McCain backs gay marriage ban in California.
8 inappropriate jokes by McCain.
McCain doesn't know the price of gas.
Sigh.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
4th amendment woes
Well, first we have Obama saying he won't back a filibuster of the new FISA bill, when he said he would.
Word is coming out that Blue State Digital, a company directly responsible for helping Obama raise funds, has ties with AT&T, one of the companies that the FISA bill would protect.
And now we have Senator Russ Feingold discussing the searching of laptops of Americans who are coming back from overseas.
What exactly is happening in this country?
Seems to me that politicians we're supposed to be trusting are compromising our civil liberties. Democrats are being forced to pass bills because it's an election year. Bush is using his last few months to leverage his all encompassing plan to send America into the shitter, his final Presidential legacy plans.
Obama is in a tough situation. Does he kow-tow until he's President? Or does he take a stand and then get the shit kicked out of him by Republicans who say he's soft on terror and the security of the nation? If he does the latter, he's got to sit there and take it as the citizens of this country get screwed over by adictator president.
Disgusting.
Word is coming out that Blue State Digital, a company directly responsible for helping Obama raise funds, has ties with AT&T, one of the companies that the FISA bill would protect.
And now we have Senator Russ Feingold discussing the searching of laptops of Americans who are coming back from overseas.
What exactly is happening in this country?
Seems to me that politicians we're supposed to be trusting are compromising our civil liberties. Democrats are being forced to pass bills because it's an election year. Bush is using his last few months to leverage his all encompassing plan to send America into the shitter, his final Presidential legacy plans.
Obama is in a tough situation. Does he kow-tow until he's President? Or does he take a stand and then get the shit kicked out of him by Republicans who say he's soft on terror and the security of the nation? If he does the latter, he's got to sit there and take it as the citizens of this country get screwed over by a
Disgusting.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Oregon senate seat... watch this.
Check out this article from Boston.com about how a seat in Oregon is possibly up for grabs, and an unlikely Senator bosting a...
Well, just go watch it.
Amazing, the landscape of politics these days.
Well, just go watch it.
Amazing, the landscape of politics these days.
the direction of oil
Two articles today about oil and what Congress can do about it.
An article on The Wall Street Journal talks about 4 energy analysts who presented their case to Congress. They go on to talk about the speculation market and how it's inflated the price of oil.
This ties in to an article dealing with the Enron loophole that created the speculation market problem, supposedly.
What makes me laugh about the whole thing is the line where the Republican Senator of Texas who pushed the Enron bill through is now an economic advisor to McCain.
Unreal.
Obama is out to close the loophole. In this US News.com article, he places the blame squarely on Republican Texas Senator Phil Gramm.
Have to wait and see what Congress decides to do about this, but it's pretty clear that if this action, of closing this provision in the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, decreases oil prices in the US, whatever candidate pushes for it will garner a large support base.
Having an aide who is responsible sounds like a big problem.
An article on The Wall Street Journal talks about 4 energy analysts who presented their case to Congress. They go on to talk about the speculation market and how it's inflated the price of oil.
This ties in to an article dealing with the Enron loophole that created the speculation market problem, supposedly.
What makes me laugh about the whole thing is the line where the Republican Senator of Texas who pushed the Enron bill through is now an economic advisor to McCain.
Unreal.
Obama is out to close the loophole. In this US News.com article, he places the blame squarely on Republican Texas Senator Phil Gramm.
Have to wait and see what Congress decides to do about this, but it's pretty clear that if this action, of closing this provision in the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, decreases oil prices in the US, whatever candidate pushes for it will garner a large support base.
Having an aide who is responsible sounds like a big problem.
Monday, June 23, 2008
John McCain and Michelle Obama... oh boy
You know, it's bizarre how, in the internet age, a ridiculous company like FOX would go out of their way to edit something like this from all transcripts. I've seen this a few times on a few different sites, this isn't a hoax.
My dad was a Vietnam vet. He did two tours. And he was not proud of America for doing what they were doing. First, he goes over there and it's hell, you know. Not Hanoi Hilton hell, but hell none-the-less.
Then he comes home to anti-war protesters... I remember I took some pictures of the Vietnam memorial and gave them to my dad. I was, christ, in 5th grade, I think? He looked at them and said "You can keep these, I don't want them."
So, while I understand what McCain is saying... as a presidential candidate, I don't think it's possible to say something dumber, unless you say "I really respect George W. Bush."
McCain hasn't said that, has he? Christ, I'm sure it's out there somewhere...
But the biggest problem here is the Michelle Obama connection.
This is an awful video, the sound synch is way off, but Michelle Obama has been attacked repeatedly in the press, especially by right news networks like FOX, about her statement of being proud of America for the first time in her adult life.
With this, I'm sure you can see why FOX has gone out of their way to edit their transcripts.
These things seem to get the hackles up on people who don't go and do some research, or take into consideration the context. And they vote with their insignificant amount of knowledge, because it's better to hear about politics from 3rd or 4th hand mouths than from trusted sources.
Any anti-war protester over the last five years is not 'proud' of America. They're ashamed. Does that mean they hate America?
This isn't an issue, in my opinion. But you'll be hearing a lot about this FOX editing in the weeks to come, if they don't lay off the Michelle Obama attack, and frankly I think that the McCain line is worse.
ethanol
In conjuncture with my previous post about McCain's new car battery contest, this post deals with a possible choice of a new fuel source.
This article reports on the stance on ethanol by the two candidates. The article also details some ethanol pros and cons.
Here is an article by The NY Times on Obama's ties to the ethanol industry.
Just by reading this Times article, it's easy to come to the conclusion that setting up ethanol as the new fuel source is setting up a new industry to buy political candidates and influence. In realistic terms, this is a practice that isn't going to go away. You can't run for president, for congress, or as a senator or any other public office without money. Campaigning costs money.
Setting up a new business like ethanol is going to upset a lot of other businesses.
Ok, ok, mainly one.
Speculators would say that either the car companies will drag their feet creating a new kind of engine (and then selling the cars that would run on ethanol) OR car companies would break away from oil companies and embrace the new power player.
The Daily Green article mentions something interesting. Even though ethanol costs more to produce than gas, and will eat up our crops and all that, it also might be a necessary step to move in the right direction. Leapfrogging technology happens all the time. Albeit with things that are substantially less costly than cars.
Imagine, on a smaller scale, software that gets advanced, generation after generation. It moves platforms, it fixes bugs... the auto industry has been under little burden to improve their engines. The laws imposed on the industry for cars to run more efficiently are a joke.
With advances in fuel economy, options, and emissions, who knows what might happen. But one thing is certain.
See, what Obama says he wants a new fuel source, to take the money we're spending out of the middle east. He's going to get a lot of support for that from voters.
The problem is, the corn industry in the US can't possibly supply us with the demand we'll need. We can't sustain that type of output, it just won't be possible. We can't get both crops and a fuel source out of our farm land without terrorizing the environment. And I don't think that's a compromise the Americans are willing to make. That means we'll have to go to countries like Brazil or China for ethanol, both of which have been using it as a fuel source, successfully.
I'm in no way shape or form throwing support to ethanol. From what I've read, it's not the best way for us to move forward, but it would be a move forward, slowly releasing us from the grip of oil. Creating new engines to run on other forms of fuel will only lead to the evolution of engines.
But if half of the bullet points The Daily Green has listed are true... sheesh. That's like taking a gun away from someone and giving them a another gun.
I need more information. But the signs of political pitfalls are there. Perhaps setting up a new industry, to take away from one that's been raping the citizens of all countries, on top of the planet, won't be such a bad thing.
Of course, they can do the same thing, if not properly regulated.
Boy, we're just doomed to repeat ourselves, aren't we...
(so this is what flip-flopping is like...)
This article reports on the stance on ethanol by the two candidates. The article also details some ethanol pros and cons.
Here is an article by The NY Times on Obama's ties to the ethanol industry.
Just by reading this Times article, it's easy to come to the conclusion that setting up ethanol as the new fuel source is setting up a new industry to buy political candidates and influence. In realistic terms, this is a practice that isn't going to go away. You can't run for president, for congress, or as a senator or any other public office without money. Campaigning costs money.
Setting up a new business like ethanol is going to upset a lot of other businesses.
Ok, ok, mainly one.
Speculators would say that either the car companies will drag their feet creating a new kind of engine (and then selling the cars that would run on ethanol) OR car companies would break away from oil companies and embrace the new power player.
The Daily Green article mentions something interesting. Even though ethanol costs more to produce than gas, and will eat up our crops and all that, it also might be a necessary step to move in the right direction. Leapfrogging technology happens all the time. Albeit with things that are substantially less costly than cars.
Imagine, on a smaller scale, software that gets advanced, generation after generation. It moves platforms, it fixes bugs... the auto industry has been under little burden to improve their engines. The laws imposed on the industry for cars to run more efficiently are a joke.
With advances in fuel economy, options, and emissions, who knows what might happen. But one thing is certain.
See, what Obama says he wants a new fuel source, to take the money we're spending out of the middle east. He's going to get a lot of support for that from voters.
The problem is, the corn industry in the US can't possibly supply us with the demand we'll need. We can't sustain that type of output, it just won't be possible. We can't get both crops and a fuel source out of our farm land without terrorizing the environment. And I don't think that's a compromise the Americans are willing to make. That means we'll have to go to countries like Brazil or China for ethanol, both of which have been using it as a fuel source, successfully.
I'm in no way shape or form throwing support to ethanol. From what I've read, it's not the best way for us to move forward, but it would be a move forward, slowly releasing us from the grip of oil. Creating new engines to run on other forms of fuel will only lead to the evolution of engines.
But if half of the bullet points The Daily Green has listed are true... sheesh. That's like taking a gun away from someone and giving them a another gun.
I need more information. But the signs of political pitfalls are there. Perhaps setting up a new industry, to take away from one that's been raping the citizens of all countries, on top of the planet, won't be such a bad thing.
Of course, they can do the same thing, if not properly regulated.
Boy, we're just doomed to repeat ourselves, aren't we...
(so this is what flip-flopping is like...)
McCain tries for a Hail Mary
Republican nominee McCain has decided that the best way to capture the imaginations and hearts of voters who want a president to end the energy crisis we're going through is to bullshit them with a new contest.
He's proposing an offer of $300 million dollars to the company that comes up with a better car battery, one that will outperform hybrids and reduce the need for oil.
Now, there are also two conflicting reports. Yahoo (linked above) states that:
In addition, a so-called Clean Car Challenge would provide U.S. automakers with a $5,000 tax credit for every zero-carbon emissions car they develop and sell.
CNN states:
The challenge would allow $5,000 tax credits to buyers of such cars, making such vehicles more appealing to consumers and thus easier to sell.
Whom to believe? Yahoo's AP report seems more along the lines of Big Business bought politicians. CNN's report seems to be the kind of fantasy line that presidential hopefuls say to get votes, and then don't follow through.
Nowhere in there does it answer any real questions about such a contest. Who would judge it? When would it take affect? How long is the contest going to run?
Who in their right mind is going to think that Big Oil is going to allow something like this to even remotely happen without a fight?
Why would we give up tax dollars to a person who would receive an unbelievable amount of money for the patents alone? As an incentive? I think that independent engineers have plenty of incentive in this economic atmosphere, and anyone capable of actually creating a new kind of battery, engine or fuel source that will be more efficient and economically progressive will do so, not because of a contest, but because in a capitalistic country, they're going to clean up.
McCain's support is floundering, and so he comes up with a marketing technique type of announcement to get him some air time and some sound bites. Well, it's working. Now we just have to see if American's are going to fall for it.
He's proposing an offer of $300 million dollars to the company that comes up with a better car battery, one that will outperform hybrids and reduce the need for oil.
Now, there are also two conflicting reports. Yahoo (linked above) states that:
In addition, a so-called Clean Car Challenge would provide U.S. automakers with a $5,000 tax credit for every zero-carbon emissions car they develop and sell.
CNN states:
The challenge would allow $5,000 tax credits to buyers of such cars, making such vehicles more appealing to consumers and thus easier to sell.
Whom to believe? Yahoo's AP report seems more along the lines of Big Business bought politicians. CNN's report seems to be the kind of fantasy line that presidential hopefuls say to get votes, and then don't follow through.
Nowhere in there does it answer any real questions about such a contest. Who would judge it? When would it take affect? How long is the contest going to run?
Who in their right mind is going to think that Big Oil is going to allow something like this to even remotely happen without a fight?
Why would we give up tax dollars to a person who would receive an unbelievable amount of money for the patents alone? As an incentive? I think that independent engineers have plenty of incentive in this economic atmosphere, and anyone capable of actually creating a new kind of battery, engine or fuel source that will be more efficient and economically progressive will do so, not because of a contest, but because in a capitalistic country, they're going to clean up.
McCain's support is floundering, and so he comes up with a marketing technique type of announcement to get him some air time and some sound bites. Well, it's working. Now we just have to see if American's are going to fall for it.
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