Dyre PortentsDyre PortentsThe Political Rantings and Raving of a Radical Moderate. Speaking truthiness to power since February. 
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Tagged
2008-06-26 14:17:00 Over at The Big Stick Progressive Conservative tagged me with a Six Word Memoir tag. Having previously completed one voluntarily I could ignore but I could use the link love. So here goes.."So much cheese, so little time."Alternately I could have substituted the words beer, sausage, meat, or toys for the word cheese in that one.So now for the five people to inflict this tag on. This looks like a job for the reciprocal link blogroll!I tag:Internet Ronin from the blog of the same nameRotus also from a self named blogKel from The Osterley timesThe Arm at Crinch PinBlame Chilly from On the BricksNow for the instructions...1. Write your own six word memoir 2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you?d like 3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere 4 .Tag five more blogs with links 5. And don?t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play! More About: Tagged
SCOTUS Strikes Down DC Handgun Ban
2008-06-26 10:36:00 Pretty much as suspected.From SCOTUSblog: Answering a 127-year old constitutional question, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a gun, at least in one?s home. The Court, splitting 5-4, struck down a District of Columbia ban on handgun possession. Justice Antonin Scalia?s opinion for the majority stressed that the Court was not casting doubt on long-standing bans on carrying a concealed gun or on gun possession by felons or the mentally retarded, on laws barring guns from schools or government buildings, and laws putting conditions on gun sales. In District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), the Court nullified two provisions of the city of Washington?s strict 1976 gun control law: a flat ban on possessing a gun in one?s home, and a requirement that any gun ? except one kept at a business ? must be unloaded and disassembled or have a trigger lock in place. The Court said it was not passing on a part of the law requiring...
SCOTUS Strikes Down Death Penalty for Pedophiles
2008-06-25 12:13:00 That had to be an unpleasant ruling to make.From the AP:The Supreme Court on Wednesday outlawed executions of people convicted of raping a child. In a 5-4 vote, the court said the Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. ...The Supreme Court on Wednesday outlawed executions of people convicted of raping a child. In a 5-4 vote, the court said the Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. ...The Supreme Court banned executions for rape in 1977 in a case in which the victim was an adult woman. Forty-five states ban the death penalty for any kind of rape, and the other five states allow it for child rapists. Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas allow executions in such cases if the defendant had previously been convicted of raping a child. The court struggled over how to apply standards laid out ... More About: Death , Death penalty , Pedophiles , Penalty
Iran To Go Nuclear In Six Months?
2008-06-24 18:05:00 Its possible says IAEA chief Mohamed ElBarade in a recent interview...From the Middle East Media Research Institute:If It Wants To Produce Nuclear Weapons, Iran Would Have To "Leave The NPT, Expel The IAEA Inspectors, And... It Would Need At Least Six Months to One Year" Mohamed ElBaradei: "If Iran wants to turn to the production of nuclear weapons, it must leave the NPT, expel the IAEA inspectors, and then it would need at least... Considering the number of centrifuges and the quantity of uranium Iran has..." Interviewer: "How much time would it need?" ElBaradei: "It would need at least six months to one year. Therefore, Iran will not be able to reach the point where we would wake up one morning to an Iran with a nuclear weapon." Interviewer: "Excuse me, I would like to clarify this for our viewers. If Iran decides today to expel the IAEA from the country, it will need six months..." ElBaradei: "Or one year, at least..." Interviewer:"... to produce [nuclear] weapons?" ElBaradei: "I...
A Woman as McCain's Veep?
2008-06-23 09:27:00 Over at the Politico David Kuhn takes a look at the few options McCain has for a female VP...Sarah PalinAlaska Gov. Sarah Palin may be nationally unknown, but in her state she is nothing short of a political phenomenon.Palin, 44, would add youth to the GOP ticket. As governor she has shown a willingness to veto some of the state?s large capital projects, no small plus for fiscal conservatives. But it?s her personal biography, which excites social conservatives, and reformist background that might most appeal to McCain.Carly FiorinaCarly Fiorina has an up-by-her-own-bootstraps success story, having worked her way from a start as a young secretary straight through the glass ceiling to become Hewlett-Packard?s chief executive from 1999 to 2005. She presently serves as the chair of the organization tasked by the Republican National Committee with preparing the party?s crucial get-out-the-vote operation. It?s no symbolic post, but a crucial position for a party facing an uphill president... More About: Woman , A Woman
McCain/RNC Raising More Money than Obama/DNC
2008-06-23 08:04:00 There has been a lot of fuss lately over Obama opting out the publicly financed campaign system and some of it is justified given the current lack of anti-Obama 527s. However the most likely reason for his decision is this...From the LA Times' Top of the TicketMcCain may lag in money, but RNC outraises the DNC by 5 timesLed by chairman Mike Duncan, the Republican National Committee ended May with 13 times more money in the bank than its Democratic counterpart, and raised five times as much money in the same time frame. As The Times' campaign finance guru Dan Morain points out, the sums are significant as presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain squares off against the far more richly-funded Sen. Barack Obama for the last 136 days of the general election campaign.Based on the numbers so far, the Republican Party appears poised to act as the financial equalizer in the fall campaign. The RNC disclosed that it ended May with $53.5 million in the bank, compared to $3.9 million ... More About: Money
Obama to Opt Out of Public Financing
2008-06-23 00:50:00 Its a sticky situation...From ABC's Political Punch:In a web video to supporters "the people who built this movement from the bottom up" -- Sen. Barack Obama , D-Illinois, announced this morning that he will not enter into the public financing system, despite a previous pledge to do so."We've made the decision not to participate in the public financing system for the general election," Obama says in the video, blaming it on the need to combat Republicans, saying "we face opponents who?ve become masters at gaming this broken system. John McCain?s campaign and the Republican National Committee are fueled by contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. And we?ve already seen that he?s not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations."On the one hand Obama has managed to comply with the intent of public campaign financing by collecting tons of small donatio... More About: Financing , Public
Zealot or Nut?
2008-06-22 22:43:00 I'm just going to totally bypass the separation of church and state issues in the article.From the AP:Ohio board votes to ax teacher accused of branding COLUMBUS, Ohio - The school board of a small central Ohio community votedunanimously Friday to fire a teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints and using a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms. ...Freshwater used a science tool known as a high-frequency generator to burn images of a cross on students' arms in December, the report said.Its really easy to write the guy off as some sort of religious whackjob unless you pay particular attention to this line:Freshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on several students and described the images as an "X," not a cross.In other words it never actually occurred to him that burning stuff into his students skin was a bad thing. My verdict? Just a nut. Although odds are in his mind he's in the clear due ...
So Sue Me
2008-06-19 23:48:00 Recently the AP Newswire sent cease and desist letters to several lower tier bloggers threatening legal action because the bloggers had their quoted articles. They have since backed away from that and have instead insisted on payment from anyone that quotes more than four words from one of their articles. Its total BS. I'm not going to pay the AP one dime. Ever.What the AP fails to understand is that given the way search engines work the more bloggers link to their posts the more traffic their site receives thereby increasing their ad revenues. They are in essence shooting themselves in the foot. Additionally I don't think they can win such a case in court. It wasn't that long ago that the AP had a script set up on their site that displayed links to blogs that cited their stories. Hence by turning around and suing those that they encouraged to link to their material they would in effect be guilty of attempting to entrap those same bloggers.I may not be a lawyer but I know BS when...
The Six Cent Solution or The Facts About ANWR
2008-06-19 01:33:00 Recently their have been a lot of calls from Republican politicians to open up ANWR for drilling in order to lower gas prices. Having done my homework on this issue I believe that those that are doing so are either ignorant of the facts or have an ulterior motive that has almost nothing to do with lowering gas prices.ANWR is estimated to be able to produce two million barrels of oil a day. Since America uses about 20 million barrels a day thats a pretty impressive amount. The problem is that that the Alaskan pipeline can only transport 2.1 million barrels a day and its already moving an average of 650k barrels a day which means its remaining capacity for carrying oil produced from drilling at ANWR would be 1,450,000 barrels on average. Thats still a good bit. However the additional problem is that since crude oil's price is set by a world wide market that currently consumes roughly 90 million barrels a day. So even if all of ANWR's oil is used only by Americans (say through a... More About: Facts , Cent , Solution
Obama Giving the GOP a Golden Opportunity?
2008-06-19 01:15:00 Having given this election a lot of thought it occurs to me that Obama presents the GOP with golden opportunity. A chance to "rebrand" themselves. Additionally having read Obama's policies I can say that they are light on the specifics. Obama is essentially selling Americans a dream. If the GOP could pressure enough of its high profile members to tackle Obama respectfully on the issues rather than using the tactics that have worked in the past like fear mongering, exploiting racial polarization, attack ads, and whisper campaigns they might be able to beat him and in the process shed many of the negatives associated with the GOP, win back many independents, and become a party that is defined by what they are for rather than a part that is defined by what they are against.However given the that maxim "If it ain't broken don't fix it." is part of the core of conservative thought I don't see the GOP doing anything differently anytime soon. The fact1 that the Clinton campaign used ma... More About: Opportunity , Giving , Golden
Huckabee Agrees With Me?
2008-06-18 21:05:00 If only on the course the GOP should take during this presidential election.From the AFP:Former US presidential contender Mike Huckabee urged his fellow Republicans on Wednesday not to denigrate Democrat Barack Obama, saying they should celebrate the historic moment of a black candidate. "Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonizing " Huckabee told a news conference on a visit to Tokyo. Its good to see that there is someone in the GOP establishment who can see the forest for the trees. I said it earlier this week but I'll say it again if the GOP uses the tactics of the past rather than battling Obama on the field of ideas they risk becoming a permanent minority party. All Obama has to do is give them just enough rope for them to hang themselves.Thanks to Memeorandum for linking to this post.
The Other Other Beginning of the End
2008-06-17 01:00:00 The British launched the first satellite in the Skynet network. With the launch of a new communications satellite, the British military has completed a highly advanced network that will allow robotic military units to be controlled at long range. Sound vaguely familiar? They actually named the thing Skynet. When the T-1000s come knocking, keep an eye out for the "Made in UK" sticker. Skynet 5 is the latest iteration of a global communications system deployed by the British Armed Forces. The final satellite in the system was launched this week, and will allow high-bandwidth telecommunications between British forces located anywhere in the world. In addition to voice communications, it will allow data transfer and the remote control of robot airplanes, one of which is called "The Reaper." How long before humanity is crushed under the metal heels of a robotic army? That depends on which happens first the network becoming sentient or some power hungry madman using it enslave ...
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
More articles from this author: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 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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