"Murphy was an optimist!"
What happens when you yell “liar” at the President? September 10, 2009 7:58 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects, United States , 19commentsQuestion:If you, Republican Joe Wilson, show a utter lack of respect for the office of the presidency, a breech of protocol, a total lack of decorum, and a complete disregard for the level of professionalism expect by your elected position, what happens?
Answer: In less than 12 hours, 1362 people raise $45,475 to help elect Democrat Rob Miller as your replacement in the House of Representatives.
Update: 20 hours later, 4531 people have donated $155,362.
Update: 24 hours later, 5832 people have dontaed $203,070. Along with other Rob Miller campaigns on ActBlue, volunteers have donated a total of $592,075 to see Democrat Rob Miller displace Republican Joe Wilson in South Carolina’s 2nd district US House Representative.
See also: Joe Wilson is your pre-existing condition and career finance.
Update: Wilson health care industry darling and this is not the first time he has gone off at the mouth. See also and 2002 Joe Wilson lies about Saddam.
Update: Rich points to a youtube video of Democrats applauding during a state of the union address about blocking a bill as an example of Wilson like behavior. I understand their message in applauding goes against the President’s desires but it matches the excepted decorum on the Senate and no one outright demeaned the President.
The House is considering responding to Wilson’s actions.
"It is a clear violation of the rules of the House, and it needs to be resolved on the floor of the House either by an apology or by a resolution," said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
House rules and precedents provide substantial guidance on how a House member can and cannot refer to the president while speaking on the floor, and the guidelines state that it has been found impermissible to call the president a liar. The House was in formal session at the time of the speech.
[Source, New York Times, Heckler’s Behavior May Bring Action in House]
The White House has stiffened its stand against providing health care to illegal aliens. Whether this is what Obama said he was going to do or a response to Wilson won’t ever be known but is irrelevant as the end result is the same.
Here’s a tricky one. Joe Wilson Voted to Provide Taxpayer Money for Illegal Immigrants’ Healthcare. This is the crap that happens in our Congress.
However, in 2003, Wilson voted to provide federal funds for illegal immigrants’ healthcare. The vote came on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which contained Sec. 1011 authorizing $250,000 annually between 2003 and 2008 for government reimbursements to hospitals who provide treatment for uninsured illegal immigrants. The program has been extended through 2009 and there is currently a bipartisan bill in Congress to make it permanent. [Source, OpenCongress, Joe Wilson Voted to Provide Taxpayer Money for Illegal Immigrants' Healthcare]
The misleading part of this is that the bill was "a much larger bill that contained many Republican priorities." Our bills should not be large bills with unrelated or concession type riders that force our lawmakers to let things slip through. I do not think this serves the people as much as it opens doors to serve the politicians and lobbyists with back scratching. "I’ve vote YES to your bill if you add this minor section."
Craig Ferguson’s response to Wilson.
19commentsI don’t understand tea bagging. April 9, 2009 1:47 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Sex, Touchy Subjects, United States , 2commentsApparently on April 15 from 3pm-6pm, Republicans and Conservatives alike (perhaps Democrats and other parties) will be meeting at the World’s Fair Park for some tea bagging. As much as I enjoy a good protest, this just doesn’t sound like my kind of thing:
Teabagging is … an erotic activity used within the context of BDSM and male dominance, with a dominant man teabagging his submissive partner, either a woman or a man, as one variation of facesitting and/or as a means of inflicting erotic humiliation. [Source, Wikipedia, Teabagging]
Just sounds like someone’s going to get themselves arrested.
See also: Teabagging Congress.
Update 12April2009: Seen on The Huffington Post- “Tea Bagging” Rallies Ruthlessly Mocked On Maddow Show
Update: From Paul Krugman:
2commentsthe G.O.P. looked as crazy 10 or 15 years ago as it does now. That didn’t stop Republicans from taking control of both Congress and the White House. [Source, The New York Times, Tea Parties Forever ]
TN Continues to Make Dumb Laws March 10, 2009 7:45 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects, Transportation, Travel , 5commentsMichael Silence notes that Sen. Jim Tracy is trying to pass legislation that would make it illegal to read or send text messages while driving. These nanny state laws treat symptoms and not problems. My comment on No Silence Here:
We don’t need a nanny state! We need better education. IF we would teach people how to use T-9 then they could text without looking at the phone! er, I mean if we taught people the importance of not texting behind the wheel. You know..give a man a fish..well if he were eating fish while driving that would probably be bad too. Maybe we need a law to ban eating fish behind the wheel. Yes! Definitely. And fishing licenses. When the police pull cars over they should check for fishing licenses because he might be planning on catching a fish to eat while driving and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen. That’s important. Important enough that we need to set up road blocks and check everyone’s fishing licenses!! But then people might send text messages warning about the road blocks. No, we outlawed text messaging behind the wheel so that would never happen of course neither would the eating fish behind the wheel because we outlawed that too so why do we need the road blocks? You know, the radio stations will pick up on these quickly. We should outlaw radios in the cars. Wait a minute, wasn’t there a time when legislatures feared car radios would cause too many accidents and deaths. What happened to outlawing radios? Wait another minute. At least 2 people died in his district while text messaging behind the wheel. I wonder how many died tuning their radio?
Things we need to outlaw to keep people alive:
spiders, aids, diving, earthquakes, buildings, sports, suicide (wait, that’s already illegal), alcohol, lightning, steps, cold, heat, cancer, tall places, bees, surgery, and sharks.
http://i28.tinypic.com/5v0v1d.jpg
The problem with these types of laws is that it does nothing to prevent the happening but only punishes if and when it is caught. To educate people to pull over, have a passenger do the texting, or just plain ignore the phone is a better use to time and tax dollars than more laws:
Republican Sen. Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet opposed the bill because of provisions in the current law.
"I really don’t see the need for the bill," she said. "I’ve said time after time, I don’t think we can legislate against stupidity."
Furthermore, driving is a skill and not everyone has the same abilities. That is not a statement to justify one person texting behind the wheel while another doesn’t but to point out the people who are crossing the center line while texting may just as well be doing the same thing while reading a billboard, talking to a passenger, tuning the radio, or daydreaming. We have all done stupid things while driving. I bet everyone at one point has turned the wrong way down a one way street. I did in Memphis as a teenager. It scared me silly to see 3 lanes of lunch hour traffic barreling down on me. A law preventing me from going the wrong way on a one way street would have done nothing to prevent me from making that silly mistake..wait a minute..it is against the law to drive the wrong way on a one way street….oh.
5commentsTN/GA Border Dispute continues? June 3, 2008 7:50 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Environment, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , add a commentI thought Georgia wanting to move the Tennessee border was a publicity stunt. Is this really continuing or is Knoxnews hurting that badly for a story? "More details as they develop online and in Wednesday’s News Sentinel."
Georgia’s water problem will not be solved by tapping the Tennessee River. They have a water management problem. If someone has a spending problem, their spending habit does not get cured by throwing more money at them. Georgia must develop land management and water management plans. How much of their water is flushed out to the Gulf of Mexico in storm drains rather than recaptured for recharging the aquifers? Does Peachtree Street need another fountain?
I predict there will be bloodshed if that border ever actually moves!
add a commentMy Senators Do Not Represent Me September 19, 2007 10:06 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : ColdFusion, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects, United States , 3commentsWhy?
Statement of Purpose: To restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Nay Corker (R-TN), Nay
[Source]
See also and also. On the positive side, at least http://www.senate.gov/ is using ColdFusion.
3commentsHelp Michael – Regarding Blogs June 27, 2007 10:30 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Blog, Politics, Publishing, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , add a commentMichael Silence is requesting some input. He asks, "Which 4 or 5 blogs do you recommend for following politics and issues in TN" and "What are the active blogs in West TN." Please follow each link and give him some feedbacks in his comment section under each post. Thanks!
add a commentI-3 is about Oak Ridge! February 1, 2007 1:13 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Environment, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , add a commentFrom the minute I learned about the proposed Interstate 3, I said, "read between the lines, and this road is about moving depleted uranium to port." Obviously this is evident to other was well. See the Stop I-3 Coalition letter of January 12, 2007.
add a commentOur interest in nuclear matters stems from the fact that the proposed highway would connect the Y-12 Plant at Oak Ridge with the Savannah River Site in the Augusta area and the Port of Savannah. We have noted with concern that the I-3 proposal coincides with a considerable effort on the part of the government and a number of utility companies to increase nuclear weapons programs and nuclear power activities, including waste reprocessing, and the concentration of these activities in the Southeast. We are convinced that should I-3 ever be built it would become a convenient route for the traffic in radioactive materials which would arise from Complex 2030 and the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, as well as expected routing of nuclear wastes and plutonium through the area. [Source]
CORRECTION: TN Does Not Separate Church and State Either August 18, 2006 3:53 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Religion / Spirituality, Touchy Subjects , 4commentsEarlier I posted that Arkansas does not allow Atheists to hold government office nor testify as witnesses. I went on to suggest that TN had been out done in their efforts to live backwards by legislating beliefs and morals. I was wrong. Per Article IX Section 2 of the TN State Constitution.
Section 2. No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards
and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this
state. [Source]
As a matter of fact, religion [implied Christian] is so important to the state of Tennessee that Article IX Section 1 specifically excludes ministers from holding office since their duties are far more important.
Section 1. Whereas ministers of the Gospel are by their profession, dedicated
to God and the care of souls, and ought not to be diverted from the great
duties of their functions; therefore, no minister of the Gospel, or priest of any
denomination whatever, shall be eligible to a seat in either House of the Legislature. [Source]
Arkansas and Tennessee are in good company. Apparently, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas all require the believe of a supreme being and/or afterlife and in some cases you must specifically be a Christian to hold office or be a witness.
So, not only are Atheists going to Hell (a place they don’t believe exists) but they cannot hold one of the most corrupt jobs known to man for which they would go to Hell anyway.
4commentsSeparation of Church and State..except in Arkansas August 18, 2006 9:10 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , 8commentsSo, in TN we are doing stupid things with our constitution like dictating morals, telling people whether or not they can get married, and forbidding people from buying dildos. But in Arkansas they have an article in their constitution forbidding Atheists from holding public office or testifying as a witness! I’m calling my state representative! Our stupidity has been one up’d! (See the correction)
Article 19, section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution: Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness.
No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any court. [Source]
The Arkansas constitution is available online.
8commentsBig holes! August 7, 2006 11:36 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Environment, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , 1 comment so farSo I was reading about the biggest hole in Russia
The gaint hole is actually a diamond mine in Eastern Siberia near the town Mirna. It is 525 meters deep and 1.25 km in the diameter.
…
The suction above the hole resulted in several helicopter crashes, so all flight above the hole is prohibited now.
and learned about Bingham Canyon Copper mine via the post comments. The facts about the mine are fascinating. And the pictures are impressive. I wonder if this is what the West Virginia mountains will look like in 100 years. (see also)
1 comment so farI rode The Dragon July 6, 2006 7:53 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Environment, Motorcycles, Of Interest, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , add a commentJulie posted a reference to The Dragon. Years ago I rode The Dragon on a 1981 Honda CM400C (the C apparently means "custom" and is bored out to have the displacements of a 600…basically means a 600 will take me from the line but at cruisiing speed we pull the same RPMs). Sometimes a comment deserves to be a post so I repost here:
I rode the Dragon once. It tightens your butt cheeks quite well.
Motorcyclists have a rating system called “pucker factor” which is the degree to which your gluteus clings to your seat. The Dragon has a high pucker factor.
Once thing about the Dragon is you come out of it knowing how to take a turn. I was loaded down on an underpowered bike really designed to stay in the city and heading to Atlanta and I recall this one turn that I went into with a lot of lean. It was graffitti defying antics nearly dragging peg (that means the piece of metal your foot rests on drags the ground). That turn kept on going and going and going. It felt like I made a full circle three times! I certainly surpassed my comfort zone on that one but really learned the capabilities of my bike.
I hope to high heaven that I-3 gets shot down and does not destroy the Dragon.
add a commentWoot! Wine! June 17, 2006 7:19 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cool Sites, Of Interest, Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , add a commentWoot has a new angle, they are selling wine. Yes, you heard correctly, http://wine.woot.com/”>. For connoisseurs of the grape, this could be an excellent way to acquire some fine wine at fine prices.
For those that don’t know, Woot lists 1 product per day at midnight Central time (GMT -6) and sells it until they are out of stock. It might be junk or it might be an iPod $60 cheaper than anywhere else you could find one. Often the great stuff sells out in the first half hour of listing. Last I checked, Woot is affliated with Overstock.com.
What is woot.wine? We were all pretty despondent when we couldn’t work out the logistics for massage.woot.com. We started to question the very idea of spinning off another new dot-woot. But then woot.com offered our Rinfrescante wine and we were positively deluged with inquiries from friends and family pleading for more (of course the cheapskates wanted more – they got it for free). This was enough “market research†for us. We reactivated our wine-industry hookup and wine.woot.com was conceived.
…
So every week, wine.woot.com will uncork a sweet new wine deal.
Can I really buy wine on the Internet? Thanks to our esteemed Supreme Court, recent and dramatic changes in how wine can be sold and delivered in the U.S. allow wine.woot.com to bring wine directly from the winery to you.
What states can you ship to?Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:* Arizona (expect longer delivery times)
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* District of Columbia
* Florida
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana (expect longer delivery times)
* Iowa
* Louisiana
* Massachusetts (expect longer delivery times)
* Michigan
* Missouri
* Minnesota
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey (expect longer delivery times)
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oregon
* South Carolina
* Texas
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* WyomingIf your state’s not on the list, no wine for you! Take it up with your state assembly person. We comply with all federal, state, and local laws in providing this wine.
Of course Tennessee is not on the list. We wouldn’t want to lose our reputation as being a bunch of backwards hillbillies. Now whar’s my shine?!
Little sidenote, The Tennessee General Assembly website looks like one of the politicans had his highschool age child build the site. "Pages Created and Maintained by: Legislative Information Services"
add a commentHelp Stop Interstate 3! February 22, 2006 1:11 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Regional Politics (SE), Touchy Subjects , 2commentsInterstate 3 is a horrible conception and unless the public steps up to the plate and contacts their representatives billions of dollars will be wasted and the ecology of the Southeast forever changed! I was composing a lengthy opposition to I-3 when Blogger deleted my account so my research was lost. Fortunately, the Stop I-3 Coalition has stepped up to the plate to bring public awareness to this disaster that has been forming since 2004. Contacting your representative is EASY! Explaining to your grandchildren why the Great Smoky Mountain National Park died and why the Southeast no longer has a wilderness is HARD.
Billions of dollars are being allocated to build a road that reduces current routes by only 15 miles. This money should be spent to build electric rails along existing interstate corridors instead of irrevocability changing the landscape and environment of the Southeast. Modern trains can be equiped to transport cars like ferries so arguments that a rail system would be useless are invalid.
It is my personal believe that this is a military inspired route to expedite transportation of weapons from Oak Ridge to the coast (an unfounded and unproveable statement — but it is a straight line!).
Please click MORE to read the full email from Stop I-3. Please, if you contact your representative about nothing else, just contact them about this. Put a stop to Interstate 3!
2comments
