: Republican ex-Secretary of State calls Democrat ‘transformational figure’

WASHINGTON - (MSNBC.com and NBC News) Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president on Sunday, criticizing his own Republican Party for what he called its narrow focus on irrelevant personal attacks over a serious approach to challenges he called unprecedented.

Powell, who for many years was considered the most likely candidate to become the first African-American president, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not supporting Obama because of his race. He said he had watched both Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for many months and thought “either one of them would be a good president.”

But he said McCain’s choices in the last few weeks — especially his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential running mate — had raised questions in his mind about McCain’s judgment.

Here’s the rest of the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27265369/
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It's Over

2008-10-08T10:28:00.002-04:00

by Howard Wolfson of The New Republic - 10.05.08

"Perpetually fretting Democrats will not want to accept it. The campaigns themselves can't afford to believe it. Many journalists know it but can't say it. And there will certainly be some twists and turns along the way. But take it to a well capitalized bank: Bill Ayers isn't going to save John McCain. The race is over.

John McCain's candidacy is as much a casualty of Wall Street as Lehman or Merrill. Like those once vibrant institutions, McCain's collapse was stunning and quick. One minute you are a well-respected brand. The next you are yelling at the messengers of your demise as all around you the numbers start blinking red and stop adding up.

McCain's road was difficult to begin with: the President of his party has had record-low approval ratings for two years and the number of Americans who say the country is heading in the wrong direction is stratospheric. He also had the misfortune to be pitted against an exceptional candidate running an extremely well-executed campaign.

Still, before Wall Street's collapse Senator McCain was ahead. His approval ratings remained high, his VP pick had generated excitement and interest, and his campaign operatives were capable, on any given day, of winning news cycles and giving their opponents fits. And then the underpinnings of American capitalism begin to sink - and with them sunk McCain.

An election dominated at its inception by the war in Iraq is now overwhelmingly focused on the economy. More than half of voters in polls say that the economy is their top concern and Senator Obama enjoys double digit leads among voters asked who can better fix our economic mess. Put simply, there is no way Senator McCain can win if he continues to trail Senator Obama by double digits on the top concern of more than half of voters.

State polls are beginning to reflect this. If the election were tomorrow, Obama would win all of the states John Kerry carried and add Iowa, New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Nevada, Ohio and Florida. Barack Obama is campaigning in Indiana, which last went for a Democrat in 1964 and North Carolina, which has gone for a Democrat only once in thirty-four years. At the same time John McCain has pulled out of Michigan and Sarah Palin has been forced to visit Nebraska.

This dynamic is very unlikely to change. John McCain's goal in the first debate was to discredit Senator Obama as a credible Commander in Chief and elevate the issue of foreign policy and national security. He didn't come close. Absent a domestic terror attack the economy will remain the number one issue in the race, and there is little Senator McCain can do to make up his gap with Senator Obama on it. Oh, Senator McCain will try to make issues of Bill Ayers and Tony Rezko and Rev. Wright, and that might hurt Senator Obama around the margins - but it will not prevent him from winning. The economy is simply bigger than the rogues gallery that John McCain is conjuring up.

Why is this? Why won't the swiftboat tactics work this year? Its easy to lose sight of it in the day to day coverage, but the collapse of Wall Street in the last weeks was a seminal event in the history of our nation and our politics. To put the crisis in perspective, Americans have lost a combined 1 trillion dollars in net worth in just the last four weeks alone. Just as President Bush's failures in Iraq undermined his party's historic advantage on national security issues, the financial calamity has shown the ruinous implications of the Republican mania for deregulation and slavish devotion to totally unfettered markets.

Republicans and Democrats have been arguing over the proper role of government for a century. In 1980 voters sided with Ronald Reagan and Republicans that government had become too big and intrusive. Then the economy worked in the Republicans' favor. Today the pendulum has swung in the other direction. Republican philosophies have been discredited by events. Voters understand this. This is a big election about big issues. McCain's smallball will not work. This race will not be decided by lipsticked pigs. And John McCain can not escape that reality. The only unknowns are the size of the margin and the breadth of the Democratic advantage in the next Congress."
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An election has never been more critical

2008-10-06T23:51:00.001-04:00

A New Yorker Magazine Editorial - 10/06/08:

"Never in living memory has an election been more critical than the one fast approaching — that’s the quadrennial cliché, as expected as the balloons and the bombast. And yet when has it ever felt so urgently true? When have so many Americans had so clear a sense that a Presidency has — at the levels of competence, vision, and integrity — undermined the country and its ideals?"

Here's the rest: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27046874/from/ET/

Great stuff!
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Illegal Alien Liberals

2008-10-03T17:30:00.000-04:00

From the MANITOBA HERALD, Canada

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The possibility of a McCain/Palin election is prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray, and agree with Bill O'Reilly.

Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night. “I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn,” said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota . The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken.

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves. "A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a drop of drinking water." They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the McCain administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to shoot wolves from airplanes, deny evolution, and act out drills preparing them for the Rapture.

In recent days, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers on Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney hits to prove they were alive in the '50s. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age," an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies. "I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history and English majors does one country need?"

The Vice-Presidential Debate

2008-10-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

October 3, 2008

New York Times EDITORIAL

We cannot recall when there were lower expectations for a candidate than the ones that preceded Sarah Palin’s appearance in Thursday night’s vice-presidential debate with Joseph Biden. After a series of stumbling interviews that raised serious doubts even among conservatives about her fitness to serve as vice president, Ms. Palin had to do little more than say one or two sensible things and avoid an election-defining gaffe.

By that standard, but only by that standard, the governor of Alaska did well. But Ms. Palin never really got beyond her talking points in 90 minutes, mostly repeating clichés and tired attack lines and energetically refusing to answer far too many questions.

Senator Biden did well, avoiding one of his own infamous gaffes, while showing a clear grasp of the big picture and the details. He left Ms. Palin way behind on most issues, especially foreign policy and national security, where she just seemed lost. It was in those moments that her lack of experience — two terms as mayor of a tiny Anchorage suburb and less than two years as governor — was most painfully evident.

Asked about Israel, Ms. Palin reeled off her support for “a two-state solution, building our embassy also in Jerusalem, those things that we look forward to being able to accomplish with this peace-seeking nation.” Asked about the possible use of nuclear weapons, she declared “nuclear weaponry, of course, would be the be-all, end-all of just too many people and too many parts of our planet.” On Iraq, all she had to offer was the false accusation that Barack Obama wants to surrender.

Mr. Biden directly challenged Ms. Palin’s debate prep on Afghanistan — pointing out that the commander there had disagreed with Mr. McCain’s call for an Iraq-style “surge” in Afghanistan. Ms. Palin tried to contradict him, but the most memorable part of her answer was that she got the general’s name wrong.
One can argue (and her supporters will) that Ms. Palin is a newcomer and can’t be expected to know all of the wonkish details, that what matters is the image she projects. Except, anyone who is running for vice president in these very dangerous times needs to have detailed knowledge.

When it came to domestic issues, Ms. Palin mainly relied on enthusiasm and humor, talking about hockey moms, soccer moms and Joe Sixpack almost as often as she used the word “maverick” to describe Mr. McCain or herself.

But she offered virtually no detail — beyond the Republican mantra of tax cuts — for how she and Mr. McCain would address the financial crisis or help Americans avoid foreclosure or what programs they would cut because of the country’s disastrous fiscal problems.

Ms. Palin’s primary tactic was simply to repeat the same thing over and over: John McCain is a maverick. So is she. To stay on that course, she had to indulge in some wildly circular logic: America does not want another Washington insider. They want Mr. McCain (who has been in Congress for nearly 26 years). Ms. Palin condemned Wall Street greed and said she and Mr. McCain would “demand” strict oversight. In virtually the next breath, she said government should “get out of the way” of American business.

There were occasional, disturbing flashes of the old, pre-campaign Sarah Palin. Asked about the causes of global warming, Ms. Palin suggested that man had some role — but she wasn’t saying how much.

In the end, the debate did not change the essential truth of Ms. Palin’s candidacy: Mr. McCain made a wildly irresponsible choice that shattered the image he created for himself as the honest, seasoned, experienced man of principle and judgment. It was either an act of incredible cynicism or appallingly bad judgment.

Weak, Weak, Weak

2008-10-02T01:22:00.001-04:00

10/01/08 - John McCain's got real problems. This is from David Nather's Beyond the Dome blog at CQ ... Let the record reflect that Barack Obama made the approach to John McCain tonight. As the two shared the Senate floor tonight for the first time since they won their party nominations, Obama stood chatting with Democrats on his side of the aisle, and McCain stood on the Republican side of the aisle. So Obama crossed over into enemy territory. He walked over to where McCain was chatting with Republican Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida and Independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut. And he stretched out his arm and offered his hand to McCain. McCain shook it, but with a "go away" look that no one could miss. He tried his best not to even look at Obama. Finally, with a tight smile, McCain managed a greeting: "Good to see you."

Obama got the message. He shook hands with Martinez and Lieberman -- both of whom greeted him more warmly -- and quickly beat a retreat back to the Democratic side. Campaigns are filled with hyperbole. But this, the no-eye-contact business at the debate and even the over-the-top affect at the Des Moines Register editorial meeting together suggest that McCain feels a sense of palpable disgust with Obama or visceral antipathy for him that is so great he's incapable of overcoming it in public settings. That's a troubling lack of emotional control. But it seems in line with the character trait many mention about McCain -- that he is unable to engage in any contest without demonizing his opponent in his own head. There are a lot of other possibilities this seems to point to -- none of them pretty. - Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo.
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My Photoshop skills

2008-09-24T18:02:00.004-04:00

I'm not suppose to blog from work, but I'm too pleased with this not to share it with the Page 132 community.

Funny Despair

2008-09-23T00:04:00.001-04:00

Winning the Popular Vote

2008-09-19T12:27:00.003-04:00

Charles Kozierok has an interesting take on discussions of the "popular vote" in presidential elections. He writes, "winning the popular vote" doesn't mean what most people think it does, and the conclusions that people draw from this bogus metric are myths. Worse, the claims made about the popular vote not only are incorrect, they are very damaging to the electoral process and how the nation assesses election outcomes."

The rest of the article is here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-kozierok/popular-vote-claims-just_b_127701.html

To me, his comments underscore how important it is that the Popular Vote Movement get to work and get this antiquated Electoral Vote process eliminated. What do you think?
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White Privilege

2008-09-18T14:48:00.001-04:00

This is Your Nation on White Privilege
By Tim Wise - 9/13/08

"For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still l be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.

White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem."
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Is Anyone Out There Thinking Seriously?

2008-09-17T11:02:00.003-04:00

Apparently, Barack Obama is still hoping you are. Here's the text of his campaign ad released today:

"In the past few weeks, Wall Street’s been rocked as banks closed and markets tumbled. But for many of you – the people I’ve met in town halls, backyards and diners across America – our troubled economy isn’t news. 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs since January. Paychecks are flat and home values are falling. It’s hard to pay for gas and groceries and if you put it on a credit card they’ve probably raised your rates. You’re paying more than ever for health insurance that covers less and less. This isn’t just a string of bad luck. The truth is that while you’ve been living up to your responsibilities Washington has not. That’s why we need change. Real change. This is no ordinary time and it shouldn’t be an ordinary election. But much of this campaign has been consumed by petty attacks and distractions that have nothing to do with you or how we get America back on track. Here’s what I believe we need to do. Reform our tax system to give a $1,000 tax break to the middle class instead of showering more on oil companies and corporations that outsource our jobs. End the “anything goes” culture on Wall Street with real regulation that protects your investments and pensions. Fast track a plan for energy ‘made-in-America’ that will free us from our dependence on mid-east oil in 10 years and put millions of Americans to work. Crack down on lobbyists – once and for all -- so their back-room deal-making no longer drowns out the voices of the middle class and undermines our common interests as Americans. And yes, bring a responsible end to this war in Iraq so we stop spending billions each month rebuilding their country when we should be rebuilding ours. Doing these things won’t be easy. But we’re Americans. We’ve met tough challenges before. And we can again. I’m Barack Obama. I hope you’ll read my economic plan. I approved this message because bitter, partisan fights and outworn ideas of the left and the right won’t solve the problems we face today. But a new spirit of unity and shared responsibility will."

Do you think anyone will read his plan? Will you? Have you? What do you think?+

Stupid Question of the Day

2008-09-15T01:15:00.001-04:00

Before little plastic baggies, what did folks pack apple slices in? Man, life used to be really hard one time.

"Issues Flow From Image"

2008-09-12T10:33:00.002-04:00

So claims Newsweek's Andrew Romano. He writes:

"Today, Obama's 32-point "change" lead has plummeted to 12 percent. What's worse, Obama is actually trailing McCain 36-38 on this question among independents--an amazing statistic given that McCain's party has been in power for the last eight years. As a result, Obama's specific advantages--on the economy, the federal deficit, social issues and energy--have been cut by half or more, while McCain's have grown by nearly as much. Again, issues flow from image. So if voters believe that McCain isn't Bush, they're much more likely to believe that a McCain economy represents a change from a Bush economy--despite the obvious similarities between their policies."

Rest of the article: http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/09/11/it-s-not-the-economy-stupid.aspx

If that's true (that issues flow from image) no wonder we are in so much trouble. No wonder Obama's lead is not 25 to 30 points, as it seems like it ought to be. If the stageshow that was the GOP convention is all it takes to persuade huge chunks of the electorate to ignore McCain's actual voting record of 90% agreement with GWBush, then this 232 year old experiment in democracy may be closer to collapse than I want to believe. The closeness of the polls makes me sick to my stomach.
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McCain has no integrity or honor

2008-09-10T21:06:00.002-04:00

So says Andrew Sullivan and he says it very, very well.

"Deference" from the MSM?

2008-09-08T10:53:00.002-04:00

From the Associated Press:

"McCain campaign manager Rick Davis earlier complained that the media has focused too much on 44-year-old Palin's personal life. Many of those stories came after McCain's campaign announced that Palin's unwed 17-year-old daughter was pregnant. "Why would we want to throw Sarah Palin into a cycle of piranhas called the news media that have nothing better to ask questions about than her personal life and her children?" Davis said on Fox television. "So until at which point in time we feel like the news media is going to treat her with some level of respect and deference, I think it would be foolhardy to put her out into that kind of environment."

Someone tell me why Davis thinks the MSM ought to defer to Palin? Wouldn't that be more of the sexism to which the GOP is claiming she's already been subjected, albeit in a different form? If the media is blunt, direct, and intrusive toward McCain, Obama, and Biden - but are expected to show deference to Palin - then why are the Republicans insisting that her gender and personal life be considered irrelevant to her campaign? They STILL want to have this both ways! It's absurd.
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It's What They're Not Saying

2008-09-07T03:24:00.001-04:00

Number of sentences in John McCain's acceptance speech about his experience as a POW in Vietnam: 43. Number of sentences about his 25 years in the House and Senate: 8.

This week's sign that the Apocalypse is upon us...

2008-09-06T20:52:00.001-04:00

Wow... That's all I have to say...

The Five Greatest

2008-09-05T01:10:00.002-04:00

The assignment is to name the five greatest baseball players of all time at each position. Here's an opening shot:

Catcher: Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Josh Gibson, Carlton Fisk, Ivan Rodriguez.
First base: Lou Gerhig, Eddie Murray, Willie McCovey, Harmon Killibrew, Jimmie Foxx.
Second base: Jackie Robinson, Rogers Hornsby, Nap Lajoie, Joe Morgan, Rod Carew.
Third base: Mike Schmidt, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Matthews, Pie Traynor, Chipper Jones.
Shortstop: Alex Rodriguez, Honus Wagner, Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith, Phil Rizzuto.
Left field: Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe Jackson, Carl Yastrzemski, Wille Stargell.
Center field: Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Tris Speaker.
Right field: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Tony Gwynn, Pete Rose.
Righty Pitcher: Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, Satchel Paige.
Lefty Pitcher: Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson, Warren Spahn, Lefty Grove.

Who'd I miss?
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New Assignment

2008-08-31T03:49:00.003-04:00

I've enjoyed the baseball talk lately. How about this extension of that conversation... Name the top 5 players at each position ever. Or, pick a team and list the greatest players at each position for that team. Good luck with the Yankee backstop and outfield... Speaking of outfield, let's do like they do in the All-Star voting and not specify the outfield positions...

My List

2008-08-30T15:11:00.002-04:00

The Old Man asked who I got. Here's who I got...

St Louis - Stan Musial. In ten years it could be King Albert.
Reds - Pete Rose
White Sox - As a catcher in the 80s and 90s, Carlton Fisk was a boyhood idol. But Frank Thomas was one of the best right handed hitters of his generation. The Big Hurt gets the nod.
Giants - When I think of the Giants I think of Willie Mays effortlessly tracking down fly balls in center. Bonds may have better numbers. But Mays is the Giants. By the way, Christy Mathewson and Mel Ott are two of my favorite players and they don't get the pub that people like Walter Johnson, Cy Young, or Babe Ruth got. These two guys were fantastic.
Blue Jays - Roberto Alomar. My age related bias makes him the greatest second baseman ever...
Astros - Craig Biggio
Nationals/Expos - The Hawk. Can you imagine if his knees hadn't been shot? Great athlete playing the best years of his career in Montreal.
Cubs - Ernie Banks
Brewers - Robin Yount
Diamond Backs - I know that the Big Unit may be one of the best lefties ever. But he's forever a Mariner in my mind (don't ask me how...) Luis Gonzales and Steve Finley share this honor.
Padres - Tony Gwynn. Not sure why anyone would vote for anyone else. Maybe I can see voting for Trevor Hoffman. But Gwynn was amazing.
Marlins - Jeff Conine. The original Marlin who kept coming back.
Royals - George Brett. Again, why would anyone vote for anyone else?
Pirates - Roberto Clemente (I debated between Clemente and Wagner for a while. In the end, it seems like Clemente means more to the fans of Pittsburgh than Wagner. If we were to go solely on pure talent, then Bonds would be the guy...)
Rays - This is more of a lifetime achievement award. I know he didn't spend much time there, but Fred McGriff gets my vote. Wherever he went, he made those around him better. He was so clutch for so many years. When he played for the Braves, fear and trembling swept through me when he came to bat because I knew trouble was brewing.
Angels - Garret Anderson. So good for so long. He often killed my Mariners with big hits.
Twins - Kirby Puckett. Probably a case of age related bias. But in my mind, he is to the Twins what Mays is to the Giants.
Indians - Bob Feller
Mariners - Ken Griffey Jr (Here's where I had another debate. Jr. or Edgar? In the end, up until the day he asked to be traded, Jr. was a huge fan favorite. Edgar is, I think, the sentimental favorite. But Jr. was great and put Seattle on the baseball map. If not for him, I'm not sure there would be a team in Seattle. That being said, I'm not sure there's a team in Seattle now, but that's another post.)
Mets - I went with Gooden. This is probably due to an age related bias, though... Strawberry was great as well. He put up huge numbers in an era where huge numbers were rare.
Rockies - I went with Andres Gallaraga. Though I see the folks in Fan Nation went with Helton. I have no problem with that. The back story of Andres recovering from cancer or something give him the sentimental edge in my mind.
Athletics - It was strange. I saw Eck and voted for Eck and neglected the rest of the list. He changed the game and the way closers are used. But Ricky Henderson is arguably one of the best left fielders of all time and, in my mind, the best lead-off guy ever... What was I thinking? In all honesty, this franchise should be broken into the Philly years and the Oakland years. Jimmie Foxx was a monster.
Tigers - Ty Cobb. Love him or hate him, he's an all time great.
Rangers - I went with Pudge Rodriquez. He may be the best catcher ever. Definitely top 5.
Braves - Hank Aaron. To say anyone else is almost sacrilege.
Phillies - There's quite a few guys to choose from who, in my mind, are at about the same level of excellence. I'm going with Schmidt, who may be the best third baseman ever.
Red Sox - Ted Williams. I personally can't believe anyone would vote for anyone but Ted.
Yankees - I know Ruth is basically baseball's version of Zeus. But I went with the Iron Horse. Take a look at the numbers he put up hitting behind Ruth. He was amazing. I'm not so sure that if ALS hadn't shortened his life, he wouldn't have made a run at Ruth's records. Again, my personal feelings may be clouding my mind...
Orioles - Age related bias makes me want to say Cal. I know Brooks was great. But could Frank Robinson be the most underrated and under appreciated ballplayer ever? I'm going with Frank Robinson.
Dodgers - For my fifth grade career day, I dressed as Jackie Robinson. He did so much to not only change the face of MLB, but also to change the hearts and minds of whites all across the nation. There are Dodgers with better numbers and more rings and honors, but Jackie Robinson is the Dodgers in my mind.

Jessica

2008-08-30T15:08:00.002-04:00

Please be praying for this family. Jessica was in my class four years ago. I also worked with her a bit last year.

Quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever seen

2008-08-30T15:05:00.001-04:00

Two words.... Ocho-Cinco... How's that for a last name?

Sarah Who?

2008-08-29T15:15:00.002-04:00

McCain’s running mate is Sarah Palin. Huh?

Two gems from an article at: http://www.slate.com/id/2198856/

“Palin is 44 and has been governor for less than two years. She has no foreign policy experience. For a candidate who turns 72 today, the “heartbeat-away” question carries weight. It also seems to undercut a key line of attack against Obama. If Sara Palin is ready to be commander in chief, then so is Barack Obama.”

“By picking Palin, McCain hopes to appeal to the white, suburban, middle-of-the-road women who tend to decide presidential elections. During the Democratic convention, I tried to figure out how serious the McCain team was about going after Hillary Clinton's disaffected voters. His campaign ran three advertisements with Clinton as the theme, courting Hillary's largely female fan base... As one McCain aide put it: "We either get Hillary's voters and we win, or we don't. It's not a mystery."

So, do you think that by being late and lukewarm about party unity, Hillary still holds the key to this election? Do you think there are enough female voters out there who are so fixated on gender that they will ignore the fact that Obama agrees with them on 90% of the issues and McCain agrees with them on the rest – but they will vote for McCain anyway because Obama is standing where they wanted Hillary to be? Clearly McCain's campaign thinks so as they have opted for Palin over numerous more experienced alternatives.
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Donald Miller and Barack Obama exchange emails

2008-08-28T13:07:00.002-04:00

Very funny, especially from the inside.

Donald Miller and Barack Obama exchange emails

I write the sorta emails that "come" from Barack Obama and we get all kinds of responses (usually angry ones), but nothing like the ones Miller sent back to "Obama".

Big Fat Bully

2008-08-28T01:11:00.002-04:00

There was this dude in school who had a group of friends. The dude would sometimes get a little tipsy with the liquid courage and go off beating up some of the smaller dudes in school. All the dude's friends thought he was a jerk, but didn't really say much about it and definitely didn't do anything about it. They didn't like what they saw, but they appreciated the benefits the dude brought to the crew.

Anytime someone else would pick on one of the school's underlings, the dude and his crew would chastise that other dude and threaten to throw down if things didn't change.

The more the dude drank, the weaker he became. All the while, the dude's friends, and even some of his "not-friends," sat back, watched, and waited until the dude became such a fat slob that anyone of them could step up and take his place as A-1-cool-kid in the school.

Corn

2008-08-28T01:08:00.002-04:00

I dig corn on the cob during the summer months. This year, however, the only good part of my corn consumption were the people I ate with and the buttery-goodness oozing over that hot ear.

Did any of you notice that the quality of your corn was not really up to par? Was it just my family? If your corn wasn't so good, why do you think there was this downturn in corn quality?

Is this your church?

2008-08-26T01:28:00.002-04:00

We went to a baptism and BBQ last night. I know for a fact that at least 3 or 4 people there drink alcoholic beverages (beer mainly). But there was no such thing there last night. I would really have liked to have had a beer with my German sausage (you wouldn't believe the food there last night! It was amazing!) Has anyone been or is anyone currently part of a church where it was cool to throw down a beer or two at a "church function?"

You may now congratulate me

2008-08-26T01:22:00.004-04:00

I have lived yet another year without anyone taking my life. Therefore, I am now 33. Let the celebration commence!

McCain's cross story appears to be a lie

2008-08-18T23:55:00.000-04:00

Back in November of 2004, I started this blog because "the Republicans did not give a crap about the causes of Christ." And now, 8 years later, it isn't getting any better.

At the Saddleback Forum, John McCain told a story about a generous guard that loosened his ropes and wrote a cross in the sand. I sorta gave McCain a pass with his "cross in the sand" story because I've heard it from the comfort of my seats in church once or twice in my fifteen years as a believer and just assumed it was him my pastor was talking about. But conservative blogger, Andrew Sullivan hasn't. And for good reason - McCain's cross in the sand story appears to be a lie.

The story is nearly exactly like that recounted by Solzhenitsen, as told in Luke Veronis,

"The Sign of the Cross": Leaving his shovel on the ground, he slowly walked to a crude bench and sat down. He knew that at any moment a guard would order him to stand up, and when he failed to respond, the guard would beat him to death, probably with his own shovel. He had seen it happen to other prisoners.
As he waited, head down, he felt a presence. Slowly he looked up and saw a skinny old prisoner squat down beside him. The man said nothing. Instead, he used a stick to trace in the dirt the sign of the Cross. The man then got back up and returned to his work. As Solzhenitsyn stared at the Cross drawn in the dirt his entire perspective changed.

And actually the original story may originate with Chuck Colson.

Maybe the same thing happened to two men. That would truly be amazing. But that's not what happened. Let's go to the timeline.
--------
Timeline

In 1973, McCain's first story about his time in the Hanoi Hilton, a 12,000-word story, there is not single mention of this story.

In 1974, McCain was invited to speak at a prayer breakfast hosted by then-Governor Ronald Reagan.

"McCain has never been a particularly reverent guy; but that morning he found himself telling the silent crowd about a discovery he made when he was thrown into solitary confinement in a 6-ft. by 9-ft. hole in the ground. On the wall was etched a testimony, scratched into the stone by a previous occupant: 'I believe in God, the Father Almighty,' read the jagged writing. The words sustained him, McCain told the crowd, through his 2 1/2-year solitude. When he finished, the audience, including the Governor, was sobbing. 'I realized,' he says now, 'it wasn't really me that moved them. It was the Story that did it.'"

That is a touching story and it seems a very appropriate place for McCain to tell his "cross in the sand" story, but he didn't.

In 1995, McCain was the focus of a chapter in The Nightingale's Song that focused on McCain's Christmas seasons in captivity. As No More Mister Nice Blog points out, there is no mention of the "cross in the sand" story and this would have been the perfect place to mention it.

In 1999, with McCain's push for the 2000 nomination, he released a book, co-authored with Mark Salter, entitled "Faith Of My Fathers." It is here that the "cross in the sand" story is first told as McCain's own.

Yet in February, 2000, McCain, in his famous "agents of intoleranace" speech, told the story in the 3rd person.

In 2005, with the release of "Character is Destiny", McCain's story changes again. It focuses nearly entirely on the "cross in the sand" and leaves out his captor's gracious loosening of ropes
--------
I get trying to spice up your spiritual life in front of the audience at Saddleback. I understand trying to connect with a group of people you need, but don't really like. But, please, stop using Jesus as the means to do so. Jesus is not a political tool. Jesus is not a way to get the "evangelical voter". Jesus is the Son of God and too important for these silly games. John McCain ought to be ashamed. And I'm pleased he's being exposed for the fraud that he is.

If you want more details, there are other issues and internal consistency errors. Andrew Sullivan has more, more, more, and more.

The Greatest

2008-08-18T11:43:00.002-04:00

Have you guys seen this? Who you got?

Poverty

2008-08-17T12:08:00.002-04:00

I had a conversation with a gentleman during my stay at my in laws who claimed that there is no such thing as poverty in the United States. His definition of poverty was that the basic needs (food, water, shelter, etc.) are not available to an individual or a group of people.

What is poverty?
Are there people living in this country that live in poverty?

Toss-Up!

2008-08-17T12:05:00.002-04:00

In the spirit of PTI... Toss-up! Which will happen first? Humanity chokes to death on the outcome of our over reliance on fossil fuels, or the supply of fossil fuels dries up?

Expat Teacher is suspending blogging until after the November elections

2008-08-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

I wish I didn't have to say that, but work is getting busier and I just don't have any time at night to blog.

Please use the RSS feature to add me to your reader/Bloglines/Google Reader, etc and after the election when things slow down, I'll be back.

Sorry...

Jim Wallis misses the point

2008-08-14T18:00:00.002-04:00

Ok...so I said I wouldn't blog, but I had to take this opportunity to say that Jim Wallis totally misses the point! His post - A Step Forward - says that the Democratic Party Platform is a step forward for liberal evangelicals.

He's full of it. We dropped "rare" from "safe, legal and rare". The Democratic Platform "strongly and unequivocally supports Roe vs. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right."

He goes on to say that evangelical liberals got something because their is concern about conscience. Yeah, whatever. On abortion, pro-lifers have no place in the Democratic Party.

Why no blogging?

2008-08-03T20:49:00.002-04:00

I know it has been over a week for me and blogging..What gives?

1) Work now is longer and more intense, leaving me less time at night to blog
2) I now blog for a living and so blogging, even on Page 132, holds less of an appeal
3) My increase work on the computer has given me pains in my elbows (probably pre-carpal tunnel) that hurts when I type.

I wish I could tell you when I'll be blogging more regularly. For now, intermit is probably the answer. Maybe my fellow Page 132 authors can add more. Or you, as reader, can just show up once a week until we are back up to daily blogging again.

Low Hanging Fruit

2008-07-27T11:36:00.001-04:00

The Old Man asked me to post this. Pretty funny, but pretty easy...

2008-07-23T10:55:00.002-04:00

An absolute must read!

Seven Trampled In Annual 'Running Of The Congressmen'

Thanks to reader JR for the link. Which legislator do you think would be the most ferocious and deadly? I think Patty Murray in her tennis shoes would be terrifying!

Does McCain still think challenging Obama to go to Iraq was a good idea?

2008-07-22T19:46:00.000-04:00

Iraq backs Obama on troop pull-out

The God Delusion

2008-07-21T00:56:00.001-04:00

Has anyone read The God Delusion? I started reading it thinking it might be a good book for a group study for some guys at church who are interested in apologetics and whatnot. It has some interesting thoughts. It has a lot unfortunate examples of the Church and its members not representing Christ. But this book, from what I've read so far, has no clear-cut defense (in a philosophical sense of the term "defense") of the position that there is no god other than, "I disagree with these actions and so should every compassionate human being, so there is no god," and, "given these really disagreeable events in history, how can you believe in god?" and, "Evolution explains everything, so we don't need god anymore." I'm really simplifying things quite a bit and after further digging I may change my tune on his lack of a defense, but right now, I'm not impressed.

A response to ML

2008-07-19T18:26:00.002-04:00

A friend on Facebook linked to horrible, horrible, horrible editorial that I'm loath to link to - Change Means Never Having To Face Facts - but I feel the need so that readers of Page 132 have a complete picture of what I'm dealing with.

My response to this editorial was "Wow...there are so many false assumptions and allegations here that I don't know where to start. I do know that I'm now dumber for reading this editorial."

However, ML declared he liked debating with me and picked a few places to start. I shall attack them one by one...(ML's comments are in purple and mine in black)

Regarding Obama, here is what I see as the Obama economic plan (unless he has changed it again):
- Do absolutely nothing to increase American energy production, except increase government involvement in the development of alternatives, which leads to situations like the current ethanol boom. Government subsidies for ethanol have driven up the price of corn and caused average citizens to pay more for milk, meat, etc. We need a comprehensive plan, but a large part of that has to be more domestic drilling. Rather than support that, Obama was up until the beginning of this year calling for a higher gas tax.

Snide remark aside, ML has repeated what are Republican talking points on this and it misses the bigger picture. Barack Obama sees the bigger picture. It is completely untrue that Barack Obama has done nothing to increase energy production. He is against oil energy, but has pushed the development of all sorts of renewable sources including wind, solar and biofuels. But more importantly, he is pushing conservation, which is probably the biggest area for Americans to "gain" new energy. An increase in CAFE standards for automobiles and improvement in housing design and construction could save millions of barrels of oil each day. If Boeing made planes that were 5% more efficient, it would decrease American oil usage by 672, 900, 000 barrels a year (~1.8 million barrels per day).

It is also untrue that ethanol has been the source of the massive increase in the price of food. The University of Nebraska concluded in May that ethanol has increased of food by 1-2%. It is actually gasoline/petroleum increases that farmers need to drive their tractors, fertilize their fields and transport their goods to market that is the single biggest reason for the increase in food prices. All the more reason to build more efficient vehicles, our food prices will come down.

Did you know that Americans are sending $2 billion a day overseas to pay for our oil addiction? That is a MASSIVE capital outflow. And it is enriching lots of regimes that are not supportive to American goals or interests. Our oil addiction DIRECTLY strengthens slimeballs like Hugo Chavez, Islom Karimov and King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

To my knowledge, Obama has never called for a higher gas tax. He has rejected the ridiculous idea that we have a gas tax holiday because the loss of revenue would harm our transportation infrastructure (which we'd have to pay for eventually anyway...deferring paving potholes today doesn't make them go away tomorrow).

- "Reopen" trade deals, which is another way of saying he is going to stop the progress of free trade. I think you and I would both agree free trade is great diplomacy and needs to be promoted further.

I do agree with ML. Free trade helps poor people and Democrats should embrace it, but my party isn't there yet. However, "reopen" doesn't translate into stopping further progress. I know of no one that thinks "reopen" means "to stop". When sports players "reopen" their negotiations with their teams, it usually means that they are going to rework the terms, but not that they will stop playing.

- More unnecessary, unconstitutional regulation of business that drives up costs and makes America less competitive. Even if global warming is a threat (which is still disputed by experts), over regulating businesses and crippling the American economy through Obama's proposed cap and trade system that may or may not help the environment is the wrong solution.

1st - there is no scientist with a peer-reviewed published paper and no body of scientists that doesn't endorse the idea that the Earth is warming up and that human activity is the problem. The Bush administration said as much back in 2002. About the cap and trade system...as a true free market economist, why wouldn't it be appropriate to figure in the total cost of negative externalities? Just because businesses have been able to avoid paying this cost in the past doesn't mean they should be allowed to in the future. Will it cost money? For 20th century industries, absolutely! But one of the greatest things about Americans is their ability to respond to a pricing mechanism and innovate. Know what happened when horse draw carts got to be too expensive (cost of hay, stabling, clean up horse apples, etc) in the late 1800s? Americans created a new form of transport...the automobile. I, and Barack Obama, believes we can adapt and innovate again.

- More and more big government programs that take money and jobs out of the private sector and add more bureaucracy to our already bloated federal government.

There is a fundamental difference between "bloated" government and effective government. Bloated government is a government that is feeble and costs a lot of money. Size doesn't matter. Paying 3 guys that can't do the job is always unacceptable. It is bad value for money. However, effective government does the job asked of them. Again size doesn't matter. If it takes 30 guys, but they do the job that is good value for money and is perfectly acceptable.

- "Universal" health care that will never be fully funded and has failed in multiple other countries. Again, giving more power to the federal government and taking liberty away from individual citizens to make their own decisions.

I think you need to view Barack's actual plan. He isn't suggesting a nationalization of the health care sector like in Canada or the UK. Under his plan, you can keep your health plan if you like. But the truth is that state or federal government already pick up the cost of something like 50% of all dollars spent on health care. Please don't act as if government isn't already very involved in health care. (And I know that ML gets his health care from a 100% government funded and provided health care UPDATED - ML wrote me to explain that he is "not really sure where [I] received that information, but [ML] pays about $100 a month just for health insurance. AND our health care coverage is better than a lot of people's, but it is certainly not the best out there and is free to no one, including members of Congress." - I stand corrected)

- Curbing CEO pay to score political points, something that the executive branch has no business doing - interfering with private sector pay scales.

I'll agree on the CEO pay. But I do reject the idea that the federal government doesn't have a valuable role as oversight in the business community. Thanks to EPA oversight, I can drink water from my local river. Thanks to the SEC, the brokerage house that oversees my 401-k much report each quarter exactly where my money is and would be held accountable should they make fraudulent claims about it. The federal government has a role in oversight and society is stronger, business is stronger, we are stronger when they do it well.

- Bashing and slapping extra taxes on businesses like oil companies and pharmaceutical companies all for making a profit. Meanwhile, generally liberal companies like Google run up three times the profits of what the media deems "evil" businesses and pays no excess taxes for their profits.

Let us not confuse what these two industries do. The Oil and Gas companies fuel our economy, but at great cost (see negative externalities above). Democrats want to roll back tax breaks for oil and pharmaceutical companies because they are profitable. Why should they get special treatment when other industries and sectors don't?

The argument about the windfall tax is an interesting one. Compare these two situations. Google started with two guys that have worked from an idea to create a service that has become indispensable. Google has made more money as it has become more useful. On the flip side, Exxon claimed some land possibly as much as 100 years ago. It had oil. Today, they chose to pump the oil today (and not 100 years) and through absolutely nothing of their effort, but instead through outside factors, the value is worth 100 times more. Democrats value work over wealth. Google worked for their profits, Exxon simply had the wealth given to them.

Now from economic argument, the windfall tax is a bad one, but from a political argument, it is powerful.

- Raise taxes on capital gains and the top income tax brackets, which will stifle entrepreneurship and investment in the economy, and hence create fewer jobs. America needs to abolish the death tax, lower corporate taxes, and make current tax rates permanent to ensure continued economic growth. And I think we need to cut unneeded govt programs. My prediction of all of Obama's plans is that our national economy will turn out like the state of Michigan's. Last year the only industry that grew in MI was the state government. I await your response!

Wow....let me just attack this from a fiscal responsibility viewpoint. A fundamental flaw with modern conservatism is that it has swallowed the Laffer curve and forgotten what it looks like. There is a whole side of the curve that is when government lowers taxes, it begins to cut government revenue without actually improving the economy. This fallacy has meant that under every Republican administration since Reagan has run up huge deficits. And why does that matter?

Because deficits weaken the dollar (the more we owe, the risky we appear to lenders). And oil is priced in US dollars. When the US dollar weakens, the price of oil goes up (the dollar is worth less, so it takes more dollars to buy the same amount of oil). Want cheaper gas? Raise taxes and pay down the deficit.

And I'll keep you to your prophesy about Obama, but you have cherry picked one state. Michigan is a unique case because it is a single-industry state and that industry is going through a hard time right now. I notice that you didn't choose Massachusetts. It is known as Taxachusetts, but also has effective governments. And it had private industry growth much larger the national average.

Happy News to wake up to this morning

2008-07-19T12:57:00.002-04:00

It rarely happens that I wake up and like reading the news. I do it, but it is usually "how bad is the world today?" But then today I was surprised with this front page. I've got Hope.

A blog hero met

2008-07-18T16:13:00.003-04:00

I read TalkingPointsMemo every day. Most of the time, twice a day. Today I met David Kurtz quickly. I just told him how much I love what they do and he was gracious in accepting my accolades. He's a pretty normal guy (no Superman costume that I saw).

That's all. Just saying I'm loving my new gig.

UPDATED: At a HuffingtonPost/GQ party tonight, I talked with David Kurtz for about 45 minutes. It was truly awesome. (and I don't mean that in the colloquial sense - I mean the interaction inspired awe) He even gave me a business card and let me know how we could help each other along. Maybe some day I'll work for TPM...

Lefties drink coffee

2008-07-18T10:42:00.002-04:00

First, I liveblogged Governor Dean's keynote last night. Go check it out.

Second, we had coffee provided by ACLU and it was a great example of lefties drinking coffee.

On offer - only FairTrade Coffee is available. Decaf and regular. The coffee cups are "ecotainer" and 100% biodegradable. The sugar was organic. The stir sticks were bamboo. The creamer was on ice (no UHT). And the coffee sleeves had "Union Printed" on it.

So funny! and Enjoyable.

On Second Thought

2008-07-17T12:05:00.000-04:00

I just received this e-mail from Obama for America: “We have some big news we want to share with you. In the month of June, supporters like you helped raise $52 million. And together with the DNC, we now have nearly $72 million in the bank. That's a very strong financial position to be in. But we remain at a massive disadvantage to our opponents. As I mentioned in my video message earlier in the week, the McCain Campaign and the Republican National Committee finished June with nearly $100 million in the bank. We can't stop now. It's going to take everything we've got to defeat John McCain and his allies in November. Can you make a donation of $5 now to strengthen our movement for change? We can't do this without you. Thanks, David Plouffe - Campaign Manager”

So… if it is true that they “remain at a massive disadvantage” to their opponents, my question is: Do you think the Obama for America folks are regretting their decision to forego public campaign financing?
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President Bush sent packing...

2008-07-16T19:36:00.002-04:00

On JibJab anyway. Go check it out. Apparently, it is time for some general election campaignin'

Where I'll be the next 4 days...

2008-07-16T17:14:00.006-04:00

So either this blog will be hoppin' the next 4 days or I'll be totally absent. I'm not sure which will happen. Why is that?

Because I'll be at Netroots Nation! Formerly known as the YearlyKos, it has been rebranded and expanded this year.

Some the highlights will be:

Opening keynote address by Howard Dean

A Q&A with Speaker Pelosi

Whatever happened to the religious left?

Marketing and Monetizing your blog

A personal meet and greet/Q&A with Jeff Merkley, senatorial candidate from Oregon

I'll be live-blogging (or at least leaving multiple updates) over at my work blog if you wanna swing over there. I leave in 12 hours, gotta get packing....

Pretty Interesting

2008-07-15T17:48:00.002-04:00

Have you ever wondered how many people in the USA share your first name, your last name, or both? This is not a 100% exhaustive search engine, but quite interesting nonetheless:

http://www.howmanyofme.com/

Maybe Page 132 Folks could post comments indicating what they discover? I am the only person in the USA with my first and last name. Same is true for gurufrisbee. (Of course, there are less than 335 people in the USA with our unusual last name in the first place.)
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McCain the panderer

2008-07-15T12:04:00.003-04:00

One of the things that doesn't seem to get enough notice is that McCain is the biggest panderer in recent memory. He wants to be POTUS so badly that he will say anything to any audience, assuming the they won't ever talk to each other.

Carpetbagger has an excellent post today about McCain's sordid past with the DREAM Act.

McCain co-sponsored the Dream Act, then refused to vote for it, then promised to oppose it, then promised to support it.

Sorry Senator, where do you stand exactly on this bill?

July Trivia Quiz

2008-07-14T22:11:00.001-04:00

1. How many bones are in the human body?
a.206 b.320 c.705 d.197

2. A human sneeze travels how many miles per hour?
a.75 b.45 c.80 d.100

3. Number of hours the average American spends kissing in a lifetime?
a.77 b.180 c.336 d.408

4. Barack Obama was born in:
a.Kansas b.Hawaii c.Kenya d.Indonesia

5. Which edition of the Summer Olympics begins next month?
a.29th b.30th c.31st d.32nd

6. John McCain’s first wife’s name is:
a.Barbara b.Susan c.Carol d.Linda

7. The Taliban began in:
a.Iran b.Afghanistan c.Iraq d.Pakistan

8. Who said, “I adopted the theory of Reincarnation when I was twenty six. Religion offered nothing to the point. Even work could not give me complete satisfaction. Work is futile if we cannot utilise the experience we collect in one life in the next.”
a.George Harrison b.Henry Ford c.Harry Houdini d.Tony Curtis

9. What percent of Cy Young’s 815 career starts ended as complete games pitched?
a.45% b.59% c.77% d.91%

10. When Pheidippides ran 26 miles, 385 feet, from Marathon with the news of a victorious battle, to where did he run?
a.Sparta b.Thersippus c.Eukles d.Athens

11. The pomegranate is indigenous to all these countries except:
a.Afghanistan b.India c.Pakistan d.Iran

12. A Carat (in gemstones) weighs:
a.10 milligrams b.100 milligrams c.144 milligrams d.200 milligrams

Obama and God

2008-07-14T13:50:00.001-04:00

Obama talks about his faith in this week's Newsweek Cover Story. He also did a Q&A. Thoughts?

Racism in Europe...will we see it in the US too?

2008-07-13T15:01:00.006-04:00

America has a problem with racism. It isn't institutional, but we have yet to achieve Martin Luther King's dream that "little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

However, we are hardly unique. Back in June, the Swiss held a referendum to decide on citizenship by secret ballot. If it had passed, neighbors would have voted by secret ballot on a citizenship applications. An applicant could be rejected for citizenship with no explanation and no recourse for appeal. It was designed specifically to discriminate against recent immigrants (often dark skinned or speaking a different language). Wisely, the Swiss did reject the new citizenship rule.

I know that much will be made of racist claims against Obama, but imagine if any of these posters were ever published by the Democratic or Republican Parties.

UPDATED: In the comments, DC Nemesis asked about the popular support of the two parties below. The Swiss People's Party has grown in support "with the further rise in support from 27% in 2003 to 29% in the 2007 election (62 out of the 200 seats)" and the Lega Nord won 8.3% of the total vote in in the 2008 general election and that was the third highest vote total. Wikipedia adds that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi "is dependent on the Northern League [Lega Nord] for his majorities in both houses of parliament."

A poster used by the Swiss People's Party during this referendum

Translation: Inevitably, who is the last one? For your rights to home, work
and health. Vote Lega Nord (Italian political party)

For more security - Swiss People's Party

On the left: They had immediate immigration and now they live on a reserve.
On the right: Grow Padano with the Lega Nord against the Roman thieves

Velvet Elvis

2008-07-12T14:22:00.003-04:00

Has anyone read this book by Rob Bell. Really good. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but I've flown through it. It's like he's been in my head and printed my thoughts.

I also finished Generous Orthodoxy by McLaren. Good read. I further understand why some people (ie, right-wing conservative evangelicals) are upset with him...

Next, I'm off to finish my rereading of Mere Christianity by Lewis...

Has anyone read The Shack? It was recommended by a guy in my church and I saw it in Time this last week.

Late night reading

2008-07-12T00:18:00.003-04:00

My Facebook friends have already seen this article, but it won't leave my brain. With the help of my Facebook friends, I've already identified 6 WOWs in this story, but I think there are more. Can you help me in the margins?

Teenager finds bat asleep in bra

Obama hasn't changed positions. He just hates stupidity

2008-07-10T11:49:00.003-04:00

and maybe that's why I like him the best.

Gail Collins has a weirdly written column (she turned Barack into an adjective: Baracky) in today's NY Times outlining explaining that Obama has always been a centrist and he isn't "moving to the middle" he's always been there. He just hates stupidity. So only supports intelligent ideas and policies.

Go read it and tell me if she isn't on to something.

The 6 segments of the voting population and why they matter

2008-07-10T11:28:00.003-04:00

Wroth your time today is this article by USA Today that highlights the 6 types of voters who will decide the presidential election.

Obama dominates the two most energized groups of voters, 44% of the electorate combined, who are focused on a range of issues and say they won't change their choice of candidate between now and November. McCain's strongholds are two groups of voters at the other end of the spectrum, 28% of the electorate in all, who are skeptical that the election results will make any difference in their lives and are less enthusiastic about voting than usual.

Very good news for Democrats.