NASCAR State of the Union

You just know that people who have never watched a political speech in their lives are going to tune into the State of the Union Address just to see if those intermingled Congress-Critters are going to bust out brawling and set to wailin' on each other.

Courtesy: The Guardian

Question: Which of our Socialists Political Parties promoted this as a Platform?

In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. Government must have a heart as well as a head.

A foreign policy based on international cooperation:

We shall continue vigorously to support the United Nations.


A call to civil service:

We will vigorously promote, as we have in the past, a non-political career service under the merit system which will attract and retain able servants of the people.


Progressive taxation:

Further reductions in taxes with particular consideration for low and middle income families.


Infrastructure:

To meet the immense demands of our expanding economy, we the largest highway, air and maritime programs in history, each soundly financed.


Statehood for D.C.:

We favor self-government, national suffrage and representation in the Congress of the United States for residents of the District of Columbia.


Environmentalism:

We favor a comprehensive study of the effect upon wildlife of the drainage of our wetlands.
We recognize the need for maintaining isolated wilderness areas


Taking on big business:

- A continuously vigorous enforcement of anti-trust laws
- Legislation to enable closer Federal scrutiny of mergers which have a significant or potential monopolistic connotations;
- Procedural changes in the antitrust laws to facilitate their enforcement.


LABOR

-Extend the protection of the Federal minimum wage laws to as many more workers as is possible and practicable.
-Stimulate improved job safety of our workers, through assistance to the States, employees and employers.
-Assure equal pay for equal work regardless of Sex.
- Clarify and strengthen the eight-hour laws for the benefit of workers who are subject to federal wage standards...
- Revise and improve the Taft-Hartley Act so as to protect more effectively the rights of labor unions, management, the individual worker, and the public.

Bringing back the Equal Rights Amendment!

-We recommend to Congress the submission of a constitutional amendment providing equal rights for men and women.

Answer: The 1956 Republican Party Platform

What is it with Catholic Priests and Republican Politicians?

BBC:
A Catholic priest in Spain has been arrested over the alleged possession of thousands of images of child sex abuse. Police said they found 21,000 images on computers inside the 52-year-old's church in Vilafames, in the east of the country.


Duke Chronicle
Cliff Satell,Duke University senior and former vice chair of Duke College Republicans, was arrested in April 2009 on five counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor and five counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. Satell obtained and possessed digital videos of preteen and teen boys engaging in sexual acts.

Well, there's one more addition to the Armchair Subversive's massive Republican Values Create Pedophiles list. And will probably make it to SodaHead's list as well.

You know the old joke.... Q: What's the difference between a sex scandal involving a Democrat and one involving a Republican?

A: At least with the Democrat you know it involved a consenting live female.

Image courtesy SodaHead

The Reasons Your Choice for the Republican Majority in the House Sucks

I mean beyond the obvious ones.

Namely, the absolute gridlock described by Ezra Klein

From the perspective of actually getting anything done in the next two years, there was perhaps no worse outcome. Republicans don't fully control Congress, so they don't have enough power to be blamed for legislative outcomes. But Democrats don't control the House and they don't have a near-filibuster proof majority in the Senate, so they can't pass legislation. Republicans, in other words, are not left with the burden of governance, and Democrats are not left with the power to govern. Republicans don't have to be responsible, and Democrats can't do it for them.

Well, it seems that the Republican House majority will be the largest since 1928. Now why does 1928 sound so familiar? Oh... that's right.... that Depression thingy.

There is a saying, incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain that says: "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."

I find the version attributed to John W. Campbell Jr more apropos: History doesn't always repeat itself. Sometimes it just screams, "Why don't you listen to me?" and lets fly with a big stick.

Yer Average TeaBagger's Understanding of the Physics of Heat and Light.

So, the International Code Council is meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina this week. You can watch the live webcast if you are so inclined. If you are lucky, maybe some bored fool will steal a car from the NASCAR Hall of Fame across the street and fashion it into a Deathmobile. Then maybe they'll can drive it  through the crowd to liven things up a bit.

Why don'tcha ICC my ass!

Here, various architects, engineers, the folks from the International Residential Code's (IRC's) Energy Chapter and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) meet to discuss proposed changes to the code. These proposals are voted on by the council and ratified by other council members, along with state and county officials who are supposed to enforce the decisions made. Also represented are folks from various state Home Builders Associations. Exciting, exciting stuff.

So today, among the various proposals floated was lowering the U-Value of window glass from .40 to .20. Like I said, piss your pants exciting. Basically U-Value measures a window's ability to reduce heat loss from inside your house in the winter. Less heat lost means more money saved by the home owner.

You lower U-values by using 2 panes separated by a spacer. Or filling the space with various gases. It's meant to help keep heat in. That's all.

During the "debate" on how much of the new code proposals should be ratified, a representative of the Texas Home Builders Association makes his deep displeasure evident to the assembled body. He took exception to the recommendations for increased energy efficiency, saying he didn't see the point. He didn't like all these new requirements being shoved down his throat by the Gub'mint. His thinking held that, after next Tuesday, "none of this stuff is going to be enforced anyway".

In his grand vision, the results of next Tuesday's election would have a Republican Tsunami wash over the country; returning us to the BushCo. days of easy oil and lawless abandon.

Never mind that this is the International Code Council. I'm sure his understanding of Foreign Relations and International Policy is on par with Gover Palin's. (half term = half title) And never mind that these codes were in place before the current "Colored" President. And mostly never mind that the Code is enforced by State Law, not by Federal Mandate. Facts? Forget facts, he was on a roll.

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
"Germans?"
"Forget it, he's rolling."

Further, he complained, this was going to cost builders and cost the people paying the builders. And, he said, if they kept requiring lower and lower U-Values, the glass would finally become so dark, nobody would be able to see out their damned windows!

On my Mother's grave, this is what. he. said.


And I only have one thing to say in response: If any more of these brainless gits makes it into a position of real power, may what gods exist have mercy on us all.

Virginia Foxx Must Be So Proud

I didn't even realize that Virginia Foxx had a son. Or even that he was a Democrat. I guess that's why I've never heard her mention him. Anyway: Congratulations to Charlotte's new mayor, Anthony Foxx.