It's the 4th of July. Are we all done? Has the Palin train left the station on its way to nowhere? Please, let it be so. (the best part? She's taking a whole bunch of rightwing nuts with her, further fracturing the Republican party!) Now the mainstream media can get back to sightings of Michael Jackson; the important stuff. (He was seen working at a 7-11 in North Dakota. His image was burned into a piece of French Toast at a diner in New Jersey.) And we can get back to our holiday. Pass the relish!
With Al Franken's win giving the Democrats a filibuster proof majority, the republicans are eager to begin blaming Democrats for each and every little thing that happens in DC or the world. No matter the truth; it only gets in the way when you are bashing Democrats this time around. Facts are, in a perfect world, we the people would control the Senate and not some bellicose group of fat old white men that call themselves Democrats and/or Republicans. So much for perfect worlds…
Things I have read today…
138 Countries in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice.
9 Countries since 1990 that are known to have executed juveniles (those under the age of 18 at the time of the crime). Included are China, Iran and the U.S.A.
93% The percentage of the world's executions carried out by the five countries with the highest rate of executions; China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.A.
And just to make ourselves feel morally superior…72% is the percentage of the worlds executions carried out by China in 2008. That leaves just 21% to be divided up among Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.A. We seem to be in good company. Shame on us.
Something I thought about today…
This country, our country, loves to preach at the Islamic countries for their unfair treatment of women. We are also the country that can't seem to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. So I was thinking… that wouldn't we be looking really good to the rest of the world if Hillary Clinton had won the office of President – this, in a nation that doesn't believe in equal rights for women. Shame on us.
'English-Only' Supporters Hold Conference, Can't Spell 'Conference'
Why do I let these idiots get to me? I was planning on not even responding to the rantings of the Right and then I saw this. Being a spelling 'phreak', I had to make note of it...
Hmmm, I wonder if these 'English Only' idiots know that English is comprised of words from all over the world? For instance; Khaki, what our soldiers wear; it's an Indian word. And how about Alfalfa? Yes, it's Arabic. And I can't even begin to list all of the French (Gasp!) words that are now part of our language. Me, I enjoy the sound of various languages being spoken; makes me think that perhaps we are all connected in some way upon this small planet.
(You need to scroll all the way down the page to see the entire article)
I've checked my marbles with a quick solve of the daily Jigzone puzzle and I will refine those findings later with the daily crossword puzzle. And I have read the daily news… what a disaster! For some reason, I'm letting it get to me these days and that's not healthy. I'm definitely losing my objectivity when I read what the morons on the Right have to say. I can no longer trust myself to stay calm, cool and collected when I read this, this…stuff! It's as if they are from a different planet. One where reasoned thinking is not allowed and slogans are substituted for actual speech. Don't have a clue? Shout some buzz words!
Sigh…I guess I'm going to my crosswords early this morning.
I'm reading The Prosecutors: A Year in the Life of a District Attorney's Office by Gary Delsohn. A most scary book. It's all about the DA's office in Sacramento and the cases seen and prosecuted during the year 2001. It was the Sacramento part that drew me in as we lived there during those years and the cases were already familiar to me from my reading the local paper; the Sacramento Bee. Unfortunately, the book reveals more about the District Attorney's office than I may have ever wanted to know. These are not the kind of people you would want to see in your living room; foul mouthed and evil minded. And I'm talking about the District Attorney and her deputy DA's here, not the criminals. All of these years, I have believed that DA's were focused on justice and the righting of wrongs. Not even close. It's all about their egos. They would prosecute a rock if it would add to their 'win' column. And the law enforcement types that they work with are revealed to be just as dumb as the rest of us... and the criminals. The Public Defender's office doesn't come off any better here either. They are revealed to be as criminally minded as their clients, except for the fact that they wear better clothes and get to go home at night. And of course we, the taxpayer, get to pay for both the prosecution and the defense. I rest my case.
(You know, I'm surprised the author wasn't prosecuted…for something. Anything. If not, I would bet that he's very careful about how he drives around town; he wouldn't want to get pulled over for a minor traffic violation. He might get twenty years to life for a broken taillight.)
What odd animals we are. We are faced with a new federal report that predicts global warming could have serious consequences for how Americans live and work. Yet some of us want to argue the point that the warming isn't an act of man. Most believe it is, but even if it weren't true, the fact remains that the earth is getting warmer and we are seeing the results of that warming. So what are they arguing about? Manmade or natural, it's getting warmer and something needs to be done. The deniers are simply wacko's.
And, being the odd animals that we are, we really don't want to hear about what is going to happen in the future. Most reports that we hear about are focused on the long range; what will happen in 50 to 100 years from now. If you really want our attention, you need to tell us what's going to happen next week, next month and next year. And then it has to happen if we are to believe. We need to look at a yardstick, planted in the ocean, and see the water rising, inch by inch. Telling us that it will rise doesn't seem to work.
Being an elder, I have my own imperfect yardstick; my memory. And, despite the failings of memory, I can tell you that I live in a different climate model than the one I grew up in. And the places we once lived are now different; Lassen County doesn't have the winters that held on through a good eight months of the year anymore. The woodstove was fired up in September and shutdown again in June. Even here, on the Planet Orland, I can sense a change…and we've only lived here five years.
And along with the climate, other parts of the environment have changed as well. The fish are fewer and the deer less abundant. Where did the dove go? Where will we go?
I was reading about the Senator John Ensign affair; poor choice of words? Anyway, I noted that some of the headlines were quick to point out that it was a Republican Senator that had broken his trust with the people. As much as I would like to jump on that bandwagon, I can't. He broke his trust with all of us; Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives. No – sorry, it was not just his wife and family. And I'm sure he is truthful when he says he is sorry. Yes, he is sorry that he was blackmailed into revealing it to the public. You have to know he wasn't going to tell us later; at some more appropriate time. But shouldn't he resign? Isn't that what an honorable man would do? OK, so he isn't honorable. But, shouldn't his peers require that he resign? Shouldn't that be a standing rule for all lawmakers? Am I being naïve again?
It's one of those mornings where I'm sure that I should have remained in bed – for the day. The news is so depressing. It's really no different from yesterday's news and that may be exactly why it is so depressing. It doesn't seem to change a lot. The same liars lie and the same believers believe those lies. Doesn't anyone do any research? Doesn't anyone read?
I'm thinking right now about the crisis that is named 'California'. And the push to rid the state of the foolishness of Proposition 13. But wait, I voted for Prop 13 and for good reason. Legislators at that time regarded the property tax as an open source for any and all funding. Need more money? Raise the property tax! It was a well that never ran dry and the only way the voters could save their homes was by putting up a fence around the well. Did the voters say that they were opposed to all taxation when they passed Prop 13? I know I didn't…I wanted the legislators to find another source. Such as closing some of the loopholes that have allowed so many corporations to avoid any taxes at all. (They still do) That seemed like a good plan. And it still does. But instead we were hammered by the government, punished for our rebellion by depriving us of services and telling us it was all our fault because we had passed Prop 13. And today, it the same old story. It's the voters fault once again and this time I may agree… the voters elected the bozos that reside in Sacramento and suck us dry.
But, I have a plan. As soon as the housing market improves, and it will…we will sell the house and move. We'll do some research before we move, of course. I do like the idea of Santa Fe, New Mexico and maybe Prescott, Arizona. Hawaii beckons…maybe some small place on the Big Island. I'm thinking not too far from Hilo. There are no resorts to speak of in Hilo and the people are friendly. They have a marvelous Farmer's market every weekend. Yes, it rains more than we're accustomed to. That's one of the reasons why the resorts are on the opposite coast of the island. I like it!
But, health care is an issue that we need to think about when planning a move to anywhere at all. And isn't that a shame? With a national health care plan, a single payer plan, it wouldn't matter where you lived. The amount you paid would remain the same. OK, there would be some concerns; you do have to make sure that there isn't a shortage of doctors in the area you wish to move to. But any of the doctors, no matter where you lived, would have to care for you. Isn't that what doctors are supposed to do?
Health care reform. What a joke that is turning out to be. The majority of the people want a single payer system, similar to Medicare – which works, and yet the legislators yammer on about how that is just another name for 'Socialism' and do their best to ignore what we want.
Socialism is the 'Communism' of the 21st century. As if socialism was something to be dreaded. It's not. We've had socialism in this country ever since we funded the Continental Army with our taxes and that was back in the 18th century. All taxation represents socialism. Duh! And we tax ourselves for the common good. Another Duh! So where's the evil?
I've always liked data. My favorite paperback book is still the Pocket World in Figures, published every year by the Economist. For, unlike politicians, figures rarely lie. Yes, figures can be manipulated, but the raw data is usually right on.
So I was quite happy to read Citizen K's piece on Senator Gregg. Apparently, the good Senator assumes that his constituents and 'Fellow Americans' are completely ignorant and can be duped by him at will. And, included in this revealing piece, are the links to healthcare data that should make the Senator so embarrassed that he resigns in shame. But it doesn't happen. Obviously, he cannot be shamed…
"Although we sometimes take our heritage of neutral and independent judiciary for granted, the truth is, this great tradition is under attack," he said.
Sessions said Americans should follow the confirmation process closely and ask what kind of judge they would want in court."
Can the Senator truthfully say that Thomas, Scalia and Roberts are independent and objective? Oh, please! They are conservatives and that means that their decisions are always colored by that conservatism. Well, I know what kind of judge I want, an empathetic one and a liberal one.Guest Blogger Elaine Frankonis: Easing Into Death:
"According to a 1999 Gallup poll, 73% of Americans are in favor of 'making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering."
12 states allow it. 38 don't. How cruel...
As one reader commented here, "Given all the other legal medications doctors can prescribe I've always had difficulty understanding the justification for excluding marijuana. There are benefits and negatives associated with all our meds, but we're allowed to use them."
Is it because the powers that be are simply too embarrassed to admit that they are wrong about marijuana?
The debate goes on... and this is a well reasoned post for you to read.
(Some statistics if you are interested in what happened to a lot of your tax dollars…the ones you wanted to see used for schools, etc. Link)
The new netbook we bought is pretty good. It's an Acer, a red one, with a 10" screen and a 160 GB hard drive. Everything else is pretty much standard for netbooks. Oh, I did include a portable USB powered DVD player/writer with the order. The keyboard has a few quirks, but the only ones that bother me are the 'End' and 'Home' keys, which require a Shift. And I use a mouse and not the quirky touchpad. We bought it so that I could use the home network during my recovery and access the internet from wherever I happened to be…and it works. But first I had to put in a more powerful router to cover the house from one end to the other.
How well does it work? I watched a movie yesterday afternoon and it never slowed down once to buffer the input. Yes, the screen is small, but for quick entertainment...it's hard to beat. And with cloud computing, using Google Docs, I can write what I want where I want.
I was watching a Netflix movie on the new netbook; Benny and Joon, the 8 year old movie with Johnny Depp. I always love a Johnny Depp movie…and I was just thinking; isn't it time for him to be called John? John Depp. C'mon, he's a seriously good actor and diminutive names, such as Johnny, sound silly.
Yesterday, we had an appointment at 1:30 with our financial planner and so we spent some time in the morning shopping, here and there, in Chico. The stores were mostly empty? And then we had a small lunch before meeting with Jim. Again, the restaurant was mostly empty. But, at our meeting, the news was mostly good news. True, we had lost a lot of money, along with everyone else in the world, but our investments were starting to show a little growth again; foreign investment growth. And that was the main thrust of the message I heard from Jim, we are solidly connected, financially, with the rest of the world. Our fortunes and misfortunes aren't limited by our borders. Xenophobes just don't get it! That's something I've always known but it was nice to hear it from an expert; our own expert, that is true, but I think he's right.
On a different note; I'm not a fan of borders. Any kind of border. I don't understand why imaginary lines on a map can dictate how we behave towards one another. There is only one earth and we all have to live upon it. That's right; 'why can't we all just get along?' Call me misguided if you wish, it won't bother me. I just don't believe we were put upon the earth to hate one another. But…I don't see any change in the near future. Sigh.
The Invisible Hand strikes again! General Motors is bankrupt. Yada, yada, yada. No…it's not the end of the world. GM is still quite profitable in Brazil and in China. GM will reorganize. New fat guys will replace the old fat guys and the assembly lines will continue to push out product. Sure, it will be a different product and perhaps not as many, but the market won't disappear. It will change. That's what happens in life.
And here, on the Planet Orland, change happened early as the local GM dealership was raided last Thursday and closed down. All of the vehicles were removed and the locks on the building were changed by creditors…and I believe GM was one of the creditors. Employees were caught unaware and the owner was nowhere to be found. Or so the rumor goes. But this appears to be a case of poor business practices and not the direct result of GM's bankruptcy. Some of us wondered why they hadn't been closed a year ago?
I was thinking of Rush Limbaugh (Why? Because I was reading a post from Citizen K.) and the revelation came to me; the reason he says the most ridiculous and inane things is because he isn't talking to you or I. He's talking to his audience, the judgmental non-thinkers, and that's why it sounds so strange to those of us that employ critical thinking in our everyday lives. And that audience eats it up! He feeds them the exact kind of swill they love so that they will come back each day and support his immense ego. None of his blathering was ever intended for our consumption and to listen to it is like listening to a private conversation.
The audience? Well, if I understand the figures correctly, it is right around the 20 million mark. That's 20 million out of a possible…say, 200 million? That's 10% and that means 90% are not listening to him! Whew! I feel better already. But…if his audience ever gets to 20% or 30%, then we know that our education system has failed us completely.
The more I read about the idiots that are attacking Judge Sotomayor the more I'm convinced that you have to give up a lot of gray matter when you decide to become a conservative. She is currently being condemned for having feelings, for being empathetic. Her critics say that those who decide on law must be free of all emotion. The law is the law is the law. And Justice is blind, right? OK, then why do we need judges at all? We could have one computer to search out all of the relevant facts and then make that painful decision for us. After all, it's only the law. It's simply data after all and a computer could do it faster and cheaper than 8 old men and a woman. And a whole lot cheaper!
But in my readings this morning, I came across this gem and had to post it…
"…former Bush adviser Karl Rove said that despite her stellar academic credentials, Sotomayor was "not necessarily" smart. "I know lots of stupid people
who went to Ivy League schools," said Rove."
Well, Karl…can you name just one of those 'stupid people' for us? If you have forgotten his name, I certainly can remind you.
I guess I'm going to have to put 'Comment Moderation' on my blogs. Someone's 'Bot' has picked on my posts that mention any word pertaining to the medical field, and that is when the bot drops off a short but inane comment with a link to a software site that sells automated phone service to doctors. I sent them an email, asking them to knock it off, but it was ignored and I found another one this morning.
