This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Bush Speech
Not in this reality, but it is a speech you WISH you would hear from President Bush speaking in front of the UN General Assembly...
A View of Teachers' Unions
Have you ever seen this, or something like it?
Rules for teachers in 1915
1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
12. To keep the school room neat and clean, you must:
* sweep the floor at least once daily
* scrub the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water
* clean the blackboards at least once a day
* start the fire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8 a.m.
1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
12. To keep the school room neat and clean, you must:
* sweep the floor at least once daily
* scrub the floor at least once a week with hot, soapy water
* clean the blackboards at least once a day
* start the fire at 7 a.m. so the room will be warm by 8 a.m.
For a long time in this country, teachers were second class citizens. My father was a teacher in the 1950's and many is the time he told (retold) the story of getting a contract. One year it was HIS turn to negotiate with the Superintendent, so, along with 2 or 3 other teachers, he scheduled a meeting. They walked in and explained (in 5 minutes or less) why they felt they needed a raise. The Superintendent then told them what provisions the district had made for a raise the following year and negotiations were over.
Teacher unions came along because of scores of years of abuses heaped upon the hard working men and women in the profession. When folks bitch about teachers' unions these days, don't forget, it was a narrow minded, disrespectful approach to the members of that profession that brought on the unions to begin with.
And it ain't over. I picked up the following from the J-Walk Blog...
Teacher unions came along because of scores of years of abuses heaped upon the hard working men and women in the profession. When folks bitch about teachers' unions these days, don't forget, it was a narrow minded, disrespectful approach to the members of that profession that brought on the unions to begin with.
And it ain't over. I picked up the following from the J-Walk Blog...
In Texas: Teacher terminated over marriage.
A teacher at a Catholic high school got married, and then she got fired.
The reason for her termination turns on a theological tenet. According to Catholic doctrine, participants in a marriage must be an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. LaFortune told the principal that her fiance had been divorced - a proceeding not recognized by the Catholic Church.
The deacon was concerned with whether the first marriage of LaFortune's fiance, Benjamin Stakes, had been declared invalid by a Catholic tribunal and thereby annulled. His concern, however, did not sit well with LaFortune, who refused to resign from her job or seek an annulment - a process that could reach to Rome and take more than a year.
According to Deacon Patrick Cunningham:
his stance wasn't a personal attack, but rather a reflection of God's laws, which are non-negotiable.
And this:
At one point, the school president asked LaFortune if she went to church every Sunday. She told him she did not. "No wonder you don't understand," Pontolillo said. "You are not churched."
Meanwhile, hundreds of pedophile priests remain on the job...
Monday, January 05, 2009
The Party of Religious Fervor
A new party seal for the Republicans. Especially with all of the middle-of-the-roaders gone to the Democrats, this may be all that's left for the GOP.
Support
In these waning days of the Bush Presidency, will Young Republicans come out of the closet in order to support their hero? We shall see.
Now THAT'S What That Means!
And now, after 8-years of the Bush administration, anyone who's still a Republican is an imbecile.
Political Correctness
For some reason Democrats have become associated with the notion of political correctness. I am NOT one of those people, though I do believe all of us need to show some sensitivity toward others. I was tempted, as I write this, to list some examples in which I think political correctness has gone overboard, but if I list a couple, then it will seem as if that is the extent my interest in the matter. So I leave the examples out.
I DO like the definition of political correctness given here...
I DO like the definition of political correctness given here...
Bush In The Air
One of the most biting images of President Bush was one taken following Hurricane Katrina. Bush, unable or unwilling to offer any sign of hope to those caught in the storm, flew over New Orleans and the surrounding area, in the comfort of Air Force One. The image caught him peering out the window.
Here's an image that sort of plays on that theme - and points out the fact that he's shown nearly the same lack of concern for the collapsing economy.
Here's an image that sort of plays on that theme - and points out the fact that he's shown nearly the same lack of concern for the collapsing economy.
Bush - Alone and Helpless
Because I was down and out following surgery during the pre-election days, I missed the chance to post a lot of funny stuff. I'm going to try to fit some of it in anyway, even though it's dated.
Here's an acerbic poster of Bush with references to his addictions during his youth.
Here's an acerbic poster of Bush with references to his addictions during his youth.
Roger Ebert Gets All Serious
When everyday folks (not politicians) start to worry about the state of the world and the future of the U.S. in serious tones like Roger Ebert has done, it seems as if the problems of the world are much larger today than they were just a few years ago. We've suffered from poor leadership - if we'd had people running the world who were problem solvers instead of war mongers (even this week the Bushies have vetoed a UN resolution calling for a cease-fire in the middle east), we might have been ahead of the game in solving some of the problems.
From the Chicago Sun-Times...
It's all coming to pieces, isn't it -- the world we live in, the continuity we thought we could count on, the climate, the economy, the fragile peace. The 20th century was called "the American Century," with some reason. I do not believe the 21st century will belong to anybody, and it may not last for 100 years of human witness. There are nuclear weapons in the Middle East and on the Indian subcontinent, and if one is used, more will follow and who can say when the devastation will end?
The weather is unhinged. It is no longer a question of global warming. It is a question of what in the hell is happening? I do not have to rehearse for you the details of this horrible American autumn, and a winter not yet half over. The tornadoes, the hurricanes, the floods, the blizzards, the wild fires, the heat waves, the water shortages, the power blackouts. The White House declares "a state of emergency" and the federal government sends money. How many states of emergency are we still in? How much more money is there?
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Fox News On Sex Education
For the record, and before you watch this video, I want you to know that I support comprehensive sex education. I believe the more someone knows and understands a topic, the better the informed decisions they will make resulting from that knowledge. Neither I, nor anyone I know, profits in any way from my position on this issue
You just can't fix stupid.
You just can't fix stupid.
The Collapse of America
This is all over the web - I think I even recall seeing some reference to it on TV. I got my information from Gawker which has much more.
Whenever the Russian economy tumbles, predictions of American doom gain new currency. Igor Panarin, a Russian professor, is being trotted out to Putin's state media to make predictions of a U.S. collapse in 2010.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Alberto Gonzales - Out of Work?
Apparently the former Attorney General can't find work and he's wondering why. Andrew Cohen on CBS News' website helps analyze the situation. It's a good read, if you've got the time.
Sixteen months after resigning in disgrace, Alberto Gonzales had the gall this past week to declare himself “one of the many casualties of the war on terror,” a statement so preposterous and offensive that it unintentionally explains precisely why the former Attorney General of the United States finds himself a self-described outcast in the world of law and politics.
The man is a walking, talking herald for his own colossal failures.
In an extraordinary interview this past week, the man who enabled the worst scandal at the Justice Department since Watergate rhetorically asked: “What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?”
The man is a walking, talking herald for his own colossal failures.
In an extraordinary interview this past week, the man who enabled the worst scandal at the Justice Department since Watergate rhetorically asked: “What is it that I did that is so fundamentally wrong, that deserves this kind of response to my service?”
But Does It Matter When?
I was just browsing through some news articles and saw one about a guy who had been a habitual criminal most of his life, including armed robbery. What most caught my attention was the fact that just a few days after being sent to prison, before he'd even gone to trial (he was denied bail because he was a flight risk), he began attending church and he "found God." He even had the prison pastor write a letter to the judge explaining that this particular criminal was "a joy to have in church."
This got me thinking about Heaven and the rules God must have in place for figuring out who gets in. I mean does it matter WHEN in your life you profess your faith?
Let's consider some examples. Start with me. As a child I attended church regularly - every week - including Sunday School. As a teenager I sang in the church choir, I was in the youth group at church, I baby sat for the minister and his wife. I believed in God and the Bible. But then the church and I came to a parting of the ways (why is not important for this story.) Since then I have given up on the church, but I have lived a good life. I'm kind to my neighbors, I contribute to charities, I spent my life involved with children (teacher), I've never been arrested and the worst crime I have on my record is 1 speeding ticket. See - I'm a pretty nice guy.
Second scenario. Taken from the story I opened this post with - a guy lives his childhood and early adult life as a criminal - stealing cars, armed robbery, drug abuse, mistreats women and children. Gets sent to jail at age 35 and suddenly finds God. From this point on he begins to behave himself and goes to church quite regularly. Is he perfect? Probably not - but he believes in God.
Third scenario. Sort of a mixed bag here. A made-up character for the purposes of posing my question in the next paragraph. This fella grows up in a good family, but there's no church or God in his life. As a young man attending college, he finds God and goes to church until he turns 45. He loses his job, finds drink and drugs, he quits the church and his belief in God. He winds up living on the street, commits some minor robberies and dies a debtor.
Here's the question that my news browsing brought me to - which one, if any, of these guys is going to heaven? Is there a time in our lives when a belief in God is most important for getting past the Pearly Gates?
Refer to the second scenario above. The religious crowd would have you believe that the most violent criminal of the bunch is going to heaven because he believes in God at the end. The rest of us, who've actually lived better lives, are toast (get it - roasting in hell? toast?). I mean, can we wait until the last five-minutes of our life to profess belief and still get in? I need tio know how this works.
What do you think? Even though all three of these scenarios describe people who've had about equal portions of their lives involved with God, only one makes it in. And he's the worst of the lot.
I'd like some more input on this from someone who's actually talked to God about this.
Thanks.
This got me thinking about Heaven and the rules God must have in place for figuring out who gets in. I mean does it matter WHEN in your life you profess your faith?
Let's consider some examples. Start with me. As a child I attended church regularly - every week - including Sunday School. As a teenager I sang in the church choir, I was in the youth group at church, I baby sat for the minister and his wife. I believed in God and the Bible. But then the church and I came to a parting of the ways (why is not important for this story.) Since then I have given up on the church, but I have lived a good life. I'm kind to my neighbors, I contribute to charities, I spent my life involved with children (teacher), I've never been arrested and the worst crime I have on my record is 1 speeding ticket. See - I'm a pretty nice guy.
Second scenario. Taken from the story I opened this post with - a guy lives his childhood and early adult life as a criminal - stealing cars, armed robbery, drug abuse, mistreats women and children. Gets sent to jail at age 35 and suddenly finds God. From this point on he begins to behave himself and goes to church quite regularly. Is he perfect? Probably not - but he believes in God.
Third scenario. Sort of a mixed bag here. A made-up character for the purposes of posing my question in the next paragraph. This fella grows up in a good family, but there's no church or God in his life. As a young man attending college, he finds God and goes to church until he turns 45. He loses his job, finds drink and drugs, he quits the church and his belief in God. He winds up living on the street, commits some minor robberies and dies a debtor.
Here's the question that my news browsing brought me to - which one, if any, of these guys is going to heaven? Is there a time in our lives when a belief in God is most important for getting past the Pearly Gates?
Refer to the second scenario above. The religious crowd would have you believe that the most violent criminal of the bunch is going to heaven because he believes in God at the end. The rest of us, who've actually lived better lives, are toast (get it - roasting in hell? toast?). I mean, can we wait until the last five-minutes of our life to profess belief and still get in? I need tio know how this works.
What do you think? Even though all three of these scenarios describe people who've had about equal portions of their lives involved with God, only one makes it in. And he's the worst of the lot.
I'd like some more input on this from someone who's actually talked to God about this.
Thanks.
More On the GOP's Racial Issues
From WSLS-10 comes this wonderful story of Republican reaction to the distribution of the song "Barack the Magic Negro."
I wonder how white, pasty-faced cracker Frederick would feel if we reduced HIM to a racial sterotype?
The distribution of a controversial song by a candidate for chairman of the national Republican Party has created an unnecessary distraction as the party rebuilds, Virginia GOP chairman Jeff Frederick said Friday.Now, from my perspective, when one attempts to reduce one's political opponents to the color of their skin, that's racial discrimination. One would have to guess that among all of these Republicans there is a bit of racial hatred going on, or they too would be offended.
...The candidate, Tennessee political operative Chip Saltsman, mailed a CD late last month to members of the Republican National Committee that included a track called “Barack the Magic Negro.”
Frederick is one of 168 committee members who will vote in the chairmanship race Jan. 30 in Washington. He has not endorsed any of the six candidates.
He said Saltsman didn’t “mean any harm” in distributing the song, which argued that “guilty whites” felt comfortable voting for president-elect Barack Obama because he was “black, but not authentically” and “not from the hood.”
I wonder how white, pasty-faced cracker Frederick would feel if we reduced HIM to a racial sterotype?
Friday, January 02, 2009
"I Won't Bless Toy Guns."
But real ones are okay?
From Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday magazine...
AN ANGLICAN Reverend yesterday announced to a congregation of over two hundred children and their parents, that no toy guns will be blessed during Holy Innocents Mass at the Holy Trinity Cathedral on Queen Street in Port-of-Spain.
I'm glad the church draws the line somewhere.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Bush's Twenty Worst Moments
A blog called The Moderate Left is featuring a twenty-day countdown to the departure of George W. Bush from the White House. The countdown will feature the outgoing President's most embarrassing moments. They begin the postings with the back rub of the German Chancellor, Andrea Merkel at a G-8 summit meeting.
I won't steal their thunder - go visit and bookmark the site.
The Moderate Left.
I won't steal their thunder - go visit and bookmark the site.
The Moderate Left.
What Would Jesus Do?
I wonder if our compassion for people who are less fortunate than ourselves is hard wired into our DNA? When I read the Bible I see the stories of Christ's compassion and God's love for mankind (not that I believe any of the stories are true), and I tend to overlook the harsher stories in which people are stoned or cruelty is inflicted on mankind.
When others read the Bible they focus on the "end times" and the need to destroy one's enemies (other religions). I can only assume, but I believe these folks find comfort in knowing that they are "special" people who are destined to rule the world now and to be hand picked by God when the end times come.
The difference in the two groups of people can found by soliciting reactions to stories such as the one below. Into which group of people do you fall?
When others read the Bible they focus on the "end times" and the need to destroy one's enemies (other religions). I can only assume, but I believe these folks find comfort in knowing that they are "special" people who are destined to rule the world now and to be hand picked by God when the end times come.
The difference in the two groups of people can found by soliciting reactions to stories such as the one below. Into which group of people do you fall?
A New Jersey church has evicted a homeless shelter because its operators didn't require guests to say grace before eating Christmas dinner.from Carolina Naturally
So, now you know what the answer is to all those WWJD wristbands you've seen on the wrists of the relige-o-nuts.
Read the full story in the Wall Street Journal
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