About Us
Mission Statement
Rules of Conduct
 
Name:
Pswd:
Remember Me
Register
 

Preventing the Inevitable
Author: BobR    Date: 02/15/2013 14:01:00

On Tues evening, overshadowed by the State of the Union speech, was the sad end to a sad story that was playing out like a latter-day Rambo movie. LAPD officer Christopher Dorner died in a mountain cabin in Big Bear California either by fire or gunfire - likely self-inflicted. There are many who say this tragedy was only a matter of time. The difference was that Dorner had the training to actually carry it out.

His "manifesto" was a diatribe against the entrenched racism and bigotry that sits like a cancer in the heart of the LAPD. He set out to target those he felt wronged him when tried to report it and fight it. He is certainly no hero, but more a symptom of a dysfunctional organization that needs to be sanitized with sunlight from top to bottom.
Continue reading...

52 comments (Latest Comment: 02/16/2013 02:46:52 by TriSec)

Slowly and Surely?
Author: Raine    Date: 02/14/2013 13:44:33

Breaking news this morning from CBS:
February 14, 2013 7:05 AM CBS News has learned that the Senate Democrats' long-awaited plan to avert the sequester, being announced by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, Thursday, would replace the 10-year sequester for the rest of 2013 -- 10 months -- with $120 billion in spending cuts and new tax revenue, split 50-50.

Most of the revenue would come from implementing what's known as the Buffett Rule, named after investor Warren Buffett. The rule would cap deductions and loopholes for millionaires so they pay at least 30 percent of their salary in taxes. Senate Democrats tried and failed to pass the Buffett Rule last year.

The spending cuts would come from eliminating agriculture subsidies and from trimming the defense budget, though not as drastically as the sequester would.

Continue reading...

71 comments (Latest Comment: 02/15/2013 03:52:24 by Will in Chicago)

A Plan for our Future SOTU
Author: BobR    Date: 02/13/2013 14:04:02

Last night America was treated to one of our most venerated spectacles: the State of the Union address. Like all things official and governmental, there was the usual bit of pomp and circumstance as various groups of people were announced and paraded in, with lots of smiles and handshakes and schmoozing.

Finally, it was President Obama's turn, and he made his way to the dais. Perfunctory as always, the Speaker announced "Ladies and Gentlemen - the President of the United States" and as if on-cue - a standing ovation ensued. All of it is predictable and silly and entertaining to watch. And then - the President got down to business.
Continue reading...

92 comments (Latest Comment: 02/13/2013 22:26:00 by Raine)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/12/2013 11:11:42

Good Morning.

Today is our 4,146th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing war, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 2,177
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,080

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 1, 422, 633, 567, 500. 00

Continue reading...

98 comments (Latest Comment: 02/13/2013 02:57:37 by TriSec)

Please Adjust Your Foil
Author: Raine    Date: 02/11/2013 13:53:00

By now I am sure you have heard the surprising news that Pope Benedict is stepping down from the Papacy. Who will the next Pope be?
Continue reading...

64 comments (Latest Comment: 02/12/2013 01:14:35 by livingonli)

Can we Get this Guy? Please?
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 02/10/2013 15:28:16

Dr. Keith Ablow, American psychiatrist, highly paid expert witness, New York Times best-selling author of fiction and nonfiction, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts Medical School, avid homophobe, and loud mouth FOX news television personality recently brought joy to my heart when he said he would run to replace John Kerry as MA next Senator.

Sadly he revealed yesterday that he is no longer interested in the job; I'm sure he's much too busy fighting all the gayness that plagues our country not to mention his concern for our VP's alcoholism and/or dementia. So the fine citizens of MA will not benefit from his service.
Continue reading...

3 comments (Latest Comment: 02/10/2013 21:17:54 by Will in Chicago)

Morally Straight
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/09/2013 13:48:13

Good Morning.

Last week, I wrote a blog about Scouting and the ongoing debate about our national membership policy. Well, it's another week, and another week with Scouting in the headlines, so it's another blog about Scouting.

National Leadership is hung up on just two words out of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of words and directives that make up what it is to be a scout.

"Morally Straight".

These words come from the membership oath, and as I described it last weekend:

. . . and morally straight.
To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.
Continue reading...

7 comments (Latest Comment: 02/09/2013 23:44:45 by Will in Chicago)

When Money is King
Author: BobR    Date: 02/08/2013 13:58:21

A storm is brewing. No, I'm not talking about "Nemo" which is about to slam New England. I am talking about within Republican party politics - specifically, the power grabs amid the various factions: The Tea Party, the Establishment, and the Outside Interests (represented by Karl Rove). Initially embraced for their energy, the Tea Party has shown itself to be incapable of fielding candidates that can win anything bigger than House races. The Establishment is seeing its power usurped by the upstarts, as well as being pushed out of incumbencies, and trying to reassert itself. And Big Money just wants control of everything without having to dirty their hands by actually running for office.
Continue reading...

89 comments (Latest Comment: 02/08/2013 23:12:30 by Mondobubba)

Sexist Stub
Author: Raine    Date: 02/07/2013 14:06:31


Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Author: BobR    Date: 02/06/2013 14:07:28

After the Democrats took the House in 2006 in a response to Republican corruption and the Bush Administration's mishandling of, well - everything, the Republicans should have taken notice. After the Democrats took the Senate and the White House in 2008, the Republicans should have taken notice. Instead, they decided the best defense was a good offense and approximately 1.3 milliseconds after President Obama took office, the Tea Party was born, along with their outrage over the debt, budget deficits, and uncontrolled spending that President Obama had not yet had any part of.

The Tea Party had the advantage of skilled messengers (Luntz, Rove, Norquist, Armey) and a media outlet to deliver that message 24x7 (FOX "News"). They were relentless, and it paid off. The 2010 mid-term elections saw the Republicans retake the House and narrow the gap in the Senate, despite some Tea Party candidate losses that should have been easy wins for a Republican senatorial candidate.
Continue reading...

71 comments (Latest Comment: 02/07/2013 03:08:22 by clintster)

<<  406  407  408  409  410  411  >>
Order by most recent comment   Complete Blog Entry List