Aug 31 2012

Christie and A bit of Rick Perry

Do as I say, Not as I do…

Now, if he just moved over a bit to the left we could take Mitt entirely out of the picture!

In his speech Tuesday night at the RNC, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie spoke to the lack of civility and cooperation in American politics. “We are demanding that our leaders stop tearing each other down, and work together to take action on the big things facing America,” Christie said. Of course, he immediately began the negative attacks on Obama and almost every other speaker followed suit. Now, being realistic, we know that is what happens at these conventions – whether they be Republican or Democratic. It is to be expected. But there is something here that I see as a good deal of the problem with the Republican leadership today (and over the past three years). Say one thing and do another. Talk cooperation and then take a contrarian action. Speak of embracing diversity and then pushing agendas and legislation that further divides. Again, not saying it doesn’t happen on both sides of the aisle, it is just not so obvious on the other side. I’d bet, say $10,000, that the likes of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell can’t actually put aside their own agenda’s set to make that happen.

Is there some way to give Texas back to Mexico?

The USA – in better times

Texas Gov. Rick Perry released a statement today about the Voter ID court ruling.

“Chalk up another victory for fraud,” he said. “Today, federal judges subverted the will of the people of Texas and undermined our effort to ensure fair and accurate elections. The Obama Administration’s claim that it’s a burden to present a photo ID to vote simply defies common sense.

As my wife so aptly put it this morning as she read this in the paper (and I paraphrase) “he doesn’t get it – if we left it up to the will of the people, blacks would still be sitting in the back of the bus”.

I think we all saw the level of intelligence resident in Perry during his laughable run for the Republican nomination. I expect the only reason he can run a state is because the state itself is generally one that seems to be living in a different universe – kind of a world where logic never prevails and priorities are never for the good of the whole – wait a minute – maybe not – sounds a lot like the Republican Party platform.

Let’s take a look at Texas under Perry as Governor (with some help from Wikipedia)-

With Perry in the lead, Texas rose from second to first among states with the highest proportion of uninsured residents and had the lowest level of access to prenatal care in the U.S. Perry and the Republican-led state legislature have cut Medicaid spending and made it more difficult to enroll in the program, which now covers one-third of Texas children. The cost of caring for uninsured Texans has been borne by those with insurance, leading to substantial rises in insurance premiums and leading Texas to rank next-to-last among states in terms of affordability of health insurance. The Los Angeles Times wrote that under Perry, “working Texans increasingly have been priced out of private healthcare while the state’s safety net has withered.”
In 2010 Perry signed into law a bill requiring that a sonogram be performed prior to every abortion, and that the practitioner discuss the sonogram images with the patient except in limited cases where the patient may waive the explanation.
In 2011, Perry had an epiphany and now opposed all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest. He did come back a little and said he would allow an exception for abortions that would save a mother’s life.
In February 2007, Perry issued an executive order requiring all girls in Texas receive the HPV vaccine, a positive (in some aspect) step given the vaccine protects against some strains of the human papilloma virus, a contributing factor to some forms of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, it did not seem that his decision was necessarily based on looking out for the welfare of his citizens. Shortly after the edict, news outlets reported various apparent financial connections between Perry and the vaccine’s manufacturer, Merck and Merck’s PAC has contributed $28,500 since 2001 to Perry’s campaigns. What a guy.
Perry supported the Texas 2005 ballot proposition which amended the Texas constitution by defining marriage as “only a union between a man and a woman” and prohibiting the state from creating or recognizing “any legal status identical or similar to marriage”.
In 2008 in his book On My Honor, Perry offered his view that there was a parallel between homosexuality and alcoholism, writing that he is “no expert on the ‘nature versus nurture’ debate”, but that gays should simply choose abstinence. During the 2012 presidential campaign, he criticized the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell”.
During his run for the 2012 Republican nomination for President, the Washington Post reported that Perry’s family leases a hunting camp once called “Niggerhead” (apologies – I even hate to write it). According to local residents interviewed by the Post, the Perrys had used the camp for years before painting over a large rock with that name on it, which stands at an entrance to the area, and during this time Perry hosted many friends and supporters at the camp. Perry’s campaign disputed the claims, stating that the Perrys painted over the rock almost immediately after acquiring a lease on the property in 1983. Of course, being the broad-minded thinker he obviously is.
Perry again showed his open-minded when, in a presidential campaign video he stated “there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but your kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas.”

Given this recent proclamation about Voter ID as well as Rick’s long-standing role as a big thinker leading to a better America, I have no other option other to award Rick the latest “Head in the Butt” Award. Congratulations Rick – you can hang this one on your belt right above the concealed weapon you carry!

We have a 2-for-1 special today as I think it is only right to further recognize the great state of Texas which again shows continued evidence of excess, imbalance of the “haves and have-nots” given the news today of the opening of a new football stadium. Normally not news but this stadium cost a mere $60 million for a Texas High School stadium with free Wi-Fi, and a high-definition video screen. It is a sunken design and “has a more intimate feeling than the old one” according to some locals. While it would seem that the old stadium was in need of replacement, given the struggles in meeting educational and student needs across the country (and I would expect equally if not more so in Texas), this outright in your face move by the people of Allen, Texas deserves a bit of attention. While probably more deserved by the city of Allen, given that this is not the largest stadium in Texas, as I’m feeling a bit magnanimous (being it is Friday and a long weekend), I also want to award the state of Texas their own “Head in the Butt” award. Maybe they can hang it in one of the many corporate boxes in the new stadium!

I leave today with one more thought – especially given the level of rhetoric we are currently experiencing in our country with the great divides we see. Our real challenge is focusing on what we are leaving those who follow us. A little too much hate going around at the moment. The quote is by Golda Meir and is specific to the Israeli/Arab relationship at the time but I think the sentiment (just take out “with the Arabs”) is one that can be applied universally –

“We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”- Golda Meir

Aug 29 2012

Fact from Fiction: It takes a Little Work

Black Hole ‘Bonanza’: Millions Found by NASA Space Telescope

When I saw this headline pop up across the TV screen this afternoon, I had to wonder if NASA has mistakenly focused the WISE telescope on Tampa.

Sorry, can’t help it as that is how my mind works. I can’t help but reach out to find ways to somehow ridicule the current crop of Republican politicians and supporters as it becomes more and more distressing to listen to or read their messaging and their platform. I expect I will continue to bring that same perspective as the election comes closer but I also think it is important to recognize that the rhetoric we hear, whether Republican or Democratic, will be slanted and skewed to manipulate and push American minds and emotions in one direction or the other. I know I am biased in what I believe but in reviewing parts of the speeches from the RNC last night (I find watching and listening to any political convention difficult – Republican or Democratic) but I was somewhat astounded at the simplicity and lack of “realness” in anything I heard. Anyone who was turned to think the Republicans have the answers based on Santorum, Christie or Ann Romney is woefully shallow. For me, I was quite unimpressed and was actually somewhat offended to think that they thought their case for change and support of Mitt would pass muster. My biggest concern remains, as always, that most people in the US will do little to dig further into the “facts” stated last night and those that will be stated by each party going forward. I have tried (between my rants and attacks on many) to offer some data and information on some of the issues I see as critical to us as a country. I don’t really care to change people’s beliefs or how they live their lives – I just don’t want people elected based on false information and slanted statistics. Yes, we all listen more intently to information that matches our beliefs but I think we have an obligation as citizens to try to make informed decisions, as hard as that may be. It takes time and it takes wading thru a great deal of data, trying to separate fact from fiction. I started to go thru some of the “facts” stated last night with an intent to put some real information in my blog that I would hope would give some balance to anyone reading. I quickly realized there was just too much to effectively cover and I expect it won’t get much less intense. What I would suggest is that as the political rhetoric and facts continue to get spun, people should take the time to stop in on several websites that try to fact check and do the detailed analysis necessary to separate out fact from fiction. And again, that goes for anything that either side states, not just the Republicans. Just a suggestion, but take a look at these websites that can shed some real light on what has been done, what has been accomplished and what is really real. I don’t think any one is specifically better than the other but they all offer interesting and detailed information that should take you closer to the truth. I expect, like anything, there are some leanings to the left and to the right and there is no site that will be always in the middle but by looking across multiple sites proclaiming to stay objective, there should be obvious threads of reality.

I also want to give credit to another WordPress blog that got me thinking more about checking our facts: http://sarahjanelives.com/2012/08/28/you-cant-fact-check-what-aint-a-fact-well-you-can-but-try-get-anyone-to-listen/

There is one additional recent event from the RNC I do need to share. While it doesn’t mean that all Republicans or RNC attendees feel the same way, I am amazed that in 2012, there are people this stupid – not surprised they believe it but surprised they would be that obvious. I do believe it represents a level of the bias, anger, hate and intolerance I see as core to the current Republican party. Talk about animals!

From CNN.com

Aug 26 2012

Pat Robertson – Where are you now? And Congratulations.

Where is Pat Robertson, that man so much in touch with God, with a proclamation as to why the RNC is being interrupted by Isaac? He has often shared his view of how God has punished people, cities, countries, etc. due to their beliefs, decisions or lifestyles. What does the track of this potentially devastating storm (at least to the US mainland – not so potential to Haiti and Cuba so far) show as far as God’s view of the Republican Party in 2012?

Pat ever so gently showing his true feelings to everyone who doesn’t share his beliefs.

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina killed 1,836 people, Robertson implied on the September 12th broadcast of The 700 Club that the storm was God’s punishment in response to America’s abortion policy.

After a series of horrendous tornadoes in the Midwest earlier this year, Pat shared on The 700 Club – “If enough people were praying [God] would’ve intervened, you could pray, Jesus stilled the storm, you can still storms.”

In 2010, Robinson weighed in on the deadly Haitian earthquake that killed thousands of people. His view – the earthquake is God’s vengeance for a “pact” Haitians swore to the Devil. Robertson said Haitians have been cursed because they made a “deal” with the Devil to free themselves from the French. He said even after the French were gone, the Island of Haiti has been cursed by “one thing after the other.”

Robertson declared last August the earthquake that struck the Washington DC region “means that we’re closer to the coming of the Lord.” “It seems to me the Washington Monument is a symbol of America’s power. It has been the symbol of our great nation. We look at the symbol and we say ‘this is one nation under God.’ Now there’s a crack in it… Is that sign from the Lord? … You judge. It seems to me symbolic.”

In the wake of 9/11, Robertson, in discussion with Jerry Falwell, suggested that the United States “deserved” the attacks for its “tolerance of secularism, gays, abortion, feminists and pagans”. This sort of f’kd up view of how God works and that he is a being that can withdraw his protection from the United States (or any country, people, whatever) based on the country’s morality again provides even more support of my beliefs as an atheist.

While I am usually moved to make this award to people based on what they have said as of recent, today’s “Head in the Butt” award goes to Pat for what he hasn’t said. Way to go, Pat!

Aug 25 2012

Mitt – just another one of the common folks

Credit: Huffingtonpost.com

Overall, we all know that Mitt has a problem with his Likeability as he trails Obama by over 23 percentage points in the most recent Gallup Likeability Poll. Not sure why that is any surprise given the way Mitt manages to portray himself to the American public. Could just be me but Mitt’s efforts to downplay his stature well up near the top of the 1% don’t seem to resonate with him being common folk.

That doesn’t mean he hasn’t tried to relate to the rest of us.

Couple of examples –

Highlighting he hasn’t paid less than a 13% effective tax rate in the last 10 years was no doubt an attempt to show his sharing the same tax bracket as those common folk making $30K or so (at least the single filers – maybe $80K for those married).

His visit to a hardware store in New Hampshire – when asked what he bought, he quickly offered “hardware stuff” – probably to use when he has to do “stuff” around the house.

As he shopped at a grocery store, also in NH, he offered he was going to be doing the cooking that evening and that he had some people coming over. I guess someone should have informed him that the two ears of sweet corn that he picked up from the stand outside the store would likely fall short in terms of helpings – or maybe he was going to break those ears into several portions – just like the common folk do.

Sure, last time I made a bet with someone, I said , without hesitation, “Bet you $10,000”.

In trying to make connections and show he was one with the myriad of NASCAR fans, he shared that “My friends own NASCAR teams”. I’m sure we all have friends like that.

Like many of us, the Romney’s own a horse. We did for a good number of years. What I missed was anything close to the $77K tax deduction Mitt managed to get for Ann’s dressage horse. Actually, it wasn’t that my deduction wasn’t close, I never got a deduction.

One of my favorite of Mitt’s attempts to relate to the public was on an early campaign stop in Michigan. “The trees are the right height,” he said in Michigan, trying to show his love for his native state. I know I comment on the height of the trees in Pennsylvania all the time. Is Mitt intimating that Michigan trees are somehow better than trees in other states?

Okay, while not really seen as likeable, Mitt does get the nod when it comes to how people see his ability (vs. Obama) to fix the economy. Here he beats Obama 52% to 43%. Of course one key way he will carry out that fix is his management in taxation of Americans. Oh, Wait – something looks askew…

Undoubtedly looking out for the common man!

Before I go, I can’t ignore another bonehead move by Mitt. Again showing he is relatively clueless about what he should say and how it makes him look, he cracked a joke about his own birth certificate while campaigning Friday in his native Michigan. “No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate,” Romney said. “They know that this is the place that we were born and raised.” Given his Likeability ratings among Americans, you would think he would think twice about a comment that immediately puts him alongside one of the biggest assholes ever to grace corporate America – Donny Trump.

Computer generated photo of Mitt and Don – if they had not been separated at birth

Aug 17 2012

Mitt – are you really that stupid?

Mitt – at a fundraising event yesterday in SC. And he needs armed (in combat gear) security because? Maybe because he had a lower tax rate than most Americans over the last decade.

So Mitt shares he has personally gone back to review his taxes (highly doubtful) and he reveals that he has paid taxes contrary to the remarks made by Harry Reid. Ok – but he also includes the fact that in the last 10 years, he has never paid less than 13% effective tax rate. Could just be me but I can’t think that telling the America public that he has paid at an even lower tax rate than we all heard previously would seem to be a great strategic move. I guess it is better than a situation where he paid no tax but not much. His throwing in that if you count his charitable contributions, he is paying over 20% also doesn’t carry much weight for a couple of reasons. First, if I recall correctly, most all his charitable contribution went to the Morman Church. While it works for his church, it somewhat pales in comparison to actually helping others outside your personal circle. Second, last time I looked, charitable contributions are a deduction from taxes so no matter how you looked at it, he didn’t pay 20% in taxes. Lastly, giving to charity is a voluntary action. Unlike, taxes which isn’t really a choice. So when you add it all up, what Mitt pays falls into the same tax bracket for a single person making less than $35K. Take a look – and these are for 2012 – obviously much higher than the last decade. I know it is a bit more complex than this and that tax brackets don’t equate to effective tax rate but directionally not that far off considering his average annual income isn’t even in the six figure range. Hell, I’m figuring I’ll need to be retired before I see that tax rate – mine hasn’t been below 24% in recently memory.

2012 Tax Brackets

So, for being so stupid and trying to answer one problem by waving a flag elsewhere and actually pointing to another problem, I think it is appropriate tha Mitt get today’s “Head in the Butt” award – I think he should share it with his staff given it is obvious no one said “You know, Mitt, might not be a great idea to tell everyone you are actually paying even less tax”.

Mitt – take a bow – carefully…it’s one thing to have your foot in your mouth.

Aug 16 2012

Ricky Santorum – boy have we missed him!

I will admit fodder for blogs was much easier when Ricky was still in the hunt for the Republican nomination. After realizing that most of Republican America still saw him as the jerk and reprobate that Pennsylvania voters realized several years ago, he quickly put his tail between his legs and took refuge somewhere no doubt where 21st century thinking was still decades away.

Freedom – as long as your believe what I do!

But, hallelujah, glory be, HE IS BACK! (that is the closest to a religious fervor I can get). Yesterday, Ricky shared his opinion that President Barack Obama is “directly assaulting” religious freedom and that his administration has implemented policies that force Catholics to abandon their faith. Now, while I understand this is politics and that Santorum plays to a select few (none of whom I can personally admit to being an acquaintance), I think Ricky really needs to understand that most Catholics, if we use their support and aherence to the beliefs of the Catholic faith, have long abandoned the rules set by the Catholic Church without help from the present administration. I also have to wonder where Ricky’s wife, who managed to cohabit, un-married, with a renowned abortion doctor, the founder of Pittsburgh’s first abortion clinic in the 1970′s, for several years pre-Ricky, really feels about all this. She has no doubt hit the confessional a few times – nothing a couple of Hail Mary’s can’t fix.

Let’s take a quick look at the numbers as far as Americans who are Catholic and their adherence to the faith. In full disclosure, I am a longstanding atheist so I have issues with most any religious belief – while I’ll defend to the end your right to believe whatever you want, I’ll still never understand how you can believe what you do. I will admit I just happen to find the Catholic belief structure and the Pope particularly abhorrent.

Hmm…Birth Control – while the more non-catholics find birth control morally acceptable than catholics, it isn’t by much. More important, 8 in 10 catholics don’t align with their faith. I guess most of these people won’t be abandoning their faith because of Obama – they left long ago.

This next chart is even more interesting.

Quite a bit to highlight here – but the data in the chart is pretty clear. The majority of Catholics polled seem to fall on the wrong side of sticking with the mandates of the Catholic faith – even the church going Catholics. Even more amazing is that more church going Catholics see abortion as morally acceptable than non-Catholics. Quite a few of them gambling also.

Here’s another surprise (not) – not alot of support of the Catholic Church in general by Catholics – aside from a great number of beliefs remaining in the dark ages, I guess the abuse of little boys hasn’t help the cause much.

So at the end of the day, Ricky, I give to you the latest “Head in the Butt” award. There was no question among the voters and I expect this will not be the last time you get this honor given there is still a few months to go and you will be out there helping Mitt.

Ricky has also started to weigh in on Paulie R.

“What Paul Ryan stands for in conservative circles and in the media and in this country, for those who know him, is someone who is willing to challenge the status quo and have bold ideas to confront the problems of this country in a truthful fashion,” Santorum said.

Yes, there is no doubt Paulie comes to the table with some bold ideas.

From Thinkprogress.org –

“Ryan embraces the extreme philosophy of Ayn Rand. Ryan heaped praise on Ayn Rand, a 20th-century libertarian novelist best known for her philosophy that centered on the idea that selfishness is “virtue.” Rand described altruism as “evil,” condemned Christianity for advocating compassion for the poor, viewed the feminist movement as “phony,” and called Arabs “almost totally primitive savages.”

Wow – she sounds more like a 2012 Republican than a professed libertarian.

Aug 14 2012

Keep the Federal Govt away – unless it helps me out.

Bloomberg News

Obama Announces Meat Purchase to Help Farmers Through Drought

President Barack Obama, campaigning in Iowa today, announced $170 million in government meat purchases to help farmers struck by drought, helping to send hog prices to a one-week high.

The purchase of as much as $100 million of pork, $50 million of chicken, and $10 million each of lamb and catfish come on top of $30 million in assistance announced last week. Farmers and ranchers are struggling with the worst combination of heat and dryness since the 1950s, the administration said.

…More than half the counties in the U.S. have been declared natural disaster areas by the Department of Agriculture, and 69 percent of the Midwest last week had moderate to exceptional drought, government data show.

…Obama has pledged a wide-ranging response to the drought. His administration is giving farmers and ranchers access to low-interest emergency loans, opening more federal land for grazing and distributing $30 million to get water to livestock.

Okay – what is wrong with this picture. So let’s add it up. Farmers, Ranchers, whatever you call those who raise fish, etc. getting government help to purchase their products. Add on top of that the benefits that come with being declared natural disaster areas. Not to cast a wide net here but I expect a good number of the states, and likely voters, where the loudest noise is based on a desire for less Federal Government in their affairs that are benefiting the most from yet another Federal program that takes my tax dollars and again bails out others who sit dramatically opposite my social and political leanings. I’ll make it pretty clear – what I pay in Federal tax dollars hurts my brain when I do my taxes every year. I see little of that back given my earnings have for years placed me outside of almost every break and benefit available. That’s fine as I realize I get other benefits (but not from outside or government sources). I don’t mind helping others that need help or are less fortunate but it does gall me to see all these people who are the first to shit on the Federal government and anyone who doesn’t believe in what they do or hold their values but yet they are the first to hold their hands out when times are tough.

Okay – now a little test – take a look at these next two graphics and tell me what looks surprisingly similar. While not perfect, I will guess there is a bit of overlap in those states with the greatest drought conditions and the Red states.

Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration –
National Climatic Data Center

Recent historical look Red vs. Blue states

Now, if I can only figure out how to get my two acres here in Pennsylvania declared a disaster area. Or maybe I need to start raising some livestock or fish out in the backyard.

Oh, and lastly, no sense of anything with Global Warming here. Interesting, on the subject of that huge hoax of Global Warming – I did read a recent article in our local paper – which on occasion stumbles on some story of value – of course they took it from another publication in PA. Seems we in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic are seeing some change in our weather – might explain where all that rain from mid-west is going.

Pa. getting ‘extreme’ storms more often

LAURA LEGERE

The Times-Tribune

August 06, 2012

Pennsylvania’s heaviest downpours have gotten wetter and more frequent in the last six decades, according to a report released by PennEnvironment.

Between 1948 and 2011, the state has seen a 52 percent increase in the number of “extreme” storms — those that are among the largest in the state in the last 64 years.

Large storms that used to happen once a year in Pennsylvania now happen every eight months, the report found. The amount of rain or snow in the largest storm each year has also grown by 23 percent over the same period.

The findings were based on data from the National Climatic Data Center collected from 3,700 weather stations across the country.

The frequency and severity of Pennsylvania’s storms largely matched the average increase of the Mid-Atlantic region, but surpassed the national average, the report found.

Extreme storms happened 30 percent more often nationally in 2011 than 1948 and the largest annual storms produced 10 percent more rain or snow.

Maybe I should be looking for Federal Government flood relief aid….

Aug 13 2012

Add one more notch to the belt of NRA

Headlines : Police constable, civilian killed as gunman opens fire near Texas A&M (today), Sikh Temple massacre, Aurora Colorado Movie Theater shootings, a massacre at a Seattle Cafe killing six, Seven dead in Oikos University shooting – these have all occurred since April this year. With the possible exception of today’s murder, all the weapons have been legally purchased. While the NRA and vocal gun nuts out there will continue to spew their usual crap around like “guns don’t kill people…” and continue to inaccurately cite the 2nd amendment, we continue to see blameless citizens killed and injured all around us. To many, these numbers are not large and in the scheme of real numbers of those killed vs. the total population, they are not (aren’t statistics great!) however, I would challenge these people against any changes in gun control laws to show me another country, civilized (and I wonder about us at times) or not, that anywhere approaches a similar number of massacres and killings that we are seeing in increasing numbers. For me, it isn’t about pure numbers – I don’t need to see a certain threshold to see we have a problem here. But then again, I like to think I am reasonably intelligent and can see the forest thru the trees.

Do we think his fingers are still wrapped around that gun?

I don’t expect any NRA member or current anti-gun control person to care but I did find some interesting data that speaks to the growing issue we all face with people (anyone basically) having relatively easy access to weapons. I’m still wondering the need to have assault rifles and high-capacity clip handguns within easy reach but that is just me. Mother Jones, a nonprofit news organization that specializes in investigative, political, and social justice reporting (non-political despite yelling to the contrary), has pulled together some interesting information and statistics tracing the history of mass shootings in the US over the past 30 years.

Suggest you actually read the article (http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map) but thought I would give a view into some of the more interesting data I found in the article. Point of consideration when you look at the data, all the shootings that made the “list” happened during a single incident and in a public place and resulted in at least 4 people being killed (not including the shooter if we were so lucky to have him immediately out of society).

All following content credit to Mother Jones.

Credit: Sodahead.com

notthebestoftimes…

And it is getting worse – time to get our collective head out of our ass

Monthly Archives: August 2012