Electronic Writer

On the lighter side . . . .

Big Red Button (Flash)

Enjoy.

The New Yorker: The Talk of the Town:

The New Yorker has, in my opinion, the best Op-Ed writing of just about any publication in the United States. Point that firepower against the Champion Supreme of the “Most Frightening Politician” Award, Senator Tom DeLay, and you have one nice read. If we are not careful, Senator DeLay may undo 100 years of progress in just a few short terms.

This is a great read.

I am just going to put a couple of these things out there and see what YOU think. It is time for you to put your thinking caps on.

Yesterday, Tom DeLay (God-wielding Republican from Texas, and taker of bribes, and the Republican Leader in Congress–setting an example for other Republicans), addressed the NRA at their annual convention. Appraently, he was pretty subdued and went on to say that non-2nd Amendment supporters were just people who did not grow up with guns. It intimated in the times article that he was one of the people who were NOT bashing Democrats.

What he did say, however, was pretty interesting . . . .

God and guns? A very interesting concept–it sounds like an argument being used in the Middle East right now AGAINST US and our troops. It reminds me of the crusades.

To counteract my oversimplification of the issue to a mere “God and guns,” I wanted to mix the constitution into the cauldron. The actual 2nd Amendment to the Constitution says the following:

Does the NRA actually serve that purpose? And should they be (or are they already) “blessed by God?” What do you think?

The New York Times > Science > Space & Cosmos > To Revive Shuttle, NASA Calls on a Cool Leader

This is a great personality profile of the Commander of the next Space Shuttle flight into space, Col. Eileen M. Collins. Personally, I am glad that we are pushing the Space Shuttle program into a new dimension (but lament the loss of life that was the catalyst).

In the last two years, NASA has reduced the number and thickness of the tiles on the underside of the shuttle (making it less fragile), built a repair kit/refined techniques for in-space repairs, and developed a new rolling maneuver for docking that will allow space station crew members to photograph the underside of the shuttle as it docks. Then, while at the station, they will be able to inspect and repair any potential damage while at the station.

The New York Times > Washington > Change to the Clean Air Act Is Built Into New Energy Bill:

I love symbols. Symbolism. Figurative representations of the literal. Metaphors. Perhaps it is the writer in me. Perhaps it is the reader. Regardless of its origins, this single clause buried in a piece of legislation set my metaphor-detecting nerves buzzing. After reading the article (which was written with obvious bias against the legislation), I found myself smirking at the situation. Let me give a little re-count, as I see it:

1. Your Community has pollution problems. Most likely, you have industry of some sort which is causing the pollution problems. You do not want to hamper industry because those needless regulations cause layoffs which end up with more people taking welfare which ends up burdening more people . . . .
2. Last month, the Clean Air Interstate Rule was passed. It set new power-plant emissions for three major pollutants for the eastern half of the United States, AND it will allow the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce it–including Nitrous Oxide, which absolutely everyone on the planet (except the scientists employed by the Bush Administration) knows to cause Ozone and the Green House Effect. Your community is now concerned.
3. Representative Joe L. Barton, Republican of Texas, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee puts on his cape and tights, and using his super-human invulnerability, flexing his position of power, and under cover of darkness, he adds his little clause into the New Energy Bill under the ‘Miscellaneous’ section. It is the same clause that he tried inserting last time around–that was foiled by the Joker, the Riddler, or perhaps even Cat Woman. This time, it sticks.
4. The legislation passes in the house, and is on its way to becoming a law. This specially crafted clause allows Communities, like yours, to DEFER your need to comply with the pollution laws until the communities that are UPWIND are in compliance with the pollution laws. In one quick swoop, the EPAs new enforcement tools have been rendered inoperable.
5. Your Community is relieved, your Republican Super-heroes have once again used GOVERNMENT to intervene on behalf of business, and your community has less people on Welfare (at least the last time you checked).

Why are we Legislating Exceptions for Big Business?

This clause is not intended to help communities. It is the inappropriate use of Government to intervene on behalf of corporations–of big business. It is an attempt to undermine accountability to the laws of the United States. When I was a small child, I learned about accountability, also known as consequences. If you put your hand on the burner, you get burned. If you steal a cookie from the jar, you get in trouble. As an adult, the same concept applies. If you do not pay your taxes, you get fined or go to jail. If you break a law, you go to jail.

The small businesses of our country must comply with regulations. If you wanted to start a small Photography Lab, you would have to install the special filters and heavy-metal collectors to ensure that you were not leaving chemicals into the environment. If you were a small garage, you would have to account for all of your waste oil and antifreeze–most likely, you would have to contract with an approved recycling company. In many cases, small businesses cannot leave the lids of their dumpsters open because of the pollutants they may release. And, while our small businesses are meeting the codes and regulations, Representative Joe L. Barton and other politicians are legislating exceptions for big businesses. If you provide a bunch of jobs for our community, I will work on your behalf to lessen the rules you have to follow.

This clause is unacceptable. Perhaps, Representative Joe L. Barton could add a clause to something else. He could amend “By the People, For the People.” His new version could read, “By the People, For the Corporation.”

The New York Times > Washington > Frist Set to Use Religious Stage on Judicial Issue:

“‘As the liberal, anti-Christian dogma of the left has been repudiated in almost every recent election, the courts have become the last great bastion for liberalism,’ Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and organizer of the telecast, wrote in a message on the group’s Web site. ‘For years activist courts, aided by liberal interest groups like the A.C.L.U., have been quietly working under the veil of the judiciary, like thieves in the night, to rob us of our Christian heritage and our religious freedoms.'”

Who, Exactly, is the Family Research Council?

I did a quick Google search on the Family Research Council, and one of first hits was their entry into the “Right Wing Watch” section of the People for The American Way website. You can read their review of the FRC here.

If you don’t have time to read it, here are a few quotes (with references) that just might make your nerves bristle–a bit:

• “…one of the primary goals of the homosexual rights movement is to abolish all age of consent laws and to eventually recognize pedophiles as the ‘prophets’ of a new sexual order.” –“Homosexual Behavior & Pedophilia,” a FRC publication, July 1999, http://www.frc.org/misc/bl057.pdf”
• “Gaining access to children has been a long-term goal of the homosexual movement.” –“Homosexual Behavior and Pedophilia,” FRC publication, July 1999, http://www.frc.org/misc/bl057.pdf”
• “Do you really think that when our troops from Delta Force crawl into Osama bin Laden’s cave in Afghanistan or into the face of the muzzle of a terrorist machine gun, that they are doing it so that women can kill their children, so that pornographers can peddle their smut, so that people of the same sex can marry? If those features of American life become the fixtures of American life, I fear that our nation may not long endure.” — President Ken Connor, from “Reflections After the Terror,” October 2, 2001
• “We are encouraged that the President is now saying he will support amending the Constitution to protect marriage. However, I am concerned that the President thinks counterfeit institutions such as same-sex unions are OK and do not threaten to devalue the real thing. This administration has spent millions of dollars to prevent the counterfeiting of our currency which threatens the health of our economy. Counterfeit marriages called “civil unions” pose a serious threat to the health of our culture, and while the President may believe this is an issue to be resolved at the state level, he should use his moral leadership to steer states away from such culture-threatening unions – not encourage them by showing indifference or political tolerance.” -Tony Perkins, Washington Update, December 17, 2003

Are you concerned, yet? I am. This delusional organization apparently has the ear of our Congress, and even the President. I imagine the President of this group is feeding everyone in the organization the placebo kool-aid until the time is just right . . . .

Looking a Little Deeper

With a little bit more research, I found a backlog of FRC newsletters. These are older newsletters, from 1994 – 1995, but clearly they support my earlier claim that they have the ear of our politicians.

The entire newsletter (April 1995) can be read here.

As I See It . . . .

They live and work close to Washington, they are getting meetings with our Legislators (and have been for at least 10 years), and they have funding. Watch these people. Their messages of hate and discrimination wrapped in a gauze of religion DO NOT reflect my beliefs. Be wary of the Family Research Council.

The New York Times > Business > Business Special > Citigroup’s Earnings Rise 3%, Bolstered by Consumer Banking: “The company’s revenue increased 6 percent, to $21.5 billion, from $20.3 billion a year earlier, as a result of substantial growth in its transaction services and retail banking businesses, especially in Asia and the United States, as well as private equity investment gains.”

Like I was saying yesterday about the passing the of the Corporations-against-poor-people-anti-bankruptcy Legislation. The third largest creditor in the country has increased profits by 6%. And now, thanks to our Congress, we really have a shot at doubling that number. Those guys up at Capitol Hill are really exemplary team players. Go team!

Yahoo! News – Abortion Clinics on Edge After Manifesto: “Abortion Clinics on Edge After Manifesto”

An Eye for An Eye

Apparently, there are a few of us that have not progressed as a civilization beyond antiquity. These few culturally inept still believe that it is acceptable to meet force with equal force. This freak who was BOMBING abortion clinics actually believes that he is justified in killing the people who work in abortion clinics (or who use them) “because abortion is murder.” This is the most wobbly soap-box I have ever seen.

I Digress for a Moment

In a recent translation of the epic poem “Beowulf” there is an applicable theme to our abhorrent tale. For those of you who do not know, or for those who might need a memory trigger, “Beowulf” is an oral poem passed on by the bards about the Nordic battles and heroes of old. It was recorded in writing (some believe as early as 600 A.D.) and surfaced as a manuscript around 1200 A.D. Some people think that it is a dry tale, and others believe that it is a great story of battles, and heroes, and swords, etc. Obviously, I am in the latter group.

In a recent translation by Seamus Heaney, I detected an element of sarcasm that none of the other translators surfaced. At one point, the poet lamented the current situation–that the social rules require each of the societies to destroy generations to pay back the “Weirguild”–or, man-price. If someone in your family was murdered, then you can extract either cash in the equivalent of that person’s “Weirguild” (determined by their social rank), OR you could kill an equal value person in THEIR family. It was the equivalent concept to the “Eye for an Eye” of biblical times.

Is the Abortion Bomber Alone?

Absolutely NOT! Right now, we call them extremists, but I have a different argument. There is an entire sub-culture that is as unforgiving and misguided as him. Abortion Bomber’s core belief is that he has the ability (or, perhaps DUTY) to destroy the people who do not agree with him. Now, who else can I think of who feels that way? Who, in our world, behaves like that?

I don’t want to point any fingers, but . . . there is this country over in the Middle East that we are giving Democracy right now. And, it was kind of, sort of, NOT their idea. I know that their idea of the world was WRONG and all, but . . . .

And, then there is the state of Oregon who actually REVOKED same-sex marriage licenses today. Talk about feeling duped! You are really not married, or recognized, or anything. I hope they get their processing fee back . . . .

Our abhorrent Abortion Bomber stands on the same philosophical ground as the homophobes passing legislation in our government, as the war-mongers who are giving democracy to Iraq, and ANYONE who thinks that if you do not believe in their god, you are going to their hell.

If I remember correctly, Jesus was a pretty tolerant guy, but maybe that is just my interpretation of the bible.

Yahoo! News – Congress Passes Bankruptcy Reform Bill: “Congress Passes Bankruptcy Reform Bill”

Of Course they passed the bankrupcy reform bill. Of Course President Bush was “eager” to sign the legislation. Has he ever HAD a credit card bill in his entire life? I remember in college. I was earning about $200 less per month than I needed to live. And guess where it came from for a year, or so: YUP–my credit cards.

To our fearless leader, he thinks that credit cards are something you use to NOT CARRY CASH. They certainly are not something people “live on.” “This is a good thing for business (my base) . . . I am sure that thought rummaged around there, somewhere–pending verification that there was any brain activity at all.

I am certainly NOT advocating that it is acceptable to not pay your bills. I am, however, questioning the representation of the our government. The people who made this decision are the “haves.” How many legislators come from rich families? How many have earned their money? How many of them have lived from paycheck-to-paycheck at ANY POINT in their lives?

My understanding is that the majority of Bankrupcies are caused by Medical Bills and procedures–NOT from people buying too many electronic devices at Best Buy. Actually, now that I think about it–coupled with the recent court ruling that stated that [Americans] are not entitled to low-cost medicine, and a history of legislation that consistenly chooses the profits of the companies over the people receiving the care–it would seem to me that Darwinism is no longer a valid theory for our society.

This is an extermination of the middle and lower classes. Only the rich will survive.

I have had the wind knocked out of my lungs by this thing (figuratively AND literally). See for yourself.

http://www.thebattleforamerica.com/

Anyone want to talk about it–leave a comment.