Today was a true end of an era as Atlantis became the final space shuttle launch in history. The program is officially retired after 30 years in service. The first shuttle, Columbia, on April 1981 and today marks the 134th and final mission. This is the probable first phase of the eventually elimination of NASA as private corporations get paid more and more to take over their responsibilities. Considering knowledge for knowledge's sake has no value to corporations, this day will probably mark the beginning of many ends to come in regards to space travel and the quest of knowledge of the universe.
Lego BatcaveAnother work of Lego art. This one is a horizontal, more or less three floor representation of the Batcave complete with Batmobile, aircraft, and more that was created by Alex Schranz. Hit link for the gallery. (via Brothers Brick)
Casey Anthony Found Not Guilty
Nancy Grace's latest attempt to pretend she is a qualified lawyer successfully garnered national attention for Casey Anthony but failed to get the guilty verdict due to a pretty pathetic circumstantial case from the prosecution. Something Grace probably should have informed her viewers but screeching loudly and pointing the finger is so much easier. Anthony was accused of killing her 2 year old daughter Caylee. The case mostly was based on fact that the body was found a month later, the family lied a lot and Casey liked to party. The sum total of data made for suspicious circumstances but none of it proved that murder was committed. All the case proved was a child died somehow and the family tried to cover it. While people like to assume hiding something equal something bad happened, it can also mean hiding something means you don't think others will handle it well. When a child dies, even from a simple accident, people tend to want to lay blame somewhere. Something was at fault, someone was neglectful and so someone must pay. That is human tendency and so I understand the desire to avoid that by trying to pretend nothing happened. Based on the evidence, that seems to be the case here. Which mean a murder was not committed regardless of what Nancy Grace likes to think with her binary mindset. If only the world is as simple as that ogre of a woman thinks it is. All I can say is good thing she no longer practices the law, just wish she didn't fake it on TV.
Michelle Bachmann's Husband Uses Medicaid
Have to log the unapologetic hypocrisy that is a Republican. Be it an elected official or some fool yelling at the TV, all believe many things are wrong unless a Republican does it. The latest example is faux presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann. She is of course running on fiscal responsibility platform that consists of protesting the rich at all costs while eliminating everything else that isn't defense and tax cuts. That includes Medicaid. A program she believes has no value. Despite believing this, she had no problem defending her husband getting $137,000 in Medicaid funds for his "Christian clinic" that exists to try to teach gay people to not be gay. Republican = hypocrite. Never heard or met an exception to this law of politics.
CG Rocketeer Fan Film
On the lighter side, here is a CGI re-creation of a scene from The Rocketeer that is cute and well done. While I doubt another movie will never be made (which is a shame), this would be a good approach is anyone ever changed their mind.
Roger Ailes Nixon-Era Blueprint for Fox News
As yet more proof that Fox News exists purely to help the Republican political machine which in turn exists only to make the rich richer, hit the link for a document from nearly 40 years ago. The document is from Roger Ailes, who worked for the Nixon admin at the time and co-creator and current president of Fox News. The memo called "A Plan for Putting the GOP on TV News" is exactly what the title says and what Fox News is. When the job is to trick a bunch of brainless fools into voting against their own self interests, none do it better than Fox. When you have had nearly 40 years to work out how to do it, can't really be surprised at how effective they are at it.
Okay smarty pants... Here's my thoughts. Medicaid originally existed to help poor families/children and people with disabilities. It has grown to include subsidizing health care for HIV/AIDS patients, teen mothers, single mothers with MULTIPUL children all of whom should have used a condom. Like all social programs, Mdicaid has grown too large and inclusive, creating a sense of entitlement. I teach life skills and see medicaid abused everyday by people who can afford health care on their own without gov. assistance. Now, unapologetic hypocrisy that you think is so republican, is just about as democrat as you can get. Charlie Rangel cheating on his taxes, John Edwards cheating on his wife, Bill Clinton cheating on his wife, the great John F. Kennedy repotedly cheating on his wife, the KKK being started by Democrats which included Senator Robert Byrd. Hypocrisy is a human condition that is found in every adult on some level. It's not just a Republican problem. Grow up and read some history and formulate you own thoughts. SHEEP!!!
ReplyDeleteSo your solution is throw the baby out with the bath wateecaDome abuse Medicare so no one should have Medicare. What a "mature" Republican response. Your so called knowledge of history should tell you how well that solution works. Why try to fix if can just toss it aside.
ReplyDeleteNo... If you would think instead of follow, some one who has CHOSEN to have sex and bare a child should also be resposible for the cost of that child. No one should have to pay for anothers child. It's called personal responsibility. If someone openly engages in unprotected sex and contracts AIDS/HIV why is a percentage of my money given to help them with medecine? I am not the one who gave them AIDS/HIV. This practice take money from my pocket and my children and gives it to someone who made a poor choice. So who really suffers in the end? Tossing a child aside is never an option, but holding the parents reponsible is and should be the first choice. And I never stated that, or implied it. Medicair just like wellfair in it's current form is an abuse of everyons money. Like I stated, I see it abused everyday in a public school system. By yhe way, I'm not Republican... I'm an independent thinker and voter who allows my convictions to guide my personal choices. You should try it someday.
ReplyDeleteWell you clearly are not a teacher. Any case I am all for birth control, cheap/free condoms and sex education to prevent those that can't afford them from having children. Not sure what HIV has to with other then your probable homophobia. But solutions for that have been proposed and killed by Republicans and "independent thinkers" such ad yourself. You know a place that used to provide cheap condoms and birth control? Planned Parenthood. Who is trying to kill them? Republicans. What will that lead to? Even more of the situation you say you hate. Maybe you should have a conversation with your Republican and Tea Party friends because the way I see it giving out birth control is cheaper then the kid that might pop out. But let me guess your "educated" solution is do nothing because that has worked so well in the past. Oh yeah that's right it hasn't.
ReplyDeleteBringing up Planned Parenthood and it's racist founder Margaret Sanger, who sought to eradicate blacks and "less desirable" through "selective birth control". Really? In fact she she even spoke with black church leaders about abortion and birth control. Ask yourself why black communities have the highest number of P.P. clinics?
ReplyDeleteNow as far as my career... Yeah I'm a teacher, high school life skills in fact, I have the privalage of changing diapers and teaching numbers, colors, shoe tieing and other basic skills to 14 through 22 year olds in a public school. This is where I deal with Medicaid...
Oh and for three and half years before that I was a Mechanical Engineer. I am educated, not homophobic, as you would assume... As far as I know HIV isn't a "gay" affliction. Unless you know something I don't? I just don't like paying for someone elses screw up. Gay or straight, medicaid does that. And I never stated I hate anything.
As for a solution, well that would/should be left up to education and parents. Birth control such as condoms and abstinence are fantastic options... Abortion is bad for my business but I understand it's a viable option in some cases. But once again I believe in personal resposibility. If someone acts, they and they alone should be responasble for the consquenses. Not you, me or anyone else.
And those Tea Party folks just don't like to pay taxes... However taxes are necessary for our country to function. I have a problem with how they're generated and utilized.
Any thoughts on how you would solve the issue?
Nope I don't have any good solutions. Besides the Tea Party has the impossible standard that it has to work 100% of the time all the time with not possibility of abuse by anyone at anytime. While not costing anything to anyone. There is no solution that will work with that.
ReplyDeleteI am all for personal responsibility. If your utopia existed we wouldn't have much need for jails and a police force. Or internal affairs to watch the police force. Or people to keep an eye on the crappy teachers. Or regulations because corporations wouldn't abuse their power. Or politicians. Or or or. The list goes on and on. But sadly that utopia does not exist. So the goal them becomes how to minimize the damage from those that don't engage in personal responsibility and maybe teach responsibility along the way (like using condoms and birth control).
While I think you being a teacher is a fabrication we will go with it. I am sure you have tons of experience with parents not owning up to their responsibilities. You probably also have students trying to rise above that. Going by your solution, the parents failures should be passed on the the children because apparently you consider it not your problem. If its not your problem, government shouldn't be helping either. Nevermind your financial situation is owned to government since education is a socialist system.
Apparently you have lived a charmed life where government help is never required (unless of course count your job). Thanks to the many programs that Tea Party morons such as your self want to kill just because YOU don't use them would have prevented many people from being able to get back on their feet and become productive members of society. Not helping costs a whole lot more in the long run.
Example: You have a cold for two weeks. See a doctor now, he subscribes some anti-biotics and maybe the bill is a few hundred dollars. Wait and it becomes pneumonia. Now the cost is thousands of dollars because of a hospital visit. Sure personal responsibility says see the doc early and have insurance. Unless poor and can't afford to. So you wait and hope for the best. Which doesn't happen. Net result, thanks to the current system people like you and your Tea Party/Republicans defend, the result is the higher cost that gets passed onto taxpayers.
You probably know people like that if bothered to care about more then yourself and this false belief that your being taxed to oblivion despite the fact that tax levels are the lowest in 50+ years. Info that Fox News usually doesn't like to share as would disrupt the rage and fear they want you to remain in. Besides as they keep telling you, we should be mindful of the rich people that want to do the right thing but just can't because of the evil tax man (despite those corporations sitting on trillions just hanging around in banks).
ReplyDeleteSure you claim not to be a Tea Partier but your beliefs align right up with them. Just like them willing to bet it has been a long time since you voted Democrat. Going by consistent voting actions that would make you a Republican no matter what label you choose to apply. Which 15 years ago would have been fine. But since the GOP has become this greedy force for the rich. Being a GOPer is inexcusable if you make less than $250,000 a year.
You claim to care about fiscal responsibility and how taxes are used but what is responsible about $5 trillion of the deficit in tax cuts for the rich and gas companies that are not paid for. Or blowing up the defense department to three times its cost in 10 years (another $2 trillion of the deficit), starting two wars ($2 trillion more there) and more (like Bush's no strings attached bailout of the banks for $1 trillion), again unable to pay for it. But the second a Dems gets in office, suddenly it all matters because Fox News tell you now is the time to care. The previous 8 years? Nope, because that was a GOPer doing that so really actions of the divine.
All the things you hate "your" money being spent on, even if everything single thing ended but Medicare, Social Security and Defense, would only eliminate a trillion or so from the deficit. I am for trimming the fat everywhere. If your GOP/Tea Party friends want some fiscal responsibility, then the solution is simple. Return tax rates to around 1997 levels, cut gas and farming subsidies, close corporate tax loopholes (especially the offshore ones), cut the defense department by 20%, raise social security age to 67 and close the Medicare loopholes that allow abuse.
But that will never ever happen. Its too easy a solution and the rich people wouldn't like it. The Tea Party would reject it because they like their absolutes of keep it or end it. Something like rolling back, tweaking, and so forth is that compromise thing that only wimps do (nevermind that Civics 101 shows that compromise is the cornerstone of getting pretty much anything done).
Considering how binary your thinking is, I really hope you are not shaping the next generation of minds because that is a truly scary thought.
You are correct, a parents failures are not my problem. Just as my parents failures were not my teachers problem, they were the card I was delt just like any current student in todays schools. I don't buy excuses from normal, capible students. I work with students who otherwise are tossed aside by society. They don't have the ability to be normal. That is where I see abuse of medicaid by parents and caretakers, group homes that pocket medicaid funds and perents who have it while driving cars that cost more than my annual salary, live in huge homes and still manage to qualify for free and reduced lunch programs. That's abuse!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as a person being taught personal responsibility, it's holding them responsible that teaches them. Coddling, holding their hand and pushing them through doesn't accomplish anything. You have Bush to thank for that.
As far as my paycheck is concerned, I believe MY property taxes contribute to my paycheck. Seeing as how I live in the school district I work for. I think you need to read up on the education system before you start throwing out weak arguments like that. Education, is a social/community program, not a "socialist system" there is a difference. In fact most of the funding for public school comes from state and local taxes, and is subject to better management.
You know nothing about my "charmed" life, where I have paid for my own college, and still pay for it to this day. But of course since I dissagree with you I must be from rich family and have a privilaged life. I chose to become a teacher, and have a unique perspective on this because I have have worked in the private sector as well as the public. After all Democrats are for the poor people, right? Again, a weak argument. You are right, I don't use FEDERAL programs, because I don't need them, I know how to stand on my own two feet and provide for myself and my family, with out government assistance. And if you bring my career up, you are the moron. I provide a service and a payment is rendered for that service... And yes, it's a public service.
Now that stupid example you trew out there... is just that. Stupid.
Hospitals will never refuse a patient and they know that. So say I break my arm and I goto the ER. It costs me $500 to set and cast my arm, when in reality it only cost the hospital $200-$250. The hospital as chargin my insurance and I that amount because someone before/after me will not pay. Why am I over paying? To help out someone who won't pay... I don't agree with that. Especially when hospitals will lower their cost for uninsured patients so they can pay. I have seen that happen personally. I have also known people to flat out refuse to pay.
If I am forced to pay for a stranger, then that's money away from my family. I don't agree with that.
I used to think just like you... Then I Grew up.
And again you are right I do care about myself... I also care about my wife, two children and the rest of my immediate and extended family. I don't care for social leaches who feel entitled to a "piece of the pie". Oh and I voted for that guy too... never again.
ReplyDeleteBottom line is, I don't like my money supporting wellfare leaches and idiot socialists who think they know better then I do because they went to an Ivey Legue school... It's mine, I'll give it to who I wish... A charity of my choice.
I never claimed to be taxed to death, I'm not. I'm happy with my current tax rate, and could care less what rich people do with their money. As far as the budget is concerned, I agree with just about everything you mentioned, except lets cut defense even more and bring EVERY troop home, close most of out foriegn bases and stop sending defense aid out.
Oh and those corprate tax loopholes... Well it's proven that if you cut taxes at the top there is a revenue spike and a trickle down effect in job growth and revenue. That's Reaganomics, oh no it's not... That's Kennedy"nomics" since JFK was the guy who fostered that idea. Oh no... a Democrat cutting corprate taxes?!?!?! EVIL!!!!
You would be surprised to find out how I voted and where my political beliefs line up...
LOL, love that your argument is the "mature" approach is everyone man for themselves, to hell with the rest. That is exactly the same kind of thinking that drives criminals and their actions so congrats on having that in common with those undesirables you wish would just die. You may claim not to be a Republican...but I think you would fit right in with them.
ReplyDeleteAnd your arogange is that of someone who must have all the answers and yet has no idea what real life is like. Typical juvenile response for someone to pass judgement on me insead of respond to the actual issue being presented. While you're so sure about me, I've gathered that you are probably under 25, don't heve a real job, still live with mommy and daddy, and have never actually worked in your life.
ReplyDeleteHere's a few questions for you, really ask youself.
1) If this healthcare system is so good, then why were 14oo waivers issued for Palosi's district?
2) Why has our president not issued federal aid to those in the mid west and south effected by tornadoes and wild fires? Did he win those states in the general election? Ask Shirley from Tuskaloosa, who's now homeless.
3) Why does this president support the hidden genocide of "his people" while poking his nose in Lybia's crap.
And the list goes on... Isreal, Egypt, TSA (which you might just work for), The AFT debacle, the lack of border security and all our president does is play golf and get pissy when someone confronts him. Pretty thin skinned if you ask me. And then there's you, while I actually enjoy your Transformers blog I see the five other blogs you run, and think if this person whom I don't know have the intellegence to actually debate an issue, or will you continue to make generalizations and half hearted attempts at personal attacks. The original conversation was about medicaid and political hypocrisy... Incase you've forgotten.