When the time of revolution arrives, the most important question is whether it’s the people who will be revolting or the government.
CJ Carter
The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats – Nick Hanauer – POLITICO Magazine
A warning and solution, from one 0.01%er to the others.
Read more...
Congress is scheduled to be in session 13 days less(!) in 2014 than in 2013 — 113 days vs 126 this year, an equivalent of 22.6 5-day weeks. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Sure, they are quite the hypocrites to grouse about people living off the government teet instead of working full-time; but on the other hand, given what we have now, the less Congress the better.
I propose that Texas (and several other states’) women impose a law prohibiting urinals/troughs/etc. and that in men’s restrooms there be sensors (can be IR or ultrasonic to protect their boyish modesty) in stalls to ensure that even toilet pee-ers must sit, not stand subject to fines or arrest. If Texas (and several other states’) legislators are going to be dicks about women, then maybe it’s time the women make the men’s lives a bit less convenient. Quid pro quo.
Maybe a tax on Viagra and related drugs to fund teen and low-income post-natal care and supplies? And that’s just one easy idea. I’m sure there are many, many options available to quo men’s quids (both pro and amateur). Lysistrata, anyone?
On April 18, the vote for H.R. 624 — CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) — was taken in the U.S. House of Representatives. This privacy-eroding bill passed easily. Sadly, all three NM congresspeople chose to vote in the ‘yea’ column: Michelle Lujan Grisham (D, NM 1st), Steve Pearce (R, NM 2nd), and Ben Luján (D, NM 3rd). I expect this sort of idiocy from Pearce but had higher hopes for the other two. Guess not. Let’s hope the Senate gets this one right.
Is Lew’s Signature Fit For U.S. Money?
President Obama’s second-term nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, has a famously loopy signature. The question is: is it too illegible for the signature printed on U.S. paper currency?
Read more...
The Healthcare Thing
Now that the Supreme Court has declared that it’s constitutional for Congress to have passed a law requiring people to purchase health insurance or otherwise pay a fine (tax), I figured I might as well share a few thoughts on it.
Read more...
Congressman Tells NASA Rocket Science Is Simple
Some people in congress don’t seem to understand that rocket science is…well…rocket science. It’s not easy. It can be made to look that way, but it really, really isn’t.
Read more...
Government, Spaceflight, Spinoffs, and People
To the outside observer, it seems like the U.S. Government treats the funding of NASA with the same care and understanding as they do the United States Postal Service. The outside observer would be wrong; it’s not handled nearly as well. And the USPS is going bankrupt…so that sort of gives you an idea of how bad the problem is.
Read more...
It’s Been an Interesting Day For Freedom of Speech
The United States government has a long history of considering, if not passing and creatively interpreting, some really poopy-headed laws. From the Alien and Sedition Acts, to the Dred Scott Decision, to SOPA and PIPA; the Congress and Supreme Court of the United States are sometimes the most dangerous groups of people in the country when it comes to how we communicate ideas.
Read more...
A Few “Occupy” Thoughts
A few people have asked why I haven’t been posting a lot about the Occupy movement. After all, I have a blog and I don’t seem to be afraid to use it. It’s not like I don’t have opinions on the matter. So I figured I’d take a few moments and touch on a few things.
Read more...
Why Occupy Wall Street Matters — If It Lasts
Many questions have been raised concerning the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protests and camps that have spread across the country. In a nutshell, these questions seems to boil down to: “So what? A lot of people are camping out and whining…therefore I ask again, so what? Why should I care? Why does the OWS movement matter?”
Read more...
I Now Have a Political Litmus Test
All my adult life, I have avoided applying any political litmus test when choosing candidates for office—especially for Congress or the Presidency. I held that people running in an election should be evaluated by the balance of their stands on issues, not focus in on just one small area. My stance on this has now changed.
Read more...
Governor Martinez, Why Cripple New Mexico?
Governor Martinez has chosen to target the subsidy used to entice the film industry to produce movies and television shows in the state. While she could have targeted any of $1.2 billion paid to subsidize other industries, for example, gas and oil, she has instead targeted one of the few good PR sources this state has.
Read more...
Can Bernake Fix the Problem If He Doesn’t Understand It?
Ben Bernake is correct that the economy is stratifying, but can’t see that education is largely irrelevant as a practical reason for the dangerous economic condition of the US.
Read more...
The Voting Conundrum
Being that I’m a “does it have to be a box” sort of thinker, I’ve long struggled with how important voting is. Is majority rule actually the best way to do things?
Read more...
I’m So Tired of Congress
It’s hard to believe, but earlier in my lifetime the folks in Congress actually tried to govern. Really. As time has gone on, it stopped working. Compromise ceased to be. Over the past few decades, the power brokers have managed to cripple a critical piece of American government. I’m sad to see it happen.
Read more...
A Business-sourced Stimulus Plan For the Economy
During the “Great Recession”, there has been much gnashing of teeth that money isn’t flowing. A solution exists that could be implemented almost immediately and with little-to-no government interference.
Read more...