Thursday, July 26, 2007

Nuclear power needed

I find it ironic that merely days after Japan’s nuclear power plant radiation leak and subsequent cover-up, some are considering nuclear power as an option in Florida. Not only is the industry riddled with human error and cover-ups, but also nuclear plants are vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Furthermore, the nuclear waste is also vulnerable to terrorist attacks which must be hauled out on trains to Yucca Mountain (where it pollutes that environment for eternity). Wind, solar, and sugarcane-to-ethanol fuel are more rational energy alternatives that can be Florida’s future economic engines.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Company W Dupes

I forget: Are we at war with Oceania, Eurasia, or Eastasia?

“Guard against the influence of the military industrial complex” as the main threat to democracy. -Ike

An earlier draft of Ike’s read “military-industrial-congressional complex.” When Congress saw it, they requested that “congressional” be removed and Eisenhower did.

…What is supposed to be our defense and our “peace-keepers” are our war-makers so that politicians and their friends’ companies can make millions in corporate contracts making more war. It’s bloody when babies’ arms are blown off and grown men cry for their mama’s as they die alone in a desert, but that’s how the old white guys make a buck nowadays. Besides, these men and their children never intended to fight, never had to fight, and never will have to fight. But one thing is certain, they did get richer. Gotta lay that pipeline, tricky Dick. Troops secured the Iraq oilfields for American companies before “liberating” the Iraqis.

Camu: Respect gained by fear is despicable. What about invoking the Lord for votes? Scare ‘em and yell, “Halleluiah!” You’ll win the Presidency. (Social science has proven the fear variable to be an extremely large causation factor in persuasion. This is well-known by us social scientists.)

The recently released NIE (...) coalesced from 16 secret intelligence agencies proclaims that the Iraq War has indeed become not only a distraction from defeating al Qaeda, but has also created more terrorists and terrorism in the world and that an attack on US soil is more likely than ever b/c of Iraq. Wooly-Bully-America is a joke on the world’s stage if it didn’t point its guns at everybody who might laugh (and they are most definitely laughing at us).

Obama ’08: Finally a President who’s IQ has 3 digits!

And, instead of raising the cigarette tax to give more children health insurance, let’s sell Marlboro’s to poor children in 2nd and 3rd world countries. RJ Reynolds’ profits are going up, up, up! We can scare and evangelize poor children into being life-long smokers. Then we’ll finally be rich.

-a.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Interesting Times... Shift Happens

This is about a 6 minute YouTube video Amy's dad forwarded to us; you have to read it, but it certainly paints the future as very interesting.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/video/shifthappens

-Harry

Friday, July 13, 2007

How about a nice spot under a bridge?

RE: How about a nice spot under a bridge? (By SUE CARLTON, July 13, 2007, St. Pete Times)
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/13/News/How_about_a_nice_spot.shtml


Sue Carlton's column on where to put the child molesters suggests creative zoning in nonresidential areas instead of simply creating bigger buffers away from them. Most of the public, however, believes that if you have molested a child even once, or you would molest a child, you should be locked up for life. Many of us consider child molestation worse than adult manslaughter.

The effects of molesting a child are extremely serious: The child’s brain structure and chemistry are permanently altered (smaller); there is a high risk of disfigurement, STD’s, disability, and death from the internal bleeding and lacerations; most victims develop rampant and persistent PTSD and psychiatric problems including increased suicides, sexualized behavior, self-mutilation, eating disorders, and drug use; committing crimes and becoming a sexual predator oneself greatly increases; and the child faces a lifetime of doubt in basic trust in their key relationships, which alone can be devastating.

The problem of child molestation is growing, especially via the Internet. Groups of highly organized child molesters, such as “BoyLove,” operate worldwide through pedophile organizations. 60% of child molesters are released on parole. Child molesters, who were often molested themselves, are getting younger and more violent. Recent studies show that child sexual predators are increasing, although increased reporting is a confounding variable.

Where should we put them? Under a bridge is far too kind. Lock them away for life.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Why Mama says, "Vote for Obama!"

That's why Mama says, "Vote for Obama!"

Barack Obama: Taking Our Government Back

Video:
Senator Barack Obama speaks to supporters in Manchester, NH about how he plans to make government more accountable to the American Citizen.
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=1016735906&channel=353512430

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

What's Wrong with America?

RE: Anxiety in the Empire (by Froma Harrop) in the St. Petersburg Times, July 11th, 2007

Finally, someone said it. Froma Harrop's column on what's wrong with America has been eating many of us up inside. Ms. Harrop's clear and eloquent list includes leadership that doesn't care about the communal big picture, noisy religiosity and fear distractions, the powerful grabbing the loot while millions of the working-class slip into poverty, rising debt, a disregard of science, politicians lining corporate coffers, and waging an unnecessary war on the cheap.

I would add that the key underlying factor behind many of these ills is lobbying. Corporations contribute millions to politicians if politicians do whatever the corporations say. As a result, corporations have created laws that can allow CEO’s to retire after one year with stock options vesting at upwards of $20-million while their employees work longer hours at reduced pay with no health insurance.

Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin are turning over in their graves at their democracy that is no longer “one man, one vote,“ but rather, one corporate lobbyist contribution, one more bunch of rich old white guys robbing us blind. Corporate lobbying has hi-jacked our democracy; it is ours no longer.


http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/07/anxiety_in_the_empire.html

Gov. Crist has not been bought

Gov. Crist has not been bought by Progress Energy and FP&L. What refreshing news. Crist is showing that he values Flordia's future, and the health and well-being of his people, over the dangling contributions in front of him. Crist does not want to contribute to Floridians being 20-feet underwater in 20-50 years.

Ironically, the current utilities are in the best position to capitalize on these new energy technologies, yet changing their bureaucratic mindset is as likely as successfully maneuvering the Titanic through the icebergs. Crist’s plan will force their hands toward reengineering.

Crist mentioned looking into wind, which has been shown to be extremely cheap and efficient, and recommended by the Audubon Society. However, Florida must not forget sugarcane for ethanol, as Jorge Pinon, the former president of Amoco Latin America, has stated:

“As the third-largest gasoline consumer state in the nation with an average of 23.6 million gallons per day and with its competitive advantage in producing, importing and distributing sugar-cane ethanol, Florida would be a natural market for the promotion and development of this renewable and environmentally friendly fuel” (December 26, 2006).

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Clean Elections/Clean Money/No Lobbyist Firms Controlling Democracy

http://www.just6dollars.org/about

Congress would only have to spend $6 per citizen per year to publicly fund each and every election for the House, the Senate and the White House. When you consider that "pork barrel" projects cost every one of us more than $200 last year alone, it’s no contest.

...

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

"Sicko" is required viewing

The new movie, "Sicko," by Michael Moore should be required viewing for all Americans. After showing countless examples of people dying because their health insurance companies refuse to cover them, Mr. Moore asks, "Who are we?"

Who are we indeed? We have been willing to let insured men, women, and children die from withheld treatment so that CEO's and lobbied politicians can walk off with millions of dollars in profits from health insurance companies. Similarly, we care more about saving a few dollars by packing children into larger warehouse-type schools, and closing smaller "A" schools, than we do about producing disciplined, well-educated people.

The American Dream of the underdog using ingenuity and passion to succeed is now completely defunct: The Dream was bought and sold by lobbyists and the politicians who love them, and the CEOs retiring as multi-millionaires after a year or two.

Who will stop the lobbyists and the corrupt CEO’s? The government is not afraid of us. We are sheep and sheep do not think critically. Sheep do not say, “This sounds immoral. I wonder who is really profiting here.” The American Dream dies not with a bang, nor with a whimper… The American Dream was stolen quietly away when we slept.