Story here.
3.09.2005
Won't they ever get this guy?
Documents Suggest Bigger DeLay Role in Donations
Documents subpoenaed from an indicted fund-raiser for Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, suggest that Mr. DeLay was more actively involved than previously known in gathering corporate donations for a political committee that is the focus of a grand-jury investigation in Texas, his home state.
Read on.
Documents subpoenaed from an indicted fund-raiser for Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, suggest that Mr. DeLay was more actively involved than previously known in gathering corporate donations for a political committee that is the focus of a grand-jury investigation in Texas, his home state.
Read on.
How to speak with a conservative
Economy
• Talk about the economy using “facts and figures.”
• Talk about the overall size of Bush’s proposed tax cut.
• Describe how repealing the estate tax protects America’s wealthiest families.
• Talk about the economy without bringing up 9/11.
• Recall how Bill Clinton produced balanced budgets in the late 1990s.
Budget
• Remind people that conservatives want to make painful cuts in vital government services.
• Talk about the deficit without bringing up 9/11.
Social Security
• Remind people that the financial services industry has been embroiled in scandal and corruption.
• Note that money contributed to private accounts will “go into the hands of greedy Wall Street fat cats.”
• Point out that proponents of Social Security privatization “lack factual discipline.”
• Tell people that the push to privatize Social Security is about partisan politics.
Energy
• Tell people what ANWR stands for.
• Say, “We should rely on American ingenuity and not the Saudi Royal Family.”
• Talk about how drilling for oil harms the environment.
• Always say “Drilling for oil"; Never say “Exploring for energy.”
• Give specific examples of safety and security problems at nuclear power plants.
Patients’ Rights
• When talking about trial lawyers don’t use words like “creeps, bottom-feeds, overpaid and evil.”
• Say, “When innocent people who are injured seek compensation from those who cause their injuries it’s anything but frivolous. When a preventable careless medical error forces a child into a wheelchair for the rest of his life, it’s anything but frivolous. And when someone close to you suffers due to doctor negligence, their right to a day in court is anything but frivolous.”
• Talk about the economy using “facts and figures.”
• Talk about the overall size of Bush’s proposed tax cut.
• Describe how repealing the estate tax protects America’s wealthiest families.
• Talk about the economy without bringing up 9/11.
• Recall how Bill Clinton produced balanced budgets in the late 1990s.
Budget
• Remind people that conservatives want to make painful cuts in vital government services.
• Talk about the deficit without bringing up 9/11.
Social Security
• Remind people that the financial services industry has been embroiled in scandal and corruption.
• Note that money contributed to private accounts will “go into the hands of greedy Wall Street fat cats.”
• Point out that proponents of Social Security privatization “lack factual discipline.”
• Tell people that the push to privatize Social Security is about partisan politics.
Energy
• Tell people what ANWR stands for.
• Say, “We should rely on American ingenuity and not the Saudi Royal Family.”
• Talk about how drilling for oil harms the environment.
• Always say “Drilling for oil"; Never say “Exploring for energy.”
• Give specific examples of safety and security problems at nuclear power plants.
Patients’ Rights
• When talking about trial lawyers don’t use words like “creeps, bottom-feeds, overpaid and evil.”
• Say, “When innocent people who are injured seek compensation from those who cause their injuries it’s anything but frivolous. When a preventable careless medical error forces a child into a wheelchair for the rest of his life, it’s anything but frivolous. And when someone close to you suffers due to doctor negligence, their right to a day in court is anything but frivolous.”
3.08.2005
The Debt-Peonage Society
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Today the Senate is expected to vote to limit debate on a bill that toughens the existing bankruptcy law, probably ensuring the bill's passage. A solid bloc of Republican senators, assisted by some Democrats, has already voted down a series of amendments that would either have closed loopholes for the rich or provided protection for some poor and middle-class families.
The bankruptcy bill was written by and for credit card companies, and the industry's political muscle is the reason it seems unstoppable. But the bill also fits into the broader context of what Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at Yale, calls "risk privatization": a steady erosion of the protection the government provides against personal misfortune, even as ordinary families face ever-growing economic insecurity.
The bill would make it much harder for families in distress to write off their debts and make a fresh start. Instead, many debtors would find themselves on an endless treadmill of payments.
The credit card companies say this is needed because people have been abusing the bankruptcy law, borrowing irresponsibly and walking away from debts. The facts say otherwise.
more...
If you're asked for an ID and password use "wildsects" and "12345".
Today the Senate is expected to vote to limit debate on a bill that toughens the existing bankruptcy law, probably ensuring the bill's passage. A solid bloc of Republican senators, assisted by some Democrats, has already voted down a series of amendments that would either have closed loopholes for the rich or provided protection for some poor and middle-class families.
The bankruptcy bill was written by and for credit card companies, and the industry's political muscle is the reason it seems unstoppable. But the bill also fits into the broader context of what Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at Yale, calls "risk privatization": a steady erosion of the protection the government provides against personal misfortune, even as ordinary families face ever-growing economic insecurity.
The bill would make it much harder for families in distress to write off their debts and make a fresh start. Instead, many debtors would find themselves on an endless treadmill of payments.
The credit card companies say this is needed because people have been abusing the bankruptcy law, borrowing irresponsibly and walking away from debts. The facts say otherwise.
more...
If you're asked for an ID and password use "wildsects" and "12345".
Headline from Bizarro World: New U.N. ambassador hates the U.N.
Once again Dubya lets the fox into the henhouse.
President Bush has chosen Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, a longtime critic of the United Nations and a hard-liner on arms control, to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, according to government officials.
Here are some of Bolton's statements critical of the U.N.
* "There's no such thing as the United Nations."
* "If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."
* "Moreover, many Republicans in Congress - and perhaps a majority - not only do not care about losing the General Assembly vote but actually see it as a 'make my day' outcome. Indeed, once the vote is lost, and the adverse consequences predicted by the U.N.'s supporters begin to occur, this will simply provide further evidence to many why nothing more should be paid to the U.N. system."
This is the type of appointment Dubya is known for. Here is another glaring example of his more dubious appointments:
Gale Norton: Interior Secretary - Norton is a protégé of James Watt, President Reagan's controversial Interior secretary from 1981 to 1983. She worked for Watt while he was president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a conservative organization that strongly supports "takings" legislation and logging and mining on the nation's public lands. She also served in the Reagan administration, first in the Agriculture Department and then in the Interior Department where she helped advocate for the Reagan administration's position on oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As Colorado Attorney General, Norton was instrumental in creating the state's "self audit" program, which gives businesses immunity from litigation and fines if they voluntarily report and correct violations of environmental laws. 'Abraham and Norton's nominations are terrible news for the majority of Americans who rank protecting the nation's air, water and national resources among their top priorities,' said LCV President Deb Callahan.
Much like Dubya himself, his appointments are wrong for the job they are being thrust into.
President Bush has chosen Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, a longtime critic of the United Nations and a hard-liner on arms control, to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, according to government officials.
Here are some of Bolton's statements critical of the U.N.
* "There's no such thing as the United Nations."
* "If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."
* "Moreover, many Republicans in Congress - and perhaps a majority - not only do not care about losing the General Assembly vote but actually see it as a 'make my day' outcome. Indeed, once the vote is lost, and the adverse consequences predicted by the U.N.'s supporters begin to occur, this will simply provide further evidence to many why nothing more should be paid to the U.N. system."
This is the type of appointment Dubya is known for. Here is another glaring example of his more dubious appointments:
Gale Norton: Interior Secretary - Norton is a protégé of James Watt, President Reagan's controversial Interior secretary from 1981 to 1983. She worked for Watt while he was president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, a conservative organization that strongly supports "takings" legislation and logging and mining on the nation's public lands. She also served in the Reagan administration, first in the Agriculture Department and then in the Interior Department where she helped advocate for the Reagan administration's position on oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As Colorado Attorney General, Norton was instrumental in creating the state's "self audit" program, which gives businesses immunity from litigation and fines if they voluntarily report and correct violations of environmental laws. 'Abraham and Norton's nominations are terrible news for the majority of Americans who rank protecting the nation's air, water and national resources among their top priorities,' said LCV President Deb Callahan.
Much like Dubya himself, his appointments are wrong for the job they are being thrust into.
FCC Says ISPs Can't Block VoIP
The FCC finally got one right. It seems some Internet Service Providers have attempted to block VoIP traffic from other services. Could it be that they want to force their customers to buy their own VoIP services? Whatever the reason, the FCC recently ruled that it's a big no-no. So if your ISP tells you that you can't use a VoIP service like Lingo or Vonage with your Internet connection, call in the feds.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Friggin' spyware!!!
A couple of weeks ago I had an especially nasty (in every sense of the word) piece of spyware on my computer that I couldn't seem to get rid of. At the time I was using AdAware and SpyBot which usually worked well. Or so I thought. A couple of times I thought I had gotten rid of the nasty only to have it show up again the next day.
WinXP News to the rescue. In the newsletter I receive from them they endorsed a product called Counterspy. Here's what they say about it:
CounterSpy was chosen as PC World's BEST BUY. For good reason:
CounterSpy has the best spyware database in the industry, the
highest detection rate, and has the fastest scan times. It's just
$19.95, and that includes a subscription of one year with updates,
upgrades and technical support. Best of all, you can help fighting
spyware! Become a member of ThreatNet (one click) and you can report
on suspicious malware. Spyware is a threat to your privacy and slows
down your PC. The answer is CounterSpy. It has Active Protection™,
call it a "spy-wall." Buy CounterSpy now for $19.95, get live tech
support from right here the U.S.!
I took advantage of the 15 day eval and gave it a try. It not only removed the nasty I had been trying to get rid of but found several others that SpyBot and AdAware had overlooked. Needless to say I plunked down my $20 and bought it. I have not regretted it. It's a very powerful tool.
In today's newsletter, WinXP News announced "CounterSpy Wins PC WORLD BEST BUY". Read about it here.
Go ahead and try it for 15 days. Get it here.
WinXP News to the rescue. In the newsletter I receive from them they endorsed a product called Counterspy. Here's what they say about it:
CounterSpy was chosen as PC World's BEST BUY. For good reason:
CounterSpy has the best spyware database in the industry, the
highest detection rate, and has the fastest scan times. It's just
$19.95, and that includes a subscription of one year with updates,
upgrades and technical support. Best of all, you can help fighting
spyware! Become a member of ThreatNet (one click) and you can report
on suspicious malware. Spyware is a threat to your privacy and slows
down your PC. The answer is CounterSpy. It has Active Protection™,
call it a "spy-wall." Buy CounterSpy now for $19.95, get live tech
support from right here the U.S.!
I took advantage of the 15 day eval and gave it a try. It not only removed the nasty I had been trying to get rid of but found several others that SpyBot and AdAware had overlooked. Needless to say I plunked down my $20 and bought it. I have not regretted it. It's a very powerful tool.
In today's newsletter, WinXP News announced "CounterSpy Wins PC WORLD BEST BUY". Read about it here.
Go ahead and try it for 15 days. Get it here.
3.07.2005
This is just WRONG!
WTF is wrong with Brits these days? The Office beats Fawlty Towers and Friends beats Monty Python's Flying Circus. I suppose the days of admiring Brits for their sense of humor are over.
Read the article here.
Read the article here.
Credit Card Penalties, Fees Bury Debtors
This is thoroughly disgusting...
"How is it that the person who wants to do right ends up so worse off?" Cleveland Municipal Judge Robert J. Triozzi said last fall when he ruled against Discover in the company's breach-of-contract suit against another struggling credit cardholder, Ruth M. Owens.
Owens tried for six years to pay off a $1,900 balance on her Discover card, sending the credit company a total of $3,492 in monthly payments from 1997 to 2003. Yet her balance grew to $5,564.28, even though, like Hosseini, she never used the card to buy anything more. Of that total, over-limit penalty fees alone were $1,158.
Read on.
"How is it that the person who wants to do right ends up so worse off?" Cleveland Municipal Judge Robert J. Triozzi said last fall when he ruled against Discover in the company's breach-of-contract suit against another struggling credit cardholder, Ruth M. Owens.
Owens tried for six years to pay off a $1,900 balance on her Discover card, sending the credit company a total of $3,492 in monthly payments from 1997 to 2003. Yet her balance grew to $5,564.28, even though, like Hosseini, she never used the card to buy anything more. Of that total, over-limit penalty fees alone were $1,158.
Read on.
Christian school advocates beating children... or else!
Mother told "Either he gets a spanking before he leaves today, or I'm suspending him". Mother chose suspension.
Story here.
Story here.
3.06.2005
Reality disconnect
This is an excellent Letter to the Editor from Saturday's Orlando Sentinel.
Enjoy!
Some people just don't get it. But it is becoming apparently more evident to me that it's likely some people aren't capable of ever getting it. I'm referring to the brilliantly insightful and disturbingly alarming op-ed piece by Bill Maher regarding the fascist-like, post-9-11 trend that seems to be growing in our country like a cancerous tumor in the body of freedom and liberty.
Just read the responses to his piece and it becomes clear that the problem is not as simple as one might immediately believe. Calling Maher and others of the "extreme left-wing persuasion" intolerant or close-minded displays the precise disconnect from reality and convoluted comprehension of freedom and democracy he is presenting. Should we have been more tolerant of Hitler? Should we have been a bit more open-minded about communism?
Asking people to be more "tolerant" of a trend that stifles critical thinking and discourages the questioning and accountability of government is exactly the point of Maher's piece. This dumbing down of America should be a wake-up call to everyone who truly cares about the foundations on which this country was established and energize those who do understand to do something about it before we follow the path of other fascist or dictatorial regimes built on fear and intimidation.
--Rich Charron, Melbourne
In case you missed it, here is the piece Mr. Charron is referring to:
Kids say the darndest, most Stalinist things
by Bill Maher
A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval. And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from expressing unpopular opinions.
Lemme tell you little darlings something: This is my livelihood you're messing with, so either learn the Bill of Rights or you don't deserve Social Security.
Now, to those of you who think I'm overreacting: Yes, I understand that when you're in high school you're still very young and that no one really cares what kids say anyway.
But the younger generation is supposed to rage against the machine, not for it; they're supposed to question authority, not question those who question authority.
And what's so frightening is that we're seeing the beginnings of the first post-9-11 generation -- the kids who first became aware of the news under an "Americans need to watch what they say" administration, the kids who've been told that dissent is un-American and therefore justifiably punished by a fine, imprisonment -- or the loss of your show on ABC.
President Bush once asked, "Is our children learning?" No -- they isn't. A more appropriate question might be, "Is our teachers teaching?" In four years, you can teach a gorilla sign language. Is it too much to ask that in the same amount of time a kid be taught what those crazy hippies who founded this country had in mind?
I know the Morals & Values folks want us to take time out of the school day for prayer and the Ten Commandments and abstinence training and at least two theories of evolution -- the one agreed upon by every scientist in the world and the one that involves naked ladies and snakes -- but, lest we forget, last month the people of Iraq risked death and danger to send a simple, inspiring message: America, get out of our country. But also, we want the freedoms you take for granted.
Now, I didn't mind being on the losing side of the last election. But as a loser, I guess I have some "unpopular" opinions -- and I'd like to keep them. I'd even like to continue to say them right out loud on TV, because if I just get up there every Friday night and spout the Bush administration's approved talking points, that's not freedom or entertainment. It's Fox News.
Enjoy!
Some people just don't get it. But it is becoming apparently more evident to me that it's likely some people aren't capable of ever getting it. I'm referring to the brilliantly insightful and disturbingly alarming op-ed piece by Bill Maher regarding the fascist-like, post-9-11 trend that seems to be growing in our country like a cancerous tumor in the body of freedom and liberty.
Just read the responses to his piece and it becomes clear that the problem is not as simple as one might immediately believe. Calling Maher and others of the "extreme left-wing persuasion" intolerant or close-minded displays the precise disconnect from reality and convoluted comprehension of freedom and democracy he is presenting. Should we have been more tolerant of Hitler? Should we have been a bit more open-minded about communism?
Asking people to be more "tolerant" of a trend that stifles critical thinking and discourages the questioning and accountability of government is exactly the point of Maher's piece. This dumbing down of America should be a wake-up call to everyone who truly cares about the foundations on which this country was established and energize those who do understand to do something about it before we follow the path of other fascist or dictatorial regimes built on fear and intimidation.
--Rich Charron, Melbourne
In case you missed it, here is the piece Mr. Charron is referring to:
Kids say the darndest, most Stalinist things
by Bill Maher
A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval. And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from expressing unpopular opinions.
Lemme tell you little darlings something: This is my livelihood you're messing with, so either learn the Bill of Rights or you don't deserve Social Security.
Now, to those of you who think I'm overreacting: Yes, I understand that when you're in high school you're still very young and that no one really cares what kids say anyway.
But the younger generation is supposed to rage against the machine, not for it; they're supposed to question authority, not question those who question authority.
And what's so frightening is that we're seeing the beginnings of the first post-9-11 generation -- the kids who first became aware of the news under an "Americans need to watch what they say" administration, the kids who've been told that dissent is un-American and therefore justifiably punished by a fine, imprisonment -- or the loss of your show on ABC.
President Bush once asked, "Is our children learning?" No -- they isn't. A more appropriate question might be, "Is our teachers teaching?" In four years, you can teach a gorilla sign language. Is it too much to ask that in the same amount of time a kid be taught what those crazy hippies who founded this country had in mind?
I know the Morals & Values folks want us to take time out of the school day for prayer and the Ten Commandments and abstinence training and at least two theories of evolution -- the one agreed upon by every scientist in the world and the one that involves naked ladies and snakes -- but, lest we forget, last month the people of Iraq risked death and danger to send a simple, inspiring message: America, get out of our country. But also, we want the freedoms you take for granted.
Now, I didn't mind being on the losing side of the last election. But as a loser, I guess I have some "unpopular" opinions -- and I'd like to keep them. I'd even like to continue to say them right out loud on TV, because if I just get up there every Friday night and spout the Bush administration's approved talking points, that's not freedom or entertainment. It's Fox News.
GOP Congressman wants to nuke Syria
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) is a fine example of a God-fearing member of the GOP. He made a statement at a church pancake breakfast declaring his desire to nuke a sovereign nation who has done NOTHING to threaten or harm our country. Oh those religious folk. What a barrel of laughs. I suppose it's ok to ignore the 10 Commandments as long as you have them properly displayed down at the courthouse.
Commandment 6: Thou shalt not kill.
Via Tampa Bay Online.
Commandment 6: Thou shalt not kill.
Via Tampa Bay Online.
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