Practical Religion

There are many things about religion that confuse me. But I do understand the urge to pray to a god for intervention when a situation is going badly. So I understand why these folks in Dublin, GA are asking god for help:

A Dublin church group plans to gather pump-side Saturday and pray for the gas prices to drop.

Mabry says he can remember when gas jumped from under $1 to $1.50 and says, now, with prices reaching almost $4, he says he plans to ask God for help.

And this isn't the first time his congregation has gathered at Kroger's gas pumps.

"If it doesn't drop down to nothin' but ten cents, I'm happy with that. But what I really want to believe God to do is drop down $1.50, hey, I'm glad with that, too," says the pastor.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=124242

Of course, it isn't going to work. They fail to understand one simple fact: oil companies bought off god a long time ago.

Lovely Spring Weather

And by "lovely spring weather" I mean "winter storm warning" with sleet and overnight snow. Forecast calls for "up to" a foot of snow by tomorrow night (although forecasts don't mean anything around here). Anyway, here's some Boobies.

"Death To The Poor"

We should be making it very clear that the current GOP agenda truly is "death to the poor". The latest example is the very “serious” Ryan budget plan: destroy medicare and medicaid while further cutting taxes for the wealthy. Throw in the impending government shutdown, and the GOP is clear about where their priorities are. One good read: Paul Ryan and the New Politics of Sadism:

The object of his politics is to render political liberty subservient to economic exigencies, to render it an unaffordable luxury item available only to the wealthy, because only the wealthy are competent enough to exercise it. Ryan has come to the unremarkable intellectual conclusion that more people would rather inflict pain — even vicariously, even through his greasy sadist’s smile — than receive it. He has seen that dynamic in action. Even the White House, occupied for the nonce by a putatively progressive Democrat, has signed on in a gentler way to the notion that “austerity” is the way out of our current economic morass, and “austerity” is fairly defined in this context as making other people hurt so you’ll feel better about yourself. Unemployed workers, whose pensions were looted by Wall Street sharpers, rage against the pensions of public workers, not because those pensions are so gloriously lavish, but because they exist at all. Somebody has something you don’t and they must pay for that. Small wonder that Paul Ryan thinks he can grin his way to the dystopic wasteland that he sees when he dreams of a free country.

What is even worse is that Obama and the Dems are reacting with unfettered timidity. They should be screaming about the GOP''s direct assault on the vast majority of the American people, not cowardly attempting to "compromise" with these extremists. The "Ryan budget" should be the biggest political club used to bludgeon the repubs on a daily basis. It's a very simple message: "the republicans want to take money from you and give it to the wealthiest 1%." Sadly, that will not happen. I do have a personal stake in Ryan's attempt to destroy medicare: Ryan propose a voucher system for those currently under age 55, which could be used to get 'private insurance'. I'm currently 52, and while I'm in reasonably good health right now I have a very long list of 'pre-existing conditions' that will only get worse as I get older. In short, the Ryan plan would condemn me (and a huge number of people like me) to an early death. Steven D of Booman Tribune shares his tragic story GOP Wants to Kill Me (and You). I hope you'll read it. It's really beyond time to say "enough is enough" to the GOP's assault on us, the people. If we want American society to survive, we must stand up to the oligarchs efforts to reduce us to serfs.

Seafood

I love seafood. It's literally my favorite food group. So the past year has been really depressing. First the BP oil spill contaminates the gulf, which will impact the food chain for decades. Then we get the radioactive water from Japan's reactor disaster spilling into the Pacific. I'm not an alarmist by nature, but the long term impacts of these two events will be huge. Despite the authorities 'reassurances' that the oil spill 'wasn't that bad' and that the radioactive water will 'disperse', anyone who understands pollution of an ecosystem knows that the total effects from these spills will take years to spread through the food chain. The bottom feeders will be the first contaminated; shellfish and halibut for example. The pollutants will then be spread to larger predator fish like tuna, snapper, and the like. Given that stocks of the 'food' fish were already in decline, safe seafood is well on it's way to scarcity and the price will soar into luxury status. Which really pisses me off. I'm not going to panic yet, but the thought of a future without eating scallops or sushi is depressing.

All Fool's Friday

So here's a...wait a minute. That's not a Boobie!

That's not either. Newt Gingrich may be a boob, but he's not a Boobie.

Ah, that's more like it. Happy Friday!

It's A National Holiday

Yes, it's the opening day of Baseball! It's my second favorite holiday, and I fully intend to celebrate properly. Oh, and my beloved San Francisco Giants are the proud owners of this:

Please Don't

Not as big as the national or world news, but I really didn't need to read that Ann Kirkpatrick is looking to run for congress again:

Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a freshman Democrat ousted in last year's Republican tidal wave, is angling for a rematch against Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. She told AZ/DC Tuesday that she has made the decision to run for her seat again in 2012.

Kirkpatrick, a Flagstaff resident, said she has heard from her former constituents that Gosar, a Flagstaff dentist, is not responsive to the 1st Congressional District's priorities.

"It's clear to me, now that Paul Gosar has a record, that he is toeing the party line rather than serving the district," she said. "The real key for me is the number of people who I've been hearing from in the district -- and this is Democrats, independents, Republicans and even folks who are actively involved in the 'tea party' -- that they feel he is deeply out-of-touch with the district."

Kirkpatrick said she hopes the 2012 political climate will be more hospitable to her candidacy because it is a presidential year and likely will have a bigger turnout.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/azdc/123758

Look, I like you, Ann. But you were totally ineffective during your term in congress. You're not a very good campaigner, which you proved by losing to an absolute whacko Paul Gosar. And I'm not saying this just because you turned me down when I volunteered for your campaign in 2010 due to our previous disagreements. It's that if you run, you will lose again.

We need a stronger candidate in AZ-01 for 2012.

There Were Giants In Those Days

Joe Bageant, 1946-2011

After a vibrant life, Joe Bageant died yesterday following a four-month struggle with cancer. He was 64. Joe is survived by his wife, Barbara, his three children, Timothy, Patrick and Elizabeth, and thousands of friends and admirers. He is also survived by his work and ideas.

According to Joe's wishes, he will be cremated. His family will hold a private memorial service.

I hate it when I can't sleep and go online to news like this. R.I.P. Joe, you will be missed.

Friday Boobies

Regardless of all other world events, Friday's should have Boobies.

While My Opinion Doesn't Matter

Yeah, I'm a lousy blogger. And I've held off on commenting about things like Libya, Japan, Wisconsin, and...(fill in blank), but I have an excuse: I'm still waiting and seeing.
But I will say a few things on Libya here.
First: while I'm as antiwar as anybody, this is not "America at war". It's another fornicating 'military action', which is not a good thing, but still less than a war.
Second: Please throw all Iraq comparisons out your window. This isn't a pointless, unprovoked invasion. At least, I hope. Obama is much smarter than Shrub.
Third: This really wasn't a military action that was started by America. The UN initiative was more a result of European pressure. Europe is much more dependant on Libyan oil than we are. Prolonged instability of a civil war in Libya would seriously hurt the Euro, so intervention was inevitable. The French and British had no choice.
Fourth: Yes, it is about oil. The tsunami in Japan threw the world in "crisis mode" and any urge to let Libya "resolve itself" became untenable on the world market. Which is why everybody involved will work for a quick resolution. Europe wants stability even more than we do.
Fifth: I do think that Obama has done a fairly good job of walking a fairly fine line. Being cautious is not a bad thing, nor is acting when the time is advantageous.
Sixth: Dear media: Libya is not in the "Middle East"; it is in North Africa. In Fact, Tripoli is the main North African port.
Seventh: Know at least something before you speak: I happened to hear one of the Sunday talkers say "then why aren't we going into Bahrain?" (I forget which one) and I wanted to scream at my TV. The simple reason we aren't "going into" Bahrain is that we're already there. Our Fifth Fleet is based there. I realize this may come as a surprise to some idealists, but we do treat allies of convenience differently than we do 'enemies'.

That's a Tomahawk missile. They cost around a million bucks apiece. We just gave Libya over a 120 of them for "free" if you look at the federal budget. Next time a repub wants to cut anything that helps American people, ask how he feels about giving cruise missiles to foreigners.

(click to enlarge)

Qaddafi has been a "bad guy" for almost thirty years. He's the original 'terrorist', and nobody should be surprised by his brutality. When the tide of change in the region washed over him, he behaved in the way that everyone should have expected. He should have run away while he had the chance. But he's a dumb, crazy brute who only understands crushing. And, as a result, he will be crushed.

World "realpolitik" is bigger than Obama and Qaddafi combined.

Spring (Training) Boobies

A fine Friday. Sweaterman and I are taking the trip down to the valley to catch a spring training baseball game, thereby proving that winter is over.

So many things that I haven't blogged about lately. Major events in so many different spheres that I find myself taking a "wait and see" attitude, but most everything looks bad right now. The latest simple example: we have the house republicans defunding public radio in the name of "austerity" (yes, I know it's really about ideology), but we have plenty of money in the budget to send a bunch of 'free cruise missiles' to Libya. It's nice to know what the priorities are.

I'll leave you with an Arizona joke:

"Even with the huge cuts to the states education budget, Arizona kids will still learn their 'A,B,C's'. They'll just have to go to another state to learn the other 23 letters."

Craziest Speculative Story of the Day

Let me be clear: I try to avoid anything and everything associated with Sarah Palin. The very fact that she is somehow considered relevant is evidence that American politics may be too stupid to survive.

But then I read this example of extreme insanity:

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, we learned earlier this week, is rumored to be planning to base her hypothetical presidential campaign in Scottsdale, but GOP sources tell New Times the one-time darling of the Conservative movement might be coming to the Grand Canyon State for a different reason: to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Jon Kyl.

Sadly, it makes sense.

Arizona is the Mecca of Conservative kookdom, so it would be much easier for someone like Palin to get elected here than it would be for her to get elected nationally -- where the far-right-wing agenda is much less popular.

GOP sources tell New Times Palin fell in love with Arizona while campaigning with Senator John McCain during the 2008 presidential race, and that she already owns a home here. Although, no record of any Sarah Palin-owned property in Maricopa County is found on the County Assessor's website (there are, however, four homes owned by people with the last name Palin, and homes owned by people with the same names as Palin's sister and father).

Not to mention, Palin's daughter Bristol's inexplicable move to Maricopa, which we'll now assume had more to do with her mother's future plans than her desire to see Mexico from her back porch.

Congressman Jeff Flake is the only declared candidate for the seat, however, former TV pitchman J.D. Hayworth, fagala-fearing Congressman Trent Franks, and several other local GOPers have expressed an interest in the seat.

Palin's capable of raising a lot of money, which spells trouble for other Republicans looking to run. Hayworth and Franks would likely bow out (although, watching three crazy people argue over who's crazier could be fun).

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/03/is_sarah_palin_considering_a_s.php

I've always doubted that Palin would actually run for president due to her own greed and sloth. Simply put, I don't believe that she would take the pay cut or accept the work load involved. So I seriously doubt that she'll actually run for senator here. But the scary reality is that if she did run here in Arizona it's quite likely that she would win.

Also, Boobies

Friday, therefore Boobies.

Another Way The GOP Budget Plan Can Kill

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan It was the largest known earthquake to hit Japan and one of the largest in history, and the ensuing tsunami has been devastating. Tsunami waves are now reaching America's west coast.

What does that have to do with the GOP budget proposal? Glad you asked. Via Sam Stein:, one of the provisions in the house Republicans proposed budget is to drastically cut the tsunami warning and response system:

WASHINGTON -- Thursday night's massive earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami warnings that have alarmed U.S. coasts, seem likely to ignite a debate over a previously little-discussed subsection of the spending bills currently being debated in Congress.

The House full-year continuing resolution, which has not passed the Senate, would indeed make steep cuts to several programs and functions that would serve in a response to natural disasters (not just tsunamis) home and abroad. According to Sobien, the bill cuts $126 million from the budget of the NWS. Since, however, the cuts are being enacted over a six-month period (the length of the continuing resolution) as opposed to over the course of a full year, the effect would be roughly double.

As for NOAA, the House GOP cuts are even deeper. The House spending bill is roughly $450 million below the president's 2011 budget requests. The Senate Democratic bill would be $110 million below that request. The White House-allied Center for American Progress, argued that the House spending bill would actually cut $1.2 billion from the president's budget requests, likely by taking into account that the bill does not provide NOAA the funding increase requested for the Joint Polar Satellite System.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/tsunami-relief-gop-budget-cuts_n_834479.html

The Republican philosophy of 'cut now, regardless of the future consequences' is going to kill a lot of people over time. Can't have that 'big government" doing things that actually might help people. I'm sure that the big corporations will be happy to deal with any tsunamis that occur.

See also: GOP's Continuing Resolution Cuts Funding for National Weather Service, FEMA

It's Good to Have Priorities

Arizona politics can be entertaining, if it wasn't so bloody tragic. Our state senate has succeeded in tackling one of the states most pressing problems: the lack of an official state firearm:

PHOENIX -- Cost to name the Cardinals stadium after the University of Phoenix? $154.5 million over 20 years.

Cost to Bank One -- now Chase -- for its name on the baseball stadium? $2.2 million a year until 2028.

And the cost to the Colt Manufacturing Co. to get the Arizona Senate to name one of its products the official state weapon? Priceless. Well, actually zero.

That, however, didn't keep the senators from voting 18-12 Tuesday to declares the Colt single action Army revolver. It joins such things as the official state tree, butterfly, gemstone and neckwear, the last being, of course, the bola tie.

But the move annoyed Sen. Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix, who pointed out that all of those other items are generic. This is the first time, he said, lawmakers would be endorsing a brand name.

"This is advertisement for Colt," he said. While the gun in question was first made in 1873, the company still sells versions.

"If the state is going to go in this direction, I think we should get the equivalent of naming rights," Driggs continued. He said Arizona, facing a $1.1 billion deficit next budget year, could use the cash.

Colt named official state weapon

As the state dismantles all our social services in the name of "fiscal responsibility", they don't even generate any revenue from this act. It's pure red meat for the right wing base. Arizona's state policy has become "more guns for everybody, anywhere they want to carry them".

Frustration

I read the news, and I think about it. Then I think about posting about my thoughts. Then I read other blogs, and somebody else already said what I was thinking, but with more eloquence.
Take the "budget" (please, in a Groucho voice). We don't have a "debt" or "deficit" problem; we have a revenue problem. You've already seen the graphs: the rich are getting the pie, and we're getting the crumbs. I mean "why the fornicate are you arguing about family planning when we need jobs" type of angry.
So I'm frustrated.
Because, in reality, it is getting worse. Slowly and steadily. The 'frog pot' analogy.
Somehow, I doubt that I'm going to "enjoy" the near future.

White House Honey Ale

OK, it's easy to complain about that Obama guy, but he is doing a few good things. Like having the White House brew their own beer. The "White House Honey Ale" is being made with honey from on site bee hives.

Obama plans to serve his very own 'White House Honey Ale' for Irish night:

President Obama has officially declared March 2011 Irish American Heritage Month. More importantly the White House also announced that the president would be brewing his own beer called White House Honey Ale for St.Patrick’ Day.

Obama, who said he will pay for the beer making equipment himself, has made presidential history by being the first U.S. president to brew beer at the White House.

Last month the president and his wife Michelle served White House Honey Ale at their Super Bowl party. They are officially the first White House residents to charge their chefs with brewing, and White House curator Bill Allman says the chefs love it.

Historian for the White House Historical Association William Ushong agrees. He said, "I haven't heard of any beer brewing going on at the White House itself. President Jefferson would be your likely candidate, given his epicurean taste."

The staff confirms that White House home brewing is here to stay. According to the Obama Foodorama blog Semonti Stephens, a spokesman for the East Wing said, "It is very safe to assume that there will be more White House beer in the future.”

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/President-Obama-brewing-his-own-beer-for-StPatricks-White-House-bash-117392163.html

He's now assured of my vote in 2012.

March Boobie

It's Friday. It's March. Yay!

Happy Pic

My regular bartender sent me this pic from Tuesday's Giants spring training game. It makes me quite happy.

Making Fun of the Truth

I'm quite sure that all of you have already read this, but I can not resist:

A unionized public employee, a teabagger and a CEO are sitting at a table. In the middle of the table there is a plate with a dozen cookies on it.

The CEO reaches across and takes 11 cookies, looks at the teabagger and points to the union guy. “You’d better look out for that guy — he wants a piece of your cookie.”

The teabagger looks at the union worker, knocks the last cookie to the floor, stomps on it and calls the union member a “fucking socialist.”

Kind of like the world now.