Friday, August 31, 2012

Blue Moon



Blue Moon, a wonderful version by Ella Fitzgerald.  This song always reminds me of old car radios, crackling with the occasional static, and the dark countryside flashing by in the headlights.   It will be 2015 before the next blue moon. Thanks for the heads up, Linda.
Wikipedia photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1940

Ryan's Specious Speech


Paul Ryan's specious speech at the GOP convention was expertly dissected by The Daily Show

Paul Ryan, The Reigning Republican Reprobate Raconteur

Paul Ryan, the "young gun" was shooting blanks at the republican convention.  The republican vice-presidential candidate told so many whoppers you'd think he was at a liars convention.   Some news media are calling attention to his blatant lies and some have ignored them.  An informed citizenry is the bedrock of our democracy and we cannot allow Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to jack-hammer our democratic foundations into the rubble of lies.  Listed are five of Ryans most flagrant fibs.

MoveOn Petition to the mainstream media
 Mainstream media: Fact-check and call out candidates when they lie. You have an obligation as journalists to educate the public on the facts of the major campaign issues.

1. Lie: President Obama is the "greatest threat" to Medicare.
Truth: Obama didn't make any cuts to Medicare benefits; he made cuts to provider reimbursements, to improve cost efficiency and extend the fiscal security of Medicare by eight years. According to the Medicare actuary, "[Obama's] Affordable Care Act makes important changes to the Medicare program and substantially improves its financial outlook."1
But Ryan actually does want to cut benefits. He proposed dismantling Medicare and replacing it with a voucher system, leaving millions of seniors to come up with more money to pay for care out of pocket.2,3
2. Lie: President Obama didn't save a General Motors plant in Wisconsin.
Truth: First, Obama wasn't even in office when the GM plant closed. Second, Obama never made a promise to save it.4
3. Lie: President Obama ignored recommendations of a bipartisan debt commission.
Truth: Paul Ryan actually sat on that commission. And he led Republicans in voting down the commission's own recommendation. So the commission never gave a report to Obama, because Ryan himself voted to kill the report before it could.5
4. Lie: President Obama is responsible for the downgrading of the U.S. Credit Rating
Truth: House Republicans, including Paul Ryan, held the full faith and credit of the United States hostage to try to ransom it for trillions of dollars in cuts to social programs without increasing taxes on the wealthy one dime. Standard & Poors said specifically, "We have changed our assumption on [revenue] because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues." That's why our nation's credit rating was downgraded.6,7
5. Lie: Ryan wants to protect the "weak."
Truth: Ryan's biggest feat in his political career was proposing a budget with dramatic cuts to programs benefiting the poor. He'd cut Medicaid by one third, take away health care insurance from 30 million Americans, and cut Pell Grants for 1 million students. All so that he could give more tax breaks to the rich.8
Sign the MoveOn Petition
 1. "Fact check: Paul Ryan at the RNC," USA Today, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279602&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=8

2. "Undoing Obama Medicare cuts may backfire on Romney," The Boston Globe, August 18, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279597&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=9
3. "Romney-Ryan Medicare Plan Would Cost 29-Year-Olds $331,200: Report," Huffington Post, August 27, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279596&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=10
4. "Paul Ryan Misleads With GM Plant Closure Tale," Huffington Post, August 29, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279598&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=11
5. "Fact Check: Paul Ryan misleads on debt panel's spending cut plan," CNN, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279608&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=12
6. "Top 5 Fibs In Paul Ryan's Convention Speech," Talking Points Memo, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279595&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=13
7. "Paul Ryan Address: Convention Speech Built On Demonstrably Misleading Assertions," Huffington Post, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279604&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=14
8. "4 Ways Paul Ryan's Budget Would Devastate The Poor," ThinkProgress, August 17, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279605&id=50188-18002772-majwEHx&t=15
 Related articles
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Happy Friday

Image Credit & Copyright: Tom O'Donoghue
I loved this image at first glance.  The delicate tendrils of blackish gas clouds, blue reflection nebulae, reddish emission nebulae, the globular cluster M4 (lower center right) amidst a backdrop of thousands of ordinary stars like our own sun.   Bright red to the naked eye Antares, one of the brightest stars in the sky (just to the left of M4) is only 550 light years away.  Posted with Mr. O'Donoghue's permission.
Full size image and great wallpaper here

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Absolutely No Proof For Creationism


Bill Nye stands up for Science! Transcript available at Youtube.
Teach the controversy? There isn't one. science or superstition, fact or fantasy, evolution or creationism?  There is not one single piece of evidence to support creationism. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Legitimate Language

“Legitimate rape” is great birth control. So says Todd Akin, and he oughta know. If we are raped we can rest unafraid, ‘Cause we can’t get pregnant if forcibly laid. Our female bodies are clever that way, We only get pregnant when we say “okay.” Doctors have told him, so it must be so, The stork only comes if we don’t say “No!” Rape won’t make babies and that is a fact; There’s no global warming; the Earth’s really flat. We heard it on FOX News so it must be true. Well, Mr. Akin, we say “F***  YOU!”
Via  
Thanks for the heads up from the Martins at Sammamish/IssaquahMoveOn.Org HouseGroup
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Another Clueless Republican Running For Senator

Tom Smith, a tea party endorsed republican candidate for Senator in Pennsylvania, compares rape to having a child out of wedlock.

MARK SCOLFORO, ASSOCIATED PRESS: How would you tell a daughter or a granddaughter who, God forbid, would be the victim of a rape, to keep the child against her own will? Do you have a way to explain that?
SMITH: I lived something similar to that with my own family. She chose life, and I commend her for that. She knew my views. But, fortunately for me, I didn’t have to.. she chose they way I thought. No don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t rape.
SCOLFORO: Similar how?
SMITH: Uh, having a baby out of wedlock.
SCOLFORO: That’s similar to rape?
SMITH: No, no, no, but… put yourself in a father’s situation, yes. It is similar. But, back to the original, I’m pro-life, period.

Mr. Smith is completely clueless on the differences between rape and a child born out of marriage.  He cites, a "father's view", most fathers would see a huge difference.  He also doesn't think a "women's view" is even worth mentioning.  But, he also notes that his daughter had a choice.  Mr. Smith wants to take away the choice his daughter had from the rest of America's women.  Mr. Smith is against abortion, period.  Mr. Smith calls himself Pro-Life, he is not, he is pro-birth, and pro-telling women what to do with their bodies. 
Mr. Smith another clueless republican, who wants to go to Washington in order to write and vote on our  laws.  We're not going to let him, right?  Register to vote, and cast your ballot in November.
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Cancelled RNC Events

The following events were not found on the new RNC schedule of events after changes necessitated by Hurricane Issac.

1.  Mitch McConnell apologizes to the nation for placing his personal desires ahead of the welfare of the nation, by placing President Obama's defeat as his his number one priority in 2010 and by filibustering almost every piece of legislation for the last 4 years. 

2.  Tea Party Republicans apologize for downgrading the good credit name of the US during the debt ceiling debate.

3.  All Republicans apologize for attempting to defund Planned Parenthood many more times than they have fingers and toes.

4.  John Boehner apologizes for running on a jobs platform in 2010, and not passing a single jobs bill that hired even one person in the USA.

5.  Mitt Romney apologizes for the many lies he and his campaign have promoted this year.  He promises to not get caught stop lying in his run for president. Mitt also is sorry that he promised to defund Planned Parenthood, sign a personhood amendment and overturn Roe vs. Wade, on tape. 

6.  Republicans also apologize for attempting to eliminate women's contraceptive access through a failed attempt to claim religious persecution.

7.  George Bush and Dick Cheney deliver keynote speeches reminding everyone of how delightfully the last republican administration served America. 

credit: Wikipedia
Checking the original event list, I see that the Republicans never scheduled any of the above events.  Perhaps, it was an oversight?

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Monday, August 27, 2012

Republican War On Women?


Take the Quiz here.
Here is a great quiz from Planned Parenthood, and someone (thank you) is donating 10 cents for every correct answer.   So take the quiz and see if you can beat my score while generating some income for Planned Parenthood.

You've gotten 5  answers right — that's a $0.50 donation to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund!

The Newsroom, Great TV



My wife and I love this HBO program. Last night we watched the season finale, and enjoyed it so much, we watched it again immediately afterwards. The clip I wanted to post was the nurse speech, that superbly focused on voter suppression, unfortunately, wasn't able to find it online.  

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Peach Pie

I used Betty Crocker's recipe for the filling, adding an extra peach and of course my own crust recipe. 

The Daily Bread

With a functioning oven and cooler weather, 73 degrees today with a nice breeze, we celebrated by baking "the bread" and a peach pie. 

Charlie Crist Endorses President Obama And Rips GOP

Credit: Wikipedia

Former Governor Charlie Crist:
As Republicans gather in Tampa to nominate Mitt Romney, Americans can expect to hear tales of how President Obama has failed to work with their party or turn the economy around.
But an element of their party has pitched so far to the extreme right on issues important to women, immigrants, seniors and students that they've proven incapable of governing for the people. Look no further than the inclusion of the Akin amendment in the Republican Party platform, which bans abortion, even for rape victims.
The truth is that the party has failed to demonstrate the kind of leadership or seriousness voters deserve.

Petition Russia, Free Pussy Riot

 Pussy Riot band members
Putin's government sentenced these three ladies to two years in jail for singing an anti-Putin song in church and then adding the footage to an online video:  St. Maria, Virgin, Drive away Putin, Drive away! Drive away Putin!  (posted below).  The orthodox church leaders were adamant that this "crime" be punished adding religious authority to Putin's crackdown on dissent.  Last week, Russian police announced they were searching for additional members of the Pussy Riot Punk band, today the Guardian announced that 2 members of the band have fled Russia. 

Avaaz Petition 
Putin's war on dissent may have met its match in Pussy Riot, the female protest group. The European Parliament is calling for an asset freeze and travel ban on Russia's corrupt elite -- let's join their call and make it a reality -- sign the petition:
Amnesty International Petition

Here is the video, Putin and the church leaders were so incensed over.  Pussy Riots video: St. Maria, Virgin, Drive away Putin, Drive away! Drive away Putin!


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Friday, August 24, 2012

Men Are Watching, And We Are Pissed Too



I liked this video. Not only women, but men are angry at republicans for votes against our wives, daughters, nieces and friends health.  It's America and you can believe what you want, however, the republicans are trying to ram their radical beliefs into law, forcing the rest of America to conform with an extremist minority view.  Enough, time to vote out the republicans and any one else trying to tell our American women what they can do with their bodies.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Romney's Hurricane Worry

Mitt Romney is worried about tropical storm Isaac.  Not because it might interfere with the republican convention in Tampa, and not because it will create difficulties for millions of Cubans and Floridians.  Isaac is predicted to pass very close to the Cayman Islands, where Mitt has stashed much of his secretive fortune.  Mitt has 21 entities in which he has invested at least 10 million dollars on these three tiny islands.  Gawker has investigated and published details of Mitt Romney's offshore financial accounts many associated with Bain Capital.

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Happy Friday



This is video from the last 2 and 1/2 minutes of Curiosities descent to Mars.  It begins with the heat shield dropping away, and audio from mission control can be heard.

Hey, Fellow Small-Minded Americans!


Mitt Romney has come up with another lame excuse for not releasing his taxes.  
 Interview with Parade Magazine 8/23/12, Mitt Romney:
One of the downsides of releasing one's financial information is that this is now all public, but we had never intended our contributions to be known.  It's a very personal thing between ourselves and our commitment to our God and our church.
The problem with this, of course, is that Mitt Romney and his wife have repeatedly claimed, in print and on television, that they give 10% to their church
Parade December 2011
Parade: Do you tithe on a regular basis?
Romney: Yes, I've given away 10 percent of what I've earned pretax.
 But this latest Romney excuse is far better than Ann Romney's reason for not releasing additional tax returns.
Ann Romney:  "It'll just give them more ammunition"
 63% of Americans think that Mitt Romney needs to release additional tax returns.  One partial year and an estimate for another is just not adequate for the President of the USA.  Mitt Romney thinks those Americans are small minded.   Count me in as one of the small minded Americans who want to see at least 5 full years of Mitt Romney's tax returns.

Ryan-Romney Tax Plan Explained


Audio begins 9 seconds into this almost 3 minute video that explains the 5 point Ryan plan to ruin America's future productivity in order to give more huge tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.

Romney Tax Plan Explained

Via MoveOn.org

Mitt Romney, Zero

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that among African-Americans President Obama leads Willard Mitt Romney by 94% to 0%. 
The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted of 1,000 registered voters (300 reached by cell phone) from Aug. 16-20, and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Poetic Justice

NOAA.gov
This is the storm track for tropical storm Isaac, predicted to become a hurricane by Thursday and should be approaching Florida just in time for the republican climate change deniers national convention.  Almost to a man every republican denies the clear and resounding science behind global climate change.   Mitt Romney, who now claims “we don’t know what’s causing climate change” chose climate change denier Paul Ryan as his vice president.  Mitt Romney, who thinks very little of green energy, preferring oil, coal and natural gas, said this last month;"you can't drive a car with a windmill on it."  That's true, but you can drive a car on a battery charged by a windmill.  Perhaps, tropical storm Isaac can teach Romney a thing or two about wind power.

You can watch the storm track here, courtesy of your government dollars at work
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