2004: The Good News

Thanks to Fox News. And they don't even mention things like "Bush won" and "Kerry got slaaaaammmmmed dude!"

FOXNews.com - Views - Straight Talk - 2004: The Good News

Where Clouds Come From

No photoshopping, just good old perspective hunting.



from ddoi... my favorite.

The Tsunami

satelite photo before: (right click and view image to see full size)



AFTER: (right click and view image to see full size)

Washington's New Governator: If at first you don't succeed...

Try again. If you still don't succeed, try again. Then... it's on to the Governor's Mansion baby! Assuming they have a Governor's Mansion in Washington State.

Look! It's a mandate!

Hand recount in Washington governor's race gives Democrat 130-vote win

Of course, Republicans are still taking it to court, though this one looks like the final count. Who knows until it's certified... these days.

Is your ass too big?

consider one of these minature donkeys from the Pride and Joy Ranch in Vacaville.

why some people don't want to grow up

Lieberman Should Have Taken The Job

subtitle: that bastard won't do anything for us, note: most "liberals" disagree and seem to think Joe did the right thing. Idiots! Nothing personal.

I've had a chance to sleep on it and I still wish Lieberman would have taken the Homeland Security Job, the points, details in the extension.

• The Senate Seat- doesn't matter , already a minority by more than one vote.
  


• Guarding the Ports- Our Candidates complained this was -really- important
  


• A Hen in the Wolf House- Watch Dog. Joe knows a lot of Democrats... he even has just 2 or 3 degrees of separation from real liberals.
  


• Bad for Joe- granted, it's a job where you will get blamed for the next attack, though I think you might get praise if you do things right, that's politics. Still, it's risky for Joe... but personally I could live with that.
  

The Senate Seat
My understanding is Democrats would lose a Senate seat as a Republican would be selected to replace him. I fail to see how losing everything in the Senate by an extra vote would be particularly more painful. It's not like it's down to 50/50. We don't need Joe as Senator, and it makes it easier to run another Democrat when the time comes.

Guarding the Ports
Remember the Democratic Candidates talking about homeland security a lot. How much that need to be done right? This is the position in charge of that. And this position is one that threatens our civil liberties if done wrong, Joe could at least -try- to help prevent that while also trying to address the real issues of guarding the nation.

A Hen in the Wolf House
Lieberman has a lot of contacts with the Democratic Party and, indeed, thereby even to the progressives. Compared to the Bush Admin he could only improve the mix. He could watch them. Any mistakes would stay on Joe's tab since so many would point out that his choice had been to be more Republican... his mistakes would be theirs.

Lose-Lose vs. Win-Win
Lieberman in Homeland Security would be a win for Democrats. Either Lieberman could do some good, relative to what other appointees might do, or he would be able to be a very vocal critic if Bush did not provide proper resources, even resigning in disgust.

People have noted that it would be lose-lose for Lieberman, and this is true. If there is another attack, you're probably going to receive a lot of the blame, if there isn't... people will make fun of your color coordinated panic scale. So it would be a bad job compared to the cushy Senate Minority job Joe has now... but I could live with that. Clearly, Joe could not. I don't blame Joe for making a personal decision, this isn't about changing Joe's mind, of course. It's just about having a proper attitude and analysis.

Clearly Joe did what was best for Joe when Joe could have helped fight the war he so dearly loves.

Misc
And maybe he could change the fascisterotic name of that department. Btw, this is all assuming he really was offered it which I still consider quite an assumption... but there, it's already been made.

If I Quote Jesus

Mother seemed to question if I should use Jesus' thoughts when I claim to be an atheist. To me there is no question... I can and should. If something were to disqualify someone from quoting Jesus, it would be how much that person has studied the words and life of Jesus. Personally, I have always taken great inspiration from Jesus' message, but not from the Churches, none of which were his, I mean His.

I understand if some Christians regret to inform me that my adoption of Jesus' message will not get me into heavan, they have a clear belief what gets one into heaven and I suppose I can accept that good works won't do it. And on that I must follow my own heart and faith where it leads me. But on quoting the teaching of Jesus it matters not if I will enter heaven, and only matters if I misquote Jesus or misinterpret the meaning of his life.

It was a life of love, peace, forgiveness, of leaving judgment to God while still fighting for what is right and refusing what is wrong. I agree on what Jesus thought constituted human progress. Jesus is a part of my heritage. I am a child of Western Civilization and I have studied it's history and it's philosophy back to Athens and beyond. I am a proud member of Western Civilization, and as Ghandi said, it is a good idea. I no more have to accept Christian Metaphysics to learn from Jesus' message than I have to adopt Plato's to learn from his. Indeed, while Newton himself was a devout Christian, rarely do people imply that I might not have right to believe or use "f=ma" unless I accept Newton's views on God as well.

Must See Cute Animal

b/c life is too depressing after reading the news.

Pathological Narcissism

Pathological narcissism at a glance - what is NPD?

Beware of this. I've run into it. The person I'm most sure suffers from it is not in politics... still... please never vote for such a person.

Teen Pregnancy in Red States (and Blue)

Values are per 1000 (not %).



Why?

Death Sentences in Texas Cases Try Supreme Court's Patience

The supreme court has heard and overturned THREE Texas death penalty rulings in the past year, and is hearing a fourth today. Texas is being rebuked by a SC that is not anti-death penalty. Mean anything?

The New York Times > National > Death Sentences in Texas Cases Try Supreme Court's Patience

Yes.

Evidently this is real(ly going to be built)

"Some 300 islands shaped like the continents break the surface of the Persian Gulf off Dubai in this artist's rendering of the World Project. The United Arab Emirates plans to finish the "sculpture" by 2008."

coolness!

....

Unfortunately, so is this... Oil in the Deleware, Mom gave me the heads up.

Bad Old News You Learn On The Internet

and wonder how you missed.

Did you know that Susan Smith... that Susan Smith, was the step child of one Beverly Russell, a Republican Party leader from the Christian Coalition? Did you know that while telling America how not to let it's morals decline any further, he was really molesting young 15 year old Susan, and in fact was having an affair with here all the way up to the time before she killed her children!?

Russell, a prominent leader of the South Carolina Republican Party and the local Christian Coalition, knew that Smith was not the sweet innocent first presented to the media because he had stolen her innocence. When she was only 6, her natural father killed himself over a messy divorce and Russell's marriage to Smith's mother. At the age of 13, Smith attempted suicide, and while aware of her fragile mental state, Russell began his sexual advances two years later. At 17, Smith attempted suicide again. Russell claims that he held off until Smith was married before escalating this sick sexual liaison.

More, from a rather old article on this that appeared in the LA Times, here

The Biggest Nuclear Danger

The biggest danger to the world would be a cure for radiation sickness... I feel certain then we would have a nuclear war if one existed. Also, we would all need the cure to survive, enslaving us to pharmacueticals.

So maybe we're lucky there is no cure for radiation sickness.

I don't want to be alarmist, but we might all die in a fiery nuclear hellfire armegeddon if we're not careful. Those things are still bad news even though we're used to them and don't bother to hide under our desks anymore.

babyboomer 1955 to teacher: "teacher, why do we have to hide under our desk."

honest teacher: "so you are not blinded before you die".

morbid post alert.