About Me
- De Facto Mode
- My take is my own but it is not unique. I think I share the same views as most folks who think "conservative" is a dirty word.
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Saturday, October 25, 2008
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION POLLS ARE OUT
I have the new official means with which to decide elections
Ask Your Own Question here
Friday, October 24, 2008
ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES
I am concerned about electronic voting machines. Considering how easy it is to give a computer a virus, I can only imagine the havoc to be done with computerized voting. Just think of the software glitches. They alone should have everyone cringing.
I have two questions:
- Is there a paper trail, an actual piece of paper that gives physical record of the vote that has taken place?
- Are recounts possible?
Well, okay, I have more than two questions, but those are the two most pressing questions. So, I've been doing some reading up on these devices. It seems the passwords used on the Diebold machines may still be set to the original factory presets. Now, why on earth would those in charge of electronic voting not see fit to change the passwords?? Good lord!
During this current election, in Jackson County, West Virginia, the selected candidates name jumped to the opposing party's name due to calibration error. As believed by experts, a malicious person could skew the outcome of an election (and we ALL know malicious people are out there).
Why do we, as American citizens, settle for this brand of election fraud? Why do we accept this system when there are so many blatantly erroneous outcomes? Personally, I think electronic voting machines should be banned in major elections. I would think our country could slow down for just one day and take the necessary time for a proper election. One that couldn't be flipped by something as preventable as a virus.
After more reading I've found this article which actually addresses my questions rather well. It was as I feared, there is no paper trail and no recounts possible with many of these machines...
"Optical scanning equipment is becoming the preferred replacement because, unlike touch-screens, it preserves each voter's original paper ballot in the event of a recount."
That in itself should strike fear in the heart of all Americans. If the major advantage of using an electronic voting machine that does not issue a paper receipt is LESS PAPER JAMS then STOP USING THEM ALTOGETHER!!
Click here to tell your legislators to improve voter confidence.
Click here to find out which states use which systems.
Friday, October 17, 2008
BRAIN TO NOWHERE
Once again, Palin has proved how lost she is:
Don't you think it's advisable for the Republican's Presidential running mate to THINK before she speaks?? Good Lord!
BALANCING THE SCALES
In their eyes it is. In the conservative's eyes, sharing the wealth is a concept that is malignant, and destructive. So just how the hell did America's churches team up with the Republican's? Simply because of the "Pro-life" card? By the way, let's call it what it is: Pro-birth... because they are all for the birth of the child, but once the child is born, heh... yer on yer own, baby! As Richard Belzer once put it in regard to Reaganomics: "Unwed mothers -- suck dick next time".
And to those whom have lost their homes, the conservatives would like you to know that it's your OWN fault for wanting more than you could pay for, even if it WAS the greedy lenders that told you that you could always refinance way before your rates sky-rocket, and your payments become astronomical in comparison to your income.
There are far too many joe-six-packs and hockey moms trying to rub elbows with the good-ol-boy republicans anyway. Get into the streets where you belong! And stay outta the first-class section of the airways too!
All you wealth-sharer's are nothing more than socialists...like, like...England! And you know how they are...!
Yeah, I know how they are, "they" the country, is over one thousand years old compared to the United States two hundred and some. One would deduce they have learned a thing or two over the past several hundred years.
So, if the citizen's of our fine nation don't like how the distribution of wealth plays out in this country they can always move to England or Russia!
"You'll love it there, where you have all you don't need and nothing you do", so says one poster I encountered in ABC's news boards.
What I don't understand is why so many middle-income Americans vote republican. Please tell me it's not just because of the pro-birth policy! They'll be whistling a different tune when it's their jobs on the cutting board, when they loose their health care benefits, and they can't afford or cannot get health insurance on their own. It's a tune I've been whistling for years now.
SLAVE OR SOLDIER? MAKE YOUR CHOICE... NOW!
So then, greed has won the day once again. This is an exciting time for those at the top. Those that have basically all the world's wealth. They are the ones who will be able to, for lack of a better word, "dictate" to the masses. They will be the ones who give the rest of us the option of becoming a slave or a soldier.
My take is simple. I figure those that started the wheel of this financial crisis rolling knew full well what the possible outcomes were, in fact they couldn't have planned it any better! Whomever, "they" are, they have brought America down to the very brink of collapse. It's as if 911 was merely the precursor to this: the final calamity and total devastation of the US as we once knew her in all her shining splendor, and abundant opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
So, what then is left for Her citizens who are homeless, jobless and hopeless? A choice! There it is, not far off! A beacon illuminating the way... A simple two-choice strategy:
Slave or Soldier
Will you work for room and board, cleaning up, repairing and maintaining the private sector's holdings? Or will you defend America against all enemies, real and perceived, in exchange for shelter and meals? Once these clever, web-spinners have all their ducks in a row you can be sure there will be NO more jobs, no more economy, no more America! No more freedom!
The terrorists are within, camouflaged in suits, sitting at office desks, hunched behind computer screens, deciding your fate with a call to their stock broker, their banker, their lobbyists.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A REPUBLICAN ANALOGY
Father / Daughter Talk
A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend, and didn’t really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.Her father listened and then asked, ‘How is your friend Audrey doing?’ She replied, ‘Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She’s always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn’t even show up for classes because she’s too hung over.’Her wise father asked his daughter, ‘Why don’t you go to the Dean’s office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.’The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion, angrily fired back, ‘That’s a crazy idea, and how would that be fair! I’ve worked really hard for my grades! I’ve invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!’The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, ‘Welcome to the Republican party.’ By T.J.
My reply:
T. J. ---- while your analogy is spot-on, I'm having a problem with the Republican's (or any overly wealthy person or establishment's) general penchant for greed. It's not enough that they hoard wealth beyond what a person needs to live ~comfortably~, they need to make a KILLING (especially relating to the stock market or corporate mergers or buy-outs/take-overs). Sure, not only Republican's operate in a manner such as this, but only Republican's are whining about sharing the wealth and paying taxes. The US's current financial crisis is like a serious game of Parker Brother's Monopoly. Only, in the board game, when one person has all the wealth the game is called, the money redistributed and a new game is started. How does the country get back the money from the few people have it all? How do we restart this game? Now, does the US government have to borrow the money from Warren Buffett? Or worse yet, Saudi Arabia, China? Good Lord!
He responded with:
------------- I don't think it fair to assign that to only republicans -------- all people want MORE than what they need to be on the safe side ----------- as in today's investment market place ---------- what one had and thought was enough in reality was not enough ---------- My point is -------- there are just as many overly rich democrats as republicans ------------ I think -------------- one more thing ---------- GREED has no party affiliation in my view -------- GREED has to be stopped
It's sad, really, I never got his opinion on my Monopoly analogy. Typical Republican. Avoid avoid avoid, redirect, avoid.
Monday, October 6, 2008
ON CHOSING A VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE
In considering the relatively short list of women that hold office in the Republican party, it's really no wonder how they came up with Sarah Palin. If they went by photographs alone, then, hands-down, Palin wins her party's endorsement. If they went by public appeal, then, as far as I can find on the Internet, she has no anti-Palin websites as does Linda Lingle, at least not prior to her nomination.
In fact, it's painfully obvious that the articles which popped up after Palin's nomination may be too late to be as effective as hoped. Palin's home state of Alaska has the most square mileage of any state. Plenty of land for people and animals to cohabit. So, why are we now hearing of the aerial hunting of animals in Alaska? I'm fairly certain this has been going on for years and years and... well, basically since the invention of flying machines and the idea of hunting merged together. I'm concerned why this hasn't been more of a mainstream issue prior to Palin. But anyway...
If McCain were given a portfolio of Republican women that held office, had that portfolio slammed down in front of him, was told to pick one from this fine crop of "gals". How and whom would he choose? Considering the short list, and speed of the decision, I thought it was rather apparent how he chose.
Lisa Murkowski (R - AK)
Susan M. Collins (R - ME)
Elizabeth Dole (R - NC)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R - TX)
Olympia J. Snowe (R - ME)
Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
Governor M. Jodi Rell, Connecticut
Governor Linda Lingle, Hawai
Friday, October 3, 2008
VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES ON ABC.COM
In Response To: Sarah Palin, Joe Biden Meet for Highly Anticipated Vice Presidential Debate
Posted by:
Posted by:
swissfranc 9:50 AM
irnyc 10:32 AM
casa_rojo 11:11 AM
Well, doggone it Sarah - I betcha didn't spend much prep time on the debate if that's all you can come up with is betcha, wink, darnit, wink! Frankly, it scares the bejeebers out of me that is woman could possibly sit across from a foreign diplomat and say tese things. America is already the joke of the planet because of Bush/Cheney - now we got the 'folksy Sarah'? Even more frightening - she wants more power given to the VP! Yikes! Finally, her arrogance in stating that she wasn't going to answer questions from Ifill and/or Biden the way they might want her to - but instead she was going to talk to Americans. Excuse me - try saying that to the leader of one our allied nations or worse - an enemy! I still want McCain to define 'Victory in Iraq'!
Posted by:
WindyCitySan 11:29 AM
Good grief, watching Sarah Palin gave me a head ache. Who did she **** to get this spot? I'm not trying to be crass, really I just have to know what possessed McCain to pick this woman when he had an abundance of better choices. She avoided major questions, yes she looked like a six-pack drinkin' deer caught in the headlights, and the camera flirting...what was that all about? You are not a cheap celebrity sweetheart, you're up for the Vice President position in office so the "sex sells" technique does not apply here. Besides, I personally don't want some Alaskan hick helping to run a country, much less take over the presidency should McCain pass. The way I see it, if the "Average-American" is what people want to vote for, they aren't going to find it in this election. Both candidates are not up to par but we as the American voters can't do much about it. Money makes candidates succeed, not votes. The more money you have the better your chances of becoming a presidential candidate. Lord help us all in November. Enjoy your weekend everyone.
Posted by:
TX312 11:31 AM
What an insult...Palin references Joe Six Packers and Hockey Mom's is the best she can come up with after all that coaching. In today's terms..."Its not all about you..Sarah!...wink..wink. Her responses certainly made me even more certain she does not have the experience or ability to be second in line to lead our country. Palin has a place in leadership...I'm sure a Hocky Team out there somewhere needs her. Biden's direct consise responses show us the seriousness of the issues we face and how we got here. We are certainly not experiencing the land of prospering opportunity we once were. The plans and measures of our current admisinstration has been to our demise and Biden has the experience to recongize it and the courage to remind us all of it.
Posted by:
pwin49pa 11:36 AM