OK, let's try something new today . . . let's do today's commentary as a webcast! If your proxy doesn't block you from Podbean, you can listen using the player below.
The lies about, and misrepresentations of, Senator Obama by the McCain camp in their television ads is only the latest in a long standing campaign to get the electorate to vote against their own self interest. The use of the mass media, and the disingenuous appropriation of the Religious Right's "hot button" issues has resulted in many people not thinking things through nor investigating the issues and facts for themselves. Listen to my commentary, and feel free to leave me a comment or link to yours. This webcast is 5:50 in length.
As always, these are my opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of anyone else.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
"I Can See Russia From My House!"
While I didn't catch the broadcast of the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, I did watch the opening skit via the Internet. Tina Fey returned to SNL to do a dead-on impression of GOP Veep Nominee, and Pentecostal looney, Sarah Palin. She got it perfect, from the glasses, to the look, to the annoying, nasally whine. Maybe we could substitute Fey on the Republican ticket for Governor Palin. I have a feeling the country would be better off in the event of a McCain win in November, if Fey were Vice President.
In case you missed it, below is the skit. It is doggone funny.
In case you missed it, below is the skit. It is doggone funny.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Texas, Time to "Hunker Down"!
Having experienced several hurricanes during my life, I have a healthy respect for these storms. I lived in Houston during both Hurricanes Carla (1961) and Alicia (1983). During Carla, I was eight years old, yet I have vivid memories of it. When Alicia hit, the Lovely Spouse and I had a new baby. Since we had no power for days after the storm passed, we used a gasoline-powered camp stove to sterilize bottles. It appears that Ike is more on the scale of Carla, much bigger than Alicia was. Carla reached Category 5 status, and hit the Texas coast at Galveston as a Category 4. I remember the beach at Galveston littered with huge boulders that had been pushed out of the sea, and dead jellyfish splattered all over the place after Carla moved out. It was such a catastrophic storm that the name was retired from further use.This satellite image of Hurricane Ike, shows how far out cloud bands can extend. You can see clouds from the storm reaching from Belize to Cuba, Florida, and the New Orleans area. There are not storm conditions out this far, but the system itself is quite large. With the storm now projected to make landfall near Freeport, Texas, my thoughts turn to my parents who live in Houston. They are in their 70s and less mobile than they once were, so I always have concern when a hurricane enters the Gulf. I can say that I am glad for modern satellite imagery and weather radar, which gives advance warning and gives one time to make preparations. In earlier times, there were no such forecasting tools. The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 killed about 8,000 people. Despite the seawall, a huge storm today could put Galveston Island under the water even today.
So while I am glad to be living at over a mile above sea level and a thousand miles inland, I am keeping an eye on the situation. For all of you on the Texas coast; evacuate if you are in a storm surge area or live in a mobile home; otherwise "hunker down" as they say down there. And stay away from parts of your homes near trees.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Philippi Covered Bridge
West Virginia Historic Marker for the Philippi Covered Bridge.
Barbour County Sheriff's vehicle is approaching the bridge in the background
During my recent trip to West Virginia, I got to take in some historic sites. One afternoon the Lovely Spouse, her lovely mother, and I took a little drive south from Grafton to Webster and Philippi (pronounced "FILL-uh-pee"). This town is rich in history from the Civil War era. The line of loyalty to the Union or the CSA was between Philippi and Grafton, 20 miles to the north.
Philippi holds the distinction of being the location of the first land battle of the Civil War (with Ft. Sumter, SC being the first sea-based battle). The state of West Virginia owes its existence as an entity to that war, as it was created from loyalist counties in what was the western part of Virginia. In any case, the highway between Grafton and Philippi parallels the Tygart Valley River, and today carries US highways 119 and 250. In 1861, this was the main route south to Richmond, Virginia. Troops from both sides had encampments along the road, and one of the rail lines that runs beside it was a major transportation line even during the war.
The covered bridge at Philippi was used during the Civil War, and today is part of US highway 250. It is also one of the longest covered bridges in the United States, and is the only double-barreled covered bridge carrying traffic of a major federal highway.
As an additional note, three of the miners who died in the 2006 Sago Mine Disaster were from Philippi.
A side view of the Philippi Covered Bridge
View of one end of the Philippi Covered Bridge
Politics and Lies
So, I haven't pontificated on the political situation for a while, so let's have at it for a few short items of note.
#1. Lipstick, Pigs, and Pit Bulls
Rather than focusing on the important issues facing the nation, such as the economy, the mortgage and financial industry failures, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Russian incursions into Georgia, etcetera, etcetera, the McCain campaign is stirring up passions about a non-issue.
Yes, Sarah Palin, who I am already sick of hearing about, compared herself to a pit bull wearing lipstick. Yes, both presidential candidates have used the expression "lipstick on a pig" in reference to dressing up the same old, same old. But the disingenuous Republican spin machine has latched onto Obama's use of the phrase to imply that he was calling Governor Palin a pig. Get off it, and let's get back onto the issues.
#2 Lies and More Lies
There is an adage that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it. The GOP liars have learned well from the late Lee Attwater and Karl Rove. Despite the fact that if you make less than $250,000 per year, your taxes would be reduced under Obama's plan, the GOP candidates continue to say he will raise your taxes. Only if you are their rich buddies, but at this point, a Washington Post / ABC News poll shows that 51% of voters believe otherwise. In addition, Obama has proposed complete elimination of the income tax on seniors making $50,000 or less, but 41% of those very seniors think Obama will raise their taxes. This lie is repeatedly used by both McCain and Palin, and was a cornerstone of their speeches at the Republican National Convention. Obviously the GOP has found that lying about their opponents and ignoring the issues win elections. Unfortunately, people tend to vote personalities rather than substance.
#3. Universal Health Care
The disingenuous John McCain has ads not only blaming Senator Obama for high gasoline prices, but now is asking "Do you want a government bureaucrat deciding issues related to your healthcare?" Well, Senator McCain, even though that is not what is being proposed, it is a far sight better than a corporate bean counter at an insurance company who is compensated for cutting costs and denying needed procedures making those decisions.
#4. E-bay and Chefs
Governor Palin said at the GOP convention that she sold her plane on Ebay. Nope...not true. And that is one thing I would not have denied her. The governor of a state as big as Alaska probably needs a jet to get around to her widely-dispersed constituents. Then she claimed to have fired her chef. Nope...just gave him a new job title as "cook" for her kids. This hockey mom is more of a hokey mom, who will lie to appear to be fiscally conservative. And then there's her tale of the so-called "bridge to nowhere". Puhleeeze!
Folks, we cannot even trust these crooks and liars to tell the truth during a campaign. Why would we elect them? They will tell any lie, regardless of how bold; distract us from the vital issues facing us; and pander to the fundamentalist crazies to retain power. We can send this bunch packing with their tails between their collective legs. Don't be deceived! This is more of the scared elite trying to fool you into voting against your own interest and for those of the privileged few. Ask yourself...do you have more in common with the fat cat insurance and oil lobby, or with working class Americans? Does it make sense to continue to shift the tax burden from the top tier of the wealthy and putting the burden on yourself and your family? If you answer yes, then go ahead and vote Republican. You will get what you deserve. If the answer is no, it is clear. It is time to give Senator Obama a chance to effect the change we need to take this nation back from the corporations and return it to the people.
OK...rant over...for now.
#1. Lipstick, Pigs, and Pit Bulls
Rather than focusing on the important issues facing the nation, such as the economy, the mortgage and financial industry failures, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Russian incursions into Georgia, etcetera, etcetera, the McCain campaign is stirring up passions about a non-issue.
Yes, Sarah Palin, who I am already sick of hearing about, compared herself to a pit bull wearing lipstick. Yes, both presidential candidates have used the expression "lipstick on a pig" in reference to dressing up the same old, same old. But the disingenuous Republican spin machine has latched onto Obama's use of the phrase to imply that he was calling Governor Palin a pig. Get off it, and let's get back onto the issues.
#2 Lies and More Lies
There is an adage that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will begin to believe it. The GOP liars have learned well from the late Lee Attwater and Karl Rove. Despite the fact that if you make less than $250,000 per year, your taxes would be reduced under Obama's plan, the GOP candidates continue to say he will raise your taxes. Only if you are their rich buddies, but at this point, a Washington Post / ABC News poll shows that 51% of voters believe otherwise. In addition, Obama has proposed complete elimination of the income tax on seniors making $50,000 or less, but 41% of those very seniors think Obama will raise their taxes. This lie is repeatedly used by both McCain and Palin, and was a cornerstone of their speeches at the Republican National Convention. Obviously the GOP has found that lying about their opponents and ignoring the issues win elections. Unfortunately, people tend to vote personalities rather than substance.
#3. Universal Health Care
The disingenuous John McCain has ads not only blaming Senator Obama for high gasoline prices, but now is asking "Do you want a government bureaucrat deciding issues related to your healthcare?" Well, Senator McCain, even though that is not what is being proposed, it is a far sight better than a corporate bean counter at an insurance company who is compensated for cutting costs and denying needed procedures making those decisions.
#4. E-bay and Chefs
Governor Palin said at the GOP convention that she sold her plane on Ebay. Nope...not true. And that is one thing I would not have denied her. The governor of a state as big as Alaska probably needs a jet to get around to her widely-dispersed constituents. Then she claimed to have fired her chef. Nope...just gave him a new job title as "cook" for her kids. This hockey mom is more of a hokey mom, who will lie to appear to be fiscally conservative. And then there's her tale of the so-called "bridge to nowhere". Puhleeeze!
Folks, we cannot even trust these crooks and liars to tell the truth during a campaign. Why would we elect them? They will tell any lie, regardless of how bold; distract us from the vital issues facing us; and pander to the fundamentalist crazies to retain power. We can send this bunch packing with their tails between their collective legs. Don't be deceived! This is more of the scared elite trying to fool you into voting against your own interest and for those of the privileged few. Ask yourself...do you have more in common with the fat cat insurance and oil lobby, or with working class Americans? Does it make sense to continue to shift the tax burden from the top tier of the wealthy and putting the burden on yourself and your family? If you answer yes, then go ahead and vote Republican. You will get what you deserve. If the answer is no, it is clear. It is time to give Senator Obama a chance to effect the change we need to take this nation back from the corporations and return it to the people.
OK...rant over...for now.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
US Flags I Have Known
The national flag of the United States of America known to most people today contains 50 stars arranged on a blue canton, one representing each of the constituent states; and thirteen alternating red and white stripes, representing the original 13 states of the union. To anyone under the age of 48, this is the only flag to have officially represented the nation during their lifetime. This is also true for most of my own 55 years on the planet. However, I vividly recall the two occasions when the flag was changed during my life.
The current 50-star flag of The United States of America
This is the flag that was planted on the moon during the Apollo missions, and the flag that survived the sneak attacks on America on September 11, 2001.
Buzz Aldrin and the US flag at Tranquility Base, The Moon, July 1969
New York firefighters with flag at Ground Zero, September 2001
The flag under which I was born, served as the offical ensign of the U.S. for 47 years, one less than the current flag. This was the 48 star flag which came into existence in 1912 following the admission of Arizona and New Mexico to the national constellation. This is the banner under which our soldiers fought in both World Wars and the Korean War. It is the flag that was raised at Iwo Jima. It replaced the flag of 1908, the 46-star flag that represented the admission of my home state of Oklahoma to the USA in 1907.
With the stars arranged in even rows, one under the other, the 48-star flag is easy to spot in pictures and movies. An anachronistic mistake sometimes made by filmmakers is the use of the current flag in period movies when there should be the 48-star banner used.
The 48-star flag, 1912-1959
The raising of the 48-star flag at Iwo Jima during WWII
When I was six years old, Congress admitted the territory of Alaska as the 49th state, and a the flag was changed to add the star for our new state. I lived in Houston, Texas at the time, and remember that at that time, Texas dropped from being the largest state in land area to second place. This was a short-lived design, as a year later, Hawaii would be admitted to bring the total number of states to the current 50.
The 49-star flag, 1959 - 1960
During the Bicentennial year of 1976, many of the Revolutionary War period flags were being used, particularly in the historic area of Maryland where I lived at the time. Some of these are below.
Grand Union flag
Original 13-star flag of the United States
Betsy Ross flag
Bennington Flag - Note the red and white are reversed and the 7-pointed stars
Should there be a 51st state admitted, the flag will probably be the design below.
Possible 51-star USA flag
The current 50-star flag of The United States of America
This is the flag that was planted on the moon during the Apollo missions, and the flag that survived the sneak attacks on America on September 11, 2001.
Buzz Aldrin and the US flag at Tranquility Base, The Moon, July 1969
New York firefighters with flag at Ground Zero, September 2001
The flag under which I was born, served as the offical ensign of the U.S. for 47 years, one less than the current flag. This was the 48 star flag which came into existence in 1912 following the admission of Arizona and New Mexico to the national constellation. This is the banner under which our soldiers fought in both World Wars and the Korean War. It is the flag that was raised at Iwo Jima. It replaced the flag of 1908, the 46-star flag that represented the admission of my home state of Oklahoma to the USA in 1907.
With the stars arranged in even rows, one under the other, the 48-star flag is easy to spot in pictures and movies. An anachronistic mistake sometimes made by filmmakers is the use of the current flag in period movies when there should be the 48-star banner used.
The 48-star flag, 1912-1959
The raising of the 48-star flag at Iwo Jima during WWII
When I was six years old, Congress admitted the territory of Alaska as the 49th state, and a the flag was changed to add the star for our new state. I lived in Houston, Texas at the time, and remember that at that time, Texas dropped from being the largest state in land area to second place. This was a short-lived design, as a year later, Hawaii would be admitted to bring the total number of states to the current 50.
The 49-star flag, 1959 - 1960
During the Bicentennial year of 1976, many of the Revolutionary War period flags were being used, particularly in the historic area of Maryland where I lived at the time. Some of these are below.
Grand Union flag
Original 13-star flag of the United States
Betsy Ross flag
Bennington Flag - Note the red and white are reversed and the 7-pointed stars
Should there be a 51st state admitted, the flag will probably be the design below.
Possible 51-star USA flag
Friday, September 05, 2008
JFK & Jefferson's Wall of Separation
Forty-eight years ago next week, Massachusetts U.S. Senator and presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a famous address at The Rice Hotel in Houston. His audience was the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. The context of the speech was to clearly state his views on the separation of church and state; a topic because of the fears of many that a Roman Catholic president would follow the dictates of the Pope rather than the Constitution of the United States.
In that address, made on September 12, 1960, President Kennedy stated:
Americans need to finally say that enough is enough! We will not allow the Reconstructionists and Dominionist theocrats to destroy the great republic from within. One need not be an atheist or agnostic to see the danger of the direction these people wish to take the United States. They pose a danger to the Constitutional right of freedom of religion for all Americans. Religion is a personal matter, and the government should neither support any religion, nor govern by the dictates of any sect.
CLICK HERE to listen to this famous address by the future President.
In that address, made on September 12, 1960, President Kennedy stated:
"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute; where no Catholic prelate would tell the President -- should he be Catholic -- how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference, and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him, or the people who might elect him."How far we have fallen in the intervening 48 years. We have a president who has torn down huge sections of Thomas Jefferson's "Wall of Separation"; the party of Abraham Lincoln largely taken over by theocratic Christian extremists; and that party's presidential candidate flip-flopping to pander to the shamans of the so-called "Religious Right".
Americans need to finally say that enough is enough! We will not allow the Reconstructionists and Dominionist theocrats to destroy the great republic from within. One need not be an atheist or agnostic to see the danger of the direction these people wish to take the United States. They pose a danger to the Constitutional right of freedom of religion for all Americans. Religion is a personal matter, and the government should neither support any religion, nor govern by the dictates of any sect.
CLICK HERE to listen to this famous address by the future President.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Road Trip - Morgantown to Washington
Here is some fodder for all you fellow road geeks out there. This is my trip last Saturday from Morgantown, West Virginia to Reagan Washington National Airport, a distance of about 220 miles or so. I put these in a slide show, since there are over 170 pictures. All but a few of these were taken by the Lovely Spouse as I drove the rental car. She did a rather good job, I'd say. She may be getting in touch with her inner road geek. She took over 400 pictures and these are the cream of the crop. When she was having trouble with my Olympus E-500, I told her that she was no Jimmy Olsen with a camera, but after reviewing these, I think she may just be better than Jimmy.
Note: The slide show plays rather fast, so you may want to pause each picture to have time to read the captions. Or it may be easier to go directly to the album by clicking on the link below, where you can take your time with each picture. Either way, enjoy!
Note: The slide show plays rather fast, so you may want to pause each picture to have time to read the captions. Or it may be easier to go directly to the album by clicking on the link below, where you can take your time with each picture. Either way, enjoy!
 |
| Morgantown to Washington |
Sunday, August 31, 2008
A Beautiful Cumulonimbus Cloud
During the flight from Washington to Denver late yesterday, we passed by this spectacular cumulonimbus cloud. The object at the bottom of the photo is the left wing of our aircraft. At the time this was taken, we were cruising at about 40,000 feet and somewhere over the state of Indiana. As you can see, the sun was low in the sky and illuminated the right-hand section of this cloud, giving a nice 3-dimensional perspective. The top of the cloud was quite a bit higher than we were flying. I enjoyed seeing this as we flew by, wondering if there was an active thunderstorm occurring below us on the ground.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
So Many Captions, So Little Time
Well, it's back in Colorado tonight after a drive from West Virginia to Washington, DC; followed by a flight back to Denver International Airport. We got LOTS of road geekin' photos that I will be processing and posting, but this one that was taken this afternoon, cannot wait.This sign is on the George Washington Parkway in Suburban Virginia across the Potomac from Washington. The humor is obvious, and there are so many possible captions. It is truly oxymoronic to see the name George Bush and Intelligence mentioned on the same sign! Even though I am sure this is named for the current Decider-in-Chief's father, it was too good a photo to let get away.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Arlington
Here is another interesting photo from our approach into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. On the hill you can see the Custis-Lee Mansion. In the lower part of the photo is the main entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. The prominent area between the two contains the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy, to the best of my recollection. In 1964 when I was 11 years old and lived in Newark, Delaware, I saw the grave when it was just a temporary setup, bordered by a white picket fence and the ever-present eternal flame. I have also seen the permanent grave, but it has been many years.The Custis-Lee Mansion, also known as Arlington House, was built as a memorial to George Washington by his adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. Custis' daughter, Mary Anna, married her distant cousin, Robert E. Lee, and they lived there for several years until Federal troops took over the property following the secession of Virginia from the United States in 1861.
Tygart Lake From The Air
Tygart Lake in West Virginia from 35,000 feet
As I previously mentioned, I have always been pretty good at picking out landmarks from the window of commercial flights. On the flight last Saturday to Washington, I noticed quite a few significant towns and landmarks where the clouds were not obscuring the view. The photo above really needs to be seen at the large size (by clicking on it) to get the effect. It is a picture I took of Tygart Lake from our Frontier Airlines flight from Denver. Last November, I posted pictures of this lake taken from the ground.
This picture is rotated 180 degrees from how I took it, to match it up with the inset picture from Google Maps of the same place, for comparison. North is approximately to the top of the photo now, and just to the north out of view is the town of Grafton. The curve on the ground to the left side of the photo is a stream with duplexed US 119 and US 250 running beside it to the east of the stream.
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