May 16, 2012

Debt Ceiling Prediction

I know Boehner is talking about the debt ceiling again. Also, last years ransom to the kidnappers was to hold us off to 2013. Now I am hearing everything from early January 2012 to early October 2012.

Does anyone know the correct answer?

May 16, 2012

Wait for it......

Just heard on Fresh Air that some of the chemicals in plastics mimic estrogen.

I know this falls under the subject of science so the Republicans won't hear about it or believe in it for years even decades. But when they do I can see the FOX headline.

Plastics cause homosexuality.

May 16, 2012

Polls vs. Elections

We are bombarded with polls. Each one usually spun to make each side happy or at least less sad and the side which isn't winning question if the poll was biased. It seems often polls are predictors to the election but sometimes the polls are totally off. Why? Often it isn't the poll but the turnout on election day.

I don't understand why every American doesn't vote but we often have elections which have less than 50% turnout. In some originations that isn't enough for a quorum and the vote can't be held, but we will accept allowing 25-40% to make the decision for everyone by not voting.

Voting should be easy, yet we have those who want to make it hard, adding I.D. requirements, just one day to vote, limited voting hours (is 12 hours enough in a 24 hour world), polling places which are not able to handle the turnout for the area (it shouldn't take 2 hours to vote), complicated ballots, some voting machines not friendly for the elderly or those with special needs, voting machine which don't have paper back-up or just simply hard to use.

How could we make voting easier?

If it were easier to vote would more people vote?

Is it time to consider on-line voting as an option?

Should we ever consider a requirement to vote?

Since we are allowing a small part of the electorate to "represent" the total electorate, should we go to a sampling system similar to the polls taken today except much larger,conducted by the same government office which conducts the election (not the media) and reviewed by an election commission just as our elections?

I don't know the answers. I just know it can be frustrating to see 37% of the people to make the decision for 100% of the people.

Any and all comments are welcomed.

May 16, 2012

Can history be revised to oblivion?

It seem history often gets revised for various reason, usually because of the current political or social direction of the moment.

What is bad become good and good becomes bad.

We often see FOX news take whatever the real news is and embellish it to sound good for the Republicans and bad for the Democrats. In all fairness it can happen on the other side also.

I have seen this happen for events throughout all history. There are event which I was taught in school which I felt was fact, which now I have heard many other revision to the point I don't know what or who to believe. I am not talking about dates and places, but reasons, effects and the morality of events.


After numerous revision it is often difficult to know what really happen.

Can the facts ever be lost forever?



Does the internet make it more likely?

What about things which happened before the internet?

May 16, 2012

How bigotry almost cost America the atomic bomb

Last night I saw a documentary on Robert Oppenheimer. While I have seen it before two things stuck out which I hadn’t thought of before.

First, although it was a team of scientist who developed the atomic bomb, it was Oppenheimer who made it happen when it did. His intelligence and personality was the driving force which made it possible by August 1945. The scientist may have been able to do it without him but certainly not by that date, some say if ever. He sounds very much like Steve Jobs.

Second, the FBI didn’t want to give Oppenheimer the clearance to work on such a project because of his ties to communism. General Groves insisted on having Oppenheimer in charge of the project. Of course we know once Oppenheimer finished the bigots took over lead by Senator McCarthy he lost his security clearance.

If the FBI would have won the battle and prevented Oppenheimer from being on the project and those who say it couldn’t have happen without him, or at least when it did, are correct, America simply would not have had the atomic bomb to end World War 2.

Bigots have always been around it is just that the subject of hate changes.

May 15, 2012

The Founding Fathers Today

From time to time I hear the statement that "If the founding fathers were writing the constitution today would they have written it differently".

We of course have no way of knowing what the founding fathers would do today, if the constitution would be exactly the same or extremely different.

In the 1st Amendment we are give the "freedom of religion" which as I understand it states that there will not be a national church, and we can follow (not-follow) any religion we wish.

So, although I feel the 1st amendment as to religion is very clear, apparently some feel it means freedom of "THEIR" religion. To the point that if the full practice of their religion requires denying the same right to others that is fine.

Although it is not new to see someone want to deny a freedom from another in the name of their right to religion, with the current arguments over gay right I will ask a few of questions.

Do you feel the founding fathers, if they knew how the 1st amendment has been used since 1789, would have written the 1st Amendment different today?

If you were a founding parent and given the task of writing the part of the constitution which give religious freedom, how would you write it?

May 14, 2012

Questions about oil and gas prices

And they are not about how FOX can, with a straight face, blame Obama for high gas prices yet not give credit when they fall other than to say it is another sign of a poor economy. These are about the industry.

When oil goes up gas usually goes up in real time. I have seen stations change their prices up to three times daily or by ten cents at a time when oil is going up quickly. When someone in the industry is asked why this happens, the answers is they are having to purchase more oil to refine. Think water heater as you take water out more goes in.

When oil goes down gas usually has a delay before going down. I have seen oil to have dropped and it takes a week or more for the gas prices to go down. When asked why, the answer is the gas in the tank at the station, tank farm and even held at the refinery for shipment was purchased at the previously high price so that expensive oil had to make its way through the system before it shows up at the pump. Think of a propane tank, you purchase an amount and use it up before purchasing more.

How can both be correct? I could understand either answer but not both, changing the answer to meet the profits of the industry.

Also, gas prices do not always seem to move in any ratio to oil.

When oil goes up gas seems to go up in a proportional amount e.g. oil goes up 4% then gas goes up 4%. When asked, the answer is oil is the main driver for the price of gas, so a proportional increase would make sense.

When oil goes down gas seems to go down is a non-proportional amount e.g. oil goes down 4% then gas may go down 3.5%. When asked, the answer is oil is only part of what goes into the price of gas and being forced to formulate for the environment is usually specifically used as an example.

While this may not be profiteering from a legal sense it is from an ethical sense. Why are we still giving tax credits and cuts while they are fleecing their customers every chance they can. While making record profit. Of course the oil industry states that they are only making a 3% profit that compared to other industries this wouldn't be considered much. Well, I was told years ago you can't take percents to the bank. They are still making billions!!!

We often hear the market place is the answer. Well, for non-necessities like TV’s the market place may work. For necessities such as gas it doesn't work.

We as consumers seem to have “magic” prices which causes us to change our habits but the industry has learned how to manipulate the consumer. Push prices beyond one of those points knowing we still have a minimum amount we must purchase to still function. Keep it at that point for a while then back off some but not as much as the most recent increase and we are so relieved to have prices a little lower the scale is reset, we have a new magic number. I my area people seem happy that gas is around $3.50 and are talking about how gas is down. Two years ago $3.00 was considered outrageous. I know we may occasionally have an unusual peek or drop but those are not the norm and usually caused by external efforts, also the percents I listed were for example only.

May 14, 2012

Sorry to revisit this but it keeps coming back like a bad penny

Today on NPR's Talk of the Nation one segment was about political opponent research, those who's job is to dig up every bit of dirt about an opponent. Neal Conan had a Democrat and a Republican researcher on the show.

The Republican at one point said that the Washington Post's story wasn't well researched because it has unraveled. The comment did fit into the context of the current point being made and neither Neil nor the Democrat chose to challenge this claim. It may be because of an off air agreement to not get into a debate on current issues or it may be because it is true.

The only thing which I have heard on the subject was a Fox News claim that according to ABC News, one of the five had said they were not present during Romney's attack. But, from what I understand the person ABC was talking about was a sixth person whom the Romney campaign had contacted to dispute the report. The sixth person said he wasn't there, so he didn't know and wasn't sure if he would help the campaign saying Romney was not that bad in high school. He then added that he felt the campaign would have problems finding many people who would agree that Romney was a good guy in high school.

Has there been any real unraveling of the Washington Post's story? Or is that just Republican wishes which they think if they say it enough it will be true, or at least people will believe it?

May 13, 2012

Romney's Problem?

The following if from Wikipedia so I will admit the limitations but I thought this was funny.

Who does this remind you of?

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others and the rules of society. Psychopaths have a lack of empathy and remorse, and have very shallow emotions. They are generally regarded as callous, selfish, dishonest, arrogant, aggressive, impulsive, irresponsible, and hedonistic. Despite this, psychopaths are often superficially charming with an intelligence higher than the average individual.

May 13, 2012

Judeo-Christian Tradition Vs. Other Religious Traditions

Yesterday Romney spoke of the Judeo-Christian Tradition and how that was how we have achieved our "global leadership".

I often hear conservatives make claims similar to Romney's especially in respect to the "values" our country holds.

I was wondering. What values are present in the Judeo-Christian tradition which are not present in the traditions of other religions.

I am almost certain that things like murder and thief are held by all religions, but just what part of the Judeo-Christian Tradition is so unique. Unique enough that it was what allowed us to be a global leader.