As you know if you've read this blog for any amount of time, I'm a dog person. Here's one of the reasons why:
If you'd like to donate to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation click on the link. Help them save dogs from almost certain death so they can save disaster victims. They're at work in Haiti and have helped at Ground Zero, New Orleans and many other locales.
These dogs can find survivors faster than a team of humans with high-tech equipment. When minutes equate to survival, they can make all the difference.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Ravalli County, MT
So, according to TPM the citizens of Ravalli County Montana want to form their own militia, kick out the EPA, require any federal government employee to get written permission before "approaching" any "Citizen" and allow said "Citizens" to carry whatever kind of weapon, concealed or otherwise, they please. For good measure, they throw in a bit about "global warming" being a farce. The way they're choosing to enforce this on their fellow citizens? A questionnaire. A group of yahoos are trying to get elected officials to pledge to these and other acts of lunacy.
Clearly, these folks are a few fries short of a happy meal. I wonder if they realize that requiring prior written approval for interaction with federal employees means their mail service stands a good chance of being disrupted. They couldn't go to the post office, for one, unless they gave permission for every postal service employee to talk to them. Even if the Sheriff gives permission to every postal service employee, having to present such permission to any and all who chose to ask for it might just slow things down a bit.
Their militia would require everyone over the age of 18 to serve but women in a combat role only if, and I quote, "the men are in danger of being overrun". Guess they figure that those dreaded Feds are going to come steal their guns and they'll need to defend themselves. The women will be saved this onerous duty but stand as a last line of defense.
They also want to prohibit mandatory vaccinations and limit census takers to counting the number of adults in each home. After they get written permission to talk to them.
So, here's the plan. Let them have their little revolution. Pull out the USPS. Stop federal funding for US Highway 93. It's only the main thoroughfare for the county. It runs from Lost Trails Pass in the south through the county seat of Hamilton and north to Florence. A grand total of 68 miles, more or less. Two national forests and one national wildlife refuge are in the county, too. Let's pull all federal funding and personnel from the county. Let them stop vaccinating their kiddos.
And when they get sick from whatever childhood illness that those vaccinations would have prevented, they'll need to ask for written permission for the CDC to come in and treat the outbreak.
The only silver lining in an otherwise rancid outbreak of crazy is the fact that, so far, no elected officials have filled out the questionnaire.
As the saying goes, you can't fix stupid. But then stupid has become enshrined in this country. Intelligence is for the elite and we all know they're out to sell us own the river.
God save us. Seriously.
Clearly, these folks are a few fries short of a happy meal. I wonder if they realize that requiring prior written approval for interaction with federal employees means their mail service stands a good chance of being disrupted. They couldn't go to the post office, for one, unless they gave permission for every postal service employee to talk to them. Even if the Sheriff gives permission to every postal service employee, having to present such permission to any and all who chose to ask for it might just slow things down a bit.
Their militia would require everyone over the age of 18 to serve but women in a combat role only if, and I quote, "the men are in danger of being overrun". Guess they figure that those dreaded Feds are going to come steal their guns and they'll need to defend themselves. The women will be saved this onerous duty but stand as a last line of defense.
They also want to prohibit mandatory vaccinations and limit census takers to counting the number of adults in each home. After they get written permission to talk to them.
So, here's the plan. Let them have their little revolution. Pull out the USPS. Stop federal funding for US Highway 93. It's only the main thoroughfare for the county. It runs from Lost Trails Pass in the south through the county seat of Hamilton and north to Florence. A grand total of 68 miles, more or less. Two national forests and one national wildlife refuge are in the county, too. Let's pull all federal funding and personnel from the county. Let them stop vaccinating their kiddos.
And when they get sick from whatever childhood illness that those vaccinations would have prevented, they'll need to ask for written permission for the CDC to come in and treat the outbreak.
The only silver lining in an otherwise rancid outbreak of crazy is the fact that, so far, no elected officials have filled out the questionnaire.
As the saying goes, you can't fix stupid. But then stupid has become enshrined in this country. Intelligence is for the elite and we all know they're out to sell us own the river.
God save us. Seriously.
Corporations are not people
No matter what the law currently says, ask your average person on the street if they think Wal-Mart is a person and they'll probably look at you funny. Common sense says no. Lawyers and Supreme Court Justices say yes.
If we, as a nation, want to have a say in how our nation is run we must stand up to this. Here's the best arguement I've seen for why:
It's time that we take our nation back from the Corporations, the new Robber Barons of the 21st century. Join me in signing the petition to amend the Constitution and join the fight at freespeechforpeople.org. Help bring common sense back to government and remove the threat of a bought-and-paid-for government that represents the concerns of the Corporations and not the people.
H/T to Southern Beale.
If we, as a nation, want to have a say in how our nation is run we must stand up to this. Here's the best arguement I've seen for why:
It's time that we take our nation back from the Corporations, the new Robber Barons of the 21st century. Join me in signing the petition to amend the Constitution and join the fight at freespeechforpeople.org. Help bring common sense back to government and remove the threat of a bought-and-paid-for government that represents the concerns of the Corporations and not the people.
H/T to Southern Beale.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Welcome to the Corporate States of America
I came of age in the 80s. Once upon a time, I truly believed that we, as a race and a nation, were destined to destroy our planet in a nuclear frenzy. It scared me. Trying to imagine what the future might be like after the bombs dropped.
Well, as we all know, that particular end of the world didn't come to pass. Despite Ronnie Raygun's best efforts to the contrary, we stepped back from the edge. But today, something has happened in our country that brings back those days of waiting for the bombs to drop. I find myself wondering more and more if this country is going to survive. If what it is slowly morphing into will be a place worth living in.
Today, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 to lift a ban on corporate funded political advertisements. Now, Exxon will get to spend whatever they want to flood the airwaves with ads in support of John Cornyn (R-TX). Or perhaps the MGM Mirage can bump up its giving to Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and make sure he knows just where they stand. Maybe Hilary Clinton would have won the Presidential nomination if the insurance companies had been able to throw more money her way. As it was, she was the number 3 recipient of Insurance company largesse in 2008. (McCain was number one and Obama was number 2.)
While I waited for the bombs to fall in the 80s, I did a lot a reading. A certified geek even then, I read a good bit of the Masters of Science Fiction, primarily Robert Heinlein. Heinlein's novel Friday is particularly prescient. In it, the Earth is in chaos. The US is broken up into several small nation-states but most importantly, the Internationals, as Heinlein calls the corporations that wield enormous power, are winning the war to control the planet. With their own private armies and financial deep pockets they're able to have substantial control of the planet. It's a dark tale but one that seems ever more possible. This is just one possible future that Heinlein gives us. Another is a theocracy that suspends the constitution.
We teeter on the edge. I can see both of these futures as growing possibilities. On one hand, we have the growing influence of the Chrisitanists and their open desire for a world that's ruled by a US led-Christian empire. On the other, we see every day how corporate interests and corporate money influence our politicians and government. With this SCOTUS ruling, we're one step closer to Heinlein's Internationals. Neither future is one that I particularly want to live in, since I would most likely fall into the "undesirable" category for both.
There is only one way to defeat these trends. We must vote. Before we vote, we must educate ourselves. No matter how disappointed we may be with the way things are going in Washington, we must believe that we can do something about it. Write letters, send emails, support the organizations that you believe stand the best chance at countering the trend. Teach your children that having a brain and using it, doesn't make you the enemy. It just makes you educated.
Both the Christianists and the Internationals want us to be naive, uninformed boobs who they can tell what to believe and what to do. It is up to us to stop them.
Well, as we all know, that particular end of the world didn't come to pass. Despite Ronnie Raygun's best efforts to the contrary, we stepped back from the edge. But today, something has happened in our country that brings back those days of waiting for the bombs to drop. I find myself wondering more and more if this country is going to survive. If what it is slowly morphing into will be a place worth living in.
Today, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 to lift a ban on corporate funded political advertisements. Now, Exxon will get to spend whatever they want to flood the airwaves with ads in support of John Cornyn (R-TX). Or perhaps the MGM Mirage can bump up its giving to Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and make sure he knows just where they stand. Maybe Hilary Clinton would have won the Presidential nomination if the insurance companies had been able to throw more money her way. As it was, she was the number 3 recipient of Insurance company largesse in 2008. (McCain was number one and Obama was number 2.)
While I waited for the bombs to fall in the 80s, I did a lot a reading. A certified geek even then, I read a good bit of the Masters of Science Fiction, primarily Robert Heinlein. Heinlein's novel Friday is particularly prescient. In it, the Earth is in chaos. The US is broken up into several small nation-states but most importantly, the Internationals, as Heinlein calls the corporations that wield enormous power, are winning the war to control the planet. With their own private armies and financial deep pockets they're able to have substantial control of the planet. It's a dark tale but one that seems ever more possible. This is just one possible future that Heinlein gives us. Another is a theocracy that suspends the constitution.
We teeter on the edge. I can see both of these futures as growing possibilities. On one hand, we have the growing influence of the Chrisitanists and their open desire for a world that's ruled by a US led-Christian empire. On the other, we see every day how corporate interests and corporate money influence our politicians and government. With this SCOTUS ruling, we're one step closer to Heinlein's Internationals. Neither future is one that I particularly want to live in, since I would most likely fall into the "undesirable" category for both.
There is only one way to defeat these trends. We must vote. Before we vote, we must educate ourselves. No matter how disappointed we may be with the way things are going in Washington, we must believe that we can do something about it. Write letters, send emails, support the organizations that you believe stand the best chance at countering the trend. Teach your children that having a brain and using it, doesn't make you the enemy. It just makes you educated.
Both the Christianists and the Internationals want us to be naive, uninformed boobs who they can tell what to believe and what to do. It is up to us to stop them.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Yet another way to donate to the Haiti relief effort...
You can bid on your very own Pat Robertson voodoo doll on eBay. Bidding is currently at USD530. All proceeds go to the American Red Cross.
Now if someone could just take this voodoo doll and turn it into an online game where every time you stick the pin in somewhere a donation is made. Kinda like FreeRice.com where your game playing results in food donations to the UN World Food Program. Speaking of which, they too are collecting donations above and beyond their current level to support the relief effort in Haiti. Just an idea.
H/T to Joe.My.God. I stole his picture and edited a bit. Plus this story was just to good not to reblog. Is that like retweet? Any way, thanks Joe.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The new look
Well, if you visited between the hours of 2AM CST and 1:15PM CST, you might have noticed a few changes. I wasn't happy with how I left the blog last night and this morning I started over. I think I like this new look. It's not as spiffy as the old Jeans template but it will do.
Again, let me know what you think. I'm off to get something to eat and then I'll no doubt be back to tweak some more.
Again, let me know what you think. I'm off to get something to eat and then I'll no doubt be back to tweak some more.
Template woes
As you can tell, I've changed my template. I was force to because the site that hosted the background for my template died. As in, it no longer answered Blogger's calls for information. This would be why I've had a white background for the last few days. And loading issues.
I'm not altogether happy with this new template. It still has some bugs to work out. I don't have all my widgets and pictures and whatnots restored and I may not. The old template was getting kind of busy but this one seems naked. What can I say? I'm never happy.
Let me know what you think of the changes. Is it easy or difficult to read? Is it loading fast or slow? What's missing that you'd like back?
I may tinker more this weekend so don't be surprised if it changes hour by hour. But for now, I'm done.
I'm not altogether happy with this new template. It still has some bugs to work out. I don't have all my widgets and pictures and whatnots restored and I may not. The old template was getting kind of busy but this one seems naked. What can I say? I'm never happy.
Let me know what you think of the changes. Is it easy or difficult to read? Is it loading fast or slow? What's missing that you'd like back?
I may tinker more this weekend so don't be surprised if it changes hour by hour. But for now, I'm done.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Pat Robertson is not a Christian
Pat Robertson is an idiot.
Not news, really. But lest we forget what a whack job this man truly is, he helps us to remember by saying this:
"And you know Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, uh you know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True Story. And so the Devil said "OK, it's a deal." And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island is Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle. On one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc.. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. Uh, they need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God and out of this tragedy. I'm optimistic something good may come."
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Not news, really. But lest we forget what a whack job this man truly is, he helps us to remember by saying this:
"And you know Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, uh you know Napoleon the third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True Story. And so the Devil said "OK, it's a deal." And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island is Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle. On one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc.. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. Uh, they need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God and out of this tragedy. I'm optimistic something good may come."
No, Mr. Robertson, Haiti has not been smote by God. They've been through something that your little mind can't even begin to comprehend. It makes you uncomfortable to see so much death and destruction so you decide that they must have done something to deserve it. Since almost half the population practices Voodoo, at least according to the CIA World Factbook entry on Haiti, this means they've somehow asked for all the crap that's rained down on them. From hurricanes to military coups to earthquakes, Robertson surely sees all of these as signs from God. Of course, that same entry also says that 80% of the population identifies itself as Roman Catholic. So maybe they aren't the Godless heathens he'd like to see them as. Of course, since they're Catholic, that may be a strike against them in Robertson's eyes.
May God save us from morons such as these.
Rather than tell his sheep to pray that God turns the Devil worshippers to the light, wouldn't it have been better to tell them how they could do something constructive and support the desperate rescue and recovery efforts currently underway in Haiti? But then, I guess that means they would have had to send their money to someone else than Robertson...
Me? I plan on making a donation to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). They're already on the ground in Haiti where they had an pre-existing presence.
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