Dyre PortentsDyre PortentsThe Political Rantings and Raving of a Radical Moderate. Speaking truthiness to power since February. Articles
World Bank to Save the Tigers?
2008-06-11 06:55:00 Isn't this a bit outside of their mission?From Reuters UK:A World Bank report warned that "if current trends persist, tigers are likely to be the first species of large predator to vanish in historic times." "Just as with many other challenges of sustainability, such as climate change, pandemic disease, or poverty, the crisis facing tigers overwhelms local capabilities and it is one that transcends local borders," Zoellick said. "This is a problem that cannot be handled by individual nations alone, it requires an alliance of strong local commitment backed by deep international support," he added. Zoellick said the World Bank would convene a series of discussions with countries, conservationists and the private sector to mobilize funding for tiger conservation, and launch studies on how better to protect the cats. The World Bank chief said there were examples of where tigers had been brought back from the brink of extinction, such as in Russia and Nepal, but ... More About: Tigers , Save
Ron Paul to Hold Protest Convention
2008-06-10 23:26:00 Just when you thought he was gone...From the Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewRon Paul plans his own conventionMaverick GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul has booked an arena in Minneapolis for a "mini-convention" that could steal some of John McCain's thunder just days before he accepts the Republican nomination. A Paul campaign aide said the Texas congressman hopes to pack about 11,000 supporters into the Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 2, which coincides with the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in neighboring St. Paul. Paul, 72, will announce details for the rally Thursday at the start of the Texas Republican Convention in Houston. The campaign hopes the daylong event will "send a message to the Republican Party," Paul campaign spokesman Jesse Benton tells the Tribune-Review. "There is a growing surge of people out there just craving" for a return "to traditional American government, limited government that places perso... More About: Protest , Hold
McCain Still Pushing For Gas Tax Holiday
2008-06-10 06:40:00 You'd think that considering how well that worked for Obama's last opponent he'd have dropped the subject by now.From CNN:McCain resurrects call for gas tax holidayWASHINGTON (CNN) ? With gas prices reaching a national average of four dollars a gallon ? a record high ? John McCain is planning to resurrect his call for a national gas tax holiday, which became a staple of his stump speech in late April and early May. A McCain aide told CNN's Dana Bash on Monday that the Arizona senator planned to plug the gas tax holiday in public statements throughout the day as a message to voters that he understands the plight of working families in a tough economy. Before a fundraiser in Richmond, Virginia on Monday, McCain mentioned the gas tax holiday in remarks to a smaller event for about 40 high-dollar donors. "That was derided by Sen. Obama and others as a gimmick," McCain said, but added that working people and truckers would appreciate it. "I don't pretend that it's an answer to our ... More About: Holiday
Happy Birthday to Me
2008-06-08 17:54:00 Today I turn a number lower than forty. And what I want for my birthday are a pair of size ten and a half Heelys. Which they don't make. Bummer. More About: Happy , Birthday , Happy Birthday
Things I Have Learned
2008-06-07 19:36:00 If you are going to roll a cart containing nearly fifty one pound bag of beans through a crowded WalMart expect a lot of jokes at your expense. More About: Things , Learned
McCain Waffling on Warrantless Wiretaps?
2008-06-07 07:03:00 The other day I stated,"I will vote for whichever candidate I believe will restore the balance of power away from "the imperial presidency"." Today the NY Times reports that when it comes to warrantless wiretaps McCain's position is the same as W's...WASHINGTON ? A top adviser to Senator John McCain says Mr. McCain believes that President Bush?s program of wiretapping without warrants was lawful, a position that appears to bring him into closer alignment with the sweeping theories of executive authority pushed by the Bush administration legal team. In a letter posted online by National Review this week, the adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, said Mr. McCain believed that the Constitution gave Mr. Bush the power to authorize the National Security Agency to monitor Americans? international phone calls and e-mail without warrants, despite a 1978 federal statute that required court oversight of surveillance. Mr. McCain believes that ?neither the administration nor the telecoms need apolo...
I'm Certifiably
2008-06-06 07:21:00 Progressive?Over at The Big Stick Progressive Conservative has pronounced me A Board Certified Progressive in the Teddy Roosevelt sense of the word. Which is actually how I think of myself when it comes to politics. In fact I even said as much in my bio over at Poligazette. I used to refer to myself as progressive until Democrats started borrowing the term.Over the years I've been labeled a liberal, called a conservative, and listed amongst libertarians. So kudos to PC for getting it right.Since one good turn deserves another I think its time I hand ouit an award that I've been sitting on for a while..DWSUWF's Pissant Provocateur award aka The Pissy.First the recipients:Progressive Conservative at The Big StickKevin Sullivan at The Independent LiberalKranky Kritter at CenterfieldSideways Mencken from the blog of the same name (Kvetch all you want but its supposed to be all about you, remember?)Now the qualifications that led to the award:"1. The award recipients are pissants ? i....
A Quick Thought on The Democratic Primaries
2008-06-05 07:19:00 I think its a real pity that the dreams of the equal rights movement had to go head to head with with the dreams of the civil rights movement in the same primary. Neither deserved to lose. More About: Democratic , Thought , Quick , Primaries , Democratic primaries
A Few Thoughts on the Nominees
2008-06-05 07:08:00 I've made no secret that I wanted to see Obama and McCain become the nominees of their parties. In fact I donated equally to both of their campaigns to help ensure that happened. I did this largely because I both of them have qualities that are admirable and I want a presidential race that is about the issues rather than one that is about slinging mud. Although had Hillary not been a Clinton (and ran a cleaner campaign) I could have just as easily supported her instead of Obama. But I just couldn't see where swapping control of this country from one family to another again would be in the country's best interest. I've given this race a lot of thought. And while I'm prone to vote in favor divided government on principle I must admit I also really like what having Obama as president would say about America. However I also live in a very red state. So unless McCain screws the pooch Texas will be there for him come election day. I therefore could vote for Obama knowing that my vote... More About: Thoughts
The Passing of a Legend
2008-06-04 07:05:00 Once in a blue moon an artist emerges and becomes a dot on the time line of their chosen medium. Today one of those innovators, Bo Diddley, passed away....From the Houston Chronicle:Bo Diddley was a musical innovator who helped forge the sound and contributed to the style of rock 'n' roll. He sported a trademark fedora, played an iconic square-shaped guitar and from it he extracted a deep, rusty reverb and a peculiar playing style that influenced generations of players. Diddley died Monday of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla.; he was 79. He'd been in ill health for much of the past year, having suffered a stroke and a heart attack in 2007. ..."He was by far the most underrated of any '50s star,'' says producer Phil Spector. "You listen to those (reissued box sets) and the rhythmic invention, the consistent high quality of imagination and performance, the excellence of the writing, the power of the vocals - nobody else ever did it better or had a deeper, more penetrat... More About: Legend , Passing
The Obamanee
2008-06-04 06:55:00 With Obama winning Montana and not losing too badly in South Dakota it looks like he wrapped the nomination up. Of course that is provided that the super delegates that talked to the AP don't change their minds...AP tally: Obama effectively clinches nominationWASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House. Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in a historic race that sparked record turnout in primary after primary, yet exposed deep racial divisions within the party. The AP tally was based on public commitments from delegates as well as more than a dozen private commitments. It also included a minimum number of delegates Obama was guaranteed even if he lost the final two primaries in South Dakota and Montana l...
Clinton Campaign Capitulating?
2008-06-03 07:32:00 Obama needs only forty two delegates to wrap up the nomination. Odds are tomorrow he'll pick up fifteen more from the South Dakota primary. In response to both the recent Michigan / Florida Decision by the Dems and the math it looks like the Clinton campaign is gearing down. Bill Clinton announced today that he will no longer be stumping for his wife, the campaign has asked that all volunteers submit their outstanding expense receipts for reimbursement, and finally they are dropping staff members. Sounds like the beginning of the end doesn't it?Additionally the Telegraph reported yesterday that Clinton has been offered the Secretary of Health as a consolation prize/olive branch: The former First Lady would get the chance to pilot Mr Obama?s reforms of the American healthcare system if she agrees to clear the path to his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate. Senior figures in the Obama camp have told Democrat colleagues that the offer to Mrs Clinton of a cabi... More About: Campaign
Credit Where Credit is Due
2008-06-03 06:43:00 As you may recall I used to have a Schmap widget at the top of my sidebar that showed who won which state during the Dem primaries. I took it down once it became apparent that the race would be decided by the super delegates. A couple of days later I got an email from Emma at Schmap asking why I had taken the widget down. I explained and added that if they ever came up with a widget that the tracked polling data of the two nominees I'd install it on my sidebar. A month passed....I received another email from Emma stating that they had such a widget and that they'd be happy to customize a widget for me. I asked for red, white, and blue one and not only did they design it within a few days they even created a mockup of my site to show me what it would look like. Kudos to Schmap for having a good product and proactive customer service. I hereby officially award Schmap the Crapomatic Seal of Approval. Remember folks, if its not Crapomatic its just crap. Now if only someone would desi... More About: Credit
Blogger Food Drive Wrap Up
2008-06-03 06:18:00 The Blogger Food Drive has officially ended. I'm pleased to say that we did better than the pessimist in me predicted. While we didn't do as well as the optimist in me hoped. We did well enough that I'll do it again next year. We raised enough to provide seventy pounds of food and I'll cover the fees Paypal took out and throw in a liitle extra so that we get a nice round number. The final receipt will be posted this Friday however the blogroll of supporters is already on the sidebar. More About: Wrap
Things I Have Learned
2008-05-31 17:38:00 The words "I need fifty on pump six." are really painful to say. More About: Things , Learned
Memorial Day (Traditional)
2008-05-31 08:34:00 Today is the day that Memorial Day was originally observed on prior to being moved to create a three day weekend. Over at Done With Mirrors Callimachus tells the stories of soldiers and civilians that gave their lives doing what they believed was right and highlights one of the truly grim facts of war; that all too often war costs us the bravest, most selfless, and most principled citizens that our nation has to offer. More About: Traditional
New York To Recognize Gay Marriage
2008-05-30 08:12:00 By edict of Governor Peterson state agencies will have to recognize gay marriages from other states. From the BBC: State Governor David Paterson has given state agencies until 30 June to change rules to recognize gay marriages. The news came hours after California said it would start issuing marriage licenses to gay couples from 17 June. The move does not legalize same-sex marriage in New York , but it means many bureaucratic restrictions experienced by gay couples will be lifted. These include issues concerning family health care plans, property inheritance, tax breaks and adoption rights. I'm not a proponent of gay marriage per se. However I am a firm believer that the less government meddles in the relationships of two consenting human adults the better. Marriage was primarily a religious matter until fairly recently and in my opinion it should have stayed that way. So on that note I say...Nice first step New York. More About: Gay Marriage , New-York
Beans Beans the Preventative Fruit?
2008-05-30 07:09:00 Ordinarily I wouldn't blog about this but since I'm running an online beans only food drive until the 30th of May it seems germane. According to a recent study by Vanderbilt university eating a serving of legumes a day reduces the risk of developing Type II Diabetes by a whopping forty percent. Apparently legumes help keep blood sugar from spiking. That means that if you were to contribute a buck to The Blogger Food Drive you'd not only be fighting hunger but diabetes as well (while promoting your blog to boot). More About: Fruit , Beans
The Cold Hard Truth About Gas Prices
2008-05-29 07:44:00 Over at the NY Times Thomas Friedman dreams of a presidential candidate telling America the truth about gas prices:For starters, he or she would explain that there is no short-term fix for gasoline prices. Prices are what they are as a result of rising global oil demand from India, China and a rapidly growing Middle East on top of our own increasing consumption, a shortage of ?sweet? crude that is used for the diesel fuel that Europe is highly dependent upon and our own neglect of effective energy policy for 30 years.Cynical ideas, like the McCain-Clinton summertime gas-tax holiday, would only make the problem worse, and reckless initiatives like the Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep offer to subsidize gasoline for three years for people who buy its gas guzzlers are the moral equivalent of tobacco companies offering discounted cigarettes to teenagers.He then goes on to promote a government mandated four dollar floor price for a gallon of gas. While some think its a bad idea whereas I think its a ... More About: Truth , Cold , Gas Prices , Hard , The Cold
No No, THIS is Appeasement
2008-05-28 07:59:00 President Bush last week made a veiled accusation that Barack Obama would attempt to appease Iran by holding diplomatic talks. Conversely he's doing the same with a government that is as equally if not more reprehensible.From the WaPo:Bush Straddles His Hard Line in Engaging SudanSometime in the next few weeks, a special envoy of President Bush plans to meet with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, whose government sheltered Osama bin Laden and pursued a scorched-earth policy in southern Sudan that resulted in more than 2 million deaths.Bashir's government has been accused by Bush of participating in a "genocide" in Darfur, the only U.S. government use of such a strong accusation. Yet Richard S. Williamson's visit to Khartoum follows a series of direct contacts by senior Bush administration officials with the Sudanese president, including Secretaries of State Colin L. Powell and Condoleezza Rice, Rice's deputies, and several special presidential envoys.Bush has spoken to o... More About: Appeasement
Blogger Food Drive Week 3 Update
2008-05-26 07:13:00 Week three continued the double digit donor trend which has been this drive's saving grace. As we move into the final stretch I'm hoping for a few last minute donations. Towards that end this week I'll donate one pound of rice for every person that donates to the drive.We're at seventy two pounds so far and it'll only fourteen one dollar donations to make it an even hundred pounds. This week I'd like to that Progressive Conservative from The Big Stick for his generous donation.And as per the rules here's the receipt for my five pounds: More About: Food , Blogger , Drive , Update , Week
Obama Enters the Veepstakes
2008-05-23 08:00:00 Looks like he's not going to let McCain get ahead of him in the Veep hunt...From the AP:Obama has asked former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson to begin vetting potential vice presidential picks, Democratic officials said Thursday. Johnson did the same job for Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984. Obama refused to acknowledge Johnson's role when The Associated Press asked the Illinois senator about it in the Captiol Thursday. "I haven't hired him. He's not on retainer. I'm not paying him any money. He is a friend of mine. I know him," Obama said. "I am not commenting on vice presidential matters because I have not won this nomination." The Democratic officials spoke on a condition of anonymity about a process that the campaign wants to keep quiet. Vice presidential searches are usually closely held secrets, but Obama campaign officials say the effort is being handled by a particularly tight circle of advisers.Additionally Obama spoke about building a Linc... More About: Barack Obama
McCain to Interview Potential Veeps
2008-05-22 08:21:00 McCain is scheduled to hold meetings with Mitt Romney, former Florida governor Charlie Crist, and Governer Bobby Jindal of Louisiana this weekend.From the NY Times:Senator John McCain is planning to meet this weekend with at least three potential Republican running mates at a gathering at his ranch in Arizona, suggesting that he is stepping up his search for a vice president now that the Democratic contest appears basically decided, according to Republicans familiar with Mr. McCain?s plans. Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a one-time rival for the Republican nomination, have all accepted invitations to visit with Mr. McCain at his ranch in Sedona, these Republicans said. After a week of campaigning, Mr. McCain is heading home on Friday for three days without a public schedule. His campaign described this as a social weekend that would include a number of couples, and ? as has been its policy it... More About: Interview
Quote of the Day
2008-05-22 07:23:00 "Hey, the concepts of fiscal restraint and minimal interference by the government in the lives of its citizens have a lot of value. Too bad that we don't have any political parties that believe in that." - Me More About: Quote Of The Day , Quote
Dear Mr Pesident
2008-05-21 08:30:00 Back when you were originally running for president you said that you'd make charitable donations a deduction on the 1040EZ. When exactly is that going to happen?Sincerely,Dyre42
Obama Has Double Digit Lead in National Polls
2008-05-21 08:04:00 But fares less well against McCain than Clinton.From Gallup Polls :PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup Poll Daily tracking finds Barack Obama with his largest advantage over Hillary Clinton in Democratic voters' nomination preferences thus far, 55% to 39%. Obama's previous largest lead was 11 percentage points, in May 15-17 and April 12-14 polling. His widening lead over Clinton has been evident in each of the last three days of tracking, after the two had been more closely matched earlier in the month.Despite her growing deficit to Obama in the Democratic race, Clinton continues to poll slightly better than Obama in matchups for the general presidential election vs. John McCain. The latest tracking results, based on May 14-18 polling, shows Clinton with a 48% to 44% lead over McCain among registered voters nationwide, while Obama has just a 1-point edge (46% to 45%) over the likely Republican nominee. -- Jeff JonesI'm curious as to whether or not the feuding between the Obama and Clinton cam... More About: National , Double , Lead
Expected Results
More articles from this author:2008-05-21 07:29:00 Clinton won Kentucky and Obama won Oregon. While it appears that Clinton cut into Obama's pledged delegate lead she failed to drop him below a triple digit lead. Meanwhile superdelegates continue to defect to Obama's camp. Will Clinton capitulate? Nope, she going to fight to the bloody end unless she gets what she wants. Over at Stubborn Facts Tully explains:That internal division of power and perks applies even if the nominee loses the general election. With the party looking to be in control of both houses of Congress for the immediate future, the rewards are enormous. As point person for the DLC/Centrist faction, there is no real reason at all for Clinton to concede at this point even if she knows she won?t win the nomination. Unless the party leaders and the opposition faction agree to give HER faction some outsized influence at the convention, the power play for Clinton and for the DLC/Centrist faction is to continue fighting, to grab more sway and more delegates for the cont... More About: Results 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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