A moment of zen

Green Lantern Your stats: Autonomy: 23% Image: 30% Ideology: 40% Perspective: 40%

Name: Green Lantern Alter Ego: Kyle Rayner, (previously Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Alan Scott & Guy Gardner). Abilities: Has a Power Ring that has the ability to create literally anything, limited only by the will of the wearer. Team Player. Introverted. Idealistic. Broad-minded. Selected by the Guardians of the Universe, Green Lantern is everything a model superhero should be. He has initiative and leadership skills, but still feels subject to the people and the system he fights for. He has a strong sense of self and his own morality; He is compassionate, but still able to 'make the tough decisions' for the greater good. However, it is a heavy burden, and GL frequently finds himself at odds with his own feelings, his responsibilities to his friends and to the Corps.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 13% on Autonomy You scored higher than 21% on Image You scored higher than 83% on Ideology You scored higher than 47% on Perspective

Link: The DC Comic Book Superhero Test written by Phil_Ken_Seben on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Rinosightings: Another Halloween in the neighborhood

((If you didn't put up your costume and candy... I am putting it up for ya))

Another Halloween and more weird kids in my neighborhood, I really have to wonder what the heck is wrong with them.

one of the neighborhood kids came as General Jack Ripper and instead of asking for Candy he said "The only Candy I want is for the campaign commercials to end." I was with him on that but I still gave him some circus peanuts for his troubles.

Another kid came up to my door dressed as the Church Lady wearing a Nancy Pelosi Mask..... he muttered something about Values which made me think he would appreciate some pocket change more then Candy.

The Campbell kid came dressed up as some one from Tech Support raising money for Project Valour-IT so I gave him some money and a candy apple

Another kid came dressed as a roman seer and muttered "Beware of Habeaus Corpus" he ended up with a Milkway dark for his troubles.

Another of the Weird kids came to my door dressed as Ike Turner

As you might imagine, I have been closely watching the Sheikh Taj el-Din al-Hilali case in Australia unfold with bated breath. Not only do the Sheikh and I share many similar views on ho's, he also happens to have one of the most mackdaddyistic names that has ever been.

The kid did such a good Ike Turner impression I thought to give him a cotton swab... but I decided again to give him a blow pop instead

That swiss kid from down the road showed up and He didn't seem to be in a costume so I asked him "What are you little boy?" he replied somewhat creepily "I'm a Death Tourist. we look like everyone else." I felt he deserved a stale old peep I found laying in the fridge.

The Novak kid showed up wearing a white leather appron and leather gloves... but the dirt on her shoes made me think of Yemen and their problematic election. I gave the novak kid a super-jaw breaker and sent her on her way.

A kid came dressed as a Mullah with a little hand puppet looking like the Iranian President he came to me and said "Free your oppressed Candy from Gitmo" we discusssed if the Candy was held as a political prisoner or if it was all a bunch of fluff. I gave him an Almond Joy as he went off whistling "sometimes you feel like a nut..."

Then I got the Kid with the most grusome and intricate costume. He was dressed as a People's Republic of China soldier straight out of the P.L.A. He had in his hand the head of a Tibetan Monk with a bullet hole in the back. He had some kind of pajama's over his shoulder like he arrested some blogger or something. I was going to send him off with a fortune cookie but then I realized he was the kid who came before I was ready dressed up as the New Jersey Supreme Court. So I shooed him off with a free pocket copy of the constitution.




Chief Wahoo came to my door and I was scared, because I thought Baseball was over for the year but it turned out to be that weird Surber Kid again. I asked why he was haunting me with baseball but he said this was the nearest he could get to a "culture warrior" costume. So I subjected him to the worst thing I had.... Cleveland Browns tickets



and then a kid dressed as some horrid nightmarish wraith

"what do you want from me spirit?" I asked mockingly he told me he was the demon which punished Border Patrol Agents for doing their job I gave him some white Chocolate peanutbutter cups and sent him on his way.

And So I end another weird and scary halloween in Rino Sightings land.... so get off my lawn you darned kids

more amv

Me on Dean on Islamaphobiamanaia

Now that I am back into the swing of things with the blogging I am now going to start my first cross blog mojo Dean has been a big person on Islam -a- phobia

(Note...two posts are by Dean and one is a counter post by a counter voice on his own blog)

lets look at a definition of PHOBIA

1. A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.
2. A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

Now, one would think the phobia in Islam-a-Phobia is valid with definition #2. I however don't agree as it applies to social constructs. One can dislike and have an aversion to things socially without having fear which is key to phobia (which is the classical definition) indeed disliking things is not fearful nor is (usually) aversion in and of itself it is the emotion which fuels the other two which is key. So we have to come down to the fact do people have to fear Muslims to dislike them and have an aversion to them.

Lets go with the wrong use of Phobia that was keyed in and created a sense of Validity that Islamaphobia crawled into.

ho·mo·pho·bi·a Pronunciation
1. Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men.
2. Behavior based on such a feeling.

Here we see again the root -Phobia being changed to mean something which isn't fear.

Dr. Drew of Loveline fame recounted his being involved in a study which got to the root of what Homophobia is all about. And the images of two men with errect penii responded to a anger center at a very primative sector of the ole brain.

Now we know in the animal world showing of genitals can be about dominance issues (and in the classical sexuality of Ancient Greece and rome it was as well.... and also we can argue is so in Prisons today. It could also be a threat to your mate

So is that the same as fear? Is protecting your place in society the same as fear? If it is then I weep for society.....

And let me also be clear, while the instinct is a good instinct... good instincts can be directed in very bad ways.

So lets go to those primal sectors of the ole human nogin and look back at whats going on in racial issues in the past.

Racial intolerance tends to happen against groups that show outward signs of their inability to become part of the larger national group. Is that in and of itself fear or is it an instinct which guides thoughts into horribly evil places? I can say some of the wonderful stuff in our nations history (Cocified Negros) lends to the fear hypothesis but I often times have to wonder if fear isn't used to gin up good and positive desires to protect your herd and your tribe. If fear isn't a more advanced form of thought used to manipulate our desire to protect. One only has to look to Rwanda, violence in Haiti, and of course our good buddy adolph to see that fear of other social groups tends to lead to violence when ginned up by people.

Now... if violence is part of a positive impulse to protect your tribe, how do we make sure that Muslim citizens in the US are percived as part of "us" and not part of the other?

-Taking part in protests against the violence of terrorists abroad.And standing up against said violence-

Now I say this as some one on a campus with a high muslim population (Immigrant and from abroad) and I have to say you don't see Muslims speaking out against that violence you see them excusing it. You see them speaking of historical wrongs and the like. The Historical wrongs may have a validity in the causation of the violence but in speaking up to excuse the people of their old home or their co-religionists they are percived as the other.

You can speak out against the violence and speak of what lead the mind to justify such violence. And that could be a very compeling argument (and is in the very small number of students I have heard it from) who lived in places like Syria. Places where you can go from one neighborhood and feel like your in western europe and go to another and feel like your barely in the 3rd world. Their is something to culture and personal experience leading into what creates our rational thought process but in so zealously defending others experience it sounds like (and to some case is) an excuse.

I also know religous authority is something which matters to some muslims, but being silent is something that is at the very least spiritually questionable

-Not making comments about how we are really feminists and not you-

I read an article the other day defending the Hijab as an empowered feminist article of clothing and how Feminists in todays culture are morally bankrupt. Both of those points are perfectly valid when done seperately, but when strung togther it tends to make one an outsider.

-Accept that just like your country their is good and bad hidden-

I remember an article about the men in Saudi Arabia waiting in long lines to buy booze for their good american friend "John Smith" or another about the Islamic theocrats finding theological justification for sex change operations. Or the way in Iran prostitution (or rather extremmmmmmmmmmely short term marriages) is done. The truth is that our outward signs of culture often hide these little nuggets. I don't believe every saudi man in that village had a friend named John Smith. And these rather harmeless nuggets also are nothing compaired to some of the vile things hidden in the cultures over there as well. Such as rumors of slave auctions in saudi arabia a good 20 years or more after its offical ban. Its natural for every culture to project its good and hide the bad and hypocritical but what does matter is how we deal with those things that are wrong in our internal culture. denial is the wrong way to deal with it.

Maybe violence-and discrimination- against Muslims comes from people who want to protect their tribe against all alien influence, not fear
Maybe violence-and discrimination- against muslims comes from misunderstanding
Maybe violence-and discrimination- against muslims comes from people who are black of heart and impure of soul.

Maybe we should ask those questions before making a new phobia which really doesn't have a lick to do with fear.

and more importantly

Maybe we should ask those questions to find a way to become better people

And now for a moment of AMV

Thank you DNC blog trolls

You may actually make me keep blogger comments in Blogger Beta

As for future democratic trolls... please before making cookie cutter political cracks try looking at some of my posts and get an idea of who you are making smarmy posts about.

Why can't the RNC do stuff like this

From the Party that tried to Kill Santa

so they tried to kill Santa, but the Republicans killed superman

(H/t to everyones favorite Hot Phillipino Republican blogging/media phenome)

Google Bomb, Sure why not

The Democrats through this site have set us up the google bomb

i figured sure why not i'd return the favor

I feel very dirty now

Senate

Connecticut: HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/02/AR2006080201655.html"
TARGET="_blank">Ned Lamont
Maryland: HREF="http://blogs.washingtontimes.com/insiderpolitics/?p=614"
TARGET="_blank">Ben Cardin
Michigan: TARGET="_blank">Debbie Stanbenow
Missouri: HREF="http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/072706/ethics.html"
TARGET="_blank">Claire McCaskill
Montana: HREF="http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/09/28/montana/a08092806_04.txt"
TARGET="_blank">Jon Tester
New Jersey: HREF="http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/15624888.htm"
TARGET="_blank">Bob Menendez
Tennessee: TARGET="_blank">Harold Ford
Virginia: HREF="http://www.rightwingnews.com/archives/week_2006_10_15.PHP#006620"
TARGET="_blank">James Webb

Democrat Held Seats

(CO-03): HREF="http://breakingnews.redstate.com/blogs/colorado_cd_3/2006/sep/25/rep_john_salazar_d_co_employs_islamist_extremist"
TARGET="_blank">John Salazar
(GA-03): TARGET="_blank">Jim Marshall
(GA-12): TARGET="_blank">John Barrow
(IA-03): HREF="http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=374DEEF2-6775-46ED-83B29D7DF092C215"
TARGET="_blank">Leonard Boswell
(IL-08): HREF="http://www.rightwingnews.com/archives/week_2006_08_20.PHP#006292"
TARGET="_blank">Melissa Bean
(IL-17): HREF="http://zingaforcongress.blogspot.com/2006/10/zinga-earns-peoria-journal-star.html"
TARGET="_blank">Phil Hare
(IN-07): HREF="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061020/COLUMNISTS19/610200417/-1/ZONES04"
TARGET="_blank">Julia Carson
(NC-13): HREF="http://www.yesweekly.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=223&ArticleID=1739&TM=4430"
TARGET="_blank">Brad Miller
(PA-12): HREF="http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060620-083859-8753r.htm"
TARGET="_blank">John Murtha
(WV-01): HREF="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,218581,00.html"
TARGET="_blank">Alan Mollohan

Republican Held Seats

(AZ-08): TARGET="_blank">Gabrielle Giffords
(CT-04): HREF="http://www.shaysforcongress.org/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=18476"
TARGET="_blank">Diane Farrell
(CT-05): TARGET="_blank">Chris Murphy
(CO-07): HREF="http://www.rickodonnell.com/camprel092606taxspend.html"
TARGET="_blank">Ed Perlmutter
(IA-01): HREF="http://iowasfirst.blogspot.com/2006/05/i-think-unfortunately-mr-braley-may.html"
TARGET="_blank">Bruce Braley
(IL-06): TARGET="_blank">Tammy Duckworth
(IN-02): HREF="http://www.chocolaforcongress.com/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=18519"
TARGET="_blank">Joe Donnelly
(IN-08): HREF="http://www.courierpress.com/news/2006/oct/15/prosecutor-ellsworth-spar/"
TARGET="_blank">Brad Ellsworth
(IN-09): TARGET="_blank">Baron Hill
(FL-13): HREF="http://www.vernbuchananforcongress.com/news/Read.aspx?ID=54"
TARGET="_blank">Christine Jennings
(FL-16): HREF="http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15776039.htm"
TARGET="_blank">Tim Mahoney
(FL-22): HREF="http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&prid=17422&category=Local%20News"
TARGET="_blank">Ron Klein
(KY-03): HREF="http://www.northupforcongress.com/2006/10/19/click-here-to-watch-our-latest-television-ad-hypocrisy/"
TARGET="_blank">John Yarmuth
(NC-01): HREF="http://www.taylorforcongress.com/news/news_item.2006-10-02.6773768489"
TARGET="_blank">Heath Shuler
(MN-06): HREF="http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/15782120.htm"
TARGET="_blank">Patty Wetterling
(NM-01): HREF="http://youtube.com/watch?v=p5AJYcA5XzE&mode=related&search="
TARGET="_blank">Patricia Madrid
(NY-20): HREF="http://www.sweeneyforcongress2006.com/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=18416"
TARGET="_blank">Kirsten Gillibrand
(NY-24): TARGET="_blank">Michael Arcuri
(NY-26): HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Davis_(industrialist)"
TARGET="_blank">Jack Davis
(OH-15): HREF="http://www.worldmagblog.com/blog/archives/026885.html"
TARGET="_blank">Mary Jo Kilroy
(OH-18): HREF="http://www.noagenda.org/2006/04/zack_space_breaks_ethics_pledge.php"
TARGET="_blank">Zack Space
(PA-06): HREF="http://www.webcommentary.com/asp/ShowArticle.asp?id=phyrillast&date=060929"
TARGET="_blank">Lois Murphy
(PA-08): TARGET="_blank">Patrick Murphy
(PA-07): HREF="http://www.curtweldon.org/newsandpress/view_article.cfm?ID=148"
TARGET="_blank">Joe Sestak
(PA-10): HREF="http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17337250&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=455154&rfi=6"
TARGET="_blank">Chris Carney
(VA-02): HREF="http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=111831&ran=245190&tref=po"
TARGET="_blank">Phil Kellam
(WI-08): TARGET="_blank">Steve Kagen

A videoblogger making fun of blogging

Irony ahead

In the more election Stupidity Department

On the campus of the good ole University of South Florida the Kathy Castor campaign was handing out some material... now, Kathy Castor is running in a district so democrat Osama Bin Laden could probably win if he had a D next to his name

Here is where the great fun and stupidity comes in. My friend noticed a date sticker over the Vote on paraphenelia

They have November 7th put over the Vote September 5th information from the Primary.

So in the Primary where MASSIVE GAS PRICES were a major issue, that is the info she has out to the voters today when MASSIVE GAS PRICES are less of an issue

good job Kathy we see congenital idiocy is a family trait for you Castors

and with the dates confused by the stickering how many Democrats may think their voting day is November 5th not November 7th

hooray for stupidity. And because of this stupidity I would suggest you give Eddie Adams Jr. (republican canidate for the 11th district) some votes because I am sure he would not try to crudely recycle old campaign materials

I want to hit things.......

"Stay The Course" and "Cut and Run" are words that make me want to brutally hit people.

So I was watching the Florida Gubenatorial debates which I should have known right away was a big mistake and I heard stay the course used as a word that failed to retain any semblence of meaning.

So I first want to slay these dragons as they are used in the Iraq war debate. Now their is a small minority which may be literal "cut and runners" and "Stay the coursers" but I am not talking about them I am talking about everyone else.

Stay the Course:

From a political party which elected a man who debated what the meaning of *IS* is this should not be so counter intuitive.

In the context of the political debate Stay the Course ment sticking with the Iraqi march to democracy. That doesn't mean stick with just a military strategy since we worked on political systems related to the post war period (poorly in some serious ways) BEFORE we even had the war. And out political interactions and actions have evolved and changed and adapted. So its not like the government all Guns and no butter... its just that butter makes weaker press then guns

Likewise the guns part doesn't stay the same. It can't stay the same because folks who are making a lot of money and wearing cool uniforms make corrections (and outright shifts) based on the details that folks who say Stay the Course as if it means something else.

Cut and Run

This likewise has evolved into political gobbeldygook.Setting a goal of "we want to be out of Iraq by___" isn't cutting and running. Saying "We will leave Iraq by ___ turn out the lights when you leave." is.

now both positions are rather foolish for reasons which fuel the pejoritive use of Cut and Run

But in the genere of intellectual dishonesty We have people saying they want a more political and not military solution. To use the bogus term they are "cutting and running" from reality to sell to a certain animus in the American political culture. Instead of speaking to the conditions on the ground they say things like "The Iraqi's need to take responsibility" to cover for their ultimate logic "being against the war gets me political points" rather then "The Iraqi's aren't being helped enough to take more responsibility for their own defense."

The truth is both sides need to be more honest with how they cover the events of this war. While I am not in the "cut and run they are going to cut and run" camp its very clear that by blatantly misrepresenting whats happening to the American People for political gain they simply aren't trustworthy right now with handling a war. Nor is a administration that at an institutional level shuts down information and access (both good and bad) and doesn't likewise level with the American people. They don't talk about the pressures from outside countries (and for some good reasons). They don't talk about their political solutions in Iraq (nor the political solutions applied by the Iraqi leaders) with any of the voice they do when guns come into play. Wars are lead by adults, all we seem to have are adolescent children.

Bernie Sanders

Radical Socialist and Democrat also canidate Bernie Sanders Claims that Usama is more popular then George W. Bush when asked about Club Gitmo

in some areas it may be a valid point but my problem is not that Bernie Sanders said something Anti-US but that it was utterly stupid...... which I think will lead to possible huberis there if things open up

Amusing blog post that was not what I intended it to be

I saw over on Fark a post that directed me to this DKos page

DKos had an evil popup ad script trigger an add for this

yes thats right a pop up add for a movie that glamourizes the founding communist thinkers in the United States and doesn't mention till about the last 3rd of the movie "Oh wait... communism might be bad"

as an add on the DKos

O RLY

The Orifice earns its nickname again

Demonstrators stage walkout in protest of Ann Coulter's lecture Thursday night at the Sun Dome

By Victoria Bekiempis, Staff Writer

Ali Hall and Ally Rhodes stood quietly. As they walked down the aisle at the Sun Dome, a hundred others in red shirts followed. Another hundred or so joined the exodus, some rising sporadically, others as groups or couples.

'according' to my roomate the speech had 400 attendies and at MOST 25 walked out joining 2 protesters outside.

Bill Clinton: a comment so stupid its given me cancer

Bill Clinton in a speech about the illogicalness of conservative arguments has set standards of stupification so high I feel utterly brain dead after reading them.

"They favor unilateralism whenever possible and cooperation when it is inevitable," Clinton said without specifically mentioning members of the Bush administration.

"The problem with ideology is, if you've got an ideology, you've already got your mind made up. You know all the answers and that makes evidence irrelevant and arguments a waste of time. You tend to govern by assertion and attacks

I start out with this one first because it really is less insulting to the intelligence of the reader and the listener.

Every political leader has a foriegn policy ideology EVERY ONE. because foriegn affairs are (yes) a political science. And as such people have philisophical views about them. Now Bill could have argued that they are to ideological.... that would have at least been intellectually honest. But to attack some one for having an ideology in a speech about political logic and honest debate makes my brain explode because of just how blatantly idiotic the very notion is.

You have to have an ideology because of how we humans work. Our brains take complex situations togther and try to find rules/systems/philosophies that explain them. Its what we do as monkeys with pants. You even have ideologies that govern things in your day to day lives.

but, the MOST stupid and MOST intellectually insulting/dishonest part is right here.

"Most of us long for politics where we have genuine arguments, vigorous disagreements but we don't claim to have the whole truth and we don't demonize our opponents and we work for what's best for the American people," he said.

Bill, this comment is so insulting I am not even going to go make the basic cursory effort to find the instances where you have demonized your opponents just THIS YEAR. I am also not going to address the fact that you said because you don't have a world view your more right then some one who does is in fact a claim to the whole truth.

I won't point out the fact the chairman of the democratic party says its not the democrats job to have ideas to oppose republicans.

Bill as a former DeMolay state officer I am ashamed that a fellow former DeMolay politician can't form a better argument then this. I know that you didn't see the moral lessons in DeMolay as important and its very clear by this speech you don't even see keeping the same moral lesson in a single speech as even nessecary

more posts from Malaise

I sent a letter to the editor of my school paper

here is a preview

I watch a lot of the controversy over Ann Coulter and it happens when the
Missionaries make their semi-annual appearance on campus. For both people
are outraged, counter protests occur, and people are harassing those who
present the alternate point of view.

Both say what they say for their own reasons. The missionaries are
actuated by a world view which sees every day as your potential "last
chance" for salvation. You could be hit by the bus tomorrow and be
condemned to the lake of fire. In their world view their is no time to
waste on subtle presentation, you folks are just doomed.

But in a world where almost every religion teaches that the sovereignty of
the soul is at your on choice why do people with a deeply passionate world
view matter?

"Huh look at that they believe differently then I do."

but when you engage them in a way of conflict and agitation they view you
as a "preachable moment" and as a chance for them to inspire the change of
Christ in your life.

Ann Coulter likewise says outrageous things, but she says them for
different reasons.

Every pie in the face Ann gets, every angry student with purple hair and
piercings that gets broadcast on the news Ann knows she just sold another
couple of hundred books. By experssing her views in such an extreme way
she guarentees sales of her books. Just as simply passing by the
Missionaries means they will not view you as a target passing by Ann
Coulter and leting her say her piece with no reaction means her books
won't sell and eventually she to will fade away.

It sounds hokey but you control what you think and what you feel. And when
you give random street preachers and Ann Coulter the power to make you
angry then you weaken yourself

Let them say their peace and then fade back and find more fertile ground
if you truely believe them to be so wrong

While school has me down weird You Tube goodness

Ok Links Phase I

Got the links put on here

but it will take a while before I get all the stuff back up and right

AHA....

Found my old stuff its under "Classic Template"

so that cuts down the work of restoring it

Missing Links and other site issues

I hope to get those all fixed tonight after class. But I may have to prep for a Japanese test

Personal Life issue fading away

I am no longer the sole wage earner in my apartment

My roomate is working for CompUSA which I will avoid for as long as I can calling Compusary

Ok......this is odd

got this in the email from a HIGHLY dubious source but if true it puts a weird wrinkle in things going on in Iraq

note I say its HIGHLY dubious

Palestinians must leave in 72 hour
Roads to Iraq



Quds Press reported that Shiite militias threat Palestinian families living in Baghdad, a 72 hour to leave ” or to be subjected to burning and killing.”

Residents in the “Shia” neighborhood said that leaflets were distributed on the Palestinians homes, threaten them with death and burning unless they leave Baghdad within 72 hours. Sources confirmed that these leaflets distributed in curfew time, which was imposed on Baghdad since Friday evening until Sunday morning.

Also confirmed that these militias used for the first time, loudspeakers mounted on governmental cars, the Palestinians and threatens to kill them unless they leave Baghdad. reminding them that their fate would have been the fate of their fellow citizens in the municipalities located east of Baghdad.

According to the official statistics, the numbers of Palestinians who have been killed in Iraq by a Shiite militia are about 172 Palestinians, in addition to the tens of abductees and prisoners

Intresting info from Transperancy International

BRUSSELS: Indian, Chinese and Russian exporters pay bribes more often than companies from other countries, according to a survey released Wednesday that ranked Italian businesses as the most inclined to pay bribes among European Union countries.

The findings, covering 30 leading exporting countries, were released by Transparency International, a nongovernmental monitoring group. The survey found that companies from Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Austria and Canada bribed the least to win foreign business. Britain ranked 6th; Germany 7th; the United States 9th, along with Belgium; and Japan, 11th.

arrrr Bribe Me

What makes this intresting is countries with cultures that accept bribary happen to bribe more often then those that don't.....

Which should shock no one.

Ok this has Cajones

Seems the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran has found a way to get good media coverage fir his side of the case

... "Let in the tourists"

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran’s hard-line president has ordered nuclear facilities opened to foreign tourists to prove that the nation’s disputed atomic program is peaceful, state-run television reported on Wednesday.

“After an order by the president ... foreign tourists can visit Iran’s nuclear facilities,” the head of Iran’s tourism division, Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, was quoted as saying.

Mashai said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued the order to show that Iran’s nuclear program it aims to generate fuel, not weapons.

Oh Honey... Lets go see the Nuclear Reactors in Iran.....

funny dodge of the issue, but not an effective ploy for long

While I am tinkering and Updating

Lets listen to what Ben Bernanke Has to say

"Reform of our unsustainable entitlement programs" should be a priority, he said in prepared remarks to the Economics Club of Washington. "The imperative to undertake reform earlier rather than later is great," Bernanke added.

It marked the Fed chief's most extensive comments to date on the challenges facing the United States with the looming retirement of 78 million baby boomers.

In his remarks, Bernanke did not offer Congress and the Bush administration recommendations on how the massive entitlement programs should be changed. Efforts by the administration to overhaul the Social Security program _ once a centerpiece of President Bush's second-term agenda _ sputtered last year, meeting resistance from Republicans and Democrats alike.

As the population ages, the nation will have to choose among higher taxes, less non-entitlement spending by the government, a reduction in spending on entitlement programs, a sharply higher budget deficit or some combination thereof, Bernanke said.

Government spending on Social Security and Medicare alone will increase from about 7 percent of the total size of the U.S. economy to almost 13 percent by 2030 and to more than 15 percent by 2050, he said.

The Chairman of the Fed's big claim to fame is on how the US trade deficit doesn't matter because we can pay for it.

If he is telling us we can't pay for our social security and welfare state... WORRY

I like the new upgrade but........

My links list got Ate. I lost my script stuff

so I have to go out and find new stuff

I may however have saved some of it elsewhere on my computer... so I will look for it

And the new stuff has ended my blogging Malaise

Ok then

Upgraded to blogger BETA and it gremlinized my haloscan links

luckily I think I can fix that... after class

Larry Votes you should to

Ok Kids Uncle Larry got his Absentee Ballot so its time for Larry telling you how he voted.

Federal Offices

United States Senate

I was Very torn on this one.

On the one hand, I *DO* oppose a lot of the positions Bill Nelson has taken as a senator, but I am against Katherine Harris even more.

So I decided to split the difference. Belinda Noah was a canidate for the primary before the deadline and I decided to give her my vote.

US CONGRESS


I also had some conflicts here. Vern was slimy and Jennings was a tool. This one was resolved by a coin flip


State of Florida Offices

Governor of Florida


This one was also difficult for me. Charlie Crist and I agreed on more issues, but a good friend John Wayne Smith is running and I have always voted for friends when electing people.... so I decided to go with Friendship because I think Crist is a lock at this point.

Cabinet of Florida


now for the state Cabinet officers. I picked the Republican for Attorney General (Bill McCollum) because I don't want to see any monkeyshines like we have out in California. I voted for the Republican for CFO (worst elected position name ever) -(Tom Lee)- just based off of the fact I haven't seen any reason not to. And for my most flippant vote Charles Bronson for Agriculture commissioner because.... Well, He's Charles Bronson

State Legislature


for Florida District 69 I am voting for a Republican Woman (Laura Benson) because I think the GOP has done a good job running our legislature and she hasn't done anything critically stupid.

Weird Local Offices

Charter Review Board


I voted for all the republicans.... just because I have decided as long as I am still a voter in sarasota County I am going to alternate each year the parties of the local board members I vote for

JUDGES


As I do every year I voted NO on all the judges. In the 12th circuit group 21 I eleced Preston DeVilbiss who IIRC did a good job last time he was a judge

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND CHARTER AMENDMENTS




Constitutional Amendment #1

Amendment 1 was to limit the amount of non recurring general revenue for recurring reasons. That sounded fishy from the start... then it wanted to establish a joint committee to handle aspects of the budget process and then I grabbed my wallet and voted no.

To technical, taking power into a smaller groups hands.

Constitutional Amendment #3

The "No Whacky amendments" Amendment

I voted no because frankly I think simple majority vote to approve amendments is just fine

Constitutional Amendment #4

The Anti-Youth Smoking Class

yes it would palace a new class or program in our schools to teach kids about not smoking using the money that has been stolen from smokers via the annual tobacco settlement money.

We don't need issue education we need total education and this is a waste of state money so PASS.

SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU. when you inhale smoke you feel sick

no one needs a class or program to learn that just have them inhale near a fire

Constitutional Amendment #6
Increased Homstead exemption for poor old people

I voted yes

Constitutional Amendment #7
Permenent Discount for Disabled Veterans Homestead Ad Valorem Tax

I voted yes

Constitutional Amendment #8

Eminent Domain Reform

I voted yes because it would mean that the State Legislature would have to by a 60% majority authorize takings of private property and transfers


Charter Amendment:
Paper Ballots

I figure Sure, why not