Anagram Fun

The letters in "President Obama" can be rearranged into "sober panda time". For some reason, this makes me happy.
More at:Fun with anagrams! (GOP candidates edition)

Blatant Corruption

The big political debate in the next few weeks will be on the Keystone XL pipeline, a really bad idea that John Boehner will be pushing hard for one simple reason: because the House Speaker has substantial investments in several Canadian tar sands firms that would greatly benefit from the deal. That's it. He'll say it's about "jobs" (although it would only generate very few), but it's really only about money. Pure, blatant corruption.

And he's likely to get away with it.

(h/t to Zandar Versus The Stupid for catching this)

A Profile of Courage

Saddening news: Gabrielle Giffords Resigning From Congress . And yet, it is somehow uplifting to see her focusing on her recovery, and to witness the courage she's shown:

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was shot in the head a year ago at a district event, announced in a video posted on YouTube Sunday that she will resign from Congress this week, in order to focus on her medical recovery.

The Arizona Daily Star reports:

Before she leaves office, Giffords will finish her Congress On Your Corner event that was interrupted by a gunman on Jan. 8, 2011. In a private gathering in Tucson, Giffords will meet with some of the people who were at the event, her staff said.

“Arizona is my home, always will be. A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that. But I know on the issues we fought for we can change things for the better. Jobs, border security, veterans. We can do so much more by working together,” Giffords said in the message.

“I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/gabrielle-giffords-resigning-from-congress.php?ref=fpb

I think Ms. Giffords may be one of the most inspiring human beings I've witnessed in my life. She brought honor and integrity to both her political and personal life. I hope we all can agree to wish her the very best recovery possible.

A Sane Idea (in an insane world)

One topic in the current political sphere that can get me into a screaming fit rather quickly is the subject of Iran. Especially with the current crop of republican candidates sounding ready to rush (with the exception of Ron Paul) into a military attack. The 'justification' for bombing Iran is that they have a (small, minimal) nuclear program, which could someday lead to a nuclear weapon. Which, of course, would be a threat to Israel (who has plenty of nukes) and the region (which has oil), and therefore to America.
Iran has repeatedly said that they want nuclear energy to produce electricity. Which actually makes a lot of sense. Iran has a lot of oil, but oil is a lousy source for electricity, for both efficiency and the environment. As a modernizing country, Iran is facing ever increasing demand for more electricity.
Then I read a piece by Thomas Buonomo at Informed Comment that I thought was truly brilliant:

An Alternative Course of Action

Considering the doubtful prospect of an effective sanctions regime and the unpredictable consequences of a military strike or covert action, the Obama administration should consider offering the Iranian government an opportunity for rapprochement in the form of renewable energy technology and financial incentives to help it achieve its ostensible goals.

Iran has abundant geothermal, solar, hydroelectric and wind energy resources that could help it meet its domestic electricity demand without presenting an inherent threat to the international community. This would require substantial investment but Iranian leaders might be prepared to consider such an alternative if the U.S. and other UN Security Council states were prepared to offer it attractive financing options.

Such an initiative would demonstrate to Iran that the United States acknowledges its legitimate energy and national security interests and is willing to take meaningful steps to support its peaceful aspirations and integration into the international community in return for its abandonment of its nuclear program.

http://www.blogger.com/www.juancole.com/2012/01/to-avoid-war-obama-should-offer-iran-renewable-energy-aid-buonomo.html

Now, I realize that Iran is not exactly our friend. In fact, the history of US-Iran relations is one of constant conflict, and we haven't had diplomatic relations since 1979. But imagine how relations (and the propaganda) could be reversed if America offered Iran alternative energy aid, and we began relating to each other as respectful adults. If Obama were to actually do this, he'd deserve a Nobel Peace Prize, and it would drive the neocon warmongers crazy. Plus, it might actually work.

A Short Political Observation

In an effort to retain what little sanity I have left, I've tried to avoid paying attention to the republican nomination campaign. But my inner political junkie had a bit of a relapse, and I watched part of a debate last weekend. What I saw is still subtly disturbing me; that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something so profoundly wrong is being ignored.

During part of the debate, Jon Huntsman came under attack for serving as ambassador to China in the Obama administration. Huntsman said something about putting "country ahead of party", and he was attacked for it by Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry as if this was a horrible thing for him to say. The attacking candidates all wanted to make it loud and clear that they were "republicans first, Americans second" in the age of Obama. Not that it should be a surprise; Boehner and McConnell have clearly stated that their goal is to defeat Obama rather than to govern, regardless of how much damage it does to the country. Well, at least they're honest about it.

That is something my brain is having a hard time reconciling with what I thought I knew. All those years of my life where the republicans were the party of "uber-patriotism"; the "flag wavers"; the "my country, right or wrong" party. Those were the republicans I knew throughout my life.

I guess it only took one black president for them to discard their loyalty to their country. What is really profoundly wrong is that these men want to be president of a United States that they publicly disavow loyalty to. And that many "proud Americans" will vote for them anyway.

20 More Years

It's nice that there will be a 20 year moratorium on uranium mining on the Grand Canyon. Having spent a lot of time in the 'big ditch', I strongly oppose any thing that would spoil it. Especially such a short sighted exploitation that would also potentially poison millions of downstream people.

But I also know how permanently incredible the Grand Canyon is. I have a strong feeling that it will still be an awe striking geological formation long after humans have gone extinct.

Added: Predictably, Republicans and mining and energy lobbyists are furious

As Zandar Versus The Stupid says:

How many jobs would be lost if the Colorado River was contaminated by uranium mining runoff? How many lives? Do you think any of the Republicans running for president care about the environment?

The Supreme Reason to Re-Elect Obama

The 2012 election cycle is now in full swing, and while I'd love to just hibernate and ignore it, it's clear that the results do truly matter. The Washington Monthly has a series on what a republican victory would mean that's well worth reading, although also quite frightening. While I know many liberals who are quite disappointed in President Obama (the only reason that I'm not disappointed is that I held really low expectations), it's important to assess what are the realistic options, before giving up on his re-election.

One of the greatest long term impacts of any President is the appointment of Supreme Court Justices. In his first term, Obama filled two vacancies, as did shrub before him. Overall, the current court is dominated by republican appointees, which is clearly reflected in the conservative, pro-corporate philosophy of it's decisions. And the next presidential term of office could potentially see vacancies that impact the courts makeup for decades to come.

While Supreme Court Justices receive the finest medical care on the planet, and historically live longer than the rest of the population, age does catch up to everyone. Four of the nine current Justices are in their seventies, an age where physical and mental decline are a common occurrence, and may not remain on the bench through the next presidential term.

First on the list of likely departures is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who's 78 (79 in March) and has been battling cancer. She has been one of the most consistently liberal voices on the court since her 1993 appointment by Bill Clinton, and it's extremely unlikely that she will serve another four plus years.

Antonin Scalia is 75 years old (76 in March), and has been serving since 1986. A staunch (I would say extreme) conservative, he seems to be in robust health. It's conceivable that he would consider retiring if a republican is elected president, but is a good bet to remain on the bench through a second Obama term.

Anthony Kennedy is also 75 (76 in July), and is arguably the most significant member of the court. He's moderately conservative, and represents the swing vote in many decisions. While not substantiated, I've read multiple reports that he is likely to retire in relatively few years for reasons of age and health. He's been serving since 1988.

Stephen Breyer is 73 (74 in August), and is rumored to be considering retirement. Moderately liberal and fairly quiet, he's considered a very thoughtful, intellectual jurist. I think the likelihood of him remaining through the next presidential term is under 50%, as he often sounds frustrated with the current court.

(Justice bios here:http://www.blogger.com/www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx. Of course, any of the other five Justices might choose to retire or suffer an untimely demise, but I chose to focus on the four most likely potential departures.)

The Washington Monthly piece is a useful group of articles. Addressing what a republican victory would mean for the Supreme Court, The conservative takeover will be complete. By Dahlia Lithwick is well worth reading.

The current court is viewed as a balance between four liberals and four conservative, with Kennedy somewhere in between, but is more really four moderates, four extreme conservatives, and Kennedy. That balance could be changed dramatically in the next presidential term.

Neither of Obama's appointee's, Sonia Sotomayor or Elena Kagan, are all that liberal, which is in keeping with his own moderate philosophy. And I would expect that any future justice appointees would also be moderates. But compare that to the philosophy of the current republican presidential candidates. Then consider how they would likely choose to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court. It's a scary proposition for the coming decades. That alone is enough to make me support Obama in 2012.

The President on Mars

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time (which I thoroughly appreciate, by the way) you know that I really love a good conspiracy theory. And this has to be one of the best I've ever read:

Two former participants in the CIA’s Mars visitation program of the early 1980’s have confirmed that U.S. President Barack H. Obama was enrolled in their Mars training class in 1980 and was among the young Americans from the program who they later encountered on the Martian surface after reaching Mars via “jump room.”

Andrew D. Basiago, 50, a lawyer in Washington State who served in DARPA’s time travel program Project Pegasus in the 1970’s, and fellow chrononaut William B. Stillings, 44, who was tapped by the Mars program for his technical genius, have publicly confirmed that Obama was enrolled in their Mars training class in 1980 and that each later encountered Obama during visits to rudimentary U.S. facilities on Mars that took place from 1981 to 1983.

exopolitics.blogs.com/exopolitics/2011/11/mars-visitors-basiago-and-stillings-confirm-barack-obama-traveled-to-mars-1.html

You really owe it to yourself to go read the whole thing. Perhaps my favorite part:

On August 21, 2011, Mr. Basiago stated: "Something highly significant has happened, and that is that two individuals from the same Mars training class in 1980 (Basiago and Stillings) have met and are comparing experiences and are able to corroborate not only that they were on the surface of Mars together but that before reaching Mars via jump room they were trained with a group of teenagers that included the current President of the United States (Obama) and director of DARPA (Dugan)."

Mr. Basiago states that during one of his trips to Mars via “jump room” that took place from 1981 to 1983, he was sitting on a wall beneath an arching roof that covered one of the “jump room” facilities as he watched Mr. Obama walk back to the jump room from across the Martian terrain. When Mr. Obama walked past him and Mr. Basiago acknowledged him, Mr. Obama stated, with some sense of fatalism: “Now we’re here!”

The primitive conditions that they encountered on Mars might explain the high level of danger involved. Mr. Basiago and Mr. Stillings agree that Major Dames stated during their training class at The College of the Siskiyous in 1980: “Of the 97,000 individuals that we have thus far sent to Mars, only 7,000 have survived there after five years.” When they then first teleported to Mars in Summer 1981, the young Mars visitors confronted the situation that Major Dames had covered at length during the class the previous summer – that one of their principal concerns on Mars would be to avoid being devoured by one of the predator species on the Martian surface, some of which they would be able to evade, and some of which were impossible to evade if encountered.

So forget the whole Kenyan-Muslim thing. It's clear that our President may be controlled by Martians.
Added: The more I think about this, the more it explains things in my own life. I can't remember much of what happened to me between 1980 and 83. I always thought it was drugs, but now I'm thinking that actually the CIA sent me to Mars, and brainwashed me into thinking that it was drugs. Yup, that would explain a lot.

Iowa

I was really rooting for Thaddeus McCotter, but then I saw that he dropped out back in September. So now I'm pulling for Buddy Roemer.

Another Trip Around the Sun

For the 53rd consecutive time, the year begins with my Birthday (hey, I find that important) which is a good thing. We should start partying.

It's 2012, a leap year. Because the year has one extra day, we'll get the summer Olympics and a presidential election. I'm looking forward to the Olympics. The election...well, not so much. But the extra day is nice.

Anyway, Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas, And Such

Hope you all are having wonderful holidays, Christmas or otherwise. Mine has been quite nice. Anyway, wishing the best to all of you, and thanks for stopping by.

A Day For Joy

Happy Winter Solstice (depending on where you are), and I hope you'll also celebrate Global Orgasm for Peace Day today.

Craziness

I think maybe I chose the wrong year to try being sane. For reasons that aren't really clear, I read This, which lead me to this article:

This incident with Iran getting one of our top secret military drones, has been puzzling me since it happened. It's vaguely reminiscent of the alleged killing of Osama Bin Laden, with no evidence shown to the American people. ( Personally, I think he's been dead since around 2003, have seen no evidence otherwise, and think Obama staged the incident just so he could take credit. People prove they're alive by showing up, and he hadn't shown up in any way, in years. )

But we've been hearing reports recently, that socialists and gangs have been infiltrating our military now. So this leaves two very disturbing possibilities left.

One, that Obama passed down direct orders through a trusted chain of command, to land this drone in Iran, possibly sparking a war with Iran, and handing over our top secret military technology to them and their Russian and Chinese allies.

Or it may have been the act of a lone traitor who was operating the drone and decided to do this act on their own.

So then I read Larry Klayman, who claimed that Obama gave Iran the drone because the Iranian government was financing his presidential campaign:

Barack Hussein Obama was complicit in this treasonous act. By allowing the radical Islamic mullahs in Iran, China and Russia to have our highest technology when he simply could have ordered the destruction of the drone once it went down, Obama cemented my strong belief that he is a traitor. That's why I call Obama the "mullah in chief." . Bill Clinton and his criminal wife, Hillary, were the "Manchurian Candidates," but Obama and Hillary are now the "Islamic Iranian Candidates," an analogy the movie that depicted how Chinese communists infiltrated the highest reaches of our government. The primary explanation for Obama and Clinton rolling over for the Iranian Islamist mullahs is that they were paid off, that is, bribed

Now, everyone enjoys a good conspiracy theory. But this is virgin on the re-dick-u-luss. Of course, my sanity may be questioned based on the simple fact that I read these lunatics, and chose to post about it. Not the craziest thing I've ever done, but not the sanest, either.

Added: I am now composing a screed explaining how Obama conspired with Kim-Jong-Un to cause the power outage that delayed the 49ers-Steelers Monday Night Football game.

And So It Ends

The war in Iraq has officially come to a close, as the last convoy of American troops crosses the border into Kuwait.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending nearly nine years of war that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives and left a country grappling with political uncertainty.

The war launched in March 2003 with missiles striking Baghdad to oust President Saddam Hussein closes with a fragile democracy still facing insurgents, sectarian tensions and the challenge of defining its place in an Arab region in turmoil.

The final column of around 100 mostly U.S. military MRAP armored vehicles carrying 500 U.S. troops trundled across the southern Iraq desert from their last base through the night and daybreak along an empty highway to the Kuwaiti border.

After Obama announced in October that troops would come home by the end of the year as scheduled, the number of U.S. military bases was whittled down quickly as hundreds of troops and trucks carrying equipment headed south to Kuwait.

Only around 150 U.S. troops will remain in the country attached to a training and cooperation mission at the huge U.S. embassy on the banks of the Tigris river.

At the height of the war, more than 170,000 U.S. troops were in Iraq at more than 500 bases. By Saturday, there were fewer than 3,000 troops, and one base - Contingency Operating Base Adder, 300 km (185 miles) south of Baghdad.

news.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/last-us-troops-leave-iraq-ending-war.php?ref=fpa

Well, I guess we should all be glad that it's over, and that Obama kept his promise on Iraq.

Such a stupid and tragic waste. A war begun on lies, whose toll in blood and treasure has yet to be fully paid. The carnage inflicted upon the Iraqi people will linger for decades. And for what? To remove one brutal but impotent dictator from a world with dozens of other brutal dictators, and inflict chaos as a result.

There were never any 'weapons of mass destruction', despite all the right wing media hype. Saddam was never a 'threat' to the United States; only a minor inconvenience with a lot of oil.

We spent (at least) 4,474 American soldiers lives, and well over a trillion dollars destroying Iraq. When it comes to 'weapons of mass destruction', we're by far the world leaders. Meanwhile, we're letting our own country fall into disrepair and decay, citing austerity and budget deficits. Demolishing Iraq's infrastructure took priority over repairing our own. As someone who has worked jobs in both demolition and construction, I know that demolishing things is more fun than building them. But the results are no where near as satisfying.

Have we learned a lesson from our arrogance and hubris? Sadly, I think not. All the republican presidential candidates except Ron Paul are advocating for military action against Iran. The neocons and the military industrial complex continue, their bloodlust unsated. And Dick "the dick" Cheney is still alive, so the world still isn't safe from madmen bent on destruction.

The Latest Medical Miracle

While reading the headlines this morning, and this article caught my eye:

We have created the ultimate hangover cure in a pill (just in time
for Christmas), claim U.S scientists

Wow, that's great! Medical science that we can really use, right? Then I read the actual article to find out more about this great discovery. Uhm:

Hailed as a miracle cure by its maker, the pill contains 500 milligrams of aspirin, 60 milligrams of caffeine and an antacid to soothe upset stomachs.

Yup, that's quite the 'miracle' cure you've invented there. Nobody ever tried treating a hangover with aspirin, caffeine, and antacid before, right?

Jesus Christ on toast, but it don't take much to qualify for miracle status these days.

'Here' is not 'There'

While the move to Minnesota has been good for the most part, there are a number of things that I do miss about Flagstaff. Mostly, friends and the community. I got a reminder of this in the comments, when my old buddy (oops, he's not that "old") Bill said:

You missed sampling my brine soaked and smoked wild turkey at Maker's Monday. It got rave reviews!

Dang! Sorry I missed that. Although I have gotten to enjoy the results of one of my housemates having success with deer hunting season. In fact, Venison is on the menu for dinner tonight, so I'm not suffering too badly.

But it is really cold here now. Which means it's time for a truly Minnesota form of insanity: Ice Fishing! Most of the folks I know around here (including the woman I live with, who has a sanity deficiency and two fishing poles) are excitedly gearing up for this. I am not. I have plenty of ice in the freezer, and no one can convince me that 'free range, wild caught' ice is that much better than the domestic commercially produced form. While there are rumors that sometimes people accidentally catch fish along with the ice, everyone clearly agrees that the most prevalent feature is still "ice", which is by nature fornicating cold. So I'm not enthused about this activity.

Maybe if my old buddies like Bill, Urland, Sweaterman, Maverick, Teeter, Bliss!, and the rest of the gang all came up (and Zymurgian came down) for an ice fishing excursion, I could generate some enthusiasm. Otherwise, I'd rather stay warm inside with my boring freezer made ice.

Added: Actually, Bill is enough of a crazy outdoor adventure type that he might enjoy ice fishing.

Playoffs!

Yes, my beloved San Francisco 49'ers are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2002! This makes me quite happy, as it has been a while since the glory years of Montana and Young (I grew up a Niners fan back when John Brodie was the quarterback). Needless to say: Go Niners!

Obscene Weather

The weather gods are after me! Notice how the snow front stretches all the way from my old home in Flagstaff all the way to my new home in Minnesota.

(Commercial break:)
Authoritative voice: "Do you suffer from Spontaneous Combustion? Ask your firefighter if water is right for you!
(End commercial.)

I'll be hiding under my blankets and indulging all my paranoid fantasies now.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!

Hope y'all have plenty of football in the oven and food on the TV. Enjoy the celebration, and thanks for stopping by!

Too Strange To Satirize

Amish terrorists.

'Sam Mullet is evil': Sect leader and six Amish 'beard cutters' charged with hate crimes after FBI raids compound

A beard cutting cult with a leader named "Mullet."

I got nothin'...