Daffodil Lane: October 2005 Archives

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October 31, 2005

Toyota Hits Some Challenges in Designing Hybrid Drivetrain for Tundra

This is one of those things I will never figure out. If your goal is to haul things why the hell are you using a gasoline engine? If you want torque the only logical choice is a diesel engine. If Toyota wants to make a hybrid Tundra then they need to make a diesel Hybrid Tundra and stop wasting time trying to put efficiency into a gasoline engine that will never be able to do it all. I just don't understand what they are thinking sometimes and with Honda moving HCCI forward so quickly maybe it's time for Toyota to reevaluate their push to hybridize without consideration to better choices available with engine technology.

Honda Making Significant Progress on HCCI Engine for Hybrid Application

After I had started to lose faith in Honda's commitment to new technology they go and do something like this. For those of you that don't know HCCI is Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition. Basically it's a way to remove spark plugs and other infrastructure for ignition from the engine. Instead it uses a special air fuel mixture under high pressure to cause ignition to occur. This is significant because it increases fuel efficiency by about 30% or so. It's more exciting because it decreases the incomplete combustion of the fuel, decreasing the pollution on top of that. What's impressive is that Honda has managed to push the technology to the point that they have it working in their 4 cylinder engine lower than 4000 rpms. Which is 65% of the performance requirements for that type of motor. Hopefully they will solve the challenges of the other 45% and have this out on the road in the next few years. Of course the way I do the math it would appear that the Civic Hybrid could reach nearly 100 miles per gallon. That would be a decent improvement to performance.

Harriet Miers Speaks

Saturday Night Live tries very hard sometimes to make what's going on in the world funny. But a lot of the time since the Republicans took over their comedy is so sadly true that it hurts. This one is no exception.

Watch the video at Crooks and Liars.

Posted by ManDrake at 7:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Technology in Dilbert's world

Most of us tech people love Dilbert's cartoon strip. Well the other day I was sent the link to his blog and I have to say I've been very impressed so far. No it's not really Dilbert, it's actually the cartoonist Scott Adams that draws Dilbert's blog. If you get a chance drop by and read his experiences trying to take a flight in our modern times. It's amazing the absurdity that we put up with on a daily basis.

Read more over at Dilbert Blog.

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Our Little Devil

Last year for Halloween Alexis was a Flower Fairy...This year she's a little Devil!

It's much more fitting with her personality this year as I said before...

She even has a little tail...

And horns...

Don't mess with the little Devil girl! ;o)

And more cute pictures just because!

Smell the peppers

In motion

Shy

Boo!

Hornless

Swinging in the sunshine

Happy Halloween everyone!! <:o)

Posted by Daffodil at 10:20 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

More Camera Woes and Cheers!

As I mentioned a few months ago I bought a play camera...however this camera did not last long. I had a lot of issues with it, mainly the fact that it melted through batteries like they were butter in a hot frying pan! I would take pictures here and there with it, but for the most part it just sat on my desk because you could only take about 20-30 pictures on one charge of the batteries and I usually take hundreds at a time. Then Alexis started carrying it around in her purse. I didn't think much about this because it was small and it was in her purse...that is until the day she buried it in her sand box! Bye bye play camera! I knew there was a reason I didn't let her touch my big camera! This just reminded me of this fact.

So this morning I was outside taking pictures of Alexis in her Halloween finery (pictures to be posted in a few minutes) and low and behold the Mavica goes nuts on me! I finally was able to get the pictures off the disc with a little tweaking (and much panic at the thought of all those cute pictures out the window!), but now the camera won't recognize a new disc. I called Jamison at work and informed him I was going to buy a new camera. There are a lot of things in this world I can live without, but a digital camera is not one of them!!

So I pulled up my favorite electronics store J&R Music, whom I highly recommend, (conveniently located in NYC so unless you live in NY State you don't pay tax on the items you order!) and I ordered a CANON EOS 20D SLR Digital Camera. It should be here tomorrow.

On the plus side for me I get a new camera, which I've been wanting for a while now and a SLR at that! On the plus side for Jamison the cats I was bugging him about this morning will not be coming to live with us as I had been pestering him about since we got the basement cleaned up...for now anyway, but he should be happy about that none the less. Sometimes life works in mysterious ways.

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Happy Halloween!

Has everyone got their tricks and treats ready?? We won't be tricking or treating this year, but we will have pictures of Alexis in her costume later this morning or this afternoon as soon as I tame her beastie bed hair! You won't want to miss those!! I won't say what she is going to be...but let's just say it fits her personality as of late! ;o)

Next year I plan on having a Halloween party since Alexis will be old enough to get into it...not that she isn't into it this year...she's all about the "punmpkins" and "ghoooosts"! Anyway, we'll have a few of her little friends over and have a blast since I don't like the trick or treating thing. Well I shouldn't really say I don't like trick or treating...I have nothing against trick or treating itself. I should just say candy from strangers bothers me...you know the old adage "Don't take candy from strangers!", well in my opinion Halloween should be no different! ;o) Anyway, enough rambling.

For those of you interested in more about the history of Halloween check out Wikipedia's section on the subject...as always they have a wealth of good information.

Planning on having a Halloween party and want to make up some scary tricks? Try the Monster Page of Halloween Projects.

Or if you just want to whip up some great Halloween recipes try Allrecipes Halloween Index. You're sure to find something yummy!

Anyway, have a wonderful Halloween and I hope you get lots of treats and no trick! <;o)

Posted by Daffodil at 8:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Power of Nightmares

I'm really starting to get amused about how many of my assertions are being proven correct after years of Neo-cons saying that I didn't know what I was talking about. The Power of Nightmares is a BBC mini-series discussing the use of terrorism by the Neo-cons as a means to control the masses with hysteria. As we can see from 2000 to 2004 this methodology worked flawlessly. Selling hate and fear is a great means to gain political control. The problem is that most people actually have the ability to bounce back from fear and have the urge to face their enemies and defeat them. And among real Americans this urge is very strong. I know you Neo-Con Republicans out there are baffled about what I'm talking about since the notion of courage and wisdom are so alien to you that I might as well have been talking in some Chinese dialect. But for those of us that aren't natural born cowards and fools the idea of living in fear when we have the ability to end that fear is just as alien to us. So anyway this BBC series was drawn up to look at using fear to bring a free society under the thumb of radicals. Basically to give us all a common enemy so we can work together towards a common goal. I've debated the use of this very process before to create a common bond between members of a heterogeneous society, but ultimately it doesn't allow for the diversity that gives us as a species. It's doomed to failure from day one.

Anyway, the series is going to be released to the US sometime in the future. For those of you that are Netflix users here is the link to add it to your queue.

For those of you that are interested in reading more about the series click here.

I went down this rabbit hole via BringItOn.

Posted by ManDrake at 7:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

First Biodiesel Plant in Arkansas Opens

I saw the headline and I just knew I had to write about it before I read the article. Then I read the article and it's actually in the town that I was born in!!! Now I really have to write about it. Eastman Chemicals has evidently started producing 3 million gallons of biodiesel a year without anyone knowing about it. There are two major crops in Arkansas back as far as I can remember, soybeans and rice. Soybeans are a great way to make biodiesel so it's a natural fit. Also this will allow farmers to actually start running biodiesel in their own equipment, which of course does the standard thing of decreasing pollution and improving engine life. I also found it interesting that Eastman is going to be able to double production by the end of the year. I'm beginning to wonder what the hold up was on getting this plant on-line in the first place. Well hopefully we will see state standards following to move Arkansas to at least B2 or B5 in the next year or so. And maybe B20 by the end of the decade. But unfortunately Arkansas is a red headed blue state much like Maryland. Translation, because of some fluke or bad luck the state has come under the corruptive and incompetent management of a Republican and therefore has little chance of doing anything productive or useful. Fortunately the Democrats do hold a super majority in the legislature so it might be possible to work around the Republican governor and his radical anti-America Republican campaign contributors. We shall see I guess. All I can say is good work Arkansas!! Now I know you grow freaking corn too so where's the Ethanol production and requirements?? The only way this country is going to get fixed is for everyone to work around the America hating Republicans and moving us towards energy independence!

October 30, 2005

Conversation After Spending the Entire Day Cleaning the Basement

D: We're getting old.

J: Speak for yourself...I'm getting distinguished!

D: (laughing) You're tired to the bone...you have to admit it!

J: (smirking) I can't feel my bones...I'm tired to the marrow!

D: (laughing) That's funny! I'm blogging this!

And I did! Have a great evening everyone! :o)

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Horrible!!

Sometimes one of the PostSecret cards just makes me see red! This one is a very good example! How can anyone fail a child just so they can flirt with the boy's father for one more year? That's reprehensible! This person should be ashamed of themself!

Posted by Daffodil at 9:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wolves in the Church

I was reading my morning blog reads and I came across an entry posted by Mack over at Night Bird's Fountain that resonated with me in that way that makes your toes tingle. As Mack said it just says what you've been thinking and you relate to it immediately:

Jesus didn't feel the need to package and productize His message. If someone cared to follow His way, there were welcome. But He never once coerced, guilted, cajoled or threatened anyone into following Him. He didn't lay out step-for-step what His followers were to think, say, do, or vote for.
How unlike the BigBox "preachers" who are purveying endorphine-drenched, guilt-wrenching, runner's-high, WalMart "religion". It really offends me (and a LOT of other people as well) that they would take such a message of hope, acceptance, service and peace, then turn it into a war mission to push political agenda.

Their techniques are vile and insidious. I've been subjected to their mind-messing and guilt-mongering. I've long been at the wrong end of their xenophobic campaigns most of my life. I've witnessed the insides of their programming and indoctrination operations. The object they seek is to override a person's good sense and personal relationship with G'd in order to give themselves a nice, lazy, work-free, tax-free living. Only in America are people so blindly gullable as to pay loads of money for intangibles they already possess: faith, hope, love and understanding.

I couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks for sharing this with us this beautiful Sunday morning when we should be celebrating God and not spreading hate and fear.

Posted by Daffodil at 8:00 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

October 29, 2005

Daylight Savings Time Ends Tonight

The sun sets behind clouds on the horizon behind Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, Maine, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2005. The winter sun goes down earlier in the day in nearby Maine towns than anywhere else in the continental United States. Daylight-saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, when people turn back their clocks and daylight is shortened. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)

I wish they'd just leave the time alone and stop messing with it! Anyway, I've ranted about that before. Make sure and set your clocks back one hour tonight.

Yet Another Reason to Boycott Wal-Mart

It's no secret I detest Wal-Mart and it's things like this that make me remember why!

Last week, Republican Congressman, and former Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Tom DeLay was arrested and booked on state conspiracy and money-laundering charges.

As if corruption at the highest level of our government isn’t bad enough, it turns out Wal-Mart actually gave Tom Delay money 2 days after he was indicted. That’s right. Wal-Mart made a $5,000 contribution to support Tom Delay’s corruption 2 days after his indictment.

For a long time, we have known Wal-Mart’s policies are morally corrupt, but now we know Wal-Mart’s politics are politically corrupt too. But, this time, we are going to do something about it. Wal-Mart should ask Tom Delay for its contribution to be returned immediately.

Don’t let Wal-Mart’s morally corrupt political agenda corrupt our Congress. Tell Wal-Mart to stop supporting corrupt politicians like Tom Delay today.

"It was done to all of us"

Dianne blogged the Fitzgerald press conference yesterday because I was too busy listening to it. The one thing that he repeated over and over again "It was done to all of us". For the Republicans that were listening this must have seemed laughable. Republicans so hate America that any damage they do to her is completely disconnected from them at all. The notion of betraying her during a moment of great vulnerability doesn't even pose the slightest moment of concern. I wish I could transmit how the press conference made me feel, but it was beyond words, which is why I left writing about it to Dianne. Fitzgerald stood up for Americans yesterday...he brought a level of dignity and honor back to a government that has been being consumed by a cancer of evil in the form of the Republican party. For the first time in a long time I was proud to be an American again. Even if Fitzgerald delivers none of the other criminals in the White House to us he's done a great thing by restoring our pride. Hold your heads high today Americans because the Republicans have been exposed for the worthless scum they are by the greatness of this single American. We only have to reflect that greatness and we can restore our nation back to greatness.

Found via Crooks and Liars.

Conservatives Are Never to be Punished for Any Crimes.

I've often been accused in the past of being excessively hard on Conservatives about the fact that they believe they are inherently infallible and above any form of mortal reproach. I've always found this notion to be laughable at best and so moronic that it required someone like me to stand up and tell the truth about the conservatives and the conservative movement. Arthur Silber has a nice write up about the depths conservative hypocrisy really reaches. I really love the discussion from Coulter and Bloom where they basically outline that the laws of the land shouldn't not apply to conservatives like themselves. What I find disturbing is that the Republican party has been propping up this illogical and unsustainable ideology. You will note that Rush is still not in jail, the Republicans have done everything they can do slow down the investigations of their corporate campaign contributors, they've sought to obfuscate the rules and protocols of polite society to meet their self-serving goals and destroying the United States. On one level I feel vindicated because I've been saying this stuff for years about conservatives and yet again I've been proven correct about their true intentions. But at the same time I'm horrified that my worst fears have yet again been proven correct about the true motivations of the right wing. They are more evil than even I could imagine. They are more willing to destroy the very fabric of our society and they are being allowed to do it with no resistance until recently. The defeat of the Republicans is more than a discussion about political philosophy...it's a discussion about restoring this country to the rule of law. Justice is only just when it applies to everyone equally. So when you hear an America hating Republican shrieking about the criminalization of conservatives, stand up to them and remind them that conservatives are subject to the same laws of the land as everyone else. Political affiliation should have nothing to do with it.

Supercomputer doubles own record

Wow! 280.6 terraflops of processing power. I need that kind of power here at home!!! ;) Too bad we can't be using this kind of computing power to do something productive instead of wasting all its time on nuclear weapons that we don't have a use for anymore. Weather forecasting is an interesting use for it, but the genetic mapping calculations would be another good one. Of course materials engineering is another good choice they could be seeing if they could find out better ways to build solar panels and electric power transmission.

October 28, 2005

Who is your 80's teen movie persona

You are Andie Walsh from Pretty in Pink

You are original and clever person. Although your family may not be able to buy you all the cool stuff you want, you are able to make cool stuff for yourself. Like a rocking 80’s prom dress.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Posted by Daffodil at 8:53 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

What religion do you fit in with?

You fit in with:
Taoism

Your ideals mostly resemble those of the Taoist faith. Spirituality is the most important thing in your life. You strive to live by all of your ideals, and live a very intellectually focused life.

60% spiritual.
0% reason-oriented.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Posted by Daffodil at 8:51 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

They Knew

Go to page 5 of the indictment [PDF]. Top of the page, item #9.
On or about June 12, 2003, LIBBY was advised by the Vice President of the United States that Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation Divison. LIBBY understood that the Vice President had learned this information from the CIA.

This is a crucial piece of information. the Counterproliferation Division (CPD) is part of the CIA's Directorate of Operations, i.e., not Directorate of Intelligence, the branch of the CIA where 'analysts' come from, but where the spies come from.

Libby's a long time national security hand. He knows exactly what CPD is and where it is. So does Cheney. They both knew. It's right there in the indictment.

This is common knowledge and doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, but it's still nice to see people putting two and two together. It's very refreshing indeed.

Read more at Daily Kos and Talking Points Memo.

Posted by Daffodil at 4:21 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Rosa Parks to lie in honor at Capitol

WASHINGTON (AP)
Rosa Parks, the seamstress whose act of defiance on a public bus a half-century ago helped spark the civil rights movement, will join presidents and war heroes who have been honored in death with a public viewing in the Capitol Rotunda.

Parks, who died Monday in Detroit at age 92, also will be the first woman to lie in honor in the Rotunda, the vast circular room under the Capitol dome.

The House on Friday passed by voice vote a resolution allowing Parks to be honored in the Capitol on Sunday and Monday "so that the citizens of the United States may pay their last respects to this great American." The Senate approved the resolution Thursday night.

It will be only the fifth time in the past two decades that a person has either lain in honor or in state in the Rotunda.

This is an honor Rosa Parks more than deserves. What a wonderful tribute to a bright, beautiful, intelligent woman who helped changed our country for the better. Her radiant smile is no doubt warming heaven now.

Fitzgerald: GOP Talking Point "Won't Fly"

Fitzgerald was asked about a GOP talking point that the crimes charged are technicalities. He hit it out of the park: "That talking point won't fly." He said described just how serious the charges are against the Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States and noted this is a "very, very serious matter."
He also said "truth is the engine of our judicial system."

I've often wanted someone to smack down the Republican "talking points" which are nothing but blatant and nefarious propaganda. It looks like Fitzgerald did a pretty good job with one of their "talking points" today. Go Fitz! You're beginning to be my hero! ;o)

Found via AMERICAblog.

Posted by Daffodil at 3:39 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

The Office of Special Counsel Press Release

The press release basically outlines what we already know, but give it a read anyway. Fitzgerald has really done his job on this one...it's very well put together I think.

Posted by Daffodil at 3:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Cheney Adviser Resigns After Indictment

WASHINGTON
The vice president's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr., was indicted Friday on charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements in the CIA leak investigation, a politically charged case that will throw a spotlight on President Bush's push to war.

Libby, 55, resigned and left the White House.

The AP has picked up on this story now too. As I told CJMR in the comments section Libby shouldn't have resigned...Bush should have fired him! He should have pulled a President Bartlett and said "Thanks, but I'm not accepting your resignation...You're fired!" But that would involve having a conscience and it's readily apparent Bush, nor any of cronies have one those, so he's not going to stand up and do the right thing when someone comes along and makes it easy for him. Pathetic really when you think about the situation.

Libby Update

The Smoking Gun has text of the indictments as well. They also claim Libby has resigned so I guess "Faux" News had it right for once.

Posted by Daffodil at 1:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Libby Resigned?

According to Wonkette Libby has resigned, but I haven't seen this from any other source than "Faux" News so far, so I'm not sure when the MSM is going to pick up on this, or if "Faux" News is just trying to spin in the lamest way possible.

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First Time in 130 Years

According to Crooks and Liars this is the first time in 130 years that a White House official has been indicted.

Merry Fitzmas everyone! ;o)

Posted by Daffodil at 1:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Indictments

Check out the text of the indictments against Libby.

Found via AMERICAblog.

Posted by Daffodil at 1:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Well It's Official

I have a very awake, very grumpy, little girl on my hands and now there isn't a single peep from next door. It's deathly quiet over there in fact. If I didn't know any better I'd think they were listening to when I put her down for her nap so they could go out side and make loud asses of themselves, wake her up and then go about their business inside their stupid little house after determining Alexis was awakened by their actions!! Grrrr!!

Posted by Daffodil at 1:25 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

I. Lewis "Scooter' Libby Jr. Indcited on 5 Counts

1 Count obstruction of justice
2 Counts of perjury
2 Counts of making false statements

Rove is still under investigation. Fitzgerald will speak at 2 pm and everyone is expecting comments from Bush and Cheney as well. I wonder what they'll have to say? Nothing good I'll garuntee...just a lot of hype and spin. We'll see I guess.

Oh My God Stop Making Noise Already!!

Please explain to me (note this is in the rehtorical sense) why you need to rev up your boat motor in your YARD while my child is taking a nap!! Now she's whining because the stupid dumb butt redneck is making so much effing noise!!! I HATE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD!!

Posted by Daffodil at 1:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Fitzmas Updates

The right wing media has been doing some major spinning hoping to change Fitzgerald's mind about who to charge in the case. Drudge went all out last night claiming out right that Rove would not be indicted by Fitzgerald. Of course in the light of day Rove's lawyers say they've been given no such promise. Remember folks Republicans are a "faith" based community they believe if they think hard enough that things won't turn out the way they don't want them to. So it's best we all sit back and just wait until 2 pm to see what Fitzgerald says. I think he's going to hand down several indictments and continue the investigations. Both actions will devastate the White House and the Republican party. Just for reference, you can see the charges on Fitzgerald's Justice Department website at 2 pm and if you can watch it on TV I highly recommend it. I think we will see a entirely new set of rumors at 11:30 am when Fitzgerald turns over the indictments to the magistrate.

Read more over at Hotline Blog.

Posted by ManDrake at 11:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

First beta of Windows emulator 'Wine' released

This is some great news folks. For those of you that don't use Linux yet this will have little or no meaning for you. Wine allows you to run Windows programs in Linux. I've been trying over the years to get it working properly across many releases of Windows, so I could solve one of my major complaints and the one thing holding me back from using Linux exclusively. I need my games to work. Yes there has been a pay software program that does something like that for Linux, but honestly the notion of paying for software to use for software I already paid for is more than a little annoying and hard to get past for me. I hope the testing goes well. I'm hoping one of these days to install a version of Linux on a dual boot machine and play all my Windows game while in Linux mode. After that I won't even need Windows anymore.

New Biofuel Plant in Missouri

Now this what I like to see. 30 million gallons a year of additional biodiesel production being built. Of course the Mexico comments are really funny. Unless your from around that area you don't know there is a town called Mexico, Missouri. On a more serious note TreeHugger is saying that the biodiesel production in the United States is only 25 million gallons a year. Yet the National Biodiesel Board says that we have over two hundred million gallons a year. Someone doesn't have their facts straight, I'm curious if NBB is getting their numbers from maximum capacity and Tree Hugger is basing their numbers off actual sales. I'll have to follow up to figure it out. All forward progress is a good thing.

The Criminalization of Criminals

Moore at Huffington Post made a great post that is worth the time to read. There have been very few things more annoying to me in the last 5 years than the the countless times the Republican party has tried to cover up their naturally criminal behavior in the guise of something that isn't wrong. I've noticed this tendency is common among Republicans on the street as well. They will say and do anything no matter how inappropriate it is. No common sense of virtue, only the ruthless disregard for other people at any cost. When you point out that they are breaking a rule, law or social contract they get violently indignant and tell you that you don't have the authority to stop them. Time and again these vile creatures walk all over the good graces of civilized people. But now it's time to stand up to them, their evil can not be allowed to spread unchecked anymore. When you see a violent Neo-con lashing out at the world today, stand up to them. Trust me, today they will be at their worst, their hate will be unleashed on the public and they will barely be able to contain their rage at people telling them the rules apply to them like everyone else. It's time to start calling a bully a bully, a criminal a criminal and a fool a fool.

October 27, 2005

Larry Johnson debunking Republican Plame Myths

Every time I see Johnson talk on the subject it just makes me angry at the Republicans for exposing Plame. It's amazing to me that brave Americans that are willing to risk their lives for this country were exposed for Republican short term political gain. I mean what kind of evil monster do you have to be to betray your country and intelligence community. I really would love have the CIA post mortem report on how many lives the Republicans cost us because their incompetence.

Watch Johnson's comments over at Crooks and Liars.

Posted by ManDrake at 9:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Nationalized Health Care

There are few topics you can talk about with Neo-cons and Republicans that will turn them into stark raving mad fanatics faster than nationalized health care. The biggest lies they love to tell is that it costs too much and the quality isn't very good. I'm always amused to hear stories from Americans who are in Canada and get a chance to use their healthcare system. They are awestruck by how quick it is. So the question is, what are these radicals talking about when they say it isn't good? I think their issue with it is that the system doesn't include a lot of the special services that the wealthy enjoy. Plastic surgery isn't considered a covered feature for example. But sometimes they claim that people from Canada have to come to America for life saving treatments. Which is probably a true statement, because the places where the research on these experimental treatments are being done are in the research hospitals in the United States. It's not that there is a vast Canadian conspiracy to rob their citizens of experimental treatments, the work on them just isn't happening there. So does that make the system bad when it fills the needs of 99.99% of the population cheaply and effectively? Only if you're in the 0.01%. Which is one of those things that radicals stay up at night worrying about. Would implementing a universal health care system endanger that work? Absolutely not! Does our system have to eliminate perks for the wealthy? Absolutely not! There is nothing that says we have to adopt the exact system Canada has. Which leads the second issue...it costs too much. Tucker Carlson, a right wing pundit, got caught in this part of the lie the other day. He stated the favorite Republican myth on the subject that we spend less in America on healthcare than governments with government administered health care. Of course the great folks at media matters smacked his lie down immediately. Americans spend more on healthcare than any country with a nationalized health care program. Yes folks, when a Republicans say we can't afford it they really mean to say their campaign contributors can't afford to lose the money they are stealing from you to deny your claims. It's sickening how the conservative movement is so completely dishonest about the facts so that they can keep Americans in a constant state of disorder and mistrust of one another.

Read more over at Media Matters.

Posted by ManDrake at 5:50 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Al Franken on TDS

The Daily Show isn't on my TiVo list, but after this little exchange I'm tempted to put it on there. As you all probably already know Al Franken has put out a new book called the The Truth. I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, but his discussion about it on TDS has definitely convinced me that I need to get it. I recommend that everyone head over Crooks and Liars and watch the 6 minutes on the book. It's an amusing and straight forward look at the book and political situation in our country today. I really found Franken's discussions about the future extremely amusing.

Get the video at Crooks and Liars.

Posted by ManDrake at 5:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The next SCOTUS nominee from Bush

I've been hearing from liberals all over the blogsphere and in person that this is going to be horrible for the country. And I've been saying not to worry about it, that this is great for the liberal cause. The next nominee will be a violent America hating selection that is pretty much wants to reduce women to slavery and turn the country over to corporate America. The next nominee is going to be so vile that they will make Scalia look like a liberal. Bush has no choice on the matter. He's sold the Republican party to the radical religious right and they will be making all the selections from now on. Which causes a tiny problem for them. The Republican is an unholy alliance of evil and there isn't much concern about the religious fanatics by the other factions except that the fools will vote for any candidate no matter how criminal for as long as lip service and some minor action is paid to support their radical hate ideology. I mean the Neo-cons have used them to great effect to change the nature of the debate in the elections around the country. Unfortunately for the Republicans even paying lip service to this radical hate ideology is costing them the support of Americans at large. I know what you Neo-cons are shrieking...that AMERICA loves the Republican party. Well not exactly...the Republican party membership only represents about a third of the country. There are places it almost makes up 50% of the voting population, but they are insignificant places in the country like Utah. The Republican party's strength has been their ability to appeal to conservative Democrats and radical independents. This is what we call a coalition of voters. In this country both parties require a coalition. The Republicans have ceded the fiscal conservative vote to Democrats because they are strong believers in cronyism and mismanagement. They refused to back down from those two major campaign platforms and that fractures the coalition. The same with these efforts to radicalize the court for religious fanatics. Americans get very squeamish when the government starts trying to regulate what goes on in their bedrooms. Realize that one of the cases that the Neo-Christians were demanding was that the next nominee deliver for them was the case that protected a married couple's right to use birth control. They hide the conversation by focusing on abortion, but in reality their goal is to attack marriage itself by dictating the intimate interactions between married couples. Americans have allowed themselves to get distracted by the Neo-con hype and Neo-Christian fanaticism and they've not seen these people for what they are and what they want to take away from us all. It's only by letting them shine that the American people get to see what kind of people they really are. The Democrats will filibuster the next radical. I know what you liberals are thinking, but will the Republicans allow them? Yes they will because the Republicans will join the filibuster so they can get reelected. Realize this is all happening in the context of the meltdown of the Republican party. The splintering is going to get much worse as Plame Gate links every major Republican Senator, since Rove has been showing up to major campaign events. They've got to do something to get on the good side of the public. Add in the energy crisis which will be in full swing by the time that the next nominee come around. The label "Rubber Stamp Republican" is going to be a dangerous one. They are going to have to do something to distance themselves from the radicals that control this Administration and even the party itself. The Republicans are going to feel like the walls are closing in on them, the 50 state strategy will be squeezing as they have to fight for air to breath. The entire universe will be conspiring against them. They will jump towards the middle in hopes of saving their jobs. They will stand against radicalism. It's going to be a perfect storm against the radicals. After years of being unchallenged everything is going to work against them. They will be forced back into the dark. And if you think I'm just crazy, I'm not the only one seeing this outcome. The reoccurring theme also points to the fact that the Republicans have ceded their campaign ploy of an up or down vote on every nominee and more importantly that they would not require any information from the White House on a nominee. Remember these are the two techniques that allowed a radical like Roberts to get on the bench. And now those two things are what the Republican party ceded to kill the Miers nomination before it got to committee. Now they will pretend that none of this happened and try to run it as business as usual with their lame excuses, but they've completely shot themselves in the foot at this point. Sleep well everyone...our vile and godless enemies are being consumed by their own evil. We need to rest now because the real battle to save the Republic is about to begin.

Read more over at America Blog, Daily Kos, and MyDD .

Posted by ManDrake at 5:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

People had ample time to prepare!

Believe it or not I'm not going to eviscerate Jeb over this heartless and ignorant comment. He's a Republican...he's doing the best he can do. Everything is screwed up in Florida because Republicans are running the response. Once again that's not really his fault either. What I find even more impressive is that Jeb is trying to cover for his brother and the inept Republican run federal government by taking all responsibility on to the state government which is part of the spin the Republicans need in the media to justify their racist response in New Orleans. Unfortunately for them this didn't come off as perfectly as they had hoped because their natural incompetence so they could hold it up as the example of how good Republicans handle crisis. So the Republicans fall back on their standard excuse for everything...blame the victim. I'm personally a big fan of being prepared for every disaster I can imagine. I keep over a week's worth of food and water in my basement at all times so I can keep myself alive until basic services are restored. Mind you I'm well aware that it's hard to prepare for a disaster because it's hard to imagine everything that can go wrong all at the same time. When hurricane Isabel hit Maryland in 2003 all my planning was pretty reduced to nothing when the power company was helpless to get electricity back in time to relieve my emergency preparedness plan. I was prepared for 72 hours and in this modern age it's become pretty clear that with the Republicans in office you need to prepare for 144 hours without any services so it doesn't surprise me that people after a couple of days start getting displeased with the response to the crisis if they were used to a more effective response time from FEMA before the Republicans took it over and started mismanaging it. People don't expect perfection during a disaster just some sort of serious effort on the part of those in charge to do the duties they've been assigned. Republicans have proven yet again that they can't handle those duties so it's time to give them to people who can take the job of caring for the American people seriously.

Read more from CNN.

Posted by ManDrake at 12:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Their clout rising, blogs are courted by Washington's elite

I guess this is the norm of things in the modern age. The MSM abdicates its position as the group that keeps the politicians honest, so the blogs rise to take their place only to be corrupted themselves by the process. I'm honestly divided on if bloggers can keep their honesty and their jobs at the same time. It's easy to see with the Republican bloggers who are so willing to become nothing but thinly disguised versions of the MSM propaganda outlets like Fox News. I'm personally happy to do what I can to help out campaigns if I can support what they are doing, but to actually work for them would require a level of restraint that I'm not prepared to accept at this point in my life. Some bloggers are willing to run the risk and I personally can't find any problem with that at all as long as they are upfront about it. I know it doesn't matter if I work for a campaign or not...supporting any non-Republican candidate leads to nothing but personal attacks and innuendo. So I can see how it would be easy for someone to say, "hey I'm going to be accused anyway, so I might as well make some money on the process". And by the time that the 2006 elections are over with I may be right there with them.

Read more at The Christian Science Monitor.

Posted by ManDrake at 11:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Jobless Claims Up; Durable Goods Orders Dip

Jobless claims aren't surprising given the hurricanes and the subsequent efforts by Republicans to make sure that they didn't pay decent wages and turning a blind eye to corporations bring illegal aliens to take the jobs. It's really amusing the Republican corporate excuses. No Americans wanted the jobs. Did you go to the refuge camps and see if people wanted jobs? No, they didn't show up to sites hundreds of miles away to volunteer so we brought in droves of illegal aliens that will happily work for next to nothing in unsafe conditions. I just love how the Republican mind works... there is never a moment when they consider the right and wrong of an action. They only consider the money that can be made by defrauding the United States. There is no concept of love of country or doing what is right because Republicans don't experience these kinds of emotions. They are going to make their payments to the Republican party and that should be all they have to do as far as love of country.

The Durable Goods order dip is massive, 2.1 percent. Yes that is 2 whole percentage points!! This is a part of a massive economic retraction being caused by the Republican mismanagement of the entire economy. People aren't making big purchases to save money for heating this winter. Despite the economists belief that the GDP is going to grow at 3.6 percent, I'm pretty confident that it will be less than that. It's time for the dreamland worldview to end and the economists to start using real numbers not what's delivered to them by the GOP.

Read more atYahoo Business News.

Posted by ManDrake at 11:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Miers Withdraws Supreme Court Nomination

Dianne didn't think it was appropriate that as I heard this and was walking into the building that I was singing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!", but to be honest this is great for America. The Republicans are now forced to march out a candidate that their radical America hating base can support. The problem is that the White House is going to have descended in to nothing but scandal and self-destruction at that point. There won't be enough support among the moderates in the Republican party. The Neo-cons have shot themselves in the foot on this one. They've basically destroyed their chances to get their dream realized in any effective way. The introduction of the radical litmus test of evangelical religion as a prerequisite is against the law of the land and the Neo-cons are setting themselves up for the greatest political failure in history.

Read more at Yahoo News.

Posted by ManDrake at 9:25 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

October 26, 2005

Another Picture of Cuteness Just Because

If you ask Alexis who she is writing to she'll tell you "I'm writing to Santa!" Or "I'm writing to Munge!" What can I say...the kid knows where her bread is buttered! ;o)

Have a great evening everyone!

Posted by Daffodil at 9:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Why Was This Not Front Page News?

NORMAL, Ill.
A body found in a burned-out chicken coop in Mississippi has been identified as that of an Illinois college student who disappeared two weeks ago, authorities said Wednesday.

Police did not disclose the cause of death.

Dental records were used to identify the remains of 21-year-old Illinois State University senior Olamide Adeyooye, authorities said.

A native of Nigeria who moved to suburban Chicago when she was 8, Adeyooye was last seen Oct. 13

I had never heard of Olamide Adeyooye until today. As I've mentioned before in the cases of Tamika Huston and LaToyia Figueroa this country has its priorities out of whack. Olamide Adeyooye didn't get a lot of press until they found her body in Mississippi. "Pretty" white girls aren't the only ones that go missing, although they seem to be the only ones that get any press. Very sad indeed.

The Gathering Storm

Dianne and I were having this very conversation the other night as the Neo-cons were desperately trying to spin treason in to some sort of patriotic act on TV. All the Neo-cons we know have become more aggressive and violent in their reactions to even the most basic news and dissent on any subject. They seem to know they are beaten and now they are just going to go out in a blaze of self righteous glory. You can see it in Congress...they are pushing ever increasing radical agenda items onto the floor in hopes of changing America in some terrible way before they are removed for their vile agenda of hate and incompetence. Steve over at The News Blog pretty much sums it up perfectly. The victory that will be delivered to the left by the Republicans self destructing is of little to no value to us in the long run. The Republicans have put the Republic in critical danger with their mismanagement and incompetence, and that doesn't go away just because the worst of them go to jail. The remaining ones that haven't been caught yet are still in control and they are going to grow more desperate and more violent hoping to destroy the country before they are removed. Steve doesn't think this is their master plan and I'm not convinced that it isn't their plan, but I will concede that they probably don't realize what they are doing is destructive because they are too ignorant and foolish. But evil is evil. I think Steve is right...when we kill the primary cancer there is still going to be a massive amount of work to do to save the Republic, if we can save it at all. I know I'm going to commit myself to saving it and undoing all the damage that has been done by the Republican party. The sad part is that we are all going to have to commit to saving the Republic...even the ignorant godless Republicans that have pushed it to the brink. And I don't think they will be willing to do it. So it's going to be up to us to take up the slack.

Read more at The News Blog.

Posted by ManDrake at 5:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Cowardly young Republican attacks Democratic soldier heading to Iraq

Everyone is always telling me that I'm too hard on the radical right wing in this country...that Republicans, despite their radical hate ideology, are still fundamentally good people interested in the same things the rest of us. Yet I read stories about cowardly Republicans doing stuff like this and it makes me so angry I find it hard to believe. For those of you that don't know the Republican party has made great efforts to "infiltrate" the college scene in hopes of selling their hate ideology to people in their formative years. It's largely been a complete and utter failure. Most college students are too liberal so the godless chickhawks have turned to attacking the elementary schools in hopes of starting the introduction of their radical hate ideology before kids realize right from wrong. I mean now the Neo-Nazi's do it with their kids, not surprising it would be such a natural first choice for Republicans.

Anyway, the college Republicans for all their failures still exist and work continuously on campuses across the country trying to "combat" the liberal bias that they perceive there. So this particular coward Bowdoin decided upon the announcement that one of his regular opponents in the Young Democrats had been called up to go into the Marines, he decided it was time to make the point that you couldn't be a good American and not support the radical right wing hate ideology and their godless leader W. I can think of no more insane and offensive comment that could be made to a soldier about to go to Iraq to risk his life for his country. This is the epitome of Republican hate ideology, this is the kind people Republicans are to the last man, woman and child...nothing but pure unadulterated evil. If you're too cowardly to sign up to fight for your country then don't attack those those that aren't, because you don't agree with them.

Read more at Crooks and Liars.

Posted by ManDrake at 4:19 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

TELL THE PRESIDENT: NO MORE PARDONS FOR TRAITOR-GATE CRIMINALS

Did you know that Elliot Abrahms, pardoned by the first President Bush for the Iran-Contra crimes he committed under the Reagan Administration, now works for the Bush White House? And has been implicated in the leak of Valerie Plame's covert identity? Fitzgerald may well successfully prosecute senior White House officials. Insist that anyone convicted in this case be ineligible for a presidential pardon. Demand that the President not pardon any criminals in his administration who compromise our national security!

Sign John Conyers, Jr. petition here. Let Bush know America is mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore! Demand that he not pardon any of his lying, evil political cronies and make them serve the time they should for their crimes! They should not be above the law!

Posted by Daffodil at 4:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Apparently Alexis has a New Word

When Alexis got up from her nap she told me, "Mommy...I'm sick."

Alarmed I asked her, "Does your stomach hurt?" as I imagined her hurling all over both of us again.

"No Mommy."

"Your ear? Your throat?"