Reality Me

A juggling technophile shares personal stories, challenges, humor and perhaps some political commentary.

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"Murphy was an optimist!"

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Yes, Republicans Are Ruining America August 1, 2011 9:46 am

And here’s the statement that sums it up:

In the long run, however, Democrats won’t be the only losers. What Republicans have just gotten away with calls our whole system of government into question. After all, how can American democracy work if whichever party is most prepared to be ruthless, to threaten the nation’s economic security, gets to dictate policy? And the answer is, maybe it can’t.

[Source, The New York Times, The President Surrenders by PAUL KRUGMAN]

I am deeply troubled by the state of politics in America. Our Congress is embarrassing. Our President needs a backbone transplant. The Tea Party needs history and economic lessons. The Republicans need morals. The middle class and poor need a champion. And I need antacid.

Maybe this would help!

And here’s some more:

Anyone who characterizes the deal between the President and Republican leaders as a victory for the American people over partisanship understands neither economics nor politics.

[Source, Business Insider, Anyone Who Thinks The Debt Deal Is A Victory For America Understands Neither Economics Nor Politics by Robert Reich]

See also I’m a Canadian watching the whole "debt crisis" from the outside – I was just wondering: Why aren’t there mass protests over what is happening? Your politicians are blatantly subverting your democracy for a quite blatant corporatist agenda. Good question!

And from CNN’s Republican David Frum:

I’m a Republican. Always have been. I believe in free markets, low taxes, reasonable regulation and limited government. But as I look back at the weeks of rancor leading up to Sunday night’s last-minute budget deal, I see some things I don’t believe in:

• Forcing the United States to the verge of default.
• Shrugging off the needs and concerns of millions of unemployed.
• Protecting every single loophole, giveaway and boondoggle in the tax code as a matter of fundamental conservative principle.
• [Read more...]

There was another way. There still is.

1. Unemployment is a more urgent problem than debt.
2. The deficit is a symptom of America’s economic problems, not a cause. … Cut the deficit first, and the economy will get even sicker.
3. The time to cut is after the economy recovers.
4. The place to cut is health care, not assistance to the unemployed and poor. … The problem is that Americans pay too much for the medicine they use.
5. We can collect more revenue without raising tax rates.
6. Passion does not substitute for judgment.
7. You can’t save the system by destroying the system.

[Source, CNN, Wake up GOP: Smashing system doesn't fix it]

Bring About Change July 29, 2011 3:48 pm

See also: Star Wars explains the debt ceiling

To the members of US Congress July 27, 2011 7:12 pm

(full size)

Seen at http://imgur.com/3prAG

It is comforting to know that am emergency team of 8th-grade civics teachers has been dispatched to Washington!

WASHINGTON—With lawmakers still at an impasse over increasing the debt ceiling, a special team of 40 eighth-grade civics teachers was air-dropped into Washington earlier today in a last-ditch effort to teach congressional leaders how the government’s legislative process works. [READ MORE]

[Source, the ONION, Emergency Team Of 8th-Grade Civics Teachers Dispatched To Washington]

Is your country’s GDP compensating for something? July 22, 2011 2:18 pm

Why yes it is!

The size of male organ is found to have an inverse U-shaped relationship with the level of GDP in 1985. It can alone explain over 15% of the variation in GDP. The GDP maximizing size is around 13.5 centimetres, and a collapse in economic development is identified as the size of male organ exceeds 16 centimetres. Economic growth between 1960 and 1985 is negatively associated with the size of male organ, and it alone explains 20% of the variation in GDP growth. With due reservations it is also found to be more important determinant of GDP growth than country’s political regime type.

[Source, Helsinki Center of Economic Research, Male Organ and Economic Growth: Does Size
Matter? by Tatu Westling, University of Helsinki, ISSN 1795-0562]

See also.

My State Representatives Do Not Represent Me July 18, 2011 11:02 am

Tennessee House Rep. Julia Hurley (R-Lenoir City) said, "I don’t understand why it’s news, and I don’t want to talk about the desk."

Tennessee House Rep. Julia Hurley (R-Lenoir City) has confirmed that she carved her initials into her desk in the state legislature. … this childish display is indeed pretty disappointing — and she isn’t the only one who’s done it, as there are other initials and dollar signs carved into the House’s desks.

[Source, BoingBoing, Tenn. state rep: "I carved my initials in my desk in the House, but I don't understand why it's news"]

Representative Hurley, allow me to explain. Your vandalism of public property is news. It demonstrates your lack of respect for your position and your standoffish, it doesn’t matter, response is suggestive of how you may chose to ignore your constituents.

I was twelve years old, not 29, the last time I carved my initials into something. It was a hand rail at a Disney World ride during an excruciatingly long wait. But after being scolded, I felt bad and was apologetic. I realized the wrong I had done in choosing to vandalize. Perhaps Representative Hurley would do well to learn from a child that we accept our wrong doings and apologize.

Why does this matter? Because as an elected official, she reflects upon every person of Tennessee. When people outside of TN learn that I am from TN, their first impression of me is established by the news of Representative Hurley’s, or Stacey Campfield’s et al, actions and legal decisions. Also, if Rep. Hurley does not approach her job with more professionalism, and let’s face it–carving in desks is something middle schoolers do, how can we expect her to approach legislative decisions?

Senior Health Care Solution – according to Maxine June 14, 2011 8:10 am

So you’re a sick senior citizen and the government says there is no nursing home available to you – what do you do?

Our plan gives anyone 65 years or older a gun and 4 bullets. You are allowed to shoot 4 politicians – not necessarily dead!

Of course, this means you will be sent to prison where you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating, and all the health care you need! New teeth – no problem. Need glasses, great. New hip, knees, kidney, lungs, heart? All covered. (And your kids can come and visit as often as they do now).

And who will be paying for all of this? The same government that just told you that they cannot afford for you to go into a home.

Plus, because you are a prisoner, you don’t have to pay any income taxes anymore.

IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?

[Source, imgur.com]

The US Healthcare System is the Best in the World! June 13, 2011 11:19 am

Well, actually it’s ranked 37th.

Evidence that other countries perform better than the United States in ensuring the health of their populations is a sure prod to the reformist impulse. The World Health Report 2000, Health Systems: Improving Performance, ranked the U.S. health care system 37th in the world…

It is hard to ignore that in 2006, the United States was number 1 in terms of health care spending per capita but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy. These facts have fueled a question now being discussed in academic circles, as well as by government and the public: Why do we spend so much to get so little?

[Source, , ]

The (Don’t Say) Gay Song June 9, 2011 8:51 am

Stacey Campfield’s bill is wrong. We must vote Stacey Campfield out of office at the next opportunity.

Is this really the simple difference between right and left? June 3, 2011 6:56 pm

Listen to the words of Kirsten Haglund (Miss America 2008) between 3:50 and 3:58. Does she sum up the difference between liberal and conservative beliefs in 8 seconds? If so, I’ll be happy to be labeled left, leftie, liberal, what-have-you. Just push play below and it should already be cued up to 3:50.

But it’s a basic difference in world view in that usually liberals and people on the left, Secular Humanists, believe that human nature is ultimately good. But conservatives believe it’s not.

[Source, Youtube, Fox News - Elmo & Big Bird Are Too Liberal & Make Gay Boys Want To Be Prom Queens quote by Kirsten Haglund 3:50-3:58]

I do believe in the goodness of people.

Now this is good politics! May 20, 2011 11:39 am

Can you imagine how great the US Congress would be if they modeled themselves after the Ukrainians? CSPAN would become profitable! They could consult with the WWF.

Note of record: At the time of my first viewing of this video, only 58 people had watched it.

Stop Outsourcing at Knox County Schools April 27, 2011 12:09 pm

A friend from Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee asked that I help spread their word:

Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee is petitioning to save the jobs of 275 or more custodial workers as Superintendent Dr. McIntyre has proposed an outsourcing plan as part of the 2011-2012 school budget which would:

• lay off 275 workers across the county
• reduce custodial wages by $2-$5 per hour
• decrease quality of work (as shown by the last outsourcing attempt)

Please sign our online petition urging the school board to avoid outsourcing in our schools! http://bit.ly/g69Uz3

Jobs with Justice of East Tennessee is having a lunch for custodians and other school employees and community members this Saturday.

Custodians and other school employees and community members have been circulating petitions and talking to the Board of Education about the proposal to contract out custodial services. This is a very bad idea – bad for employees, students, and the whole community. There are a couple of School Board meetings coming up soon, so this might be a good time for folks to get together and talk about what we need to do next.

Let’s meet for lunch Saturday, April 30, 12 noon to 2 pm at the UNITE Building, 1124 N. Broadway (less than a mile north of Central).

Since custodians work different shifts, Saturday seems like the best chance to get together. We’d like the other folks who have been working on this to attend as well.

Lunch & Child Care are provided.

Family members are welcome at this gathering. Everyone is important. We’ll talk about what we’ve accomplished so far, and how we might move forward to save jobs and the quality of our schools. We can do this!

If you have questions before Saturday, call Jobs with Justice volunteers Karly Safar, 615/519-0157 or Brad Rayson, 865/385-4421.

We hire fags! April 26, 2011 11:04 am

I’m thinking of starting a business in Tennessee with the sole purpose of hiring homosexual staff. Here’s the business plan:

Mission statement: To snub our noses at the Tennessee GOP

Objectives:

• Hire employees based on their qualifications and not sexual orientation
• Provide healthcare to employees and their significant others even if Tennessee will not allow them to be married
• Show the Tennessee Legislature that a business can operate and profit while respecting an employee’s personal choices in religion (or lack thereof) and relationships
• Provide the same opportunities to the gay and lesbian, transvestite, transsexual, and asexual communities as the heterosexual community

We can worry about a product or service later. Investors? Angels?

If this post confuses you, see quipsofyellow Gay gay gay gay gay: arrest me, already. and TN House Votes to Reverse Nashville LGBT Workplace Protection Ordinance and Tennessee Legislature moves quickly to nullify Nashville’s newly adopted nondiscrimination ordinance.

Without debate, the House Commerce Subcommittee voted for legislation Wednesday to bar all Tennessee cities from enacting their own policies against gay, lesbian and/or transgender discrimination. The action was taken by voice vote, with no lawmaker offering audible opposition. [Source, Democratic Underground, Tennessee Legislature moves quickly to nullify Nashville's newly adopted nondiscrimination ordinance]

Get Your War On April 8, 2011 9:15 am

Canada apologizes to the United States March 19, 2011 12:05 pm

Ministry of Truth to be created in California March 17, 2011 1:57 pm

A California corporation has been awarded has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom) to build the Ministry of Truth. "The project has been likened by web experts to China’s attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet."

The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".

[Source, guardian.co.uk, Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media]

Now, before you grab your tinfoil hat (and mine is shinier than yours), note that "said none of the interventions would be in English, as it would be unlawful to ‘address US audiences’ with such technology"

…any English-language use of social media by Centcom was always clearly attributed. The languages in which the interventions are conducted include Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.

In his evidence to the Senate committee, Gen Mattis said: "OEV seeks to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology and propaganda." He added that Centcom was working with “our coalition partners” to develop new techniques and tactics the US could use "to counter the adversary in the cyber domain".

[Source, guardian.co.uk, Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media]

See also: Inspector General – Information Operations Contracts in Iraq page 9, Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) – online engagement, The man behind Operation Earnest Voice, and Operation Earnest Voice Part III.

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