ThinkFast: August 4, 2008
ThinkFast: August 4, 2008
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) is opposing a decision by the Bush administration to allow a New England Little League team to visit Cuba this week, arguing such trips run counter to the U.S. policy of isolating the Cuban government. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) fired back at Diaz-Balart: ”He should pick on someone his own size.”
Planned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent from June to July, which is an indication of “further deterioration in the labor market.” In July, planned layoffs totaled 103,312, compared to 81,755 in June. “From January to July, planned layoffs totaled 579,260, up 33 percent from the same period a year ago.”
Neither President Bush nor Congress “has acted to appoint members to a commission intended to boost U.S. energy independence in the three years since Congress enacted a law establishing the panel.” During that time, “oil prices have more than doubled to $125 per barrel from $60, and the price of a gallon of gasoline has increased from about $2.25 to nearly $4.”
After two years of spiraling defaults, “problems with mortgages made to people with weak, or subprime, credit are showing their first, tentative signs of leveling off.” However, homeowners with good credit are now “falling behind on their payments in growing numbers.”
On the trail today: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), who is celebrating his 47th birthday today, will unveil his “New Energy for America” plan in a speech in Lansing, MI. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will arrive at Philadelphia Airport this morning on his way to a four-hour visit to the National Label Company before flying to South Dakota for an appearance in the evening.
“Iraqi lawmakers on Sunday failed to settle a dispute over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and pass a provincial elections bill viewed as vital for national reconciliation, despite intense pressure from the United States and the United Nations.” One Kurdish legislator said President Bush “is pressing the Iraqi politicians to make a fast deal,” but “[t]here’s no way to find a solution to a 100-year-old problem in days.”
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, “who was targeted in the 2001 anthrax attack,” said “the American people deserve more of an accounting on this investigation,” referring to the suicide of a reported suspect. Daschle said it is “unfortunate” he has not been briefed on the latest developments.
According to a new Government Accountability Office report, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “is putting millions of Medicare dollars at risk by authorizing fictitious sellers of wheelchairs, prosthetics and other medical supplies to submit reimbursement claims with only limited review,” despite promises since “at least 2005″ to fix the problems.
And finally: On Friday, rapper Jay-Z received “applause and wild cheers” from the crowd as he closed the Africa Rising Music and Fashion Festival at the Kennedy Center. The noise was the loudest though when the show turned political during “Minority Report,” which criticized the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. The song concluded with an “expletive” about President Bush. When a “giant picture” of Bush flashed across the screen, the “crowd helped him boo” Bush.
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Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) is opposing a decision by the Bush administration to allow a New England Little League team to visit Cuba this week, arguing such trips run counter to the U.S. policy of isolating the Cuban government. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) fired back at Diaz-Balart: ”He should pick on someone his own size.”
Genitally ? He is…………….
August 4th, 2008 at 9:02 amNeither President Bush nor Congress “has acted to appoint members to a commission intended to boost U.S. energy independence in the three years since Congress enacted a law establishing the panel.
Yes, Daryll, they are putting you first.
Snark
August 4th, 2008 at 9:03 amIs the DEA Contracting Blackwater?
On Friday, August 1, The Agitator blog posted the following: “Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project sends the photo below. It’s from a series of L.A. Times photos from a federal raid on a medical marijuana clinic in California. I wouldn’t draw too many conclusions from it. But it is a little disconcerting.”
So disconcerting, apparently, the L.A. Times pulled this particular photo from its slideshow and fed it into the memory hole.
“As a U.S. Marine, I would have faced charges for simply wearing my camouflage utility uniform into a store,” writes Tim King for Salem-News. “There are these things called standards that the Corps and other military and police groups are obligated to follow. It is to avoid giving someone the wrong idea about who you are and your application in society. I guess Blackwater and the federal marijuana plant warriors don’t care what people think.”
Is it a stretch to conclude Blackwater operates domestically? Last week, Raw Story’s David Edwards and Muriel Kane wrote a story about Jeremy Scahill, who detailed Blackwater’s foray into intelligence. Blackwater is not only providing intelligence to “foreign governments, but to Fortune 500 corporations.” Moreover, Blackwater’s Total Intelligence Solutions appears to be a catch-all for former CIA spooks, including J. Cofer Black, who ran the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program. As Tim Weiner wrote for the New York Times on January 20, 2002, the CIA now operates domestically, never mind this is prohibited by its charter.
Recall FEMA and the DHS contracting Blackwater after Hurricane Katrina. Blackwater mercenaries were even “deputized” by the Louisiana governor. “What is most disturbing is the claim of several Blackwater mercenaries we spoke with that they are here under contract from the federal government and the state of Louisiana,” wrote Daniela Crespo and Jeremy Scahill for Alternet on September 12, 2005. “That raises a key question: under what authority are Blackwater’s men operating? A spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department, Russ Knocke, told the Washington Post he knows of no federal plans to hire Blackwater or other private security.”
Read the entire story and see the picture at:
http://www.infowars.com/?p=3718
**This is alarming. Blackwater is a corporation and its employees work for the corporation NOT the government. Anyone involved in prosecutions that involved evidence or anything gathered by Blackwater needs to fight tooth and nail to get their case dismissed. Unless there was a secret law that allows the government to do this, it’s against the law.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:04 amPlanned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent from June to July, which is an indication of “further deterioration in the labor market.” In July, planned layoffs totaled 103,312, compared to 81,755 in June. “From January to July, planned layoffs totaled 579,260, up 33 percent from the same period a year ago.”
Okay, Mr. President. Where are the planned jobs coming from to replace these?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:05 amSince this is a mythical recession, these must be mythical layoffs mythically planned.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:07 amForty+ years of “isolating the Cuban government.” How’s that working?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:08 amHere is a picture that truly represents the ‘maverick’ named John McCain:
http://www.fordmaverick.com/ownpics/jnmav.jpg
We need to start passing this picture around to become his official representation.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:12 amFormer Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), “who was targeted in the 2001 anthrax attack,” said “the American people deserve more of an accounting on this investigation,” referring to the suicide of a reported suspect. Daschle said it is “unfortunate” he has not been briefed on the latest developments.
Including the false allegations that the anthrax originated in Iraq, allegations that were highly instrumental in leading us to invade that country.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 4th, 2008 at 9:12 amHere’s a radical idea – let’s have government independent from oil companies. Maybe then we’d get meaningful government policy re nonrenewable energy resources. We’re in the toilet, the oil/coal/nuke companies have flushed it, and the gummint tells us to lie back and enjoy the swirling.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:14 amLeaky toilet exposes corrupt China official
A former Chinese government official has been sentenced to death after a leaky toilet led police to a stash of cash he’d collected in bribes, state media reported.
Yan Dabin was the former director of transportation for Wushan County in southwest China. He was sentenced Friday for accepting bribes totaling 22.3 million yuan ($3.2 million) in exchange for awarding contracts for road and bridge construction, the news agency Xinhua said.
He was arrested after a resident called a police station to complain that water was leaking through the ceiling from the vacant apartment above. Yan owned the unit.
A police officer sent to help a maintenance worker enter the property discovered the cause of the overflowing toilet: eight soaked cardboard boxes containing 9.39 million yuan ($ 1.3 million), Xinhua said.
Yan’s wife was sentenced to three years in prison after she was found guilty of laundering more than 9 million yuan ($ 1.3 million) in a series of house purchases, the news agency said.
Beijing has been trying to rein in corruption after a series of several highly-publicized corruption cases involving officials who steal.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/03/china.toilet/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
**The Chinese obviously take fraud and corruption much more seriously than we do. I am sure there is something between a stint in Club Fed and the death penalty that would be appropriate, I can’t help conjuring up images of these corporate crooks lined up to get their due. At least prosecute these bastids for stealing what little their employees and investors have saved/invested for their retirements.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:14 amNobody coulda foreseen….
Guess that whole “ownership society” schtick was: Heh, purty soon the banks’ll own everything.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:17 amNeither President Bush nor Congress “has acted to appoint members to a commission intended to boost U.S. energy independence in the three years since Congress enacted a law establishing the panel.” During that time, “oil prices have more than doubled to $125 per barrel from $60, and the price of a gallon of gasoline has increased from about $2.25 to nearly $4.”
Time for a windfall profits tax that will be invested in alternative renewable fuels which will create jobs and start our energy independence.
We just have to wait five more months for it to begin…
August 4th, 2008 at 9:20 amShining a Light on US Abuses
While the Canadian government has supported many of George W. Bush’s shameful policies of torture, indefinite detention, illegal surveillance, etc., a young Canadian in New York has been standing up for the rule of law – American law and international law. For more than six years now, Jameel Jaffer has been challenging the president’s penchant for operating above the law in the name of fighting terrorism.
Think of the abuse of prisoners, from Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay to Afghanistan; of “extraordinary renditions” (Maher Arar) and the CIA’s black sites (secret prisons on foreign soil); and some of the Orwellian manifestations of the Patriot Act (such as the FBI swooping down on libraries, book stores, universities, etc. to gather their lists of clients and slapping a gag order to prohibit the institutions from breathing a word about the visits).
Jaffer, 36, has been in the thick of these battles waged by the American Civil Liberties Union, the world’s largest civil liberties organization (about 600,000 members). Of the hundreds of suits it has brought against the Bush administration, he has been at the centre of the most important ones.
Litigating under the Freedom of Information Act, he has helped unearth about 100,000 pages of secret documents relating to interrogation and detention policies.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/03/10775/
Speaking of FBI swooping down on libraries and gathering information that is exactly what happened recently: FBI seizes local Md. library computers
The FBI removed computer records from the C. Burr Artz Library this week, a library official confirmed Saturday. Darrell Batson, director of Frederick County Public Libraries, said two FBI employees came to the downtown Frederick library either Wednesday or Thursday. The agents removed two public computers from the library’s second floor. They told him they were taking the units back to their office in Washington, D.C., Batson said.
Batson expected the computers would be returned early this week, he said. Debbie Weierman, spokeswoman for the FBI’s Washington field office, would not comment Saturday on whether the agency had removed records from the library. This was the third time in his 10 years with FCPL that the FBI has come to the library seeking records, Batson said. It was the first time they came without a court order.
http://wtopnews.com/?nid=598&sid=1452848
If it wasn’t for the efforts of Jeffers and the ACLU we would be in the dark about many of the civil rights violations. Especially what the Bush Administration allowed and condoned in the way of torture. Their watchdog achievements have uncovered some of the worst government secrets in our history. If it wasn’t for their due diligence this sad state of affairs would be far worse.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:21 amOn the day that 16 Chinese police offers were killed by bomb-throwing attackers in western China, The New York Times is running a article on the “smothering blanket of security” imposed across Beijing before the Olympic Game begin Friday. According to the Times, the Chinese are warning that terrorism is a “constant threat.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/04/beijing-becomes-giant-for_n_116698.html
Ah, the “Police State” in action. This is what the Republcans in this country wish for the United States to become.
John Mcain even said so.
He said that since the surge was working so well in Iraq (really?), that e should do the same thing here at home, establishing police forces in major cities.
Semms he’s already forgetting what the Contitution says about that too.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:22 amAnd the beat goes on Says:
Leaky toilet exposes corrupt China official
The toilet called Washington has been leaking for many years and there is still not a “plumber” in sight.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:24 amSome problems are intractable, some wars are unwinnable, some people are ineducable. That’s just the way it is.
BTW, the next time you’re talking to someone who voted twice to put the Cheney criminals in the WH, you might want to suggest that, since America is now both broken and broke, they have provided evidence that they shouldn’t be voting; it’d be the patriotic thing to do to just leave such decisions to people who haven’t been fooled twice.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:26 amJohn McCain’s extended circle is divided on whether he should announce his running mate in the immediate days ahead—but the Republican is more likely to wait for Barack Obama to announce his choice first, according to advisers.
Further, these advisers say, by waiting until the end of the month he could also gauge his pick based both on who Obama selects and what the contours of the race appear to be just two months out from Election Day.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080804/pl_politico/12271;_ylt=AqeOHDAIfuXBd5mg1wpLpVys0NUE
When is John McCain’s campaign going to be about John McCain and not about trashing Obama? It’s like watching a 5 year old whining about everything and anything he can.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:29 amWhat do Paris Hilton, Brittany Spears & John McCain have in common?…
Nothing. Hilton & Spears are considerably smarter.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:30 amCaption:
“Don’t ever end up like me: War Criminal, and Destroyer of The Constitution and The Bill of Rights”
August 4th, 2008 at 9:35 amGOP Convention Protests Expected To Attract Tens Of Thousands
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A 73-year-old retired surgeon marching in silence with a tombstone picturing a soldier killed in Iraq. A philosophy professor calling for a new investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A long-haul trucker from Texas protesting the price of oil.
Those are just a few of the images that demonstrators hope will capture the attention of delegates, journalists and others attending the Republican National Convention. Tens of thousands _ from anarchists and immigrants to advocates for the poor _ plan to use the streets outside the Xcel Center as a national podium, transforming downtown St. Paul into a marketplace of ideas.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/03/gop-convention-protests-e_n_116596.html
I know the MSM won’t cover this event, but it’s comforting to know that We The People are acting like informed citizens of a Democracy once again.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am**Click on the link for the rest of this “happy happy joy joy” story…This second wave of defaults is going to be even worse than the subprimes. cavjam Says: Guess that whole “ownership society” schtick was: Heh, purty soon the banks’ll own everything.
You mean the same banks that are going under every Friday?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:39 amJust days ahead of the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonoy, the result hasn’t been openness and greater freedom, but the opposite.
The head of the World Freedom Agenda, heads to Beijing with family members and his closest friends. It puts the Clinton Lincoln Bedroom to shame. Here’s the Presidential Delegation:
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, and Miss Barbara Bush
The Honorable George H.W. Bush, former President of the United States
The Honorable and Mrs. Clark T. Randt, Jr., United States Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin and Margaret Bush
Mrs. Doro Bush Koch
Mr. and Mrs. Roland and Lois Betts
Mr. Brad Freeman
Some of these folks above are on their second Olympic trip, courtesy of George W.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:40 amDidn’t you know the Bush Krime Killing Machine puts all the bad news out on Friday so nobody pays attention.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:41 am(Let’s see if I can get this in before a major storm knocks out power)
This past Saturday, my family and I had the opportunity to join others for the opening of Sen Obama’s campaign office in Kalamazoo.
What I really enjoyed (besides the food and a local blues band performing) was the diversity of the crowd, especially the younger generation. It does give me hope for a large turnout come November.
And I pondered, to myself, could the McCain campaign pull off such a stunt? Black and White, old and young, war vets and college students, low to middle class and yuppies?
I don’t think so.
Of importance: We must continue to educate about absentee ballots, especially those who don’t have the means for a drivers license or pictured ID. Begin requesting them NOW!!!
August 4th, 2008 at 9:42 amThe Honorable George H.W. Bush, former President of the United States
Honorable?
Oops. Just lost my breakfast.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:42 amThe Jed Report catches John McCain taking a very long pause when asked why he accused Barack Obama of ‘playing the race card’ — and what he was referring to when he said he’d fought for civil rights his entire life.
Progressive Accountability reports that when McCain finally did answer, he distorted his record.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/04/mccain-takes-long-pause-w_n_116699.html
August 4th, 2008 at 9:43 amNeither President Bush nor Congress “has acted to appoint members to a commission intended to boost U.S. energy independence in the three years since Congress enacted a law establishing the panel.”
So, I am wondering why the blame is being put on Congress along with Bush. Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the President appoint and Congress approve the appointments. So, without any appointments, there is nothing that Congress can do. I’m more than happy to blame congress for the things they do wrong, but not for things they have no control over.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:43 amstateofthedivision Says:
——————————————————————————–
Just days ahead of the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremonoy, the result hasn’t been openness and greater freedom, but the opposite.
The head of the World Freedom Agenda, heads to Beijing with family members and his closest friends. It puts the Clinton Lincoln Bedroom to shame. Here’s the Presidential Delegation:
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, and Miss Barbara Bush
The Honorable George H.W. Bush, former President of the United States
The Honorable and Mrs. Clark T. Randt, Jr., United States Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin and Margaret Bush
Mrs. Doro Bush Koch
Mr. and Mrs. Roland and Lois Betts
Mr. Brad Freeman
Some of these folks above are on their second Olympic trip, courtesy of George W.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:40 am
You couldn’t put together a more un-athletic group if you scoured every astro-physics convention held from now until the end of time ; isn’t the Olympics supposed to celebrate the human body and those who are superior ATHLETES ?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:46 amZimzone Says:
What do Paris Hilton, Brittany Spears & John McCain have in common?…
Nothing. Hilton & Spears are considerably smarter.
Good one.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:46 amMy dad, who is far more liberal than I, brought up the reason for this ad.
Two rich, white females equated to a man of dark skin color.
Subtle, yet strong. Unfortunately, the target audience that this ad is trying to reach will not be voting for Obama, anyways.
Methinks this add will backfire on them.
After two years of spiraling defaults, “problems with mortgages made to people with weak, or subprime, credit are showing their first, tentative signs of leveling off.” However, homeowners with good credit are now “falling behind on their payments in growing numbers.”
The first wave was people with low incomes who never should have received the loans in the first place. The second wave are people who easily qualified for their loans but because of the souring economy, job loss or raising prices are having a hard time meeting a mortgage that once was reasonable.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:48 am… One Kurdish legislator said President Bush “is pressing the Iraqi politicians to make a fast deal,” but “[t]here’s no way to find a solution to a 100-year-old problem in days.”
Nice sucking furge, chymp.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am“Iraqi lawmakers on Sunday failed to settle a dispute over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and pass a provincial elections bill viewed as vital for national reconciliation, despite intense pressure from the United States and the United Nations.”
So, how’s that surge working folks? Isn’t it funny how the sign of success of the surge has changed from Iraq meeting benchmarks to less US soldiers getting killed?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:50 amFormer Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, “who was targeted in the 2001 anthrax attack,” said “the American people deserve more of an accounting on this investigation,” referring to the suicide of a reported suspect. Daschle said it is “unfortunate” he has not been briefed on the latest developments.
This whole thing stinks to high heaven. If you haven’t already done it, go to Salon.com and read Glenn Greenwald’s take on this situation.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:51 amIt’s pretty obvious where McIIIrd wanted to go with the Spears/Hilton ad. Two blondes and a black guy?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 amJesus Seen in Cat Fur
Is there any substance, entity, surface, or material on which the face of Jesus has never been seen? Here is the latest in a never-ending series of human idiocy: Jesus’ face seen in cat fur (video). Come on, people! Try something different for a change: thinking. And why is every damned Jesus sighting considered newsworthy by the American media?
http://www.atheistrev.com/
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 amWhy are we more concerned about elections in Iraq than fair and legal elections here in America?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 amBilbo, where the hell ARE those goalposts? In Iran?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:53 amTwo different ThinkFast items this morning, but oh-so-well connected:
“Planned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent from June to July, which is an indication of ‘further deterioration in the labor market.’ ”
AND
“However, homeowners with good credit are now ‘falling behind on their payments in growing numbers.’ ”
Why in the world does Bushco think that destroying the middle class is such a good thing?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:54 amAccording to a new Government Accountability Office report, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “is putting millions of Medicare dollars at risk by authorizing fictitious sellers of wheelchairs, prosthetics and other medical supplies to submit reimbursement claims with only limited review,” despite promises since “at least 2005? to fix the problems.
That’s because the people who are making money off of bilking Medicare are FOB’s. It would be interesting to know how much of the huge debt that Bush has put this country in is actually money that was stolen from us.
Not only will the DOJ be busy once Obama takes office, the GAO and all it’s accountants are also going to be very busy. I hope that they go after each and every person who has ripped off the government and recover they money and/or put them in jail.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:54 ammisshusseinmolly Says: Why in the world does Bushco think that destroying the middle class is such a good thing?
I’m pretty sure that think isn’t in any part of the equation. :)
August 4th, 2008 at 9:57 amHas anyone noticed that the propaganda machine has put John McCain in a statistical tie with Obama. At this point the Democrats should be able to put up Hitler and win against ANYBODY the Repubs run. Rasmussen is saying McCain leads. I predicted this. The Right Wing Noise Mcahine used Obama to destroy Clinton in the primaries and now they have turned the full force and weight of that rigged coverage onto Obama. John McCain will be the next president.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:58 am1991
Jesus makes national news as the centerpiece of a Pizza Hut billboard in Atlanta. Joyce Simpson spotted the face of Christ in the advertisement immediately after praying for a divine sign. She couldn’t decide whether to stay in the church choir or quit and sing professionally. The shadowy image of Jesus’ face in strands of spaghetti hanging from a fork meant she should stay with the choir. John Moody, a marketing director for Pizza Hut, said the picture, one of 35 put up in the area, is a standard food photograph that the Wichita headquarters provides franchises. Moody said several people, however, called his office to say they see other notably less religious images in the picture: deceased rock star Jim Morrison, a puppet and Willie Nelson. (Chicago Tribune, May 23, 1991)
- I still think it was really just Jim Morrison still I think she made the right decision…
August 4th, 2008 at 9:58 amWayne A. Schneider Says:
Okay, Mr. President. Where are the planned jobs coming from to replace these?
________________
Oh hell, Wayne, at least Brusch no longer PRETENDS he cares or has a plan.
He’s just running out the clock at this point, and DEEEEEEEEEEEELIGHTED to leave this mess to his successor.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:59 amMcCain’s flip flops are underreported by the media but Obama’s are distorted beyond truth. Beware the perceptions you get from the MSM media, they are rigged.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:00 amem>According to a new Government Accountability Office report, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services “is putting millions of Medicare dollars at risk by authorizing fictitious sellers of wheelchairs, prosthetics and other medical supplies to submit reimbursement claims with only limited review,” despite promises since “at least 2005? to fix the problems.
Because of their lack of oversight in Medicare and Medicaid
we now have: Dead doctors’ IDs used to bilk Medicare
The move to a national provider identifier system and collaboration with Social Security should help stamp out this type of wrongdoing, a CMS official says.
Medicare paid at least $60 million and as much as $92 million since 2000 for fraudulent durable medical equipment claims that were filed using deceased physicians’ identification numbers, a Senate investigation found. Of these nearly half-million claims, an estimated 16% were from doctors who had died 10 or more years before the service date listed.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/08/04/gvsa0804.htm
When is the government going to catch up with modern technology? The government should have seen this one coming, especially with the rampant identity thief that has been going on for years.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:01 amThis was the third time in his 10 years with FCPL that the FBI has come to the library seeking records, Batson said. It was the first time they came without a court order.
So, why didn’t the library refuse to allow them to take the computers without a court order? What a bunch of wusses. What has this country become when a library allows something like this to happen?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:02 amWhat is that they say about mimicry and flattery?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:04 amNow that McMoron has hired a KKKarl protege, we can expect their campaign ads to ‘lower the bar’.
The Hilton / Spears ad was of the same ilk at the one used against Harold Ford in Tennessee in ‘06. As mentioned above, they’re trying to tie a Black man to two Blondes. McCain’s excuse?…we’re just trying to put some humor in the campaign.
Bullshit!
They’re using Rovian tactics to plant seeds of doubt in undecided voters. This is pure KKKarl, folks. Get used to it.
When your campaign is in the toilet, the only place left to go is the sewer.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:04 amThemis Says: Rasmussen has McCain ahead. Gallop has McCain and Obama statistically tied.
Just to generate publicity and draw attention to themselves. It’s not really that close if you include people besides little old ladies who are actually home at 3:00 in the after noon to answer their polls.
I’m kinda glad though. It will keep liberals from getting too complaisant.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:06 amOf importance: We must continue to educate about absentee ballots, especially those who don’t have the means for a drivers license or pictured ID. Begin requesting them NOW!!!
If we could somehow pass a law mandating every state vote by mail we would be a long way down the road to solving our election problems. I don’t see any downside to voting by mail. And I agree with this post. If we encourage everyone to request and file an absentee ballot, we will all be voting by mail like I do in Oregon.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:08 amunbelievable Says
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Is there any substance, entity, surface, or material on which the face of Jesus has never been seen? Here is the latest in a never-ending series of human idiocy: Jesus’ face seen in cat fur (video). Come on, people! Try something different for a change: thinking. And why is every damned Jesus sighting considered newsworthy by the American media?
___________________________________________________________
And what makes this truly hilarious is that NOBODY KNOWS WHAT JESUS LOOKS LIKE! There were no cameras around 2,000 years ago, and the gospels don’t give a detailed description of his appearance. Ditto for the Virgin Mary.
However, Warner Sallman’s “portrait” of Jesus has become so ubiquitous that people are convinced this is what Jesus really looked like. And Mary looked exactly like all the Renaissance paintings of her. In other words, Jesus and Mary looked like northern European gentiles.
The Muslims had the right idea — their prophet Muhammed is not depicted in an image in any way (in Islam, images of any prophet are banned — which includes Muhammed, Jesus, Moses, Elijah, or any of the rest). The reason for this is to avoid idolatry — God Himself only is to be worshipped. The side benefit of this is that Muslims don’t see prophets everywhere they look, and that kind of hysteria just doesn’t exist.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:09 amHow quaint? John McCain is visiting the National Label Company for four hours today. He and the other republicans/conservatives like to apply ‘labels’ to anyone other than of their faith or following, such as “liberals” or “unpatriotic” or “non-believers”. John and the other stooges are loading their quivers for continuing assaults.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:10 amunbelievable Says:
——————————————————————————–
Jesus Seen in Cat Fur
August 4th, 2008 at 9:52 am
What always amazes me is that once people decide that they can see a face in some design (which is not that hard to do since your brain is wired to try to do judge that, find faces in a crowded image), it’s always Jesus – ALWAYS! – and never someone who happened to have a beard and skinny face. Why is it never Abraham Lincoln they see? Or Rasputin? Or Charles Manson?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:11 amThe CNN poll from the end of July shows Obama by 7, well outside the MOE. And remember, these are mainly landline polls.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:12 amIf the cell phone only folks were polled, methinks the results would be intriguing.
MissHMolly, BUT! BUT! The shroud of Turin!!!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:12 amThemis Says:
Obama’s flip flops are underreported by the media but McCain’s clarifications are distorted beyond truth. Beware the perceptions you get from the MSM media, they are rigged.
You are welcome to your fantasy world. But, I have some advice for you. Start getting some therapy now to help you learn how to deal with the rage and grief you will be feeling on November 3. If you are lucky, therapy may help your head from exploding.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:13 amOn November 23, 2004, a grilled cheese sandwich that contained the likeness of the Virgin Mary was sold for $28,000 in an eBay auction by Diana Duyser from Hollywood, Florida. Duyser explained, “I made this sandwich 10 years ago. When I took a bite out of it, I saw a face looking up at me – it was Virgin Mary staring back at me. I was in total shock.” She kept the toast surrounded by cotton wool, in a plastic container on a stand. Duyser claimed that although a decade old, the toast has not shown any sign of mold or crumbling, which she considered as “a miracle”. She also believed its mystical properties have brought her blessings, including a $70,000 win in a nearby casino. The sandwich was purchased by the online casino, GoldenPalace.com, which is known for its publicity stunts. The company said that they planned to undertake a world tour with the sandwich and then sell it, with proceeds going to charity.[11] The pan that was used to make the sandwich was also sold on eBay.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:13 amWe should be more worried about his head IMPLODING, as there seems to be very little gray matter inside to prevent it.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:14 amWho cares where Jesus is?…our President talks directly to GOD.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:15 ammisshusseinmolly Says: The side benefit of this is that Muslims don’t see prophets everywhere they look, and that kind of hysteria just doesn’t exist.
Maybe except in Danish cartoons? :)
August 4th, 2008 at 10:15 amR. Tommy, can a vaccuum implode?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:15 amThemis Says:
“I know you are but what am I?”
What are you 12 years old? This site is for adults, run along now.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:16 amun, I saw the image of Mary Magdalalen giving some head to you know who in the frosting of my Danish, just last Saturday!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:17 amThemis = Mr P with another historical BS name. Flag and burn.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:17 amHere’s where the campaign is today, not reported by the few that have John McCain ahead:
Obama 46.5 McCain 44
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html
And, we all need to remember that the public still doesn’t know the real John McCain because the press is still in his pocket even though he is throwing hissy fits and dissing the press. That just shows you how the corporations who control our MSM don’t care about being dissed, they just care about controlling our economy by having a Republican as president.
I would like to know when Obama is going to start running ads pointing out all of McCain’s flips on major issues and his “gaffes” (really more a lack of knowledge). I think they need to start now.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:18 amMUST READ AND DISTRIBUTE!!!
With McCain campaign firing off anti-Obama videos, there is one video McCain doesn’t want anyone to see
By Wayne Madsen
Online Journal Contributing Writer
Aug 4, 2008, 00:22
(WMR) — The John McCain campaign is releasing a series of anti-Barack Obama videos. However, there is one video that Johnny “Wet Start” McCain, as he was known after the disastrous USS Forrestal fire in 1967, does not want America to see.
From WMR, November 20, 2007: WMR has learned additional details regarding the deadly fire aboard the Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Forrestal, on July 19, 1967 in the Gulf of Tonkin. The additional details point to then-Lieut. Commander John McCain playing more of a role in triggering the fire and explosions than previously reported.
WMR also cited the potential that McCain’s Navy records were used against him by the neocons in control of the Pentagon, “The neo-cons, who have had five years to examine every file within the Department of Defense, have likely accessed documents that could prove embarrassing to McCain, who was on board the USS Forrestal on July 29, 1967, and whose A-4 Skyhawk was struck by an air-to-ground Zuni missile that had misfired from an F-4 Phantom.”
In McCain’s case, the ”wet-start” apparently “cooked off” and launched the Zuni rocket from the rear F-4 that touched off the explosions and massive fire. The F-4 pilot was reportedly killed in the conflagration.
“Wet starting” was apparently a common practice among young “hot-dog” pilots. McCain was quickly transferred to the USS Oriskany (the only Forrestal crewman to be immediately transferred). After the disaster, McCain was shot down over North Vietnam on October 26, 1967.
McCain was confronted by Forrestal fire survivors with his role in starting the Forrestal fire during his 2000 presidential campaign, particularly in South Carolina. McCain was visibly shaken by the encounter with the survivors, according to some who contacted WMR. WMR is pleased to present the video that causes McCain to turn whiter than his usual wan complexion. Watch the video and McCain’s reaction to any mention of the Forrestal is understandable.
Note: Widest distribution encouraged.
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3576.shtml
**Some polls are reflecting McCain’s successes with his current wave of anti-Obama ads. This article is not swift boating — it’s getting the truth out there. I can’t believe that the repukes didn’t learn anything when they voted the incompetent Bushie in. The arer lined up and marching lockstep to support this guy who has also proven himself just as incompetent as the shrub. What are these idiots thinking???
August 4th, 2008 at 10:19 amWayne A. Schneider Says: Why is it never Abraham Lincoln they see? Or Rasputin? Or Charles Manson?
I think it’s because they are so desperate for proof, since there really isn’t any that they themselves don’t fabricate.
Those of us who accept evolution have lots of tangible, empirical evidence to support our acceptance. We don’t therefore ’see’ fossils in billboards and grilled cheese sandwiches. Believers of Jesus, however, really have nothing tangible, and I think this is some people’s way of fixing that problem.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:21 am#Themis Says:
Obama’s flip flops are underreported by the media but McCain’s clarifications are distorted beyond truth. Beware the perceptions you get from the MSM media, they are rigged.
I’m confused. Why does McCain have to “clarify” what he says? Could it be because he’s too stupid to say it right in the first place? Or is it that he gets caught in lies and obfuscation’s and then has to “clarify” what he said?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:22 amZimzone Says
August 4th, 2008 at 10:04 am
The Hilton / Spears ad was of the same ilk at the one used against Harold Ford in Tennessee in ‘06. As mentioned above, they’re trying to tie a Black man to two Blondes. McCain’s excuse?…we’re just trying to put some humor in the campaign.
_______________________________________________________
And what’s really tacky about this is that both of Paris Hilton’s parents contributed the maximum amount to McCain’s campaign ($4,600 for the two of them). And when they voiced their objections to the McCain campaign about their daughter getting dumped on, they were told that it was humor, that they needed to lighten up.
Perhaps the Hiltons will find other uses for their money in the future.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:22 amRUCerious Says: un, I saw the image of Mary Magdalalen giving some head to you know who in the frosting of my Danish, just last Saturday!
You’re hilarious!
I love all the FSM sightings on the http://www.venganza,org website too!
August 4th, 2008 at 10:25 amAn Accurate and Referenced List of McCain’s Lies
Ummmm..Johnny baby…are ya sitting down? Here’s a few of your own words that lead all of us to distrust you overwhelmingly, every day! You’re an embarrassment to yourself, McSame! This is the age of the “Internet(s)” and “the” Youtube using Bushian malaprops. We’ve got you on record, McFlip/Flop! Facts are just silly things that get in your way…ehhh, McSame?
Gentlemen and Gentleladies…start your engines:
Signing of the GI Bill: Now enthusiastically for it… after it passed. Previously attacked the Webb Bill. Didn’t even bother to vote on it.
http://bravenewfilms.org/...
Campaign reform: On political reform, McCain last January opposed a grassroots lobbying bill he once supported. In 2006, the “New York Sun” reported that his presidential ambitions led McCain to reverse his support of a campaign financial bill called McCain/Feingold.
http://www.nysun.com/...
Alien Minors Act/Immigration: Last October he said he would vote against the development, relief and education for Alien Miners Act that he co-sponsored, and then said he would vote against an immigration bill that he introduced.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Gay Marriage: In 2006, he said on “HARDBALL,” quote, I think that gay marriage should be allowed. Then after the commercial break he added, I do not believe that gay marriages should be legal.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Abortion: On abortion, 1999, publicly supporting Roe v. Wade, privately opposing it in a letter to the National Right to Life Committee. In the 2000 debates, he would change the GOP platform to permit exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother. May 2007, “flipped”, ABCNews.com reported.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
Nuclear Waste: No Storing Nuclear waste at Yucca mountain earlier..now flipped
http://www.lasvegassun.com/...
Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il: Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il not acceptable until President Bush did it last week.
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/3/0717/55880/710/545421
Great List by StuHunter… There are many more than what I’m posting, it’s a very, very long list. So much for the “Straight Talk Express”.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:27 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Why in the world does Bushco think that destroying the middle class is such a good thing?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:54 am
According to George Orwell, the middle class has always recruited the lower class to overthrow the upper class, instilling themselves as the new upper class. Orwell’s “solution” for the Party to remain in perpetual power was to control the lower class by impoverished conditions, limited education, and trivial distractions – sports, lottery, etc. The middle class would be controlled by continual monitoring. Anyone who stood out was eliminated from both the lower and middle class. Even the upper classes were monitored, though to a lesser extend.
Here, the tactic is first to reduce the size of the middle class. Soon, the professional class – Doctors, Lawyers, etc. will be (economically) the middle class.
It’s also a matter of simple economics. There is only so much money to go around. With vast amounts of money being siphoned out of the economy into the coffers of the super-rich, it can only come from the middle and professional classes – the poor simply don’t have any more to give. These higher prices and record profits are going somewhere…
August 4th, 2008 at 10:29 amRep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) is opposing a decision by the Bush administration to allow a New England Little League team to visit Cuba this week, arguing such trips run counter to the U.S. policy of isolating the Cuban government. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) fired back at Diaz-Balart: ”He should pick on someone his own size.”
This lets you know what kind of a human being Diaz-Balart is (and his brother, also in the FL legislature is no better).
During his career Diaz-Balart has advocated a naval blockade and military force to be deployed against Cuba,[3] also calling for the U.S. to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro.[4] Diaz-Balart has defended Velentin Hernández, convicted of murdering Luciano Nieves, a fellow Cuban exile who supported negotiations with the Cuban government,[5] and lobbied extensively for the release and pardon of Cuban exile Orlando Bosch, who has been accused of involvement in the 1976 bombing of Cubana Flight 455, which killed 73 people, helping organize an “Orlando Bosch day” to gain support for his release.[6] He also attempted to block Jimmy Carter’s visit to the island in 2002.[7]
But then it’s no wonder he’s a defender of murderers and terrorists…his dad was a supporter of the dictator Batista in Cuba.
Rafael Lincoln Diaz-Balart y Gutierrez (January 17, 1926 – May 6, 2005) was a Cuban politician who served as Majority Leader of the Cuban House of Representatives during the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
In 1955, he gave a speech before the Cuban House of Representatives in opposition to the amnesty granted to his former brother-in-law, Fidel Castro, for his involvement in the 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks. Rafael Diaz-Balart was elected Senator in 1958, but was unable to take office due to Fidel Castro’s rise to power on January 1, 1959.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Diaz-Balart
August 4th, 2008 at 10:29 amunbelievable Says:
Jesus Seen in Cat Fur
When they have a video of Jesus in a turd, you know they have reached to far corner of insanity never reached before
August 4th, 2008 at 10:32 amRev. Rowan Williams of the Anglican Church did his best Pilate impression at the Lambeth Conference. Who do want released, Barabus(win by might) or Jesus (love for all)? Rowan chose as the Jews did.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/04/anglicanism.religion
The Archbishop of Canterbury blamed liberal North American churches yesterday for causing turmoil in the Anglican communion by blessing same-sex unions and consecrating gay clergy as he attempted to chart a way out of the crisis that has been engulfing the church.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:33 amMCMetal Says:
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, and Miss Barbara Bush
You couldn’t put together a more un-athletic group if you scoured every astro-physics convention held from now until the end of time ; isn’t the Olympics supposed to celebrate the human body and those who are superior ATHLETES ?
August 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am
______
Well, to be fair, George W. Bush does spend a lot of his time running and cycling and hiking. Usually when he’s supposed to be presidenting.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:34 amI get the feeling this election is all a “dog and pony show” and that we are truly living in an elected dictatorship. And McCain and Obama are running for Emperor of the United States.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:36 amWayne Says: When they have a video of Jesus in a turd, you know they have reached to far corner of insanity never reached before
I hope I’m dead by then. I already think organized religion is mostly insane, with a few exceptions of people who I call “Zen Buddhist Christians” because they are more like people who follow the teachings of Buddha than the bible.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:40 amI would like to add “in terms of psychological maturity, he is.”
MCMetal Says:
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) is opposing a decision by the Bush administration to allow a New England Little League team to visit Cuba this week, arguing such trips run counter to the U.S. policy of isolating the Cuban government. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) fired back at Diaz-Balart: ”He should pick on someone his own size.”
Genitally ? He is…………….
August 4th, 2008 at 10:43 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I’m confused. Why does McCain have to “clarify” what he says? Could it be because he’s too stupid to say it right in the first place? Or is it that he gets caught in lies and obfuscation’s and then has to “clarify” what he said?
_____________
Holy Sheeeeeee-ite, Bilbo… we have a man running for President who doesn’t even understand Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore and thinks Iraqand Pakistan has a common border.
Screw the clarifications. I think this man needs to be medically tested for senile dementia.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:44 amstateofthedivision Says: as he attempted to chart a way out of the crisis that has been engulfing the church.
Reminds me of the Catholic church’s response to Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation edict against the church wasting money upon lavish edifaces by building an even bigger cathedral in Flornece.
There’s a reason they call it faith….
August 4th, 2008 at 10:44 amFormer Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, “who was targeted in the 2001 anthrax attack,” said “the American people deserve more of an accounting on this investigation,” referring to the suicide of a reported suspect. Daschle said it is “unfortunate” he has not been briefed on the latest developments.
I’m no detective, but aren’t victims of crime notified and “debriefed” when the perpetrator of the crime has been apprehended or been killed?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:46 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
The Muslims had the right idea — their prophet Muhammed is not depicted in an image in any way (in Islam, images of any prophet are banned — which includes Muhammed, Jesus, Moses, Elijah, or any of the rest). The reason for this is to avoid idolatry — God Himself only is to be worshipped. The side benefit of this is that Muslims don’t see prophets everywhere they look, and that kind of hysteria just doesn’t exist.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:09 am
______
There are, however, a lot of “miracle sightings” of the Arabic word Allah ( الله ) in anything that can take the shape of straight lines and semicircles – cloud formations, fish scales, ferns, ocean waves, auroras, etc. After the 2004 tsunami, there were a bunch of satellite photos that showed the word in the foam of the receding waves.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:47 amConsidering what the Watergate “plumbers” did, I don’t know if you should hope for more of their kind in Washington.
BTW, how is your sister doing?
Wayne Says:
And the beat goes on Says:
Leaky toilet exposes corrupt China official
The toilet called Washington has been leaking for many years and there is still not a “plumber” in sight.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:47 amOf course you do Kay. And if somehow you could get Hillary back into the election then you could actually get an elected leader, right?
August 4th, 2008 at 10:52 amThe more “Christian” a place is, the greater the social ills and crime of the area. That’s the primary conclusion of an exhaustive scientific study done by Gregory S. Paul and published in the scholarly onling journal, Journal of Religion and Science of the Creighton University of Omaha, Nebraska, a Jesuit school.
The study showed that the most “Christian’ parts of the United States, the South and Midwest, have the highest rates of social ills and crime including murder, sexually transmitted diseases, mortality and so forth. The study also showed that the United States as a whole has far higher rates of crime and social ills than the rest of the developed world including all of Europe. The US is much more “Christian” than civilized nations.
There is no escaping the reality that Christian dogma goes hand-in-glove with a sick society. Religious fanatics and extremist are worse social dangers than drugs.
Doctor Paul’s study is one of the first to quantify the real social effects of Christian doctrine.
http://www.prisoners.com/relcrime.html
Here are the Top 10 least religious countries in the world vs. their Homicide Ranking:
Sweden (up to 85% non-believer, atheist, agnostic) HR: 2.39
Vietnam (not listed)
Denmark HR: 0.79
Norway HR: 0.78
Japan HR: 1.10
Czech Republic HR: 2.22
Finland HR: 2.75
France HR: 1.64
South Korea HR: 2.18
Estonia (up to 49% non-believer, atheist, agnostic) HR: 6.82
The university survey concluded that “high levels of organic atheism are strongly correlated with high levels of societal health, such as low homicide rates, low poverty rates, low infant mortality rates, and low illiteracy rates, as well as high levels of educational attainment, per capita income, and gender equality. Most nations characterized by high degrees of individual and societal security have the highest rates of organic atheism, and conversely, nations characterized by low degrees of individual and societal security have the lowest rates of organic atheism. In some societies, particularly Europe, atheism is growing. However, throughout much of the world — particularly nations with high birth rates — atheism is barely discernable.”
Homicide Rate vs. Religiosity (scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being highest religiosity):
El Salvador HR: 55.30 N/A
Venezuela HR: 49.00 61
Guatamala HR: 45.20 80
Honduras HR: 42.91 72
South Africa HR: 38.60 87
Brazil HR: 27.00 77
Mexico HR: 13.04 57
Uganda HR: 07.73 85
Pakistan HR: 06.86 91
US HR: 05.70 59
UK HR: 01.62 33
Italy HR: 01.23 27
Germany HR: 00.98 21
Japan HR: 01.10 12
http://www.gadling.com/2007/08/23/least-religious-countries/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_homicide_rate
http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_impo.htm
August 4th, 2008 at 10:53 amkeith was on
“the simpsons” las night.
billy’s never been on
“the simspsons” and it’s a
fox show.
*
he tries but
billy’s just not funny.
@
good luck.
#
August 4th, 2008 at 10:54 amYou doctors always want to waste money on redundant testing. The evidence that the demtia is advanced is obvious to everybody.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:54 amThat is SO 8 7-1/2 years ago.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:56 amWayne,
it may be difficult to blame McCain for the Forrestal disaster. This video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ2gy–k3Dw
shows the rocket misfire from a jet at the far end of the flight deck. McCain’s jet was apparently right next to the jet that was hit.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:58 amWayne A. Schneider Says:
What always amazes me is that once people decide that they can see a face in some design (which is not that hard to do since your brain is wired to try to do judge that, find faces in a crowded image)
August 4th, 2008 at 10:11 am
______
To me, that is the miracle in all those images. The ability of clumps of unrelated neurons in the human brain to all coordinate for pattern-recognition tasks is a miracle of the natural evolutionary process that has allowed us to survive and thrive as a species.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:27 amcrap, I managed to copy the entire damned site onto my post.
Apologies…
August 4th, 2008 at 11:28 amThemis Says:
——————————————————————————–
And the beat goes on Says:
——————————————————————————–
MUST READ AND DISTRIBUTE!!!
With McCain campaign firing off anti-Obama videos, there is one video McCain doesn’t want anyone to see …
August 4th, 2008 at 10:19 am
_____________________________________
Of course, there is also the video that Obama doesn’t want you to see.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:27 am
For someone sporting the name Themis (meaning “law of nature” rather than “human ordinance”), she “of good counsel,” was the embodiment of divine order, law and custom , you’re trying to peddle crap about Obama’s wife , while not acknowledging that Ms McStupid is an adulteress , pill popping bubblehead…………..That certainly isn’t “good counsel” in my nook.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:29 amBook
August 4th, 2008 at 11:29 amReally Rhemis, smearing Michelle Obama when Cindy McCain is the drug stealer who had to serve community service to avoid jail time is pretty funny. Then you talk about the money Michelle earns like she should be cleaning toilets for minimum wage. She attended Princeton and law school just as Obama did but you people think it’s uppity for her to earn real money based on her ability. People should only get their money the old fashioned way according to you people, they shoud be WHITE and they should INHERIT it, right, tool.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:36 amhussein toasterhead Says:
August 4th, 2008 at 10:11 am
______
To me, that is the miracle in all those images. The ability of clumps of unrelated neurons in the human brain to all coordinate for pattern-recognition tasks is a miracle of the natural evolutionary process that has allowed us to survive and thrive as a species.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
I respectfully disagree. I think it’s more the other way around. There is no “miracle” at work, which would imply some kind of “intellient design” or something. We survived because this evolutionary design worked and was passed on to further generations. We know that humans today are not the same as our evolutionary predecessors, they have advanced more. If there were any kind of “intelligent design” to the whole thing, then why wouldn’t we have adapted the changes we did make sooner?
That’s my take on it.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:37 amMcMetal, then the trolls wonder why we flag them.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am#87:
Of course you do Kay. And if somehow you could get Hillary back into the election then you could actually get an elected leader, right?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:38 amI would feel the same way if it was McCain vs. Clinton. I never said I supported Clinton.
Not for everybody, have you read Themis?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:38 amThat’s right Kay, you’re voting for the independent candidate. Good luck with that. Although I think you’re probably really voting for McCain and have taken the name of the original poster Kay who was a woman (now goes by another name)and are just a Republican shill like the rest of the independents around here.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:41 amThemis Says:
——————————————————————————–
Those are your racist thoughts Shayne, not mine. If you want a straw man, you’d better find a mirror.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Speaking of straw “men” ; what office is Michelle Obama campaigning for , nimrod ?
And why the incessant need to try and belittle her , and no mention of a pill popping destroyer of a family ?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:41 amIolair Says:
——————————————————————————–
Wayne,
it may be difficult to blame McCain for the Forrestal disaster. This video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ2gy–k3Dw
shows the rocket misfire from a jet at the far end of the flight deck. McCain’s jet was apparently right next to the jet that was hit.
It was me not Wayne that posted this. It was McCain’s “wet start” that caused the F-4 to launch the missle. McCain didn’t actually fire the missle. See:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3194253&mesg_id=3194253
for a better explanation.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:42 amWayne A. Schneider Says:
I respectfully disagree. I think it’s more the other way around. There is no “miracle” at work, which would imply some kind of “intellient design” or something. We survived because this evolutionary design worked and was passed on to further generations. We know that humans today are not the same as our evolutionary predecessors, they have advanced more. If there were any kind of “intelligent design” to the whole thing, then why wouldn’t we have adapted the changes we did make sooner?
That’s my take on it.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Agreed. Just to clarify, I don’t mean “miracle” in the “act of a supernatural being” sense, but in the “awe-inspiring occurrence” sense, which is one of the definitions of the word.
I certainly didn’t mean to imply some sort of “intelligent design,” which is just a political wedge deployed by the anti-science coalition. There’s plenty of evidence in both the fossil record and in current comparative biology to prove that there is no such process as “intelligent design.”
August 4th, 2008 at 11:47 amI am voting for McKinney (which is my right) and I didn’t take the name of another poster. I didn’t even know there was another Kay.
You seem to have some “anger management” issues. Seek help.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:49 amI am voting for McKinney (which is my right) and I didn’t take the name of another poster. I didn’t even know there was another Kay.
You seem to have some “anger management” issues. Seek help.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:49 amsorry about the double posting.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:50 amThemis Says:
Fish on deck. Now that he has the nomination in the bag, Obama has flip flopped on the DNC counting Florida and Michigan.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:47 am
______
It’s called “reconciliation,” dingbat.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:50 amThemis Says:
——————————————————————————–
Fish on deck. Now that he has the nomination in the bag, Obama has flip flopped on the DNC counting Florida and Michigan.
August 4th, 2008 at 11:47 am
The “issue” of the DNC delegates of Florida and Michigan is certainly much more meaningful than say , advocating torture after claiming to be “dead set against it” , isn’t it , you GOP tool ?
August 4th, 2008 at 11:54 amShayne, point taken. :)
Hussein, understood. “Awe-inspiring” (technically, one proper word would be “awful”, but that doesn’t seem to work right, does it?) rather than the “act of a supernatural being”. Agreed.
It’s kind of the same thinking about why life evolved on this planet and few others. It happened here because the conditions necessary for it to happen were here. As far as we know, life did not develop on planets incapable of supporting it. No divinities involved.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:00 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
It’s kind of the same thinking about why life evolved on this planet and few others. It happened here because the conditions necessary for it to happen were here. As far as we know, life did not develop on planets incapable of supporting it. No divinities involved.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
______
I see a bit of human arrogance there, too. Since life evolved on this planet in the part of the solar system that allows liuid water to exist, we assume that all life everywhere in the universe has to exist at these temperatures, made from these same organic compounds. But even here on Earth, there’s life that thrives under frozen Antarctic ice and in the boiling temperatures of undersea volcanoes. So what’s to say that somewhere in the Universe there isn’t silica-based life or ammonia-based-life that obeys a completely different set of biochemical rules.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:26 pmYou have a point, but I wasn’t thinking specifically of humans. I agree that there may well be other forms of non-carbon-based life out there. And maybe our problwem is that becuase we want to find carbon-based life, we don’t know how to look for life based on other forms.
Nevertheless, regardless of where or how life is found, it will be found because it evolved there under favorable conditions. Not because some deity put it there.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm“Port St. Lucie resident Dana O’Kane said she discerned the outline of Jesus and Mary in the mottled pancake and took it as a reassuring sign from her recently departed father.
Her mother, the cook, thought it looked more like a bedouin and Santa Claus.”
August 4th, 2008 at 12:37 pmRanting Tommy @ 9;12 am
don’t you put that vehicle down, I bought a Maverick brand spanking new, factory fresh in 1973. My first new car.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:39 pmG’morning, all. I see the trolls are still busy poopflinging.
Stinky. Very stinky.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:12 pmEh. My cat yarked up a hairball yesterday. It looked just like Jebus.
Maybe I’ll sell it on Ebay. YAY!!
August 4th, 2008 at 1:13 pmOnce a week on the average I get hit by someone peddeling relegion….No offence to christian’s here just critical of those that want to convert or pramote their belief’s on the public…
Yesterday a little old fisherman asked the favorite question ” have you been saved”? My funny standard response “from what ” and then I listen..LOL…After many scripture related mumbo jumbo I rold him I was a witch…Dead silence and a puzzled look so I had to add I am a pagan…With that he went into another bunch of scripture and sin related junk untill I was rescued by another fisherman that wanted to rent a boat…The old guy, bless his heart woulden’t give up and finelly made his pitch again after I waited on some more people…He really wanted me to come to his Pentacostal church bible studie’s….Yike’s…He said he wanted to be responsible for saving my soul….I thanked him for his concern and told him I was busy with my own ritual’s….What are those he asked me, I made a huge joke and said I would be busy all this month dancing naked around bon fire’s in the moon light…If he come’s back again think I will tell him the Goddess has a sence of humor and love’s sinner’s….You all have a great day, maybe someone here will find a bit of food with a relegious face they can sell on ebay….The Bear and I are going for a walk and hug some tree’s……Blessings
August 4th, 2008 at 1:16 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
Nevertheless, regardless of where or how life is found, it will be found because it evolved there under favorable conditions. Not because some deity put it there.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Of course, that’s where it gets interesting. What is it, exactly, that sets the rules that determines what these favorable conditions are?
What we know is that 13 billion years ago, all matter and energy as we know it came into existence. In that moment, or in the next few nanoseconds, little details like the speed of light and the energy of a quantum and the gravitational constant were set. While I don’t think it’s necessary to ascribe that to the work of a deity, the fact remains that something made it a rule that throughout this universe, no matter where or when or what you are, c=299,792,458 m/s^-1, and G=6.67428(67) x 10^-11 m^3 kg^-1 s^-2, and h=6.62606896(33) x 10^-34 J/s.
If these numbers were any different, life may not have been able to exist, stars and planets may not have formed, quarks may not have been able to form. So either something said “these are the constants because that’s what they have to be,” or there are an infinite number of universes out there with all different numbers. Perhaps new universes are being created all the time, but their Big Bangs end up as Big Duds because they’ve got the wrong Planck constant or their photons are too slow or something.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:18 pmLooks like Fred Phelps has had some nocturnal visitors:
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/phelps-youtube-080408.html
While he is a hateful wretch, he doesn’t deserve to have his church torched.
Nor does he have to blame gays, right out of the gate, but that’s Fred.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:31 pmFred is a mess.
August 4th, 2008 at 1:39 pmAbout the Little League team and Cuba
Dumb Question: Why is it so vital that the Little Leaguers can’t go to Cuba (especially considering the imminent possibilities for change with the ailing Castro)
But it is so vital that we support the Olympics in China (who is blocking internet, monitoring our communications, human rights violations, Nepal, etc.)
Is it because China is actively pursuing the apprehension of the terrorist called Dali Lama ?
August 4th, 2008 at 1:41 pmbarfly, I suspect Phelps started his fire for just the same reason restaurant owners do: How do you start a flood?
August 4th, 2008 at 2:00 pmWell, the US policy towards Cuba hasn’t worked very well, has it? We’ve tried to politically and economically isolate Cuba in order to pressure them into change (i.e., overthrowing the Castro regime), but Cuba and its people have resisted such pressure for decades.
I think that is well past time for the US to change course in regards to Cuba. We don’t treat the People’s Republic of China this way – and Americans travel there for business, education, vacations, etc. every day of the year. We didn’t have such policies in place with the USSR either. I don’t think that there are travel bans in place with North Korea either…. and we even fought a war against them!
American policy towards Cuba has been dominated by the Cuban-American, pro-Batista community in Miami for far too long. It is time to open up to Cuba and engage them in the same way that we have engaged with China. Trade and travel are forcing change within China. The same can happen with Cuba.
Now, some may believe that Cuba can and should do away with its socialist system completely. That will be up to the people of Cuba to decide. My hope is that they keep the true socialist policies that work for them and jettison the anti-socialist, authoritarian policies that the Cuban Communist Party formed in the image of a Stalinist Communist Party in the USSR.
¡Viva Cuba y Viva la Revolución!
August 4th, 2008 at 2:14 pmShayne Says:
barfly, I suspect Phelps started his fire for just the same reason restaurant owners do: How do you start a flood?
But won’t it raise his insurance rates? Unless he thinks smpathetic folks will send him cash. He might have trouble getting insurance, if it appears that he might get torched again.
August 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pmI’ll handle the fish. I am a professional
August 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm