We're living in 1984

Today on Meet the Press, Paul Ryan said he doesn't care about people who are already rich, he cares about removing barriers and giving a helping hand to allow other people to become rich.  Meanwhile, he is one of the architects of the current GOP path that is pushing us to austerity measures to deal with the budget problems, while defending Education, cutting/ending social programs, and cutting social security and medicare.

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Just the other day, Romney tried to suggest that "tolerance and civility" are conservative values, while trying to impress upon the values voters summit how anti-gay he is, and how anti-womans rights he is.

If you ever read Orwell's "1984", you'll probably recognize the doublespeak that's happening here.  The GOP has been doing alot of that lately...

Out on the trail

Like the other GOP candidates, Romney is out on the campaign trail giving speeches and campaigning...  Addressing questions about his religion (Mormanism) and whether it should impact your vote at the Values Voters Summit, Romney said "tolerance and civility were conservative values."


What a crock of shit!!!


Is he talking about the same conservatives that brought us Prop 8 in California, and the fight against repealing DADT?  Is he talking about the same conservatives who are fighting the separation of church and state, or womens rights to have an abortion?  Please explain to me how any of that can be described as "tolerance and civility."


Maybe he was implying that those are conservative values that conservatives in the US should aspire to, but have fallen way short of.   Somehow I doubt it...

Another small victory

Another small victory for reason and the law over religious zealotry and indoctrination.  A teacher lost the lawsuit he had filed when he was required to remove religious banners from his class room.

When you're employed by someone else, and you're on time they are paying you for, you don't have freedom of speech...  Especially when that speech is an attempt to indoctrinate our children with your religion in a public school math class!!

I guess that douche bag has never heard about the separation of church and state...  Oh that's right, he'a math teacher, not a social sciences teacher...

To Bradley Johnson, math teacher at Westview High School in San Diego, CA:  If you ever come around my children preaching your bullshit, I'll kick your ass up around your shoulders...  How do you like that for freedom of speech you bastard??!!

10 years later

This morning I took my family to watch the Sep 11 memorial ceremony at San Jose's Fire Station 1.  Among the fire engines and police motorcycles, flashing lights, the sound of bag pipes playing, children running up and down the street, one thing kept nagging at me, trying to get my attention.  It finally succeeded during one of the many long winded speeches made by the various local politicians, bureaucrats, and other empty suits...

"After 10 years, 2 wars, thousands of lives lost, tens of thousands of lives destroyed, and trillions of dollars spent, not a god dam thing has changed..."

Pawlenty on being gay: Is it a choice?

Pawlenty was interviewed last Sunday by David Gregory on Meet the Press.  One of  the questions he was asked was if he thinks being gay is a choice.

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New Perspectives: Good vs. Bad

I was reading an article on NPR recently, and it reminded me about how all of our perspectives differ, even if just slightly.

A new perspective on Mt. Rushmore

Our perspectives of a particular object or idea are completely subjective and relative; They are relative to our position.

Is your marriage really that weak?

Rick Santorum is spewing again!  Full Story

“The reason the left has gone after same-sex marriage is because it’s a two-fer,” Santorum said. “When you redefine marriage, you cheapen marriage. You make it into something less valuable, less special … [and] it is a sure bet that will undermine faith.”  

 The "left" has "gone after" same-sex marriage because we believe in equality.  The idea that allowing everyone the same marriage rights that Santorum enjoys will not cheapen, or undermine anyone else's marriage or faith.

Is your marriage, and your religion really so weak that your neighbors getting married can undermine it?  If so, maybe you should focus your energy on working on that instead of trying to prevent your neighbors from being able to legally marry.

 

Attack of the Minnows

A great poem from The Digital Cuttlefish:

Attack Of The Minnows

The big fish in their tiny pool

Where all the world is just one school

Can taunt and tease the godless fool

And bow their heads and pray

But video technology

Means, now the outside world can see

The worst of Christianity

In prominent display

Replacing prayer with silent thought?

Not good enough! And so, they fought!

They never figured to be caught—

And also, it was fun!

So, proving that they have no shame

The cowards held the kid to blame

And broke the law; it’s just the same

As Jesus would have done

A discussion with a christian Zealot

There are few things I hate more than "show and tell piety" (a person who rants and raves in a public forum or on a friends page in order to show everyone how pious they are, but then in a private discussion there is nothing there.


One of the only things worse is a "hit and run" zealot, who makes statements/accusations in a discussion forum and then blocks you so that you can't respond to what they said to you.  Well I can still respond...  I'll post it to my weblog so everyone on the planet can see it.

Do you remember Terri?

Do you remember Terri Schiavo?