Geriatric Old Party

Z Z Z Z Z Z Z z z z z z z z z z z . . . . . . . .

I actually fell asleep last night during McCain's speech. I won't rehash all the opinions about the speech that I agree with. There's enough of that out on the blogosphere. Let me just say a few words about my observations of the evening.

Did anyone else see a tired old party of white folks (with a few token minorities) trying to get excited about a tired old McCain as he was droning on and on? The only excitement was when he talked about Sarah Palin. That got lots of cheers from the crowd. 

Did anyone else get the feeling they Grand Old Party is just plain old now? They live in the past. They are trying to rest on the laurels of Lincoln and Truman and Reagan as they said repeatedly throughout the week. 

McCain regurgitated the same old party policies that have failed in the past. He told us very sincerely about his POW story. I feel for the guy. He did a lot and endured a lot. But he didn't tell us what he was going to change.

There is a reason I am a democrat. We are progressives. We look to the future with a remembrance of the past. Not look to the past trying to go back.

Sorry GOP, you can't turn back the clock. You can't ignore the last 8 years of your failed policies. It doesn't work that way.

After these two weeks of conventions I'm more convinced than ever that the GOP belongs in the past. I'm looking forward to an Obama/Biden administration that will move us forward into the future. The 20th century is long gone already. It's time we joined the 21st.

John strikes again

John Stewart has a knack for comparison. It just goes to show you all the pundits just say what best helps them on that day.

It's not CO2, God is tilting the Earth

You have to read it to believe it. This showed up in today's Fargo Forum opinion page:

Butch Dallmann, Moorhead, Letter: All answers can be found in the Bible

Published Thursday, September 04, 2008

Well, folks, here we go again.
First they try to make us believe in the “big-bang” theory; then the “millions of years” theory; then the “we all came from monkeys” theory or even the “sea” theory.

Let’s get into the real solution as to what happened and read the Bible. Genesis will explain how it all was created.

Now for the global warming story Al Gore and others are pushing on us; it’s time to read Genesis to Revelation in the Bible.

When God sent the rain on this Earth for 40 days and nights, all this water had to go someplace so the Earth would be dry again.

Remember, God is the Creator and controls the universe.

God tilted the Earth from its original position and caused all the excess water to rush to the poles, and there he instantly froze the water into the ice formations that exist today.

Time is ticking down on God’s time clock. With all the nuclear bombs that are made and stored for the fast-emerging last battle, this Earth would burn up when these nuclear bombs are set off.

We are not creating global warming – God is tipping the Earth back to its original position on its axis and thus getting all this ice to get ready to move and extinguish the nuclear destructive fires man will create.

Time is running out, folks. Jesus is coming soon. Do you know him as your personal Savior?

I don't know what to say. The sky fairy tilted the earth so all the water would rush to the poles and freeze? And now he's tilting it back to flood the nukes we've created? Where does this stuff come from? Are they really teaching this shit in their churches? And they want to teach it in our public schools? I'm speechless. I find it incomprehensible that people actually believe this crap in the 21st century.

Gov. Palin Hits a Grand Slam

Yes, I'll say it - Sarah Palin gave the speech of a lifetime. She nailed it right on the head. Well delivered, passionate and hard hitting. Not that I agree with all she says but I can recognize her oratory skills are superb and I believe she was honest and genuine. I predicted she would be a formidable opponent earlier and this speech tonight showed me I was right. I thought she did a good job explaining her experience. I think she went out on a limb comparing it to Obama's "lack of experience." Again, belittling his work in the senate and community service is not genuine. She showed she can deliver, that's for sure. Too bad she is on the wrong side of so many issues.

That being said I found the overall theme of tonight's talks to be very divisive, not inclusive. All the speakers kept painting the Democrats as zeros. Even shouting out ZERO ZERO when talking about Obama. Belittling community service and claiming work in the senate as ZERO experience is not the right tack to take. Funny, Isn't John McCain a senator? Good thing they have Palin on the ticket if senators have ZERO experience. Such a stark contrast to the Democratic convention where there was plenty of praise for their opponents accomplishments and criticism only of their policies.

Giuliani made a statement akin to . . 

How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has time to spend with her special needs child.

This comment was completely off the mark. The Obama campaign has NEVER criticized Palin on a single family issue - NEVER. Barack took the high road here. Rudy, how dare you criticize the Obama campaign with false accusations?

Rudy Giuliani and the Repugs Hate the poor

Ok, I my get hot under the collar now and then when I hear crap from people, but tonight, listening to Rudy speak at the GOP convention convinces me that REPUBLICANS ARE FUCKING EVIL.

I cannot believe what I am hearing. Rudy is making fun of Barack's service to his community organizing to help people struggling on the south side of Chicago. The excel center erupts in laughter and they start booing Obama. How in the world can you ridicule and completely fucking discount the people of Chicago. Well, looking around the GOP convention, I guess I can understand. It's filled with old white folks. The south side of Chicago (and Barack) are black. Black folks don't seem to matter to these evil fucks. I think they would get up on their chairs and cheer for joy if Katrina had made it's way to Chicago too.

UGH!

Perhaps my last post was made in haste. I'm now turning into and ANGRY DEMOCRAT!

Angry Left?

Last evening at the GOP convention, President Bush equated Democrats with North Vietnamese communists. He claimed the Vietnamese could not break McCain and neither will the "Angry Left." Great talk to stimulate your conservative base, but it is so wrong on several fronts.

First of all, we are not trying to "break McCain". We're just saying that his approach, his policies, and his reckless rush to judgement on important decisions is wrong for the country.

Second, I would not say we are the "angry left" I would say we are the frustrated left. Actually, most of us are not left at all, we're in the middle.

We are frustrated that "The Uniter" has so divided this country with his indifference to anyone who has a different opinion.

Remember W's seeking to unite the country during the 2004 campaign? Using words like "I want to reach out to all who share my beliefs."

Now he divides even more by calling us names. The McCain campaign does not need more polarizing language. What ever happened to working together to solve problems? McCain, who, admitedly was a maverick who championed bipartisanship, is now pandering to the separatist right in order to get elected. More division, more name calling, and more of the same.

Barack Obama called for coming together on the things we can agree on and using that as a platform to solve problems.

"surely we can agree on reducint the number of unwanted pregnancies . . "
"surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital . . "

Common purpose - - - that is what we must strive for. Not division and separation.

Barack may not have the experience of John McCain but he has shown over and over again he can inspire us to work together for our common purpose. That is what we need in a leader. It is not the President that does the work. It is WE who have to do the work. This country desperately needs a leader that will catalyze WE to come together for our common purpose.

No Mr. President. No, Mr. McCain. We are not angry. We are frustrated that we are not being included in the national conversation. WE all have much to contribute to solving the problems we face. WE need to bring everyone to the table.

I am sick

Thank you Barack for taking the high road in all this mess. I am getting ill listening to all the dimwits on the right AND the left just torturing this poor girl. I fault Ms. Palin and Mr. McCain for knowingly thrusting a 17 year old into the national global spotlight against her will. I will not even comment on that whole mess. It's not my place. People, Bristol is not evil and she is not a saint. She is a 17 year old trying to face the world now with her head held high. Leave her alone.

What makes me equally sick are all these pundits scrambling to find some reason to say Ms. Palin is qualified. They are having a real hard time doing so. Just listen to Tucker Bounds evade the question of command experience over and over again.

Yes, it's true

I'm sure you have all been reading everything you can about Gov. Palin.

I've seen lots of comments from all sides. Knee jerk comments. People in disbelief. People laughing. People crying. Who is this person? Why did John pick her?

Do not underestimate Ms. Palin. She may very well be a formidable opponent. In her short two years as governor, she has already established a reputation of reform and fighting corruption, especially in the Alaskan republican hierarchy. She has left quite a trail of bruised and bleeding people in her wake. She is the most popular governor in America if you can go by approval ratings.

Republicans see her as a refreshing change. I see her as still more of the same. Even with her short record of reform. There are still many reasons that she is completely ineligible for the office of Vice President of the United States and represents the same republican dogma that we have seen forever.

She is vehemently anti-choice.
She has a very spotty record on the environment.
She is married (literally and figuratively) to the oil industry. Good or bad?
She is unabashedly anti-gay marriage rights, though she has stood up for same sex benefits.
She believes creationism should be taught in public schools.
She wants to gut social security.
She has no stance on foreign policy.
She has no stance on free trade.
She has no stance on immigration.

Aside from that, as late as last month she had no idea what a VP does on a daily basis.

Second in line to the highest office in the land? That scares me.

McCain - Palin ??

Could it be true?

There's a web site: http://www.mccainpalin.com/

There's a private jet from Alaska to Ohio reportedly containing Palin and others: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N222GY

ABC news reports that Palin is still in Alaska. What does that mean? http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/mccain-vp-conte.html

Palin is a very conservative young Republican governor of Alaska. She has served for two years. And is already embroiled in some controversy regarding abuse of power. http://www.ktva.com/circare/html/sca_template.jsp?runSearch=true&query=monegan&searchButton.x=0&searchButton.y=0

I guess we'll find out later today who McCain's running mate is, but Palin seems to be rising to the top of the rumor mill.

8 years of GOP leads to drop in income

Personal income in largest drop in 3 years

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Personal income fell in July by the biggest drop in 3 years after surging the prior two months because of $90 billion in economic stimulus payments.

The Commerce Department said Friday that individual income decreased by 0.7% in July after a 0.1% jump in June and a 1.8% increase in May. Economists polled by Briefing.com were expecting income to fall by 0.2% in July.

The sharp decline in personal income was the largest drop off since August of 2005, when personal income plunged by 2.3%, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

from CNN . . read more

So do you see Jesus everywhere?

I am convinced that if we want to see something in random patterns we will. Remember the virgin Mary? She has appeared in water stains under a bridge, on burnt toast, and even on light reflected on a building's windows. Well, now this guy from Texas has found Jesus on the back of a moth. Take a look for yourself.


I don't know. It looks an awful lot like Mohammed to me.

(edited to add) Of course, it could also be Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz.

Another Man of the Cloth living a lie

This one is a real good one. A pastor in Australia told people for two years he was battling cancer to hide an addiction to pornography. Sad but true.

I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee

Oh no you don't! You're not in Pakistan anymore. KUDOS to the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Maryland for upholding US laws and not allowing idiotic religious sharia law to usurp our democracy.

A woman has won a case saying that the Muslim talaq is not valid for divorce in Maryland because it does not provide the woman with her due rights.

Religious Child Abuse takes another young life

This story from the heartland of the US, Weston, Wisconsin, is so sad. An 11 year old child suffering for days with lack of insulin slipped into a coma and her parents refused to seek medical treatment. She finally died from ketoacidosis. Easily treated if her parents had sought help. The parents will be charged with second-degree reckless homicide. If you ask me they should be locked up in the loony bin. When will we stop the insanity of irrational religion?

Update 4/29/2008: It seems the Neumanns are part of an end of times cult. The Unleavened Bread Ministries is trying to justify negligent homicide. I'm sorry, Pastor Bob, they are not being charged for praying, they are being charged for standing by watching their daughter die a slow painful death.

I Believe

I believe in Freedom of Speech. If the religious nutjobs in Florida want to have a license plate with xtian sentiments, more power too them. I think some people who read this blog may be surprised that I say that. I don't have any problem with this proposal. As I said, we should all have freedom to express our opinions and beliefs. If someone wants to paint their car with big Jesus fish on the side, I don't care. If they want to tattoo a cross on their foreheads, way to go! Easier to identify the crazy people, if you ask me. There's something funny, though. It's religious folks that are getting bent out of shape about this license plate. They have the same sentiments as apparent anti-semite Rep. Kelly Skidmore, a Roman Catholic from Florida.

"It's not a road I want to go down. I don't want to see the Star of David next. I don't want to see a Torah next. None of that stuff is appropriate to me," said Skidmore, a Democrat who voted against the plate in committee.

You see, they only want their religion expressed and would never want any other's to be acknowledged in public. What would their children think if they were tolerant of other's beliefs?

Yes, I want to see this plate adopted in Florida and then see what happens when requests for Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Secular plates start appearing.

Easter is almost here - Clean your whips!

In the Philippines, Catholics have an Easter tradition - self flagellation. Apparently this good friday ritual has become quite a tourist attraction. I can see why. We just don't get enough pain and blood on TV and video games. Apparently the Philippine government is asking that people make sure to clean their whips well to prevent infections. Ironic, though. Wouldn't God prevent that from happening to the most penitent?

$12,000,000,000.00

12 BILLION dollars every month. That's the current burn rate in Iraq. In the end this war will cost us almost $3 trillion. That's a bill of over $9,000 for every man, woman and child in America. Couple that with our current $9.6 trillion debt. This spells economic ruin. We've already lost. The sad thing is that all this money spent in Iraq has done nothing to quell Al Qaeda. They've regrouped in our Pakistani friends' backyard.

Faith and Politics

In 1987 then Vice President George H. W. Bush was campaigning for president. At a campaign stop on August 27, 1987 the following exchange took place between Vice President Bush and a reporter.

Reporter: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.
Reporter: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Reporter: (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists.

This exchange affected me deeply. Here was the Vice President of my country, a man who swore on a bible to uphold the constitution, telling me that I should not be considered a citizen. The same man that went on to become president. I think it was that moment when I knew I would have to fight for my rights as an American, that they were not just to be taken for granted. I lost my allusion that America stood for justice and liberty for all.

We know how history has played out. This discrimination and the bastardization of the constitution has become even greater under the hands of Little George. In this year's election campaign I have been paying attention to what the candidates have to say about faith and the lack thereof. I don't care if people have faith as long as they don't use it to discriminate or to decide major policy decisions just based on it.

We have heard how the right wing candidates feel about faith. More of the same. You gotta have faith or you don't belong. I mean, really, did you listen to Romney's speech about faith? How about Huckabee? And McCain is no different in his disdain for American atheists.

What about our Democratic candidates? Both have professed a deep religious faith in Christianity. Well, despite the fact that our constitution says there shall be no religious test to hold office, it is a fact that no candidate can win unless they do profess such a thing. However, we need to look at how the candidates view all the rest of us Americans.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary is a big disappointment to me in regards to her support of all Americans. Not only will she not stand up against the discrimination of gays and lesbians, but she has acted in opposition to those of us who are nonbelievers. Last June while discussing her husband's infidelity, Hillary made this statement.

"At those moments in time when you are tested, it is absolutely essential that you be grounded in your faith."

Is she really saying that without religious faith you cannot persevere? How ignorant is that?

In 2002, Hillary also posted a statement about the Pledge of Allegiance on her web site. In that statement she actually said she was offended that an appeals court would rule "one nation under god" as not belonging in our pledge. She actually implied in that statement that you must have faith to be part of our nation.

I have never found any evidence that Hillary considers Atheist Americans as part of this country.

Barack Obama

There is a great deal of controversy about Barack's faith and his supposed islamic indoctrination as a child. I think even some of his most outspoken critics have come around to conclude that he is what he says he is, a devout Christian. Regardless, the question in my mind is how does he view Americans of other faiths, particularly those with no faith.

Finally a candidate has stood up and proclaimed that atheists ARE Americans and are WANTED in the conversation of America.

"We all have a part in this conversation . . . believer and nonbeliever alike. Because, while I'm a Christian, I don't believe that religious folks have a monopoly on morality."

Can it be true? A presidential candidate that includes all of us? Since G. H. W. Bush proclaimed that atheists are not Americans over 20 years ago, I have not ever heard a candidate or a leader make such a statement. Not Bill, not Hillary, and certainly not any republican.

I think I am beginning to believe that change is possible.

Like sheep to the slaughter

The ignorance of American evangelicals never ceases to astound me. This video (also posted on pharyngula) shows the depths that the evangelical flock can fall into. It is clear these folks are just parroting the same lies and bullshit over and over. I mean, come on! I think it's been pretty much laid to rest that Obama is not an undercover islamic extremist trying to get his reigns on the American government so he can open the floodgates for the tides of jihadists to invade. Please folks. Use your own brains. If you believe in god then surely you believe she gave you a brain for a reason, right? Don't bleat like a bloody sheep.

4 children dead

A sad story this morning out of Washington, DC. Four children are dead and their decomposing bodies were discovered in their mother's house. Why were they killed? Because they were possessed by demons. This is the kind of delusional harm that comes from religion. I suspect even catholic priests who perform exorcisms would call this woman crazy. Yet they can't see in the mirror.