It is my opinion that looking forward requires us to investigate the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" and warrantless suveillance in the Patriot Act. If these are truly violations of the Constitution, domestic laws, and/or international laws, we NEED to prosecute.
If we let transgressions of this type slide under times of emotional response, we risk a repeat of this type of violations. The reason the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and laws forbid torture and warrantless searches (as well as all the others) is precisely so we CAN'T overreact out of fear or anger. To do nothing is to set a precedent that there are circumstances where it is okay not discard the Constitution and ignore the laws.
We are either a nation of laws or we are not. By 'looking forward' while ignoring possible abuses and violations means we are not. It also undermines our ability to hold other countries and entities to this standard. We MUST abide by the standards and principles we espouse. If we don't our country is a lie.
Governor Rendell of PA is proposing a law limiting the number of guns an individual may purchase to 1 a month. Personally, I don't see why someone needs to buy this many. But, I disagree with the proposed law. We have laws that prohibit individuals from purchasing handguns in one state and selling them in another unless they are licensed gun dealers. In my opinion any non-licensed dealer buying more than 12 guns in a year is acting suspiciously and probable cause is sufficient for a warrant to surveil that individual. If they are selling them on the street illegally, bust them and send them to prison for a long time. If they have a legitimate reason, end of story. In fact, I would prefer using multiple gun purchases as a trigger for investigation. I am a hunter and member of the NRA and am in favor of throwing the book at those that knowingly and willingly arm criminals or misuse firearms. Anyone that respects the right and responsibility of gun ownership and use should support strong consequences for those that callously disregard these responsibilities.
Limiting the number of guns an individual can legally purchase will not solve the problem the Governor is addressing. These people need to be caught, prosecuted, and removed from society.
I am tired of this misinformation campaign on our current healthcare system. In 1991 during an examination for hemorrhoids, I was diagnosed with polyps. The doctor I was allowed to see by my insurance carrier at the time cauterized the hemorrhoids during the polypectomy procedure, painlessly and cheaply (less than $500).
In 1995 my company changed insurance carriers and I was not allowed to see this doctor anymore. I could not find one in the new system that performed this procedure, After several followups for the polyps without this treatment my hemorrhoids developed to the point of requiring surgery in 1998. Beside the pain invovled in the recovery, it took over a month out of work and cost thousands for the surgery.
Where is the choice of doctors? Where is the choice of procedures? Where is the cost savings by not allowing this problem from being treated in a preventative manner?
This is where my hope lies with Pres. Obama's reform of healthcare. Procedures like this will be promoted as part of the preventative measures they are talking about. This is another area where savings can come from. In my case for this one problem that amounts to thousands.
All the proposals and policies I have seen have the same flaw. They rely on major corporations and electric companies to produse the power and ignore the potential of individuals and commercial buildings entirely. Sorry, we can conserve. THAT is not good enough!!!!!! Did you know that there is over three times the surface area available today on residential buildings alone than the 100 mile by 100 mile mega facitility proposed for Nevada? That sight is said to be capable of meeting all our electrical needs. One of the big problems is transmission to areas of demand. That is the same problem with mega wind farms in the Dakotas. The other problem with both is that we are still at the mercy of companies with the ethical track record of Exxon, Enron, and electric utilities like National "Greed" in NY.
Installation of solar and wind technology on any residential and commercial building that wants it could more than meet our electrical requirements. AND it is generated where it is USED. There is no need for the vast majority of our electricity to be transmitted hundreds or thousands of miles. Throw in a smart grid that can bring in electricity to calm and overcast areas from all surrounding areas in ever increasing circumference and even localized shortages can be met with minimal net transmission distances.
Require the grid to by excess generation at wholesale prices and allow them to sell it to electricity intensive facilities at retail prices. This keeps the utilities profitable in the transmission business. If needed they can operate a drastically reduced number of power plants to meet rare power shortages.
Another area that gets a lot of hype, but is short sighted is plug in electric cars. This may be a short term necessity, but should not be looked at as a long term solution. Why should we be limited to the range of a batteries charge? Imagine trying to go cross country on battery power. There is an alternative. Wireless resonant induction is a technology that could be adapted to wirelessly powering vehicles on a continuous basis. This technology may be a decade or so off yet. The idea is that the transmitter coils be incorporated into the pavement at a depth of 3 to 5 cm. The power for these coils is supplied by local wind and photovoltaic generators along the roadside with back up from the smart grid. Photovoltaic in urban areas could be produced by CIGSS technology on the sound barriers with no noticeable change in aesthetics. The receiver/s should be mounted on wheeled, to prevent contact of receiver to pavement, extension arms at 1 to 5 cm above the pavement surface. The receivers and transmitters are sealed in waterproof casings similar to the technology used in modern electric toothbrushes. Currently efficiencies are on the order of 90% within 10 cm. The electricity needed to operate the vehicle is transmitted from the road coils to the receiver coils only when they are in resonance, like 2 bells of the same pitch. For heavier vehicles and loads, like tractor trailers, more receivers can be used to increase the power. Small battery systems can be used for brief interruptions to the wireless system or brief excursions out of the wireless network. The electrical energy is not transmitted unless the receiver is at the correct frequency so danger of electrocution or other negative effects is minimal.
MIT is working on this technology to power the appliances in your livingroom today. That requires transmission overdistances of upto 15 feet. This is done in rooms in which you are living and moving about. All without your sensing the electrical transmission. Another exampeare the wireless charging plates for cell phones and ipods, etc.
I just want to stress in closing the urgency of expanding our discussion of alternative energy to include decentralized generation. It is imperative in my opinion to develop this technology to most effectively meet future needs and as the most exportable technology to the developing world.
After some digging, I was able to find the name of the benediction speaker. The impetous to look came from a post on change .gov. PE Obama, kudos. It is a brilliant use of sybolism. Let me explain my thinking.
Open the Inaugural proceedings with a symbol of the old divisive politics of Reagan and Bush. This signifies the past. Then close the proceedings with a speaker that represents inclusion, unity, and human rights on all levels. This signifies the start of a new era. In between, is the actual exchange of power from the old to the new. Masterful.
The benediction is being given by Joseph Lowery.
I wrote my first response without checking all the fact and reacting emotionally. That is a mistake this new adminstration does not make. It is our best hope for the future and why I supported Barack in the first place. I don't agree with all his stated positions or disagree with all Warren' stated positions (just most). But, I am confident that Barack's are well thoughtout based on the available information. And more importantly are open to review and revision when warranted.
Everyone is SOOOO upset about Blagojevich. Why? Because he is stupid enough to talk about it while being LEGALLY wiretapped? The economic conservatives should be applauding him if they are true to their beliefs. After all, he was holding a public auction for the position of Senator. It was even fairly well advertised in the niche market.
Shouldn't we be more upset about the corruption of the Bush/Cheney mafia? Theirs was a no bid corruption. It wasn't open to free market bidding like Blago. The only consideration they made was if you were their friend or not. All the plotting went on behind closed doors and we weren't even allowed to know who showed up. And if you were suspected of getting antsy, Dick would take you BIRD hunting. Sounds alittle like going out for canollis to me.
Blago should be presecuted to the full extent of the law. If found guilty, the punishment should be sever. But, I think his transgressions pale in comparison to the level of corruption perptrated by the Bush administration. Yet NOONE will have the GUTS to do anything about it. All the players in a position to prosecute are too COWARDLY to actually pursue it.
Rick Warren giving the invocation is as appropriate as Louis Farrakhan or David Duke. All three are bigots and hate mongors. I understand that some people need to feel that there is some reason for their existence, happiness, and suffering other than that they are. But, do we need to elevate a closed, narrow minded manipulator to such national attention? Couldn't we find someone that stands for acceptance of humans because they are human? Someone that tries to lift the spirits of all? Warren tries to lift the spirits of his followers by attacking others. He openly fights to oppress members of groups that he doesn't personally agree with. He is another example of an individual that holds to his beliefs and F@!TH inspite of reality and facts. Didn't we have enough of that kind of stupidity with 8 years of Bush/Cheney?
I for one would like to see this invitation withdrawn and a clear message sent that we will not promote this type of devisive bigotry. The actual delivery of the invocation means nothing to me personally. I don't know if there is a god or not and I don't care. But, since it is important to many I have no problem with the inclusion of this ritual. My only wish is that it would be done by a true spiritual and moral leader that doesn't preach, but promotes open dialog about common morals and ethics. We don't need to hear from someone that PREACHES intolerance and bigotry. Just my opinion.
One of the first acts of the new Attorney General should be to start an investigation of the Bush administration for war crimes, violation of international law, and failure to keep their oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. These are grave violations and should not be allowed to go unanswered. We, the people, need to show ourselves and the world that we stand behind the principals on which this country was founded. That even after a heinous attack and an emotional reaction, we still value those principals and are willing - no obligated- to correct our mistakes.
The war crimes charges are easy to prove against Cheney. He went on national television and admitted to authorizing and aiding in the implementation of waterboarding. After world war 2, US led tribunals executed Japanese officers for using this technique on allied forces. If that isn't enough justification to indict Cheney, what is?
Bush, Gonzalez, and others blatantly disregarded the Contitution they swore to uphold and defend by illegally wiretapping americans. Bush repeatedly overstep the powers of the president. He fabricated information to declare war on another country for his own, personal reasons and caused the death and injury of tens of thousands people, both Americans and Iraqis. I could see Bush getting an insanity verdict, since he has no grasp of reality and lives alone with Laura in a world of his own making.
This would restore our reputation with the rest of the world and allow us to lead by example again. It would make it harder for terrorist organizations to find new recruits when the people of the world see that we can and will hold ourselves accountable and punish those that initiated and conducted the crimes in our name. We need to show the world that our system works and that we hold our leaders to the same standards we tell them to hold theirs to.
In Obama's press conference Monday, he once again mentioned investing in several of our infrastructures. I agree this is essential to the health of the country. I would like to discus some of the investments I want included.
1) Transportation: The biggest challenge with electric vehicles is battery life. What if we could power these vehicles wirelessly. I am talking about technology similar to that used to charge your electric tooth brush and is being used to power appliances in homes today. The technology is referred to as wireless resonant induction and can be used to effectively transmit electrical power over distances of several feet. If this technology was incorporated in to road construction, cars and large trucks, they could travel cross country without the need of batteries. T. Boone Pickens could keep his natural gas.
The power for this system could be supplied by a system of solar and wind generaters constructed along the road way and tied into the grid. In urban and suburban areas the sound walls could be resurfaced with Nanosolar's CIGSS photovoltaic film. Numerous small, high wind resistant turbines would be visually less intrusiveand capable of operating a greater percentage of the time. As more power is needed, additional units of these system could be added.
2) Energy: Invest in making each residence a net producer of electricity. This land is currently being used solely for habitation. The exterior surface already exists, but is sitting idlw. This property should be put to dual use. By switching the current roofing and siding materials to photovoltaic shingles and siding each house would be generating more electricity than it uses on average. To help on extremely overcast days and at night a system of 6 foot wind turbines should be included at up to 30 feet above the ground. All of these units are incorporated into the grid to supply electricity demanding industries and occasional calm, cloudy days and calm nights in nearby communities. All of this is tied into a smart grid.
3) Automanufacturing: Purchase controlling interest in any automaker needing financial assistance. Split the company into 3 or 4 smaller companies. Fire the current top management and boards. Replace them with new management based on their commitment to future technologies and let them compete for the best ideas.
4) Credit crisis: Add credit insurance to unemployment insurance. This does not reward poor borrowing. It protects the economy and American citizens from the unforseen loss of employment and the credit damage that results during a slow economy. It doesn't allow for more credit, but does prevent default on credit cards and home foreclosure. The causes of today's economic meltdown. Itreduces the prospect of working families becoming homeless through no fault of their own. When the person is gainfully reemployed the benefit ends. It is cheaper and more humane than what we are going through today. Ask the 56,000 former employees of Citigroup.
5) Insurance reform: Make mandated insurance "not for profit". To require people to have auto insurance, home owners insuranc, and health insurance while insurance companies goal is to make a profit from it is corporate socialism. The companies should be allowed to cover their expenses and maintain a responsible reserve. They should not be able to make exhoritant profits when the consumer is forced to purchase their product or service. Any voluntary insurance can be for profit.
6) Flood Control: The current approach to flood control should be scrapped. Commercial areas that require proximity to waterways should be controlled. Rural farm related buildings and infrastructure should be protected. Farmland itself should be allowed to flood. Residential buildings in general should be built out of the flood plain. No more houses on the river bank. This will allow the flooding of the farmlands that was responsible for their initial fertility and give the flood waters some place to go instead of up. This will protect the vital shipping infrastructue during floods and save the futile spending of billions trying to contain flooding rivers.
I received an update yesterday from Speaker Pelosi on current House activities. Big among the issues was the big three automakers. Below was my response.
Dear Speaker,It is my opinion that the automakers' top management must go, if they receive federal assistance. After 30+ years of stupidity and arrogance, they have demonstrated that they are unfit to run these companies. Since the oil embargo of the 1970's they have stubbornly refused to see the future of petroleum based energy. Add to that, the arrogance exemplified by taking three private jets to Washington to beg for help is too much. Thursday one of the cable news programs made the comment, "The automakers can't decide what vehicles to make with gas prices rising and falling so rapidly. Do they go back to the SUV's or do they focus on high mileage and electric cars?" This is the same stupidity that the planning executives have shown. The answer to what kind of cars to make is blatantly obvious. We need to make fuel efficient and green cars. We need to make work vehicles as efficient as possible while converting them away from petroleum. Why? Because petroleum prices will continue to oscillate in an overall increasing pattern until global demand is permanently stabilized. As soon as the global economy starts to rebound from this current recession, oil prices will rocket back to $200 a barrel or higher and gasoline and diesel will be well over $7 per gallon by 2010.I suggest that as part of an assistance plan we implement the following steps:
This will save the jobs of the autoworkers and related suppliers and retailers. It will get rid of the biggest impediment to the big three's competitiveness, the entrenched, short sighted, and incompetent management of the last 40 years.Sincerely,
Timothy Schram
For anyone that is interested, MoveOn.org has a petition drive in progress that is unique. It involves gathering photos and signatures of people holding signs that read:
I STAND WITH OBAMA FOR _________________________ ISSUE
_________________________ NAME
_________________________ CITY, STATE
The use of photos will humanize the petitions, something signatures alone just can't do. It is harder to dismiss a face than name. I hope many of you will keep an eye out for anyone gathering photos and volunteer yours. I am hard pressed to think of a better way to tell congress to act before the next election.
People we need to relax. I know we are all anxious to get DUHbu out and let Barack start. I ahve seen a lot of posts about too many familiar faces being named so far, chill. Remember the phrase "you are the change I am talking about" or something like that. Anyone that hjas been to change.gov knows there is a link asking for our suggestions. I am sure they are looked at seriously. We are partly responsible for the changes to come. And I believe we have many good suggestions.
Do any of you know how to walk them through congress? Do any of you know how to change the momentum of the beauracracy? I DON'T! But of the names I have heard so far they do. That is what they are there for. We need to come up with the ideas and and make convincing arguments for those ideas. It is their job to implement them. We are the new faces. Barack is not making the mistake Clinton and Carter made of bring in people that are unfamiliar with how to work in Washington.
Anyone in the admin that tries to push there own agenda can be fired immediately. Meanwhile the rest of the admin has gained expertise to cover the change. Let's see what they do at the start.
Marriage is am institution entered into between two consenting adults. That's it. Start adding anything else into it and it becomes too complicated to manage. I hear the arguements of the right. Lets examine them.
1) Can't change it becouse it is tradition. Okay, so lets go back to slavery, witch burning, husbands owning their wives. Fathers owning their children, indentured servitude, fuedalism, torture of heretics and the depressed. Lets go back to blood letting to cure illness. How about drilling holes in the heads of the insane to let the demons out? Not much of an arguement to me.
2) Marriage is to promote procreation. Is this why we get married, really? Okay Gramma now that Grandpa is dead and your past menopause you can't marry your new boyfriend. I'm sorry you are sterile, oh by the way that disqualifies you from getting married because you are defective. Do we really want to get into that kind of distinction. That is what we are saying to homosexuals. You are defective and therefore don't deserve the same rights. What is next, your IQ isn't high enough, your born with abirth defect so we can't allow you to marry? Besides, we have enough trouble caring for, feeding, and cleaning up after the population we have. This one fail, too.
3) A man and a woman make better parents. I am sorry Ms. Dunham, but you can not raise your child since you are a single mother. You just won't be able to do a good enough job. Ms. Yates you may marry because you and your husband will know how to raise your children. If heterosexual couples are so good at parenting, why do we have so much child abuse? Isn't it more important to have happy well adjusted parents or parent with a decent support system? A loving home doesn't know the difference between sexes or single and couple. They lose this argument just by looking at the newspapers.
4) Slippery slope to marrying pets. Like I said originally "two consenting adults". A petcan not be consenting, end of argument. Same goes for children. They are not adults and by law can not be consenting. Get serious.
5) Homosexuality is an abomination and banned according to the Bible. Everything in Leviticus was an abomination including eating shellfish. Should we ban the consumption of shellfish and pork? Catfish is a bottom feeder so no more catfish, if you are a TRUE Believer in the Bible. You can not support a war if you are christian, Christ taught turning the other cheek and love your enemy. So which is it, are you christian or a hypocrite. Beside the fact that your religion is not the religion of the US. The constitution DOES NOT specify freedom of CHRISTIAN religion. If you don't like the fact that the laws of this land are not controled by the belief in Jesus, start your own Christian Theocracy somewhere else. You can't have this one. Deal with it.
6) Devalues my heterosexual marriage. How????? How could two people swearing an oath of love and fidelity to each other possibley affect YOUR MARRIAGE unless you are married to one of them. How could it weaken yours in any stretch of the imagination? No one is telling you you have to marry someone of the same sex. You don't have to change ANYTHING you curreently do, except leave them alone, mind your own business, and butt out. Your argument is based on imposing your personal standards and tastes on others that are not doing anything to you. You lose on Constitutional grounds. You don't have that right as an individual oras the state.
If I missed any of their arguments, let me know. In the meantime let's stop treating our fellow Americans like second class citizens or carriers of a deadly disease. You CAN NOT catch gay!!!!! Every homosexual I know was raised by straight parents. Some straights I know were raised by homosexuals. No evidence to back this one up and we don't pass laws in this country based on F@!TH. (yes it is purposefully written as a curse, get yours out of my life.)
Hypocrites
This is to all those people that voted for Barack, fought for civil rights, fought discrimination based on sex, age, race, or religion, but voted against gay marriage. YOU ARE HYPOCRITES!!!!!!! How in the world can you justify denying another group of human beings the same rights you have. Isn’t that what we did with slavery, poll tax, bans on interracial marriage? Oh yeah, I am old enough to remember the uproar from the idiots, morons, and bigot scum on the religious right and social conservatives (KKK) about how interracial marriage would destroy the fabric of society and destroy the world. WRONG again. The world is not flat, the universe does not revolve around you or your precious earth. Get over yourselves!!!! None of us are that special, we are people and that is special enough.
Someone please tell me how two people swearing to love and honor each other in front of friends and family is a threat. You can’t use religion, because I don’t believe in your perverse idea of religion. Give me real world reasons, not what your invisible friend is whispering in your ear. If you don’t like the idea of marrying another man or woman, then DON”T. No one is making you.
And just for the record though it really is none of your business, I am as straight as they come. I am just a human being that believes in the motto “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”.
The Audacity of Hypocrisy The Neo-conservative / Religious Right View of Regulation
According to the Bush / Palin right the problem with government is that it regulates business too much and you not enough. When was the last time that a gay marriage resulted in the collapse of our economic system? When was the last time an adult movie caused rolling blackouts throughout California? When was the last time an abortion poisoned a community to the point that the sick and dying residents had to be relocated and the land condemned for generations? Since when did an individual that doesn’t know if god exists or not cause the overthrow of a foreign government and replace it with one friendly to American business?
Listening to the right, one gets the impression that business can do no wrong. But you, oh you are the most dangerous threat to America since bin Laden. The collapse of our economy and the epidemic of foreclosures is not the fault of greedy conmen that created investment instruments that they knew were fraudulent. It wasn’t the fault of Newt Gingrich and Bush deregulating the banking industry. No it was the fault of gays and lesbians marrying and raising children. It is the fault of all of us that want companionship, love, and happiness in our lives. As Falwell, Robertson, and others said, the 9/11 attacks, Katrina, and Rita were God’s wrath for our decadent private lives. That implies that the activities of our public institutions are guilt free. If that were true, why didn’t they attack the Playboy mansion or the bathhouses in San Francisco or Planned Parenthood? No they attacked US military targets. Maybe you didn’t realize how we use economic power as a weapon of war, but the rest of the world is aware of it. That doesn’t make the attacks any less horrific and wrong, but it is not what the rabid right claimed it to be.
It is time we told them enough is enough. If you don’t want your children watching violence or adult situations on TV, turn it off or change the channel. Don’t try to deny me as an adult my choice. If you believe abortion is wrong work to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. If you don’t want to marry another man or woman, then don’t. If the issue affects only those that consent to the activity, back off.
I know we need an auto industry in this country if for no other reason than national security. But, does it have to be the current big three?
My proposal:
I exclude current management on the basis of incompetance or out right malice. They have had decades to see this day coming. They did NOTHING constructive and fought tooth and nail any attempt to nudge them in the right direction. They have been suffering from dwindling sales and market share for decades and refused to adapt. They don't deserbe to be in the business. And it is common practice when a small business owner sells their business that they enter into a non-competion clause. The same should hold for these miscreatins.
This approach will reinvigorate the industry with true leaders and visionaries that can lead us into the rest of this millenium. Why give this moey to a blackhole of ineptitude that is the management of the big three.
