Time-lapse video captures the Geminid Meteor Shower in California’s high desert country – the Alabama Hills, Eastern Sierras, Mount Whitney and Joshua Tree.
Neil Armstrong dead at age 82
Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is dead at age 82. He is best remembered for his famous words:
“One small step for man…one giant leap for mankind.”
He had had heart surgery 3 weeks ago and was thought to be recovering without complications.
He had a long, distinguished career in the NASA Space Program. He commanded the Apollo 11 mission and landed on the moon in July 1969. He was truly a great American hero. Many of us remember where we were when we sat breathlessly and heard those words….one small step for man. No one today can imagine our excitement and yes, fear, for those astronauts. We Americans were so proud that summer of 1969 when much of America had been divided by the Vietnam War. Neil Armstrong and those other astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, united the nation like no one else could.
Please leave your own tributes to Neil Armstrong. Neil slipped the surly bonds of earth today…
Romney takes a birther swipe…or did he?
Noting that he and his wife, Ann, were born in Michigan hospitals, Romney said at a rally here: “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place where both of us were born and raised.”
The crowd of roughly 1,000 responded knowingly with loud cheers, and several supporters said in interviews following the rally that they interpreted Romney’s comment as a dig at President Obama — although Romney said later it was “not a swipe.”
Although Obama has released his birth certificate showing he was born in Hawaii, some conservative activists still question his citizenship. Romney’s campaign aides quickly rejected that interpretation, insisting that Romney was not referring to “birther” theories and noting that he has been on the record saying he considers Obama’s citizenship a settled matter.
PUH-leez! Of course it was a swipe but….it shows that Romney isn’t a wooden Indian also. That is a pretty mild swipe and I hope the Democrats aren’t quite that thin-skinned. Romney spoke out a long time ago that he believe the President was born in Hawaii. Does it need to go further? I don’t think so. For that matter, it almost sounded like a wise-crack Obama would have made abot birthers.
I mind that there are fools out there still questioning the issue and feeding conspiracy theories. I don’t mind that Romney provides a moment of levity on a subject that has consumed the minds of the tin foil hat crowd for nearly 4 years. The hooting in the audience…well…there are lots of fools out there.
Where do you stand?
The Pew Research Center has one of those quizzes where you get to see where THEY place you.
Of course you have to confess where you fall. I didn’t like some of the choices.
Norwegian killer of 77 gets 21 years–Americans languish in prison for decades
From the WashingtonPost.com:
Anders Behring Breivik receives a sentence of up to 21 years for bomb and gun attacks that killed 77 people last year and terrorized a nation. The sentence is the maximum allowed under Norwegian law and can be extended.
Twenty-one years for mowing down 77 people in cold blood seems like a very small amount of time to to serve in prison. If he had done that same crime anywhere in the United States, his butt would never see the light of day. (And rightly so, in my opinion.) Americans are hard-nosed about their crime and punishment.
Constrast the Norwegian situation to a local Virginia situation. Michael Wayne Hash of Culpeper has been set free after spending 12 years in prison for allegedly murdering a 74 year old organist. The lady was shot in the head 4 times. Hash was convicted and given life in prison at age 19.
No Macaca moment for Ryan
If you want the most personal decisions made by government, by all means, vote for the Republican ticket. That’s really what the week-long hoopla is all about. Right now Not-Republicans are sitting back and watching the Republicans implode and duke it out internally. It should have happened a long time ago. The Democrats don’t need to throw rocks. The Republicans are taking care of that nasty little task. Every party needs a fall guy.
The attack on Todd Akin by Republicans is totally bat crap crazy. If you look at the voting records of say..oh…Paul Ryan, and Todd Akin on reproductive rights, they will match, vote for vote. Many of the movers and shakers of the “pro-life” movement also match Ryan and Akin. Yet Akin is being painted as the party bad boy? Why?
…Because he talked in public. Every last one of those uber-extremists wants to get rid of all exceptions to abortion. They don’t want to just get rid of the exceptions where Medicaid is concerned. They want abortion illegal for every reason. Some might make an exception for life of the mother…might. Most will not.
Don’t be sweet talked into thinking Akin is the only extremist out there. He is not. Paul Ryan and many others are right there with him. They just didn’t have a Macaca moment like Akin did.
Washington Post Study: Changing behavior and our tolerance
From the Washington Post study:
Big majorities in both parties see tolerance of other’s lifestyles as important, but Republicans and Democrats take opposite positions on whether changing mores should affect personal convictions. A majority of Democrats agree with the proposition that as the world changes, people should adjust their morals and values. An even bigger majority of Republicans disagree with that statement, with most saying so strongly. Far more Republicans than Democrats say Americans in general are too tolerant of behavior that once was considered wrong or immoral.
Respond. Are we far too tolerant of behavior that was once considered wrong or immoral? Examples please.
WaPo Study: Following the party line
From the Washington Post Study:
1. The two parties are miles apart on whether it is better to have smaller government with fewer services or bigger government with more services. Republicans overwhelmingly say people should take care of themselves; Democrats overwhelmingly say government should do everything possible to improve living standards.
2. Republicans see deficit reduction as more important than spending money in an effort to create jobs. Democrats believe the opposite.
3. Divisions over religious and social issues are equally stark. As a whole, the two parties are mirror images of each other on whether organized religious groups should stay out of politics or stand up for their beliefs in the political arena. They are similarly at odds over whether there should be a high wall of separation between church and state and whether government should more actively protect religious heritage.
Where do you stand on these 3 issues? Is it cut and dry or do you feel conflicted? Do you go along with the party line? Please respond.
Open Thread……………………………………….Wednesday, August 22
During the Middle East Wars, our national parks fell into decline. They are our national resource. We need to prioritize these parks and also help out with private donations, either to all parks or pick a park. The park to the left is Yellowstone, my personal favorite. A good time to go to the national parks is after the rush of summer and before the snows hit.
Is everyone ready for the Republican Convention? I think I would rather watch the hurricane other than the main speakers. Who will be going to the Republican Convention from Prince William County? Are political conventions becoming a thing of the past? I am betting not. Too many people like to go party. If Hurrican Issac comes, will Rep. Cantor apply for Federal Relief Aid?
Valedictorian denied diploma over the word Hell
Valedictorian Kaitlin Nootbaar was denied her high school diploma until she apologizes. Her sin? She quoted from the Twilight movie series and used the word Hell. In the grand scheme of things, Hell seems pretty harmless. According to NBCnews.com:
David Nootbaar said he is furious that Prague High School is withholding his daughter Kaitlin’s diploma because of her use of the word during the graduation speech in May. “She has worked so hard to stay at the top of her class and this is not right,” he said. “She earned that diploma. In four years she has never made a B. She got straight A’s and had a 4.0 the whole way through.
Don’t be mislead….Ryan and Akins want to redefine rape and pass a personhood act
From thinkprogress.org:
Yesterday, ThinkProgress reported that Rep. Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin (R-MO) and GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan both cosponsored the bill that introduced America to the despicable term “forcible rape.” As it turns out, this may only be the second most sweeping attack on reproductive freedom that both men partnered on. Ryan and Akin also cosponsored a federal personhood bill, the Sanctity of Human Life Act of 2009, which declares that a fertilized egg is entitled to the exact same legal rights as a human being:
(1) the Congress declares that–
(A) the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being, and is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person; and
(B) the life of each human being begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent, irrespective of sex, health, function or disability, defect, stage of biological development, or condition of dependency, at which time every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood; and
(2) the Congress affirms that the Congress, each State, the District of Columbia, and all United States territories have the authority to protect the lives of all human beings residing in its respective jurisdictions.
Lest there be any doubt, this bill is unconstitutional. Congress does not have the power to overrule Roe v. Wade by an ordinary statue, only a constitutional amendment could serve that purpose. Moreover, even if Roe were overruled by the Supreme Court, Ryan and Akin’s bill still attempts to redefine who “the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution” applies to. Again, changing the meaning of the Constitution can only be done through an amendment, not through an ordinary Act of Congress.
GOP goes wild and some get nekkid in the Sea of Galilee
From Politico.com:
The FBI probed a late-night swim in the Sea of Galilee that involved drinking, numerous GOP freshmen lawmakers, top leadership staff – and one nude member of Congress, according to more than a dozen sources, including eyewitnesses.
During a fact-finding congressional trip to the Holy Land last summer, Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) took off his clothes and jumped into the sea, joining a number of members, their families and GOP staff during a night out in Israel, the sources told POLITICO. Other participants, including the daughter of another congressman, swam fully clothed while some lawmakers partially disrobed. More than 20 people took part in the late-night dip in the sea, according to sources who were participants in the trip.
You know, why can’t members of Congress behave, especially when out of the country? Is this the same GOP who gets all prissy over behavior and wants ultrasounds for women seeking abortion? Is this the same GOP who wants us all to reliquish our reproductive rights? Is this the GOP who wants to tear down that wall of separation between church and state?
Senate Wannabe Rep. Akin suggests some rape is legitimate?
Thanks to Slowpoke for this most generous gift. I missed seeing it and it should absolutely not go unnoticed.
Washingtonpost.com:
Rep. Todd Akin, the newly-christened GOP Senate nominee in Missouri, said in an interview airing Sunday that “legitimate rape” rarely causes pregnancy.
Is Polarization the new normal?
American politics has long been characterized as Red vs. Blue, and everything about the 2012 election speaks to the gulf and the acrimony that irreparably divide the two parties. But a major new study conducted by the Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation seem to delineate how those divisions are only a part of a larger political story.
A major new study, conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation, examines the wide crevasse between Republicans and Democrats. Partisan polarization now presents a potentially insurmountable barrier to governing regardless of who wins the presidential race this November. How do we move forward when sides simply won’t come together? Is this only part of our imagination?
These aren’t good times for horses
The other day some of us laughed and joked around and used ‘horse talk’ as we issued political commentary. It was all in good fun at least if you weren’t the recipient of some of the jabbing and poking. Horses, these days, really aren’t a laughing matter. All over the west and midwest horses are in great peril because of the drought.
