The New Road

Excellent "America Is Christian" Debunking

It's been a popular ploy on the right to foist the America is a Christian nation myth since the merger of the social conservative and the backroom cigar fogies. The Treaty of Tripoli, ratified by the entire Congress very early on (which gives clear guidance to the intentions of our founding fathers) is apparently not enough to dissuade some folks. Now the Skeptic Report has chimed in with a great analysis of how far at odds the Ten Commandments are to our Constitution. Indeed.

Thank goodness too. Enforcing the first commandment? Or the second? How exactly would we do that again?

What a joke. I'm glad the loons on the right are finally being shown for the frauds they are. When they were at the apex of their power in 2002 they were a downright scary little bunch. Or, the rhetoric was scary anyway. Now they just look kinda stupid. "Christian nation" my ass. Get a grip. Idiots.

McCain Dodges Taxes For Four Years

The McCain's have been dodging the property taxes on their seven different hours for four years now. That's incredible. Of course, he won't be fined for it, nor will the right wing media even mention this.

Seven houses? Now that's a guy who is in touch with the average American. Hell, I only own ten houses myself...

Dodging taxes and getting a sweat overlook deal by the IRS. The privileges of Congress baby.

Straight talk express my ass.

Not On The Test

Normally I would close the browser tab immediately on this kind of thing, but something convinced me to stay and listen to the song and I'm glad I did. The payoff for me came at the end when he sings about talk radio (e.g. hate radio.)

A Republican By Any Other Name...

Is still a lying piece of shit. You go girl.

Thanks to the new Top Two primary, candidates can choose what party label they want on the ballot in November. As we reported on June 11th, Dino Rossi will have "Prefers G.O.P. party" next to his name, which is clearly a scheme to avoid having the word "Republican" next to his name.

Or as one of their candidates admits in this newscast:

"There's 30 percent of the people in this state that would not vote for a Republican no matter what, and we want to get around that..."

Just 30%? Apparently this guy is convinced that thirty percent are also so stupid that they won't know he is a Republican if it says G.O.P.

25 Worst Rap Names

I'm usually not much on cross-linking to the "lists of" type posts, but this is a good one; the 25 worst rap names. A choice few favorites: Matlock, Atoms Family, Kingpin Skinny Pimp.

Medicare And Socialized Medicine

Can someone please explain to me how medicare and medicaid are not the dreaded socialized medicine. It sure as hell looked like socialized medicine to me when I took my father to the doctor.

What amazed me about it was how well it worked. I was able to book an appointment with a doctor on the same day if we had wanted. The service was good. The doctor was professional. The rates were reasonable. What's the problem?

This reminds me of Australia. We had no issues at all with health care in Australia even though it was (spooky music) socialized medicine (ahhhh!!!) We always got seen right away. The doctors were well qualified and professional.

I think it's socialized medicine, it's income redistribution, it's everything the Republicans hate. So why don't they fight against it. Because blue hairs are a big constituency and they love Medicare. They've even conned themselves into believing that it's not socialized medicine.

Can we just fix this please? Can we finally get health care that is transportable between jobs? Health care that won't deny every claim? Health care that won't dump you like a hot potato when you actually get sick? Please?

And for the people who would deny us such health are (even though we are the wealthiest nation in the world) could you please come up with some type of better argument than universal health care being a stepping stone to communism. It's not. Every other civilized country in the world has it, and they aren't communists. You have been duped into this fear mongering about "commies" by talking heads who are in the pockets of the health insurance lobby. Think for yourself! Don't deny yourself decent medical care because Hannity likes to line his pockets with blood money.

Rove Is Scum

Not sure why this is, but the Republicans have just pissed me off today. This crap from Rove is particularly odiferous.

(Regarding Obama) "Even if you never met him, you know this guy," Rove said, per Christianne Klein. "He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."

Rove is a complete jackass. Oh yes, I know you Karl. Your the conservative idiot who ruins the party by going around and spouting crap he only half believes because he just want to piss everyone off. Your the guy who goes on and on about how many countries our army should attack, even though you would never dare to wear the uniform. Your the country club jerk who has never done any real work in his life.

Rove, you had your shot. You screwed it up so badly it will take decades to repair. Please, for your own safety, just go home. Go home before someone drags your wussy ass back home as you kick and scream.

Dobson Freakout

James Dobson, the extreme right wing theocrat, freaked out about Obama's speech on religion. The crazy points? That the government should not be structured around any particular religion or religious sect. Wo! Slow down there nutjob!

Sadly the CNN article provides no background on Dobson. Dobson is core to an extreme right wing cabal of 'Dominionists' whose express goal is turn the United States into a theocracy to prepare the way for the second coming of Jesus. This means a complete overturning of The Constitution and our democracy, and substituting it with a biblically based dictatorship. As such he is a genuine traitor to the United States and he should be prosecuted as such. It doesn't matter if he is a "man of faith" or not, he is actively trying destabilize and overturn our democracy.

Fake McCain

So I'm surfing around and I see this:

Alright, there is a question here. And I have an answer. The answer is Yes. That's what diplomacy is for. Diplomacy is when you talk with your enemies, not just with your friends.

For whatever reason I decided to actually click on the thing, which took me to the registration page for John McCain's email list. What's up with that? I said I disagreed with him. Here we have an ad, which asks a question, which I then vote on, and he ignores. This tiny little thing speaks volumes to me. John McCain doesn't care about my opinion, he doesn't care about the opinion of the American people, he has decided his ridiculous agenda and you either buy in or fuck off. He might pander. He might tell you he is listening, like he did here, but he isn't. The only people he cares about are his big special interest donors.

Putting an end to management speak

At least one organization has finally had it with execu-speak. Thank goodness. Too many jobs I've been at have had meetings where people at the top of the food chain drivel on about 'empowerment' and 'closing the gaps', 'finding tipping points' and all that crap. It means nothing. I like how IBM has taken it on with their 'actions not words' ads. And I really like how this organization has banned it entirely. Now that's empowering the creative synergies!

Attacking Michelle Obama

On the last day I found myself stuck in the world where there are only conservatives on the radio I found myself listening to Limbaugh and Hannity again. Hannity spent the entire time I was listening wailing on Michelle Obama. As Jacqueline would say, "Funny I didn't vote for ..." Funny, I don't remember voting for Michelle Obama. Of course, that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to Hannity is obsessively laying on smear after smear. Honestly, you could hear the anger and desperation in his voice today.

What intrigues me most about this is the amount of anger that he can whip up inside himself for someone he hardly even knew just a few months ago. And it's all this maelstrom of trivialities. When you actually break down each of these arguments they fall completely apart. So his approach is just to throw smear and hope that the simple act of smearing will tarnish him enough to keep him from the Presidency.

These are the kind of attacks that Hannity complains about when they are leveled at Bush. But now that the shoe is on the other foot, anything goes. Oh well, so much for Hannity's 'moral center' and 'absolute' view of 'right' and 'wrong'. I knew this would happen. Hannity is a low life pandering moronic sell out. It's just amusing to see it happen so quickly.

so much nutiness...

Pharyngula posted an email with '50 simple proofs' of the existence of God. They are actually much less convincing than most of the traditional pro-creator arguments (e.g. watchmaker). Of course, many of those argue for a divine but not specifically Jesus or the Judeo-Christian God, which would be inadequate in this case.

Anywho, figured I would pick apart a few of tho ones I find the most disingenuous.

Science can only be the detector of certain things. You cannot scientifically detect emotion, memory, thoughts etc., though scientifically we must.. These things which do not consist of matter are beyond the detection of science.

Actually, all those things do exist and are detectable by science. A case in point is a recent announcement of an engineer hooking up a neural interface to a second life avatar.

Evolution has never been proved, which is why we call it the 'theory of evolution'. It's a fairy tale for grown ups!

That silly theory of gravity is just a theory as well. Gravity is just people being negative about flying.

How much of the atheist's faith relies on anger with God as opposed to genuine disbelief in God?

Zero. I can be annoyed by Christians though. But that's not what makes me an atheist. I'm an atheist because there is no God.

What created God? What came first, the chicken or the egg? I am not going to deny the existence of the chicken or the egg, merely because I don't understand or know what came first. I don't care - they both exist!

I'm not sure how this proves God. But it is a compelling argument against God. How is it hat something infinitely complex blinked into existence out of nothing?

We are willing to believe in physically unseen waves that exist through the air, operating physical forces & appliances to work, yet not supernatural God forces being responsible for the same.

Once again, these things are real and testable. God is not real and is not testable. You can't come up with a test that proves (or disproves) God.

Our 'inventor' of evolution, Mr. Charles Darwin had this to say to Lady Hope when he was almost bedridden for 3 months before he died; "I was a young man with unfathomed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions. wondering all the time over everything, and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire - people made a religion of them." Darwin then asked Lady Hope to speak to neighbours the next day. "What shall I speak about?" She asked. He replied; "Christ Jesus and his salvation. Is that not the best theme?"

Wow. It sounds like Darwin was a Southern Baptist. He wasn't. The story is an urban legend without any proof.

Where do our moral values held within our conscience come from? If the atheist is right, why then would we care about what we did?! If there is no God, then we've no-one to be accountable to. ... If man has evolved from an animal, why doesn't he behave like an animal? Yet man is civilized.

This argument I find the most sad. All communal animals are civilized enough to work together in groups without fighting without cause. The process of evolution has created this benefit because animals that work together are more likely to survive and reproduce than those that fight and kill other community members without cause.

Give us a little credit, will you? I don't have to believe in God to be a nice guy. And I think it's sad that you are saying that people who don't believe in God should be going out on killing sprees.

Many people have died for their faith. Would they be prepared to do this for a lie?!

Unfortunately, yes.

From the birth of science through to today, there is no evidence to claim that Christianity & science are in opposition. Many first scientists were Christians; Francis Bacon, Issaac Newton, Robert Boyle, to name a few, along with the many who stand by their work & faith today.

It's nice to hear about Christianity and Science not being in conflict. If that's the case, then why this email?

That being said, science does tell us that the earth is younger than the sun, which is direct conflict with Genesis 1.

Albert Einstein said; "A legitimate conflict between science & religion cannot exist. Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind".

Einstein's personal definition of 'religion' was more about spirituality. He apparently was relying on educated people to interpret his words and understand his nuances. I think he expected too much of some people.

Science is constantly recorrecting its findings. Past theories contradict certain beliefs which are held today. Our present 'discoveries' may change again in the future to rediscover how we originally came into existence.

'Recorrecting'? Is that even a word? Anyway, yes, science changes. That's a good thing. Our understanding of Christianity has also changed. People used to use the bible to justify slavery. They don't do that now. In fact, it looks like evangelical Christianity is evolving again to focus more on facing the problems of poverty and homelessness (an effort I wholeheartedly support) rather than in foreign and domestic politics.

It is easier to believe that God created something out of nothing than it is to believe that nothing created something out of nothing.

Wow, now we are getting to the heart of the matter. This is a stunning admission of what's really at the core of faith. Just because something is easier to understand doesn't make it right. People used to think that bloodletting worked, because it was easy to think that way. Of course, it was wrong, which we were able to figure out because of science, and we are able to effectively treat disease because of that.

In this case easier is subjective. I find it difficult to believe in the existence of a single omni-powerful superbeing that has control over everything down to the spin of every electron. And that such a superbeing would be interested in the day-to-day issues I have in my own life.

We cannot confuse God with man. With God in the equation, all things, including miracles are possible. If God is God, he is Creator of all, inclusive of scientific law. He is Creator of matter & spirit.

How is this a proof of God? It pre-requires a belief in God.

God has proved himself to us in numerous ways, all around us. The atheist needs to put his glasses on. What more can God possibly do if man has shut his eyes to him?

I have my glasses on and, nope, no God here. What more can God do? Show himself. Prove himself. Answer my questions. Physically appear.

If we are the product of evolution - by sheer accident, chance, then we are still evolving. Does it just so happen that we exist here today with everything so finely tuned for our living. as we now have it?

First off, evolution doesn't depend on random chance. We are tuned to this planet because we (or our ancestors) have been here for billions of years. Besides that, try an experiment, move to another country, or to the poles, and see how well you are adapted to that climate. If the world was designed for us wouldn't the poles be the same temperature as the equator? Why can't we live naturally at the poles?

Jesus Christ is either who he says he is, or he is the biggest con man history has ever known.

I'm going with, er... plan b. This argument works on the premise that I am unwilling to call Jesus a con man. Wrong again! Jesus was a con man. Jesus was a con man. The Pope is a con man, priests are con men, pastors are con-people, evangelicals are con-folk. Etc. Etc. Even a con-person can believe in what they are selling. But just because you believe it doesn't make it so.

Listen, once again, I'm not anti-Christian. You can believe what you want to believe. But if you want to convince me you are having to do a hell of a lot better than this. I've watched a parent, in-law and friends be ravaged and die from horrible diseases. And that didn't cause me to turn to Christianity? Why? Because I can't find solace in a lie. No matter how easy some people find it to believe.

If you don't want me to criticize your religion, then don't try and sell it to me. Don't get up in my grill about being anti-Christian because I criticize the ridiculous ideas you are peddling.

Best golf game ever

If you didn't see the end of the U.S. Open you missed probably the best golf game in history. Mediate and Woods were tied after four rounds so it went to an 18 hole playoff. After much ebbing and flowing they ended up tied after that and went to a sudden death playoff that Tiger won on the first hole.

Yes, there were amazing shots. Yes, there were many incredible comebacks. But what was most compelling story was Tiger's issues with his left knee which was causing him incredible pain throughout the entire five day marathon. This will likely be a central chapter in Tiger's legend.

Slander Is Tiring

I'm really getting tired of being called names (like 'slanderer') by Bush or his surrogates. In this case he feels that standing against torture and for basic rights of civilized society, like habeus corpus, is slandering America. Yeah, Shrub, I don't think so. Upholding our American values is what informed citizens do. That's democracy. Get used to it. You aren't a king.

You are freaking kidding me

Fred Hobbs, of the Democratic party from Tennessee, doesn' know whether Obama is a terrorist or not. You have to be kidding me. Apparently Tennessee is ground zero for a lot of the most hateful type of Obama bashing. But I hear enough of it in Georgia (I'm in Savannah at the moment). There is no liberal radio here, just conservative and more conservative. My Dad listens to the hard core conservative stuff, and I leave it on the same station when I'm running errands. This morning there was a caller into the local show who talked matter-of-factly about Barack being a Muslim and the host played right along.

I guess if you can't actually fight on the issues then you can just smear. It's certainly what Fox "Terrorist Fist Pump" Noise is doing, and the rest of the conservative sheep just follow along.

Unfortunately there is a lot of relevant policy stuff to talk about. For example, Iraq is rejecting the SOFA which would allow our troops to legally stay in the country. In other words, Iraq is kicking us out.

You know, west coast conservatives at least have the good sense to mask their bigotry in euphisms like; "We don't know Obama." I'd love to ask them, "Why not? He has been campaigning for 16 months. What more do you need to know." Of course, nobody is talking about the character flaws in McCain, the man we apparently do know, for example, how he cheated on his first wife with his second. Nice! That's family values for you.

Ron Paul is out

Ron Paul is out of the race, and with him any hope of a Republican party running on policies that approach sanity. Oh well, guess y'all are stuck with McCain. Har, har, har. See you in 2012.

Half Ass Libertarianism

The Libertarian economic philosophy, which is at the core of the influential Chicago school of economics, says; if you don't work you starve, and die. In this country, our glorious leaders aspire to emulate the Chicago school that was so successful in places like, er, Chile. But we stop half way; if you don't eat you starve, but we will save you from dying. The problem is that it's actually more expensive to let people starve, get all of the diseases associated with that state, and then try to save them, that it is to either a) let them die, or b) feed them so they don't starve.

Now you might say I'm being dramatic, that people don't starve in America because we give them food stamps and welfare. But have you tried to eat three nutritious meals on food stamps alone? It's impossible.

This is one of the reasons why health care costs are so high. We take chronically malnourished people and try to fix them when they show up in acute care facilities like emergency rooms. They get short term care and round trip a month later.

We need to provide for a decent level of food for our citizens, as well as preventative medical care. If we, as a Christian country (which many [though not I] believe), cannot abide people actually dying in the streets, then we need to feed people. Otherwise we are half-assing our way into massive medical payouts.

McCain... Inspired

Why I'm Voting Republican

Because when I grow up, I want to go to Iran!

John McCain is out there today saying that bringing the troops home isn't important. Flip-flop! Once voters got wind of his 100 years speech he retracted it and said that he would be bringing home the troops soon after he got into office. Now he is saying that bringing them home isn't important. Which is it John?

The conservative talking point is that "we don't know Obama". Really? I know Obama will bring the troops home. He has said time after time. He has been very consistent. John McCain is the question mark. John McCain is the flip flopper.

John McCain was against Bush's tax cuts, now he is for them. John McCain was against preaching hate from the pulpit, then he embraced the pastors, and then he rejected them. John McCain was against torture, now he is for it. John McCain cannot be trusted. He is a political weather vain that points whichever way the conservative base is pointing. He's not a politician, he's a joke.

Crime: The Bigger The Better

Turns out, crime does pay, really well. You just have to do it on a incredible large scale. For example, show up to the national treasury with vans and have them loads billions of dollars in pallets of shrink wrapped cash onto your trucks. Then load that onto army transport plains and send it to Baghdad where you unload it an give it to your cronies to launder. As it turns out, that won't even be a news story, in the U.S. at least, only the BBC will cover it.

It's sad. What do you call the guy who steals $100? The prisoner is cell block C3. What do you call the guy who steals billions? Mr. President.

Terrorist Fist Job

E.D. Hill over at Fox Noise let her mental bias slip out of her mouth on her American Pulse show. She introduced a segment about Obama's fist pump (which I posted a picture of earlier) and called it a terrorist fist jab. Does that even make sense? Anyway, it got her fired. Apparently that's over the line even at Fox Noise.

I mean, everyone at Fox Noise knows Obama is a terrorist, they just haven't proven it yet. Just like everyone knows that the Clintons have bodies buried in their front yard.

Anywho, they are replacing her with another Ann Coulter-clown, er, clone. Laura Ingraham. The woman who was on the radio during the 2004 election cheering the election fraud and tampering in the northeast. People went to jail for perpetrating that fraud, but, hey, who the hell cares, Democracy is something Democrats! Republicans elect Kings!

Another gem from Hagee

Here is another gem from the man McCain courted for a year in order to get his endorsement:

Let me put a little biblical context on this:

"If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry will not be heard" (Proverbs 21:13)

"Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Defend the rights of the poor and needy." (Proverbs 31:8-9)

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25:34)

In fact the whole Matthew 25 section is a wonderful parable an how to treat the poor and needy. I'm pretty sure it doesn't sum up to; "Get off your blessed assurances or starve!"

25%

This is what a 25% approval rating sounds like. Republican dude shows up for a CSPAN call-in session and just gets hammered. Americans are not falling for it anymore. The tide has finally turned.

Best quote from the comments:

cold dead eyes, like a shark. i was somewhat expecting them to roll back in his head as he took a chomp outta the cspan lady.

sh-sh-shark!!!! (with a bad toupee)

Seriously, the dude just sits there motionless and takes it. What's up with that?

Jingoism

I believe in branding. I thin that we should present America in ways that would best demonstrate our core values. For example, I don't believe in symbols that tie our flag around a cross. Because we aren't a Christian nation. I don't think Fox News should put a waving flag underneath their logo. Why? Because freedom of the press should ensure that news agencies present both the pro and con viewpoints about what we as Americans do. I also don't think that splashing flags and such all over a squirrel builds brand identity very well.

Righties often criticize liberals for not being jingoistic enough. We are embarrassed when people over emphasize their patriotism or over use the flag. Yeah, I am embarrassed when people decorate a squirrel as a founding father. Let's have some pride. Let's use our flag sparingly, so that when it's presented we know that it's done with honor and taste. Have a little pride people!

Yes We Can

McLellan

As you can imagine I've been following Scotty McClellan's book publicity tour with some interest. Each interview he gives seems to reveal more and more about the tactics of the Bush clan. This latest Fresh Air interview was particularly interesting. He went into detail about the direct pipeline between the Bushies in the White House and their friends in the media. About how the pundits would get packets of exact talking points to repeat over and over.

This is just disgusting. O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, they live off the reputation of the entire media to sell themselves as independent sources of information. While all along they are simply unofficial spokespeople for the White House and for the Republican party. Not that this is news, but to hear it confirmed, just makes me upset and angry. The pundits love to talk about how they dissented on Harriet Meyers, but that was once during an eight year administration. They dissented just once! How is that independent?

The 'left wing' media, if there ever was such a thing, never got 'talking points' from the Clintons. The Clintons had a press secretary who gave the party line and the news chose to report on that or not. They weren't sending packets of talking points around to every AM radio jock.

What the right wing calls fair and balanced news is far from. It's simple coordinated propaganda. It amazes me that even with that machine Bush still has the lowest approval rating of any Presidency (*).

* Stolen

DS Homebrew Cards

Over the weekend I experimented with three different homebrew cards for the DS. The three cards were the Acekard 2, the R4 and the DSTT. All of the cards work the same way. There is a base card that fits into the DS which has a slot for a Micro SD card. All of the cards purport to handle Micro SD HC (high capacity), but in reality the Acekard 2 had issues with that, and I didn't run that experiment on the rest because the HC card was nuked after that.

Installation is pretty straightforward. You download the latest boot files from the card's manufacturer, copy them onto the Micro SD card in the root directory. Then you copy your home brew files onto it. You then eject the Micro SD card, insert it in the homebrew card, and insert that in the DS. Then you boot up the DS. The Acekard 2 looks just like a regular game and boots the same way. The R4 and DSTT just boot to their menu unconditionally.

The menu system provided by the manufacturer then allows you to pick the home brew you want to run. In terms of UI the Acekard 2 had the best UI, followed by the DSTT and finally the R4. All of the interfaces were usable.

Once you select a home brew to run the card then loads it up and you see the application. Both the R4 and the Acekard 2 have a 'conversion' process which is done once. It's not very long, but there is a delay. You are asked not to power off the unit during this process, and I can tell you from first hand experience that this is good advice. In the case of the Acekard 2 I believe an error in following that instruction cost me the card. Literally. The Acekard 2 will no longer run anything because we errantly stopped the conversion process mid-stream. The DSTT is notable in that it doesn't have this conversion process and it runs the applications very quickly.

The AceKard 2 and the DSTT both support skinning which gives you a way to choose your background, colors, etc. for the menu system. The AceKard 2 looks better by default. The DSTT's choice of skins is limited, but what is there is pretty nice.

To sum up;

• Acekard 2 - Great user interface. Nice skins. Long load times. Very flaky if you don't treat it exactly right.
• R4 - Crappy interface. Expensive. Longish load times.
• DSTT - My favorite from the group. Very easy to use. Reliable. Short load times. No issues. Reasonable interface

I definitely recommend the DSTT. It's well priced, reliable and easy to use.