The Skunk and Tiger

Home After Second Hip Surgery.

2010-04-22T18:37:00.000-04:00

Nosing Around the Zoo.

2010-04-10T16:33:00.000-04:00

Mmmmmm. People!

2010-04-10T00:58:00.000-04:00

Never Enough Nukes For the Teabag Queen.

2010-04-10T00:50:00.001-04:00

Wow, so Obama is not pro-drilling enough he is also not pro-nukes enough, even though its the same nuke policy Reagan talked about. Not that I would expect Palin to have any sense of U.S. history as far back as twenty some years ago. She is such a Teabag Celeb! Hannity and Bachmann are full of it too.

Palin: Obama nuke strategy is like kid saying ‘punch me in the face’

Hot Politicians

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin may not really be able to see Russia from her front yard, but she did weigh in on President Barack Obama's overhaul of US policy on the use of nuclear weapons. Calling the president's move "unbelievable," Palin told Fox News' Sean Hannity that "no administration in America's history would, I think, ever have considered such a step that we just found out President Obama is supporting today."
Said Palin: "It's kind of like getting out there on a playground, a bunch of kids, getting ready to fight, and one of the kids saying, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face and I'm not going to retaliate. Go ahead and do what you want to with me.'
The Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled new limits
on the nation's nuclear arsenal, saying it would only use atomic weapons in "extreme circumstances" and would not attack non-nuclear states. The administration said for the first time that countries without atomic weapons which complied with non-proliferation treaty obligations need not fear a US nuclear attack. But President Barack Obama warned exceptions could be made for "outliers" such as Iran and North Korea, which are both accused of flouting UN resolutions.
"The president is saying that if there is a biological, chemical attack against the United States of America, or if there is a cyberattack, a major cyberattack, if it's a country that is part of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, then America has taken nuclear weapons off the table," Fox host Hannity said at a rally in Minnesota for Rep. Michele Bachmann.
"It's unacceptable," Palin responded. "This is another thing that the American public -- the more that they find out what is a part of this agenda -- they are going to rise up and they are going to say 'no more.' National security, national defense is the number one job of the federal government

Under the Dome

2010-04-07T21:46:00.000-04:00

A little longer than it probably needed to be, but a very fun read. A nice twilight-zone type ending. I was hoping a book this size would be as fantastic as the Stand and It but I guess those two King masterpieces can never be matched.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

2010-04-05T09:48:00.000-04:00

Sunday, Bunny Sunday.

2010-04-04T11:09:00.000-04:00

AWFULs

2010-03-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

"Patriot" hate groups on the rise again, just like in the 1990's. Kentucky always gets a bad rap but Michigan has many more of the Angry White Fringe United Leagues (I call them AWFUL's).

CNN report suggests Antichrist-fearing militia group hosted Tea Party

From Raw Story

A militia group worried about the Antichrist was the subject of multiple reports over the weekend."A Christian militia group was a target of at least one of a series of weekend raids the FBI conducted in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, a Michigan militia leader says," the Associated Press reports.

The FBI said Sunday that it had conducted raids in the three states, resulting in at least three arrests. Federal warrants were sealed, but a federal law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said some of those arrested face gun charges and officials are pursuing other suspects. Some of the suspects were expected in court Monday.It wasn't clear what prompted the raids, but Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, a Christian militia group. They said their property in southeast Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lackomar said.
"They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide," he said. "My team leader said, 'No thanks."'

"Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment," Hutaree.com reads. "The only thing on earth to save the testimony and those who follow it, are the members of the testimony, til the return of Christ in the clouds. We, the Hutaree, are prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren't. We will still spread the word, and fight to keep it, up to the time of the great coming."
Another AP report notes, "Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that members of the group had planned multiple attacks on police officers or other law enforcement personnel as way to express their hatred for the government. Charges against members of the militia group are expected to be unsealed later Monday when some of the suspects appear in court."
"Nine members of a militia group arrested in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio were planning to 'levy war' against the United States and 'oppose by force' the nation's government, according to an indictment released this morning in U.S. District Court in Detroit," the Detroit News reports.
The indictment says they were planning to kill a member of law enforcement, possibly after a traffic stop, to "prompt a response by law enforcement."
The goal: To "intimidate and demoralize law enforcement, diminishing their ranks and rendering them ineffective," according to the indictment.
The group then intended to use the incident to spark a "war" against law enforcement, using bombs, ambushes and prepared fighting positions.
During a report about the arrests, CNN's Susan Candiotti displayed a web page from MichiganMilitia.com advertising a "Tea Party." The website promotes an "Open Carry Family Picnic & Tea Party" to be held on April 10, 2010.

Read More Here

Freaky Booth

2010-03-28T17:20:00.000-04:00

Spending time with family and close friends in a special town Sam calls "Freaky Booth". Also we officially entered our thirty-somethings with our new (used) mini-van.

The Hysteria Rises

2010-03-25T23:07:00.000-04:00

I have a new favorite quote "Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soul that are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge."-Horace Mann

New online Harris poll basically says: Republicans are insane

By John Amato

OK, let's have some fun. There's a new Harris poll that was just released and the results are pretty hysterical. It's not scientific, but based on who decided to take it online during the height of the health care debate, so take it for what it is:

On the heels of health care, a new Harris poll reveals Republican attitudes about Obama: Two-thirds think he's a socialist, 57 percent a Muslim—and 24 percent say "he may be the Antichrist."
To anyone who thinks the end of the health-care vote means a return to civility, wake up.
Obama Derangement Syndrome—pathological hatred of the president posing as patriotism—has infected the Republican Party. Here's new data to prove it:
67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that Obama is a socialist. The belief that Obama is a “domestic enemy” is widely held—a sign of trouble yet to come.
57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president" 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did" Scariest of all, 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist." These numbers all come from a brand-new Harris poll, inspired in part by my new book Wingnuts. It demonstrates the cost of the campaign of fear and hate that has been pumped up in the service of hyper-partisanship over the past 15 months. We are playing with dynamite by demonizing our president and dividing the United States in the process. What might be good for ratings is bad for the country.
• Michelle Goldberg: What the Polls Really Show The poll, which surveyed 2,230 people right at the height of the health-care reform debate, also clearly shows that education is a barrier to extremism. Respondents without a college education are vastly more likely to believe such claims, while Americans with college degrees or better are less easily duped. It's a reminder of what the 19th-century educator Horace Mann once too-loftily said: "Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soul that are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge."

The poll was based on John Avlon's new book: Wingnuts. If nothing else it speaks to the people that are clicking through and then taking the poll. Clearly there is a derangement syndrome going on in America today. We know this by the behavior we see everyday and the actions...oh...like...cutting someone's gas line. Things like that.

GOP Celeb Hints at Violent Action.

2010-03-24T20:37:00.001-04:00

It is getting to the point that the GOP spokespeople, not just the fringe base, are trolling for bloodshed. I called my republican rep, not that it matters. The polarization is sickening, but when you rise above it, it is almost like going to the circus. I just hope no one gets hurt.

Sarah Palin's PAC Puts Gun Sights On Democrats She's Targeting In 2010

From Huffington Post

Sarah Palin is targeting -- yes, with gun sights -- House Democrats facing tough reelection fights who voted for health care reform. Palin's Facebook page now carries a map featuring 20 gun sights, one for each of the Democrats targeted this year by her political action committee SarahPAC. Three of the gun sights, those where incumbent Democrats have already announced their retirement, are colored red.
Likewise, Palin's rhetoric is decidedly militant. "We'll aim for these races and many others," she wrote on her Facebook page. "This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to sarahpac.com and join me in the fight."

Adele Update

2010-03-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

Adele is going to have another major surgery. Her right leg is coming out of its socket again and it's not getting better. Her surgery is scheduled for April 20 at University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital, and will take 4 hours. They will be cutting her femur and changing the angle so it better stays in the hip socket. Then, they will reshape her hip socket to get better coverage and also help the femur stay in place. We are, of course, devastated that the first surgery didn't work as we hoped. Adele will be in the hospital for at least two nights (last time it turned into three nights, though). She will be in a hip spica body cast for at least six weeks after, then possibly in a hip brace for another six weeks after that. While we are so sad to put her through this, we now have lots of experience in what Adele needs, what we need to help her. For example, diiapering requires a Poise Pad, on top of a size 2 diaper, stuffed under the edges of the cast, then all wrapped up with a size six diaper over the cast. We are planning to rent TWO hip spica car seats, so BOTH parents can pick up or drop off from daycare. Last time Adele learned to crawl in the cast by about week four or five -- this time I'm betting she'll be going by week two or three!
In other (good) news, Adele is now grabbing a cookie or a cracker and bringing it to her mouth more consistently, and she had a very good occupational therapy session on Monday. She used a oral vibrator (no laughing please) and she used it like a spoon to feed herself after the food was placed on it. She will have lots of opportunity to practice her fine motor over the next few months.

Health Care Close to Passing.

2010-03-21T22:31:00.000-04:00

Its not a perfect bill, but this is the first time I can remember congress working on strengthining the social safety net rather than dismantling government regulation. Everytime I was discouraged or disappointed in how the Health Care debate was going I had to remind myself that if McCain Palin had won in 2008 we would not even be having these debates or any bill at all.

Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor, Professor at Berkeley
The Final Health Care Vote and What it Really Means
It's not nearly as momentous as the passage of Medicare in 1965 and won't fundamentally alter how Americans think about social safety nets. But the likely passage of Obama's health care reform bill is the biggest thing Congress has done in decades, and has enormous political significance for the future.
Medicare directly changed the life of every senior in America, giving them health security and dramatically reducing their rates of poverty. By contrast, most Americans won't be affected by Obama's health care legislation. Most of us will continue to receive health insurance through our employers. (Only a comparatively small minority will be required to buy insurance who don't want it, or be subsidized in order to afford it. Only a relatively few companies will be required to provide it who don't now.)
Medicare built on Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal notion of government as insurer, with citizens making payments to government, and government paying out benefits. That was the central idea of Social Security, and Medicare piggybacked on Social Security.
Obama's legislation comes from an alternative idea, begun under the Eisenhower administration and developed under Nixon, of a market for health care based on private insurers and employers. Eisenhower locked in the tax break for employee health benefits; Nixon pushed prepaid, competing health plans, and urged a requirement that employers cover their employees. Obama applies Nixon's idea and takes it a step further by requiring all Americans to carry health insurance, and giving subsidies to those who need it.
So don't believe anyone who says Obama's health care legislation marks a swing of the pendulum back toward the Great Society and the New Deal. Obama's health bill is a very conservative piece of legislation, building on a Republican rather than a New Deal foundation. The New Deal foundation would have offered Medicare to all Americans or, at the very least, featured a public insurance option.
The significance of Obama's health legislation is more political than substantive. For the first time since Ronald Reagan told America government is the problem, Obama's health bill reasserts that government can provide a major solution. In political terms, that's a very big deal.
Most Americans continue to be suspicious of government. That distrust is deeply etched in our culture and traditions. Our system of government was devised by people who distrusted government and intentionally created checks and balances, three separate branches, and almost insuperable odds against getting big things done. The period extending from 1933 to 1965 -- the New Deal and the Great Society -- was an historical aberration from that long tradition, animated by the unique crises of the Great Depression and World War II, and the social cohesion that flowed from them for another generation. Ronald Reagan merely picked up where Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover left off.

But Reagan's view of government as the problem is increasingly at odds with a nation whose system of health care relies on large for-profit entities designed to make money rather than improve health; whose economy is dependent on global capital and on global corporations and financial institutions with no particular loyalty to America; and much of whose fuel comes from unstable and dangerous areas of the world. Under these conditions, government is the only entity that can look out for our interests.

We will not return to the New Deal or the Great Society, but nor will we continue to wallow in the increasingly obsolete Reagan view that we don't need a strong and competent government. Today's vote confirms our hope that we can have both strength and competence in Washington. It is an audacious hope, but we have no choice.

The Conservative Fringe gets Uglier (if possible).

2010-03-20T17:49:00.004-04:00

Ahhh. The true face of the Teabag anti-reform movement and it is no surprise it has nothing to do with health care reform at all.

Tea Party Protests: 'Ni**er,' 'Faggot' Shouted At Members Of Congress

Sam Stein HuffPost Reporting

Abusive, derogatory and even racist behavior directed at House Democrats by Tea Party protesters on Saturday left several lawmakers in shock.
Preceding the president's speech to a gathering of House Democrats, thousands of protesters descended around the Capitol to protest the passage of health care reform. The gathering quickly turned into abusive heckling, as members of Congress passing through Longworth House office building were subjected to epithets and even mild physical abuse.
A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-M.D.) had been spit on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-G.A.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a 'ni--er.' And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.
But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

"It was absolutely shocking to me," Clyburn told the Huffington Post. "Last Monday, this past Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus of Claflin University where fifty years ago as of last Monday... I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit ins... And quite frankly I heard some things today I have not heard since that day. I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus."
"It doesn't make me nervous as all," the congressman said, when asked how the mob-like atmosphere made him feel. "In fact, as I said to one heckler, I am the hardest person in the world to intimidate, so they better go somewhere else."
Asked if he wanted an apology from the group of Republican lawmakers who had addressed the crowd and, in many ways, played on their worst fears of health care legislation, the Democratic Party, and the president, Clyburn replied:
"A lot of us have been saying for a long time that much of this, much of this is not about health care a all. And I think a lot of those people today demonstrated that this is not about health care... it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful."

Wow, real inspiring patriots, these Tea-Baggers. Nice that these blood crazed protesters can outright call for violence and insight hatred without any consequence but just plan to protest the RNC in 2008 and you get arrested.Spitting and gay-baiting too, but this hysteria has been going on since before the election. If these Tea-Baggers tried to have an informed and fair discussion their brains would burst. For the past 25 years the angry white working class have just about voted themselves out of existence and now they want to blame their favorite scapegoats: Blacks, Gays, and Liberals. They must believe if you are one of those three you are also a Socialist, because there is nothing in that Bill that even comes close to socialism. All I wanted was the public option, but I don't know if that makes me a Marxist, a Czar, or a Batman villain? If you reach that level of crazy hate please tell me.

Snow-Sugarbush Time Again.

2010-03-20T16:20:00.001-04:00

GOP/FOX lies about Health Care Reform.

2010-03-19T19:49:00.001-04:00

If you think health care reform it is too expensive then roll back the Bush tax cuts for the mega wealthy, stop privatizing the military and stop allowing corporations to buy politicians and write legislation.

Kitchen sink: Fox's last-ditch effort to rally opposition to health care reform

Posted using ShareThis

Fox News' weeklong assault: Distortions and falsehoods abound
Fox falsely attributes doctor survey to New England Journal of Medicine. Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Brian Kilmeade, Sean Hannity and Marc Siegel all pushed the false claim that a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) survey found that 46 percent of primary care physicians would consider leaving their profession if health care reform legislation passes. In fact, NEJM says they didn't publish or conduct the 3-month-old email "survey," which was actually conducted by The Medicus Firm and published in an employment newsletter.
Fox News erases 2006 Hawaii earthquake to attack Obama. Responding to President Obama's statement during a Fox News interview that Hawaii "went through an earthquake" and could benefit from a health care reform provision that would help Louisiana cope with Medicaid shortfalls resulting from Hurricane Katrina, Doocy asked, "What Hawaiian earthquake?" In fact, as Fox News itself reported at the time, President Bush declared a "major disaster" after Hawaii was hit by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in October 2006. [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 3/18/10]
Beck attacks family of 11-year-old who spoke about his mother's death at health care event. Following 11-year-old Marcelas Owens' appearance at a health care reform event to speak about his mother, who reportedly died after losing her health insurance, Beck asked, "Where was grandma" when Marcelas' mother was sick and attacked her work with the organization Washington Community Action Network, saying the group was "all about economic, racial, gender, and social justice for all," which he called, "pesky phrases." [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 3/15/10]
Fox calls CBO score untrustworthy. After the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the health care reform reconciliation package would reduce the deficit by $130 billion over 10 years, Fox News -- led by Beck, Hannity, Doocy, Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer and The Fox Nation -- attempted to portray the nonpartisan CBO as untrustworthy and unreliable. By contrast, after the CBO gave a "favorable" score to the GOP health care plan, Fox praised the office as "nonpartisan" and advanced false GOP claims about the CBO's findings.
Fox News suggests Dems were bought off to support health care reform. Dick Morris suggested that Obama "illegal[ly]" nominated Rep. Jim Matheson's (D-UT) brother Scott "to a judgeship with an implicit quid pro quo." Rep. Matheson's office and the White House have called the smear "ridiculous" and "absurd," former Bush-appointed judge Michael McConnell definitely debunked the smear and conservatives have stated that Scott Matheson is "plenty qualified for the job." Likewise, following Rep. Dennis Kucinich's (D-OH) appearance on Fox & Friends to discuss his decision to support the bill, Fox News displayed a graphic stating: "What was Kucinich promised? Congressman changed vote from no to yes."
Fox anchors falsely attack House rule as undemocratic. Fox News anchors, during their self-described daytime "news hours," repeatedly forwarded the false suggestion that by using a legislative procedure known as the "self-executing rule" to finalize health care reform in the House, Democrats would be passing health care reform "without actually voting for it." In fact, passing legislation by using the procedure would require a majority vote. Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich criticized the rule as "incredible" and "passing bills without voting on them," despite the fact that the Republican Party "set new records" for its use of the self-executing rule in the years following Gingrich's ascension as Speaker.

More Adele Off Road.

2010-03-16T22:32:00.000-04:00

Off Roading with Adele

2010-03-16T20:46:00.000-04:00

Adele got to practice with her walker outside today. She also gave me a kiss, while she has received many, she has never given kisses back. There is that social reciprocity again.

Remembering Peter Graves

2010-03-15T23:56:00.002-04:00

Peter Graves died yesterday of a heart attack at the age of 84. He stared in "Airplane" a movie my brothers and I rented over and over one summer. Later I would watch this film with my friends Chris and Ryan usually on New Year's Eve. Gaves also stared in a few B-Movies I recall fondly on MST3k such as 'It Conquered... the World' During the writers strike in the late 80's he had a reprise role in Mission Impossible, much more watchable than the film versions. Godspeed Mr. Graves. You will be missed.

Adele Feeds Self for First Time!

2010-03-14T21:08:00.001-04:00

Adele fed herself an Oreo Cookie! This is the first time she’s ever fed herself with her hand, other than holding a bottle. We are thrilled that we found something she liked well enough to motivate her to feed herself!
Thanks Nabisco, for making junk food beloved by toddlers of all abilities.

Adele is over two years old now and has a ‘placeholder’ diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. We recently had a IEP meeting with several professionals and therapists from the Early On program. While Adele has behaviors that are similar to Autism, her social interactions, while sporadic and unpredictable, are not best explained by placing her on the autistic spectrum at this early age. She has just been tested for cognitive impairment, and is greater than 3 standard deviations below the mean, meaning she is severely cognitively impaired. Since she also has the diagnosis of a physical impairment (Cerebral Palsy), she qualifies as “Severe Multiple Impairment”, a disability category used in educational settings, which will make her eligible for additional programs. For now, Adele is best understood as being very developmentally delayed and intellectually disabled, functioning in the 6-11 month range for most behaviors and cognitive abilities.
Today, she put a cookie in her mouth for the first time, repeatedly! It’s all about finding the right thing to motivate, I guess.

Rep. Messa and his Tickle Fights.

2010-03-14T11:07:00.000-04:00

Jerry is right, it must be strange to be the crazy one in Glenbeckistan.

Saturday Mornings

2010-03-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

Opinions

2010-03-12T23:22:00.000-05:00

The opinion page can be a real drag, but today I saw two letters to the editor in the ever shrinking Lansing State Journal that made me smile.

Tea-partiers can relocate

I wonder if tea-partiers and the anti-government, "rights of the individual" purists out there ever follow their own arguments to their logical ends.

If they think government-ensured health care for all is a form of socialism, then presumably they also object to being taxed for armed forces to protect our nation, government employees to build and maintain our roads, public teachers to educate our children and so on. We'd have to wait for the market to correct Toyota's "errors," assuming they also object to governmental consumer protections.

Individual rights carried to the extreme mean anarchy - every (wo)man for her/himself. Do they really think that is preferable to a society that includes compassion in its national ethos and which chooses to govern and regulate itself for the common good?'

If so, then perhaps they'd be happier living elsewhere. But finding their ideal government could prove difficult. Other developed nations long ago rejected such selfish, misguided and antisocial demands.

Ellen Link
Laingsburg

Churches can fund care

I have the perfect solution on health-care funding.

The average yearly income for all of America's tax-exempt religious organizations is $15 billion. If we asked them to donate .001 percent of that, we would have $15 million a year to insure the 30 million Americans who don't have insurance. That leaves $500,000 per person per year per policy.

I am sure that there is no religious group in America that would object to such a small tithing of their church's income for the welfare of fellow Americans. If there are any objections by any religious group, I would hope they speak out so their members would know they really don't care about people who are sick.

Patrick O'Neill
Grand Ledge

Hocus Pocus on the Focus

2010-03-11T17:27:00.002-05:00

May Focus on the Family and Dobson continue to become less relevant and more obscure. Nice that they donated a million dollars to Dobson so his 40 something skateboarder son can have a radio career. Not to forget the millions they spent on subverting gay rights in other states while laying off hundreds of their own staff in Colorado. I used to listen to this show on a daily basis, always quite interested in how the religious right operates. Was surprised on how little time was devoted to actual family and family issues and how much time was given to paranoid political views, nationalism, advocating war, homophobia and attacks on fictional characters. With such blatant promotion for the GOP, I still do not understand how they remain a 501(c). I guess it helps having million dollar lawyers and lobbyists.

James Dobson Was Pushed Out Of Focus On The Family, Says Influential Evangelical
From Huffington Post

Contrary to most reports, one prominent evangelical thinks that iconic evangelical James Dobson was pushed out of Focus on the Family, the conservative group he founded, because he no longer squared with the image the group was trying to project.

Ken Hutcherson, who leads the Antioch Bible megachurch in Kirkland, Wash. and is a friend of Dobson, wrote an article for World Net Daily in which he says he "knows" that Focus on the Family's board of directors forced Dobson out of his radio show because they wanted to take a new, less divisive direction.

Hutcherson argues that Dobson, who is starting a new radio venture with his son, "did not want to stop his voice from being heard over the airway after turning over leadership to the new team."

Dobson has been phased out of the organization's everyday operations since 2003. He resigned his position as Chairman of Focus on the Family in February, 2009, but continued to do his radio show until February of 2010.

Hutcherson thinks parting ways with Dobson is part of a larger effort on the part of Focus on the Family to become "loved and understood."

As Talking Point Memo points out, Dobson seemed confused and troubled by the board's request that he stop doing his radio show, and has suggested it was part of a broader paradigm shift.

"[T]the board of directors voted privately on Wednesday -- before we got there -- to ask for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. We can only guess the reason for their decision because frankly I don't fully know," Dobson said during a November radio show. "But it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the beginning of another."

Focus donated $1 million to Dobson to start his new show.
Focus officials vehemently denied the claims on Wednesday.
In the article, Hutcherson was critical of Focus's new direction, and suggested that he should have been offered a leadership position in the organization

The Story of Stuff.

2010-03-10T17:31:00.002-05:00

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever. http://storyofstuff.org

Estate Tax

2010-03-09T16:28:00.000-05:00

Here is yet another champion of a made up 'Death Tax' crisis. It is unfortunate that there are so many delusional Americans (Tea-Baggers) who think they will be millionaire’s some day and can be fooled into something as silly as repealing the Estate Tax. 'Hey, Millionaires need that money to buy Politicians!'

While Americans Look for Work, Blanche Lincoln Works to Cut Taxes for Millionaires

from Firedoglake

The nation is suffering its worst economic slump since the 1930s.
10% of the country is out of work, many more have given up looking for
a job, and even those Americans who are fortunate enough to be employed
are struggling to make ends meet under the burden of higher medical
costs.

Kind of an odd time to be worried about the Estate Tax.

Lobbyists
for small businesses, construction companies, manufacturers and other
trade groups are racing the clock to convince Congress to reinstate the
federal estate tax they’ve fought for years to abolish. The
National Federation of Independent Business and more than 40 business
organizations wrote Senate and House leaders last week asking for quick
action on a proposed 35 percent levy on inheritances worth more than
$10 million per couple.
[...]
The groups have changed positions in a bid to head off higher taxes on the horizon: Unless
Congress acts, current law would raise the tax next year to 55 percent
on estates after they exceed $2 million per couple, from nothing this
year.

Don’t you feel the urgency people?! There are
desperate millionaires out there who will pay higher taxes UNLESS WE
ACT NOW!!!11!1

Blanche to the rescue!

Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl and Arkansas Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln have proposed setting the rate at 35 percent, retroactive to Jan. 1. The measure would apply to the portion of estates that exceed $10 million per couple, and would adjust that exemption for inflation in later years.

Extra style points for teaming up with Jon Kyl, there, Blanche.

And here’s the kicker.

The
legislation pushed by Kyl and Lincoln, exempting $10 million per couple
from taxation, would affect 3,030 taxpayers this year, including 310 business owners or farmers, according to Tax Policy Center estimates.

Don’t have a job? Don’t have health care? Tough shit. Got an estate worth $10M? Blanche is ready to help.

Donate to Bill Halter’s campaign.

Blame the Unemployed (Because They Want It).

2010-03-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

Tom Delay: People Are Unemployed Because They Want To Be
Sam Stein
From Huffington Post

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay called Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) "brave" on Sunday for launching a one-man filibuster of unemployment benefits, arguing that they dissuaded people from going out and finding work.

Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," the Texas Republican said that Bunning's fiscal responsibility was commendable, even if his shenanigans (refusing to allow unemployment benefits to be considered by unanimous consent) nearly brought the Senate to a halt.

"Nothing would have happened if the Democrats had just paid for [the benefits]," Delay said. "People would have gotten their unemployment compensation. I think Bunning was brave in standing up there and taking it on by himself."

Asked whether it was bad strategy to make a budget stand on a $10 billion extension of unemployment (as opposed to, say, the Bush's $720 billion prescription drug package), Delay insisted that if the PR had been done right, Bunning would have been applauded. Helping the unemployed with federal assistance, he said, was unsound policy.

"You know," Delay said, "there is an argument to be made that these extensions, the unemployment benefits keeps people from going and finding jobs. In fact there are some studies that have been done that show people stay on unemployment compensation and they don't look for a job until two or three weeks before they know the benefits are going to run out.

Host Candy Crowley: Congressman, that's a hard sell, isn't it?

Delay: it's the truth.

Crowley: People are unemployed because they want to be?
Delay: well, it is the truth. and people in the real world know it. And they have friends and they know it. Sure, we ought to be helping people that are unemployed find a job, but we also have budget considerations that are incredibly important, especially now that Obama is spending monies that we don't have.

Tom Delay is not above kicking someone when they are down or capitalizing on other people’s tragedy. Do not forget this is the guy who used a terminally brain dead woman as a political football. This is the guy who allowed corporations and lobbyist to write their own regulatory legislation and conduct business on the House floor while congress was in session. Tom Delay member of the 'The Family' Christian Cult and friends with other criminals like Jack Abramoff. I can also tell you about Jim Bunning having lived in Kentucky and watching him run one of the dirtiest campaigns in recent memory. Jim Bunning, former baseball player and current Mitch McConnell page, won a narrow race in 2004 by hinting that his opponent, Daniel Mongiardo, was a possible homosexual and that he looked like 'one of Saddam's Hussein's sons. It is real hard to find two bigger Scumbags, even in the GOP.

AFA Staffer Says Bible Mandates Death For SeaWorld Orca

2010-03-07T08:10:00.001-05:00

Talk To Action | Whale Tale: AFA Staffer Says Bible Mandates Death For SeaWorld Orca

Side Note: American Family Association founder, and World Class Bigot Donald Wildmon has stepped down due to an illness he contracted from a mosquitoe. Rest assured the mosquitoe did not catch anything from Wildmon and is doing fine.

The Milky Way

2010-03-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

This was shot over Hawaii, if you slow down the frames at the bottom of the screen you can see Dog the Bounty Hunter spray someone with mace.

The White Mountain from charles on Vimeo.

The 9 Worst Movies Ever Made (That Will Make You Question Humanity)

2010-03-06T22:08:00.003-05:00

There are movies like "Glitter," "Gigli," and "Big Momma's House 2" -- movies that make you question the mental capacities of Hollywood execs. But then there are these films that make you long for a Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy. Yes, these are actually the worst movies ever made, and just in time for the Oscars we want you to vote for the worst of the worst! » Full Story on Huffington Post

Nine horrific films and I want to see them all! I think Pocket Ninjas or Praise Band would be my favorite. Birdemic looks like it was based on a 1990's screen-saver.

Birdemic

Pocket Ninjas

Praise Band

Freedomworks

2010-03-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

Its funny that a conservative think tank/ astro turf organization like Freedomworks is calling reconciliation a "parliamentary trick." Reconciliation is just an up or down vote with a 51 majority rule. No one has used this "trick" more than republicans. It was how Bush 43 passed his tax cuts for the wealthy. If health care reform is socialism than so is Medicare and if you want to opt out of that you should probably stop driving on our socialized roads too. In regards to expense, health care reform is a drop in the bucket compared to the money that is wasted on the military industrial complex. The current bill just scratches the surface of what needs to be done.

A Day at the Science Museum.

2010-02-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

Shutter Island

2010-02-28T21:31:00.001-05:00

Martin Scorsese gives this film a 1940's feel making it seem like a
remake. The plot twist has been done many times before and there are
many cliche moments but they work as a tribute to the mystery flicks of
the past. Even if you guess the ending the acting of this stellar cast
will make it worthwhile. Some of the people sitting near us gasped
"what!" at the end, but any befuddlement will be due to a lack of
interest or attention.

Adele's Walker

2010-01-18T17:44:00.000-05:00

Adele tried out her walker with her physical therapist today. She was able to walk across the room, needs work on keeping her feet flat. Check out her Highway Adele bumper sticker.

Adele and Euphie

2010-01-16T22:51:00.000-05:00

Lego Vs. Lego

2010-01-16T22:48:00.000-05:00

Monster Battle I

2010-01-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

Monster Battle II

2010-01-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

Real Tasty

2010-01-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

Rush Blimpbaugh

2010-01-14T21:32:00.002-05:00

Only a day after Pat Robertson's insane and insensitive comments about the Haiti earthquake, Rush tries to out sleaze him with some good old fashion racism. I wonder, however, if his Ditto-heads are even aware of the recent events in the poorest country in this hemisphere or even where Haiti is on a map.

Rush never has to worry about losing "credibility" with the angry white knuckle dragging community.

"Yes, I think in the Haiti earthquake, ladies and gentlemen -- in the words of Rahm Emanuel -- we have another crisis simply too good to waste. This will play right into Obama's hands. He's humanitarian, compassionate. They'll use this to burnish their, shall we say, "credibility" with the black community -- in the both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. It's made-to-order for them. That's why he couldn't wait to get out there, could not wait to get out there."

Limbaugh: Obama will use Haiti to boost credibility with "light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country"

Posted using ShareThis

Bell South

2010-01-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

Just figured out how to post photos on blogger again.

The Devil went down to Haiti

2010-01-13T17:57:00.004-05:00

Whenever there is a terrible natural disaster or a man-made terror you can always count on Pat Robertson to be the first to exploit it. What a national treasure we have.

Robertson's "true story": Haiti "swore a pact to the devil" to get "free from the French" and "ever since, they have been cursed"

Posted using ShareThis

PAT ROBERTSON: And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, "We will serve you if you will get us free from the French." True story. And so, the devil said, "OK, it's a deal."

And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I'm optimistic something good may come. But right now, we're helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.

KRISTI WATTS (co-host): Absolutely, Pat.

I think Pat the Historian is referring to this.

If you look into Haitian history, there's a story about a priest whose death led to the final slave revolt that resulted in Haitian independence. Because the guy participated in an animal sacrifice, rather than simply praying to God to be rescued from slavery, he "swore a pact with the devil", don't you know?

Dutty Boukman was a houngan, or vodoun priest whose death was considered a catalyst to the slave uprising that marked the beginning of the HaÃ¯tian Revolution.

Boukman was born in Jamaica, and later sold by his British master to a French plantation owner, who put him to work as a commandeur (slave driver) and, later, a coach driver. His French name came from his English nickname, "Book Man," which he earned due to his ability to read.

On 22 August 1791, Boukman presided in the role of houngan (priest) together with an African-born priestess and conducted a ceremony at the Bois CaÃ¯man and prophesied that the slaves Jean FranÃ§ois, Biassou, and Jeannot would be leaders of a slave revolt that would free the slaves of Saint-Domingue. A pig, which symbolized the wild, free, and untamable spiritual power of the forest and the ancestors, was sacrificed, an oath was taken, and Boukman and the priestess exhorted the listeners to fight bravely against their oppressors. Days later the Haitian Revolution began. Boukman was not the first to attempt a slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, as he was preceded by others, such as Padrejean in 1676, and FranÃ§ois Mackandal in 1757. However, his large size, warrior-like appearance, and fearsome temper made him an effective leader and helped spark the Haitian Revolution.

Just Read: The Road.

2010-01-12T00:25:00.000-05:00

A dark journey into human desperation in a familiar post apocalyptic landscape. McCarthy's pace makes it difficult to put down while at the same provokes dread with the possible ending that awaits. The father/son-God/man symbolism is subtle. Social commentary or any prophetic preaching is absent and unnecessary. A...ny parent will find this story haunting and easily place themselves in the place of the protagonist. The two characters are just shadows much like the world they inhabit. With one terrible event after another you would not expect the ending to make the book as a whole beautiful and uplifting, but that is exactly what happens. A much more solid ending than 'No Country for Old Men' that lives you without any questions but plenty to think about. Those that are not familiar with McCarthy's style may find his refusal to use quotation marks jarring, but it does not take long to get used too, and it matches his pillaged and barren environment. It will be interesting to see if the film version has the same success.

Adele's GEN test.

2009-12-23T22:28:00.000-05:00

Adele's genetic tests came back negative, unfortunately that just makes us more frustrated. She does meet all the criteria for cerebral palsy, but that tends to be a catch all diagnosis when they have ruled out everything else. In 2009 Adele had an MRI, Chromosome tests, Rett syndrom test, abdominal ultra-sound, hip x-ray (as well as major hip surgery), and array CGH genetic test. We will see what awaits us in 2010. Thanks for all your support.

Palin Supporters Struggle To Explain Why They Support Palin (VIDEO)

2009-11-23T23:06:00.000-05:00

Nicholas Graham from Huffington Post

Chase Whitestead and Erick Stroll of "New Left Media" set out to determine just what was it about Sarah Palin that impelled her supporters to stand in massive lines for hours for the chance to meet her at book signings.

They interviewed several of her supporters who were waiting in line at a Borders bookstore in Columbus, Ohio. These fans expressed very strong support for Palin, but it was generally couched in vague generalities about her being "real" and "strong" and "fair."

When pressed to cite specific policies that they favored or thought qualified her for the presidency, most of her fans struggled to come up with anything other than generic lines about cutting taxes and spending and the Palin staple: "drill, baby, drill."

On the other hand, they were all worried that President Obama has been doing enormous damage to the country. However, again, specifics eluded them

Tranquility Base - Science and Society

2009-11-12T23:33:00.002-05:00

Tranquility Base - Science and Society

This is awesome. You can see the original moon landing site as well as the astronaut's footprints all unchanged. Take that lunar landing deniers.

Fish Ladder, No Fish.

2009-11-10T22:44:00.002-05:00

Inside Bronner's

2009-11-08T19:22:00.003-05:00

Our Trip to Frankenmuth II

2009-11-08T19:16:00.001-05:00

Our Trip to Frankenmuth

2009-11-08T19:10:00.002-05:00

Adele Crawls with Cast

2009-11-07T18:53:00.000-05:00

Treat Yourself to the Best

2009-11-03T18:48:00.005-05:00

Under a Blue Sky

2009-11-02T22:24:00.002-05:00

A Walk to November

2009-11-01T16:08:00.000-05:00

2009-11-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

A Walk to November

2009-11-01T15:57:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T20:23:00.002-04:00

Sam's First Day of School!

2009-09-08T19:29:00.002-04:00

Molecule.

2009-09-06T21:50:00.002-04:00

I have been wasting time on facebook so this blog is quite neglected, this article was from last, I thought it was pretty amazing.

Single molecule, one million times smaller than a grain of sand, pictured for first time

By Claire Bates at Mail Online

It may look like a piece of honeycomb, but this lattice-shaped image is the first ever close-up view of a single molecule.

Scientists from IBM used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to reveal the chemical bonds within a molecule.

'This is the first time that all the atoms in a molecule have been imaged,' lead researcher Leo Gross said.
pentacene

The delicate inner structure of a pentacene molecule has been imaged with an atomic force microscope

The researchers focused on a single molecule of pentacene, which is commonly used in solar cells. The rectangular-shaped organic molecule is made up of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms.

In the image above the hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings are clear and even the positions of the hydrogen atoms around the carbon rings can be seen.

To give some perspective, the space between the carbon rings is only 0.14 nanometers across, which is roughly one million times smaller than the diameter of a grain of sand.
Textbook model: A computer-generated image of how we're used to seeing a molecule represented with balls and sticks

Textbook model: A computer-generated image of how we're used to seeing a molecule represented with balls and sticks

'If you think about how a doctor uses an X-ray to image bones and organs inside the human body, we are using the atomic force microscope to image the atomic structures that are the backbones of individual molecules,' said IBM researcher Gerhard Meyer.
3d

A 3D view showing how a single carbon monoxide molecule was used to create the image using a 'tuning fork' effect

The team from IBM Research Zurich said the results could have a huge impact of the field of nanotechnology, which seeks to understand and control some of the smallest objects known to mankind.

The AFM uses a sharp metal tip that acts like a tuning fork to measure the tiny forces between the tip and the molecule. This requires great precision as the tip moves within a nanometer of the sample.

'Above the skeleton of the molecular backbone (of the pentacene) you get a different detuning than above the surface the molecule is lying on,' Mr Gross said.

This detuning is then measured and converted into an image.

To stop the tip from absorbing the pentacene molecule, the researchers replaced the metal with a single molecule of carbon monoxide. This was found to be more stable and created weaker electrostatic attractions with the pentacene, creating a higher resolution image.
Enlarge IBM researchers

IBM researchers Nikolaj Moll, Reto Schlittler, Gerhard Meyer, Fabian Mohn and Leo Gross (l-r) stand behind an atomic force microscope Photo taken by Michael Lowry Image courtesy of IBM Research - Zurich

The experiment was also performed inside a high vacuum at the extremely cold temperature of -268C to avoid stray gas molecules or atomic vibrations from affecting the measurements.

'Eventually we want to investigate using molecules for molecular electronics,' Mr Gross said.

'We want to use molecules as wires or logic switches or elements.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1209726/Single-molecule-million-times-smaller-grain-sand-pictured-time.html#ixzz0QNisfLN4

Hoursebacking in the U.P.

2009-08-08T15:59:00.007-04:00

Some Black and Whites From Last Spring

2009-08-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

Adele at the Fair

2009-08-06T00:17:00.003-04:00

2009 Ingham County Fair

2009-08-05T23:51:00.003-04:00

Round House

2009-08-04T22:15:00.005-04:00

Drills, Models andTrains.

2009-08-04T22:06:00.002-04:00

World's Largest Steam Hoist

2009-08-04T21:57:00.001-04:00

Quincy Mine

2009-08-04T21:38:00.002-04:00

Art and Nature

2009-08-04T21:14:00.005-04:00

Horses

2009-08-04T20:59:00.002-04:00

Pirate Party

2009-08-04T20:50:00.003-04:00

Torch Bay

2009-08-04T18:53:00.004-04:00

Making our way to the Upper Peninsula.

2009-08-04T17:08:00.006-04:00

Adele Independence Day '09

2009-07-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

Samuel Independence Day '09

2009-07-04T23:54:00.002-04:00

More Car Show

2009-07-04T14:50:00.002-04:00

Mason 4th of July Car Show

2009-07-04T14:43:00.002-04:00

I do this every year but it never gets old for me. I just wish I knew more about cars so I could label these correctly.

Adele Medical Update

2009-07-04T13:22:00.003-04:00

Anne has started to journal or search for answers on Adele. It continues to be a confusing and unclear experience, but her doctors are narrowing it down. She continues to make slow progress with her physical and occupational therapies. Speech is still the most challenging for her. Its hard to explain to people that it is more than just being a little behind, but as she gets older this is becoming more apparent. Her big brother Sam has been so great with her as he tries to engage her into play, he even chooses age appropriate toys for her. I am thinking it might be a good idea to post some video of her too, to keep a visual record.

Neurology Visit 7/2/09
Dr Van Dyke

Dr. asked a variety of questions, does she have:
• Jiggly eyes? (no)
• Sharp jerking arm movements with clenched fists? (no)
• Diarrhea? (yes long bout recently, but not constantly)
• Sleeping through the night? (mostly but not really?)
• Any family members with metabolic problems? (celiac disease)
• Feeding problems (yes)
• Food intolerances (not sure)
• Startling (yes)
• Move her eyes upward, look up (not really)
He also asked about:
• Whether I had found out any more about circumstances of pregnancy, i.e. cyst they saw in Adele’s brain on the ultrasound, early threatened miscarriage or state of placenta (I said not really)
• Results from ophthalmology visit with Dr. Liu (I tried to remember anything beyond pseudostrabismus, but it was difficult to remember if they dilated eyes or not)
I mentioned:
• Arm movements that she can’t control, fists to face, head shaking
• More progress with gross motor than fine, not able to feed self/put things in mouth, not pick up items with hands, esp. pincher grip, little to no progress with speech
• Interested in other people, enjoys smiling at others she recognizes
• Cannot mirror other behaviors, sounds, movements, language
I forgot to mention:
• Night terrors (they have subsided somewhat)
• Feet twisting together when upset (to the point of minor cut from other toenail)

Dr. stated that she still shows weakness on the right side of her body, with both foot and hand. This indicates her left side of brain is not working properly. He explained that the MRI was normal, so there is no visible damage to brain. He did say that her language delays were consistent with the side of her brain that doesn’t seem to be functioning well. If she were older, say 2 to 2 ½, he might consider diagnosing her with mild cerebral palsy – however he doesn’t like to put that on a child so young because sometimes those things resolve. He said that she was ‘interesting’, and that he ‘wanted to follow her closely’. He wants us to go to Dr. Liu, then see if it would be appropriate to take her to Dr. there who is neuro-opthalmology at MSU. He wanted to know what Dr. Reynolds (pediatrician) thought might be going on with her.
He stated that he wants to do a few more tests to rule out some metabolic disorders that aren’t screened routinely. He said they are rare, but he wants to check. He ordered “Urine Catecholamines” and “Niemann-Pick C” tests, which at least one of them has to be sent out to the Mayo Clinic. The diagnoses he ordered them under was 315.9 (Unspecified Delay in Development), and to rule out “Neuroblastoma”. [I googled these, neuroblastoma is a type of cancer usually on the adrenal glands, what the catecholamines is testing for. It’s a common cause of cancer in infants, but very rare. The Niemann-Pick disease C is a genetic disease caused by a mutation that interferes with the working of the lysosomes (organelle in part of cells that is used for breaking down stuff). Wikipedia says “large amounts of free or unesterfied cholesterol accumulates in lysosomes, and leads to relative deficiency of this molecule in multiple membranes and for steroid synthesis.” It also incredibly rare.]

Pediatrician Visit 7/2/09
Dr. Reynolds

Discussed her visit to Dr. Van Dyke (neurologist) that same day. She explained why he asked some of the questions he was asking. Discussed getting her additional speech therapy in addition to her OT and PT. She asked whether Dr. Van Dyke had discussed with us that if these tests come back negative, the possibility of autism. I said that he didn’t discuss it, he remarks on her social interest, although I have been reading about it, especially pervasive developmental disorder. Dr. Reynolds said that they often don’t like to diagnose so early, they like to use something more general until they can make a definitive diagnosis.
She made referrals to Sparrow Pediatric Rehabilitation, for all three services. She stated that BCBS may reject paying claims for things if they are developmentally related. She indicated that she would put the therapies under Dx that they would be more likely to pay for. Here are the diagnoses and the therapy they applied to.

Speech Therapy:
750.19 Tongue-tied, (sip frenul cc tongue)
728.87 Muscle weakness
299.9 Pervasive Developmental Disorder
Physical Therapy
728.87 Muscle weakness
299.9 Pervasive Developmental Disorder
783.42 Delayed Milestones of Childhood
315.4 Developmental Coordination Disorder (this is also known as Dyspraxia)
Occupational Therapy
728.87 Muscle weakness
299.9 Pervasive Developmental Disorder
783.42 Delayed Acquisition of fine motor and social skills
315.9 Developmental, delayed milestones

Ouch my Back

2009-06-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

Had a bad day yesterday., Had to turn around on my way to see a friend in Flint due to a leaky washer that flooded all the way to our bedroom. Clean up resulting in an injured back,having serious pain, doctor gave me some pills, so now I am loopy and in a little less pain.

More old photos from 1996

2009-06-24T00:29:00.003-04:00

Along Railroad

2009-06-21T07:35:00.002-04:00

Health Care Reform.

2009-06-20T22:09:00.002-04:00

We need to take back health care from the insurance and pharmaceutical industry. I have worked in health care for over ten years now and time after time I have witnessed people going bankrupt because their private health care failed to provide the coverage promised or they just could not afford adequate coverage.
I have seen pharmaceutical marketers wine and dine doctors and other health care providers, and we have all seen their expensive television adds. They do little in research, but will claim that is the reason for their inflated prices.
We need a public option, but we also need much better and fair regulation, but if we continue to allow these corporations to write the laws and regulate themselves, then this is only going to get worse

Like Bono sang once: "The rich stay healthy the sick stay poor"

In Poll, Wide Support for Government-Run Health

By KEVIN SACK and MARJORIE CONNELLY
at The New York Times

Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

2009-06-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

Going Off the Rails

2009-06-20T21:09:00.001-04:00

Standard Oil

2009-06-19T15:15:00.002-04:00

Just after a mid-day rain.

2009-06-17T22:24:00.002-04:00

Palin vs. Letterman.

2009-06-17T07:32:00.002-04:00

Palin has no grasp on the current issues or the challenges our country faces so she has to trump up phony outrage so she can get more national television face time. Letterman's joke was not funny or or in good taste, but the way Palin uses her children and grandchild as political props is far more disgusting. If she had any self-respect or dignity she would not get into a fight with a comic.
It is also interesting that she ran for office with John McCain, a man who during the 1990's joked that Chelsey Clinton was "so ugly" because "her father is Janet Reno".

Top 10 Reasons Sarah Palin's "Outrage" is Misplaced and A Little Late...

Shannyn Moore at Huffington Post

10) Last September, a skit on Saturday Night Live suggested incest in the Palin family. "What about the husband?" asked a mock Times reporter. "You know he's doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It's Alaska!" No outrage. Sarah Palin appeared on the show one month later in late October.

9) Days after the announcement of Bristol's pregnancy, Conan O'Brien joked, "It's true, John McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, has revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Palin said, 'We should never have introduced her to John Edwards.'" Where was the outrage? Was Conan promoting infidelity with an underage girl?

8 ) From two different Tonight Shows: "Governor Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. Oh, boy, you thought John Edwards was in trouble before, now he's really done it!" AND..."All the Republicans are heaping praise on Governor Palin. Fred Thompson said, as an actor, he could see them making a movie about Sarah Palin and her family. Didn't they already make that movie? I think it was called 'Knocked Up!'"--Jay Leno

7) Craig Ferguson's skit of "Larry King vs Levi Johnston" asks about "kinky sex" with the drapes open. Craig Ferguson's honorary Alaska citizenship, granted by Governor Palin wasn't rescinded.

6) "According to expense reports, Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska over $21,000 for her children to travel with her on official business. In fairness to Gov. Palin, when she leaves them home alone they get pregnant." --Seth Meyers (SNL). Sarah Palin was in a sketch with Meyers a week earlier.

5) On October 8, 2008, Sarah Palin walked out on the ice with six year old Piper and 13 year old Willow, before the game, Conan O'Brien said, "Saturday night, Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' hockey game. Then Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the hockey players out of her daughter's penalty box."
Oh, yes he did. You get the outrage...but not a peep then. According to the new "logic", O'Brien was advocating for some really sick stuff.

4) Rush Limbaugh: "Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" Limbaugh put up a picture of Chelsea Clinton. At the time, Chelsea Clinton was 13 years old. Rush also said, "In last year's campaign, the most prominent, articulate voice for standard run-of-the-mill good old-fashioned American conservatism was Sarah Palin." Calling a young teenager a "dog" can't be helpful to her "self-esteem." Where is the apology from the leader of the GOP?

3) "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."--John McCain, Sarah Palin's running mate. Should McCain apologize to every young woman in America?

2) Palin's friend, political defender and informer of the David Letterman comments, John Ziegler, was fired from his radio show for using the "n-word" online and on air in 1997. In 2000, he was fired for spelling the "n-word" on the air. How much does that word affect the psychological health of America's youth, regardless of their race? Now he is pimping his film about how mean the "liberal media" was to Sarah Palin.

AND...The NUMBER 1 REASON Sarah Palin's Outrage is Misplaced and A Little Late...

1) The "candidate who must be obeyed" was talking about Palin's family when he said, "Kids are off limits." Jake Tapper of ABC News interviewed then Candidate Obama, and asked, "Governor Palin and her husband issued a statement today saying their 17-year-old daughter Bristol, who is unmarried, is five months pregnant. Do you have any reaction?"

OBAMA: "I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off-limits. And people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know, my mother had me when she was 18. And, you know, how family deals with issues and -- and, you know, teenaged children, that shouldn't be the topic of -- of our politics."

The Palin children have been fodder for comedians since they were brought to the national stage. Incest isn't funny. Ugly kid jokes aren't funny. Many of the things said about public figures are just flat wrong. Being "knocked up" isn't much fun. Racist comments hurt all of us. I exhausted the top 10 list before I ran out of outrageous instances ignored by the Palins.

The National Organization for Women named David Letterman to their Hall of Shame. Will Letterman be joining Jay Leno? Conan O'Brien? Craig Ferguson? Seth Myers? Rush Limbaugh? Or John McCain? Of course not! I guess N.O.W. didn't bother checking Sarah Palin's "feminist" credentials. All across America, right wing radio and television talk show hosts feigned outrage in perfect synchronicity. The same people who back up Palin's high drama assertions against Letterman ignored the connections between Bill O'Reilly's irresponsible incitement and the murder of Dr. George Tiller. David Letterman, a late night entertainer, apologized. Fox New's Bill O'Reilly has not.

As a parent, I understand being defensive. I just wonder what took so long. Why now?

Old Blue House

2009-06-14T09:05:00.002-04:00

Sweeter than any Dessert

2009-06-14T09:01:00.001-04:00

I Like Arrows

2009-06-12T00:33:00.001-04:00

Strange Graffiti.

2009-06-12T00:24:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you see weird graffiti and just have to take a photo of iti. Sorry if I offended any Raptors. I hope this is not anything racial or anti-police. I only like crazy vandalism.

Old Tobacco Add.

2009-06-11T00:12:00.003-04:00

Looks like Kentucky, but its Michigan.

Pop Century Repirse

2009-06-06T21:14:00.003-04:00

Adele ans Sam, Disney Repise

2009-06-06T21:03:00.003-04:00

Airport

2009-06-06T20:45:00.002-04:00

Just messing with my new camera.

I hate this topic but...

2009-06-01T20:26:00.003-04:00

I have always felt the 'pro-life' movement has a backward and counter productive approach towards it own agenda. Criminalizing women and doctors will not reduce abortions. Increasing access to health care and education would be much more beneficial and successful approach, but I guess it is easier to trivialize the holocaust and incite violence.

How I (and Other "Pro-Life" Leaders) Contributed to Dr. Tiller's Murder

Frank Schaeffer at Huffington Post

My late father and I share the blame (with many others) for the murder of Dr. George Tiller the abortion doctor gunned down on Sunday. Until I got out of the religious right (in the mid-1980s) and repented of my former hate-filled rhetoric I was both a leader of the so-called pro-life movement and a part of a Republican Party hate machine masquerading as the moral conscience of America.

In the late 1970s my evangelical pro-life leader father Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop (who soon become Surgeon General in the Reagan administration) went on the road with me taking the documentary antiabortion film series I produced and directed ( Whatever Happened to the Human Race?) to the evangelical public. The series and companion book eventually brought millions of heretofore non-political evangelical Americans into the antiabortion crusade. We personally also got people like Jerry Falwell, Ronald Reagan and countless Republican leaders involved in the "issue."

In the early 80s my father followed up with a book that sold over a million copies called A Christian Manifesto. In certain passages he advocated force if all other methods for rolling back the abortion ruling of Roe v. Wade failed. He compared America and its legalized abortion to Hitler's Germany and said that whatever tactics would have been morally justified in removing Hitler would be justified in trying to stop abortion. I said the same thing in a book I wrote (A Time For Anger) that right wing evangelicals made into a best seller. For instance Dr. James Dobson (of the Focus On the Family radio show) gave away over 100,000 copies.

Like many writers of moral/political/religious theories my father and I would have been shocked that someone took us at our word, walked into a Lutheran Church and pulled the trigger on an abortionist. But even if the murderer never read Dad's or my words we helped create the climate that made this murder likely to happen.

In fact that very thing has happened before. In 1994, Dr. John Bayard Britton and one of his volunteer escorts were shot and killed outside an abortion clinic in Pensacola, Florida. Paul Hill, a former minister, was convicted of the killings and executed in 2003. Paul Hill was an avid follower of my father's.

Hyperbole from the pulpit from religious leaders, be it from my father or from President Obama's former pastor the Rev. Wright, is par for the course. But once in a while someone "does something" about it and then everyone says that they were only speaking metaphorically or "spiritually" when they called for violence or for the overthrow the state or when they said things like "God damn America!" or that "abortionists are murderers like Hitler!"

Angry speech has become the norm in American religion from both the right and the left. Words are spoken which -- when taken seriously -- lead directly to violence by the unhinged and/or the truly committed.

When evangelicals on the right call President Obama a socialist, a racist, anti-American, an abortionist, not a real American, and, echoing the former Vice President, someone who is weakening America's defenses and making us less safe, the logical conclusion is violence. If you take these words literally you might pull the trigger to "make America safe" and/or free us from communism or to even protect us from -- what some "Christian" leaders claim -- Obama as the Antichrist.

Contributing to an extreme and sometimes violent climate has not only been the fault of the antiabortion crusaders. The Roe v. Wade decision went to far, too fast and was too sweeping. I believe that abortion should be legal. But I also believe that it should be re-regulated according to fetal development. It's the late term abortions that horrify most people. And for the sake of keeping abortion legal adjustments need to be made. Roe is far too all or nothing (as I explain in my book Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All -- or Almost All -- of It Back). As I say in my book today I believe that abortion should be legal but more regulated than Roe allows. I also think that we should do what President Obama calls for: use sex education and contraceptive distribution and programs to help women and children in a way that results in less abortions.

But the reason this issue will never go away is that the Roe ruling was an over broad court decision that makes abortion legal even in the last weeks of pregnancy. Take away the pictures of all those dead late term fetuses and everything changes emotionally. Democracy and civil debate is messy but if abortion had been argued state-by-state abortion would be legal in almost all our states today and probably the laws would be written more like those of Europe, where late-term abortions (of the kind Dr. Tiller specialized in performing) are illegal and/or highly discouraged.

The same hate machine I was part of is still attacking all abortionists as "murderers." And today once again the "pro-life" leaders are busy ducking their personal responsibility for people acting on their words. The people who stir up the fringe never take responsibility. But I'd like to say on this day after a man was murdered in cold blood for preforming abortions that I -- and the people I worked with in the religious right, the Republican Party, the pro-life movement and the Roman Catholic Church, all contributed to this killing by our foolish and incendiary words.

I am very sorry.

Hats

2009-05-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

Animal Kingdom

2009-05-30T17:16:00.001-04:00

Pluto

2009-05-30T17:13:00.000-04:00

Hollywood Studios

2009-05-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

The Magic Kingdom

2009-05-30T16:49:00.000-04:00