Kansas
updated
10:41 a.m.
"It's not about charity, it's about justice. Where you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die." — Bono "Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn't commit." — Eli Khamarov "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have too much...it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." — Franklin Delano Roosevelt "T...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - 10:41 a.m.
Sometimes thing out in the big world look a little funny when you’re sitting on the tailgate of a pickup in the middle of Kansas. So it was this July 4th weekend. I was at my farm visiting with a couple buddies. Nothing planned, just the guys having a weekend beer together. One of them asked me when the Employee Free Choice Act was going to be passed. They know I follow politics. I tried my...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - 8:02 a.m.
Our last article in what it means to be an American explores the nature and continuity of fundamental American values. ...
Heretical Ideas - 6:25 a.m.
I've always liked ' The Twilight Zone ' (few people would be surprised!). Rod Serling was one of the most creative television writers of the 50's and 60's. His creation of this television series and genre showed that T.V. could be more than mindless escapism; he was one of a number of writers who demonstrated that this new medium could be something challenging and thought provoking. As an adult...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sun 12:30 p.m.
Sally Kern, who you might know from such hits as "gays are a bigger threat to the US than terrorists" , is it it again. She has been pushing a piece of special legislation called the Proclamation for Morality , which among other things denounces President Obama, blames homosexuals for the economy, and divorce and abortion are apparently causing a downfall of our country. A brave a...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sun 10:20 a.m.
Last year, there was a letter to the editor in The Hays (Kansas) Daily News, in which the writer stated to the effect that he fired off fireworks on the 4th of July in honor of those who had fought for this country in its various wars. I will give the writer the benefit of the doubt as to his sincerity; however, if he wishes to honor me, I wish he would do it some other way. I thought I had go...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sat 5:20 p.m. - 5 clicks 
Happy 4th of July! I'm off to play and attend a wedding. Meanwhile, my exceptionally talented brother, Mark Silver , and his career as a traditional gunsmith has been highlighted in a Muzzle Blasts article. His work is amazing. I'm very proud of my big brother. PHOTO: The image is from Mark's DVD Traditional Gunstocking , which is available from American Pioneer Video. And yes, that'...
In This Moment - Sat 2:41 p.m.
On July 31st, EverydayCitizen.com is giving birth to its first offspring - a state-specific site - Kansas Free Press . What is the Kansas Free Press ? KFP will be an extremely lively, well-read and highly respected state-wide online newspaper, in blog format, written exclusively by citizen journalists. Kansan writers will write about people, politics, and policies that effect Kansans. Wha...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sat 2:41 p.m. - 5 clicks
"Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give them some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve." (President Obama, July 1, 2009) A hero of mine cannot march today, as she lost her life while flying for the Army years ago. Since then, many have fought hard for recognition for her supreme sacrifice. It's been overdue. It's so wonderf...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sat 2:41 p.m.
Recent, firsthand, eyewitness news reports from Iran via Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sources have been depressing and, at times, shocking. Citizens expressing themselves and their rights in peaceful, public demonstrations end up caught in terrible violence, cruel beatings, arrest and who knows what else? As a freedom loving person, it is impossible not to be moved and concerne...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Sat 2:41 p.m.
Some claim Sarah Palin -- t he now out-going governor of Alaska -- is quitting her post to concentrate on running for president, but I don't see it. At the very least, she looks flaky to not even complete one term as governor. Wouldn't she be better served by showing how great she is as a chief executive? What is really going on here, or am I just too politically naive? Also, what a strange time ...
In This Moment - Fri 3:24 p.m.
"My choice is to take a stand and effect change and not just hit our head against the wall... Rather, we know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time, on another scale, and actually make a difference for our priorities. So we will... "Let me go back to a comfortable analogy for me, and that's sports. Basketball. And I use it because you are naive if you...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Fri 3:02 p.m.
The additional Kansas State budget cuts are painful. A lot of ordinary people will be hurt by them. You know them, they are the people who get up every day and do the right thing. I understand tough economic times. I understand that we should all share in the sacrifice needed to right our economic ship. ...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Fri 2:16 p.m. - 4 clicks
Do we support our independence from Brittan and our break from feudal aristocracy on July 4? Or do we celebrate the genocide of Indians, slavery, racism and years of imperialist wars. Either way we can celebrate with fireworks, which here in the small town of Maize are still legal. The US was a revolutionary country AT ONE TIME! Fireworks shells Firecrackers The real Kaboom! ...
Otto's War Room - Fri 1:04 p.m.
Howard Zinn, the famed radical historian, wrote in his book Artists In Times of War : So the word transcendent comes to mind when I think of the role of the artist in dealing with the issues of the day. I use that word to suggest that the role of the artist is to transcend conventional wisdom, to transcend the word of the establishment, to transcend the orthodoxy, to go beyond and escape wha...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Fri 11:29 a.m.
In our third series on what it is to be an American, we examine cultural icons and reflect how they set expectations for American behavior. ...
Heretical Ideas - Fri 5:40 a.m.
Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that need support; shoulders that need arms, strong arms I’m telling you. And oh my people, out yonder, hear me, they do not love your neck unnoosed and straight. So love your neck; put a hand on it, grace it, stroke it, and hold it up. There are few more powerful scenes in literature, than that of 'Baby Suggs', the woman preacher in Toni Morr...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Thu 10:26 p.m.
President Barack Obama delivered a speech yesterday citing depressing numbers about employment in the US but promising hope through innovation, green technologies, and assuring Americans that each was upon the horizon. The job figures released this morning show that we lost 467,000 jobs last month. And while the average loss of about 4,000 jobs (sic) per month this quarter is less devastating th...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Thu 9:58 p.m.
There are many reasons why I consider myself a progressive. That typically means that I vote with the Democratic Party in this country. However, I am also a Christian, and I know that puts me at odds with lots of other fellow Christians out there. The Republican Party has done a good job at hijacking the religious people in this country, but I don't think just because you believe in Jesus, doe...
Kansas Progressivite - Thu 1:09 p.m.
Hi again! As you know, I'm proud to be organizing online for the Kansas Democratic Party! I've got some good news everyone! Just checked with our Finance Staff and in one week, we've already brought our budget for a new website up to $2,457 -- that's a fifth of our total goal! But my boss, Kenny Johnston, has better news : I just got my hands on two tickets to Washington Days 2010 and we...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Thu 1:09 p.m. - 7 clicks
Al Franken was just officially declared the next U.S. senator from Minnesota! Will he make a good senator? He can’t do much worse than the slime buckets there now. He’s a smart man and a good comedian. The trick for him will be to try and change the system more than it changes him. He has looked to grass roots organizations such as MoveOn for financial help. He sent a personal note to MoveOn memb...
Otto's War Room - Thu 11:24 a.m.
Here are some excerpts from the book I Am Pol Pot , by Steve Otto: Chapter 15 The Creation of Democratic Kampuchea Journal entry: 12 October Pol: Pon was ecstatic when I told him his men would enter Phnom Penh first. “We have never been in that city,” he said with a grin. “We were never allowed near it and my men will be dazzled to see how city people live. There’s a lot for them to experie...
Otto's War Room - Thu 11:24 a.m.
Our nation bears responsibility to learn from the mistakes of this dark episode. Even if criminal prosecutions should not result, Congress, for sure, and, I believe, the American public must ultimately know what really happened behind the sanitized legal descriptions of individual techniques, and in what conditions, intensity and duration. This accounting will not be easy or proud, but it will he...
Everyday Citizen (Kansas) - Thu 10:49 a.m.
Left leaning president Manuel Zelaya.was overthrown in a coup this week. People have taken to the streets in protest. From Yahoo News: “Police and soldiers clashed with thousands of protesters outside Honduras' national palace Monday, leaving at least 15 people injured, as world leaders from Barack Obama to Hugo Chavez demanded the return of a president ousted in a military coup. Leftist lea...
Otto's War Room - Wed 3:55 p.m.
COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE Press Release: May 5, 2009 - (Became available June 29, 2009) The political crisis in Nepal is the result of Indo-US conspiracy! Oppose the attempts by Indian expansionists to meddle in the internal affairs of Nepal! People's democracy can be established in Nepal only by smashing th...
Otto's War Room - Wed 3:55 p.m.
I've been rather unhappy with our new president lately, particularly when it comes to LGBT rights, but I want to praise him for holding a White House reception commemorating Stonewall. In particular, I'm throwing him a laurel for his speech to the assembled LGBT leaders and their families. Words matter. The support of the President of the United States matters. When Obama talks about our families...
In This Moment - Tue 3:48 p.m.
The Minnesota Supreme Court endorses the obvious, Norm Coleman concedes and Al Franken is poised to become the Democrat's 60th vote in the Senate. I only have one comment: About frigging time. ...
In This Moment - Tue 2:19 p.m.
Here's the full statement from Shari Barman , the host of a Democratic political fundraiser who was arrested by a California deputy. ...
In This Moment - Tue 2:19 p.m.
Excellent article by Paul Krugman in today's New York Times . So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement. But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something a...
Kansas Progressivite - Tue 10:41 a.m.
According to The Wichita Eable: "As the GOP Senate primary unfolds over the next year between Rep. Todd Tiahrt of Goddard and Rep. Jerry Moran of Hays, Tiahrt can now point to an early show of strength in crucial northeast Kansas: He won 165 votes to Moran’s 46 in the Olathe Republican Party picnic and straw poll over the weekend. According to the Kansas City Star, Tiahrt was there with a b...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Tue 10:41 a.m. - 7 clicks
From The Wichita Eagle: Kansans must help shape health reform “Congress at last is tackling health care reform this summer, at the urging of President Obama and his secretary of Health and Human Services, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. An issue so central to how Americans live — and die — demands bipartisanship. It will be tragic if the politically toxic atmosphere on Capitol Hill turns hea...
Otto's War Room - Tue 10:41 a.m. - 6 clicks
I write again about the 40th anniversary of Stonewall in my latest Political IQ column : This month, as we commemorate the Stonewall uprising at gay Pride celebrations around the world, perhaps we should also ask ourselves what we’re willing to risk for equality. ...
In This Moment - Tue 10:41 a.m.
The real question about the most recent police attacks on LGBT people is what exactly did these gay folk do wrong? In California, police busted a fundraiser at the home of prosperous lesbian couple, doused guests with pepper spray and arrested the host. The cops apparently needed a multitude of police cars and one helicopter to "subdue" the 50ish and 60ish lesbians and others who were raising mon...
In This Moment - Tue 10:41 a.m.
Wichita’s Gay Pride Parade was well attended this year, with more than 200 and few right wing Christian wackos to interfere. Once again, gay people from all walks of life in Wichita showed they are not going to cower in the closet as the Christian right would like them to do. This year’s event was especially important because it marked the 4oth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a watershed momen...
Otto's War Room - Mon 10:42 a.m. - 8 clicks
In honor of Independence Day, Heretical Ideas will be taking a look at some of the men, women, and ideas that have made the United States a great nation. ...
Heretical Ideas - Jun 29
Michael Jackson was a controversial singer. But was he ever more than just an entertainer? He was one of the most successful black musicians and for that matter, one of the most successful entertainers in recent US history. Now there is suspicion that he may have died of prescription drugs he got from a personal physician. ...
Otto's War Room - Jun 29
My latest op-ed for the Progressive Media Project strives to put the Stonewall uprising in perspective. ...
In This Moment - Jun 29
There seems to be increasing military actions with the Maoist insurgency in India. Recent reports show that the government of India is becoming alarmed at the growth of the insurgents and have made their political party illegal. A large fight is going on in the town of Lalgarh, which the rebels now claim to run. According to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION : As the state...
Otto's War Room - Jun 26
Kathy Greenlee has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate as the new Assistant U.S. Secretary for Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services. This puts Kathy in charge of all the federal programs for the elderly and their caregivers. I'm particularly pleased since I've known Kathy for as long as I've been in Kansas. The first time we talked was when we bumped into each oth...
In This Moment - Jun 26 - 4 clicks
I open my mouth and get myself and this blog into the newspaper. If Diane Silver’s blog reflects the sentiments of gay and lesbian Americans in the heartland, President Barack Obama is fast losing a serious fan base. ...
In This Moment - Jun 26
Communiqué no 6 People Beware! Moussavi is neither your brother, nor is he with you! May be for many of you who are engaged in bloody battle with the enemy these words sound very unpleasant, but open your eyes and ears! Mir Hossein Moussavi in his fifth communiqué called on you to “consider Basijis to be your brothers”! This means you should consider those who in the past week have mutilated the...
Otto's War Room - Jun 25
First Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina disappeared for five days without telling anyone where he was going. Not his staff, not even his wife even though he was gone over Father's Day weekend. His staff reported that he was hiking in the Appalachian mountains. It turns out he secretly flew to Argentina. That was weird enough in itself. Now, as anyone should be surprised, he has adm...
Kansas Progressivite - Jun 24
Color me shocked and pleased. Kudos to AARP for celebrating the birth of the LGBT rights movement. ...
In This Moment - Jun 24
Anyone who wants to see what US right wing terrorist believe can visit their web sites. The Army of God is at http://www.armyofgod.com/ . From that site, a person can visit the personal sites of all the assassins of abortion clinic doctors. Paul Hill has his own website where he justifies his murder and the Army of God calls him a “hero.” Hill shot Dr. John Britton. Hill has found the time to wri...
Otto's War Room - Jun 24
Several GOP groups have compared President Obama to Hitler ever since Obama ran for the presidency. The newest group is Republican Women of Anne Arundel County, a women's group in Maryland . The President of the women's group, Joyce E. Thoman, posted the following letter: Obama and Hitler have a great deal in common in my view. Obama and Hitler use the “blitzkrieg” method to overwhelm their...
Kansas Progressivite - Jun 24
This most recent example of Southern Baptist "compassion " and Christian "love" is astounding in so many ways. I don't know if I'm more amazed by the fact that the Baptists think it's a sin for a church to print a photo of a gay couple -- or by the fact that the SBC disowned the congregation that printed the photo after being warned that Baptists are perceived as "mean-spirited, hurtful and ang...
In This Moment - Jun 23
Imagine what would happen if your local station broadcast a show claiming that African Americans spread disease? Imagine what would happen if a station broadcast a show campaigning against a law designed to protect people from religious-based violence? Would there be fury in your community? One would hope. Then why is Topeka, Kansas, so deathly quiet about KSNT-TV's broadcast of Speechless: Sil...
In This Moment - Jun 23 - 5 clicks
Misquoting Jesus is a well-written, easy to read look at some of the problems caused by copyists and scribes in the distribution of the New Testament. ...
Heretical Ideas - Jun 23
The Connecticut Democrat flips on same-sex marriage. Writing in a local newspaper, he says : While I’ve long been for extending every benefit of marriage to same-sex couples, I have in the past drawn a distinction between a marriage-like status (“civil unions”) and full marriage rights. The reason was simple: I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And as many othe...
In This Moment - Jun 22
The following is an editorial for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The un-translated version, below, is about the same, except it mentions their nuclear deterrence, missile launches and Hillary Clinton From the DPR of (North) Korea News Agency : U.S. Interference in Internal Affairs of Other Countries under Fire Pyongyang, June 18 (KCNA) -- The reality requires more urgently than ever...
Otto's War Room - Jun 22
I have always been one for universal health care. I personally believe it is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that every American has access to quality health care and that it shouldn't cost people anything except what they contribute via taxes. I wish this country could get passed being in the pockets of pharmaceuticals and medical providers who focus on profits instea...
Kansas Progressivite - Jun 22
From the DPR of (North) Korea News Agency : (평양 6월 18일발 조선중앙통신)18일부 《민주조선》에 실린 개인필명의 론평 《특등매국노의 역겨운 구걸놀음》의 전문은 다음과 같다. 얼마전 괴뢰외교통상부 장관 류명환이 워싱톤에서 미국무장관 힐러리를 만나 《북핵시험과 미싸일발사에 대한 공동대처》를 운운하면서 리명박의 미국행각때 조선반도《유사시》 《핵확장억제전력제공》을 공식문서화해줄것을 애걸하였다. 외세에 동족압살을 구걸해나선 특등매국노의 역겨운 추태가 아닐수 없다. 류명환으로 말하면 극악한 친미사대매국노이다. 우리 공화국의 평화적인 인공지구위성발사를 악랄하게 헐뜯으며 《대량살상무기확산방지구상》의 전면참가를 앞장에서 부르짖은자도 류명환이고 상전들을 찾아다니면서 동족에 대한 《제...
Otto's War Room - Jun 22
As the world waits to see the end result of the protests in Iran, it's useful to see how successful previous revolutions have been at bringing freedom to their peoples. ...
Heretical Ideas - Jun 21
WICHITA , Kansas – Operation Rescue has been planning for a series of anti-abortion activities in Wichita , this weekend. They’re planned a prayer vigil at the Living Word Outreach Church Friday night. Saturday, Operation Rescue planned to have a memorial service at Dr. George Tiller’s former clinic. Demonstrators from the Kansas Chapter of the National...
Otto's War Room - Jun 20 - 6 clicks
Retired Army General John M. Shalikashvili, who chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997, writes in the Washington Post today that the DADT ban on lesbians and gays weakens the military. The officers who oppose lifting the ban argued in The Post that there is "no compelling national security reason" to let openly gay troops serve. They also say, however, that "losses of even a few t...
In This Moment - Jun 19
I have neglected following up on this, and I'm rushing now to get back to friends who have just come into town, so here's the short version: There are now serious concerns being expressed about the accuracy of some of Americablog's reports on the DOJ DOMA brief. At issue is whether the DOJ has much leeway in defending an existing law and whether the DOJ brief compared same-sex marriage to incest ...
In This Moment - Jun 19
President Obama took a first step yesterday in fulfilling his campaign promises to LGBT America. He signed a memo aimed at extending a tiny number of benefits -- not health insurance -- to the same-sex spouses of federal employees, but as has been noted by many others, this is far too late and too little. So far, the administration has an awful record on LGBT rights. At this point, Obama is r...
In This Moment - Jun 19
From Credo Action: Rep. Todd Tiahrt is about to vote on legislation designed to stop global warming. Unfortunately, members of the House who answer to the worst polluters have succeeded in including a Trojan Horse at the heart of the legislation — a prohibition on Obama's EPA being able to use the Clean Air Act to take additional action on CO2.This little known, almost secret provision actually gu...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Jun 19 - 5 clicks
The US will now get more involved with the drug problems in Mexico. But this new cooperation is bound to amount to less autonomy for Mexico and more intervention on the part of the US. According to The Wichita Eagle, Jun. 17: “WASHINGTON - U.S. immigration agents soon will get expanded powers to fight Mexican drug cartels, Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress on Wednesday. Under a new dea...
Otto's War Room - Jun 19 - 3 clicks
The US media and government continue to be titillated by the unrest in Iran. The mass demonstrations seem real enough and probably don’t need help from the west, although the US would love to be involved. The reality is that this is probably not going to lead to a real revolution, but simply allow a different faction to take control of the presidency. However, the Maoist in Iran are encou...
Otto's War Room - Jun 19
From www.chinaview. cn 2009-06-15 18: KATHMANDU, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Normal life has been disrupted in Nepali capital Kathmandu and two other districts in the valley on Monday with the bandh called on by Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (UCPN-M) cadres. Young Communist League (YCL) and other UCPN-M affiliated organizations called on bandh, protesting against the death of Rajendra P...
Otto's War Room - Jun 19
From http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION : A Google translation: Lima, 14.06.09Gran uproar was organized around the Central Market Sicuani Canchis in Cusco, the emergence of two major red flags and posters signed by the PCP. Numbers of police cordoned the market and proceeded to registration and the withdrawal of the emblems comunistas.Los slogans of the posters referred to the ...
Otto's War Room - Jun 16
From People's Truth, http://www.bannedth ought.net/ India/PeoplesTru th/PeoplesTruth0 5.pdf : After Singur and Nanidgram, now it is the turn of Lalgarh. While the first two mass eruptions in West Bengal were over displacement of the peasants from their fertile lands which were handed over to the big comprador sharks, the Lalgarh adivasi uprising was against the high-handedness and atroci...
Otto's War Room - Jun 16
Pam Spaulding and AmericaBlog note that two big name attendees have pulled out of the DNC fundraiser. It will be interesting to see if others do so, or if a grassroots effort will succeed in getting co-sponsors Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis to bail out of the event. ...
In This Moment - Jun 16
The lead editorial in The New York Times takes the Obama Administration to task for the DOJ brief on DOMA. The Obama administration, which came to office promising to protect gay rights but so far has not done much, actually struck a blow for the other side last week. It submitted a disturbing brief in support of the Defense of Marriage Act...The administration needs a new direction on gay r...
In This Moment - Jun 16
HRC President Joe Solmonese speaks up on DOJ's hideous DOMA brief in an open letter to President Obama. (A)lthough I and other LGBT leaders have introduced ourselves to you as policy makers, we clearly have not been heard, and seen, as what we also are: human beings whose lives, loves, and families are equal to yours. I know this because this brief would not have seen the light of day if s...
In This Moment - Jun 16
Howard Dean and Rachel Maddow discuss the startlingly antigay Obama Administration brief on DOMA. Not only does Dean call the brief a "big mistake," but he notes that the Obama Administrations is quickly running out of time to heal the rift with the LGBT community. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy ...
In This Moment - Jun 16
Sure, we all agree that free speech and democracy are important, but what are the little things that determine if a country is civilized? ...
Heretical Ideas - Jun 16
In the aftermath of the presidential election, thousands are in the streets in Iran. There are reports of deaths, of the entire faculty of a Tehran university resigning in protest because of deaths on campus and more. Right now the best places to get news appear to be on blogs and Twitter. See Andrew Sullivan and Huffington Post. Some of the best reporting is being funneled through Sulli...
In This Moment - Jun 15
Rusty DePass, a GOP activist from South Carolina proves that he is racist . The guy is your stereotypical Republican, older, white, probably rich (the article did not specify) and scared of other races. There was a escaped gorilla from the Riverbanks Zoo so what is Mr. DePass' comment about this: "I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless." Seriously, how do people...
Kansas Progressivite - Jun 15
The latest forecast in The Wichita Eagle is that jobs will begin to recover in 2012. But will they? According to The Wichita Eagle : “ Experts predict Wichita's economy will rebound by 2012 BY DAN VOORHIS The Wichita Eagle Green shoots. That's what President Obama calls the first tentative signs of recovery: The upswing in the stock market, the bump in consumer confidence. But jobs are dif...
Otto's War Room - Jun 14 - 5 clicks
The LGBT blogosphere is still in an uproar over the Obama Administration's Department of Justice defense of the Defense of Marriage Act. After first being outraged, I'm not certain what to think. At the very least, I do think this shows that the administration of our alleged "fierce advocate" has a tin ear when it comes to working with the LGBT community. Actually, either they have a tin ear or t...
In This Moment - Jun 13
True to Republican ideology, Rep. Todd Tiahrt tried to roll back the stimulus bill. The House Appropriations Committee nixed it on a party-line vote. According to The Wichita Eagle: . “Disguised as economic recovery, the so-called stimulus plan has miserably failed the American people,” Tiahrt said . “Quite simply, it has not worked. Consider that 1.5 million Americans have lost their jobs s...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Jun 12
Box Turtle Bulletin notes that Obama's DOJ does appear to have thrown us under the bus, but argues that Americablog goes too far in claiming that the Justice Department is pulling out the old incest argument to support DOMA. ...
In This Moment - Jun 12
Is the Obama Administration merely incompetent or stating what it really feels in the now notorious DOJ brief defending DOMA? I waver back and forth between being outraged at this apparent betrayal and being baffled. Doesn't Obama want our support? Is he this much of a liar or is his administration completely disorganized when it comes to LGBT issues? Andrew Sullivan shares my feelings. I'm ...
In This Moment - Jun 12
Come visit us at our new home on the web: http://firephillkline.wordpress.com/ Don't forget to change your bookmark. ...
Fire Phill Kline - Jun 11 - 4 clicks
The anti-abortion wingnuts may not have won after all. Doctor LeRoy Carhart has declared his intentions to relocate in Wichita, KS to continue his practice. From KSN News 3: “Wichita, Kansas - Doctor LeRoy Carhart has been in Wichita, performing abortions for a decade. Today, he says he wants to continue the work of Dr. George Tiller in providing late term abortions. Carhart says, "My ideal (lo...
Otto's War Room - Jun 11 - 6 clicks
From http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION : Maoist rebellion: India's big security worry - from reactionary press (for information only) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Maoist rebels in India are rapidly expanding their insurgency and could move from remote rural areas to cities, a top security official said on Tuesday. The rebels are estimated to have 22,000 fighters, and have spread...
Otto's War Room - Jun 11
From MoveOn It's 2009. Democrats have ample majorities in both houses of Congress. President Obama campaigned on the promise to tackle climate change and boost our economy by investing in clean energy. So why on earth is Congress considering an energy bill that: Would weaken current law, repealing President Obama's authority to crack down on dirty power plants,1 and Doesn't actually require the cr...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Jun 10 - 6 clicks
Two slime buckets from the right-wing of the Republican Party have signed up to run for Todd Tiahrt’s seat now that he plans to run for the Senate. Republican National Committeeman Mike Pompeo and State Sen. Dick Kelsey have filed. Both of these men are from the conservative wing of the Republican Party. According to Wichitopekington: A self-described “pro-life Republican,” Pompeo vowed in a st...
Todd Tiahrt's Folly - Jun 10 - 4 clicks
From http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAOIST_REVOLUTION : Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, June 8 - The Unified Communist Party Nepal (Maoist) on Monday staged a mass movement in Banepa of Kavre district, on Monday, and warned to return to the people's war. They staged the rally in protest against Sunday's clashes in which its cadres were beaten up and offices were vandalised. The rally of Maois...
Otto's War Room - Jun 10
The government of Peru has massacred 60 indigenes people in order to let foreign oil and national gas companies mine in the Amazon Rain Forest. The indigenes people’s rightfully claim that the land is theirs and is not to be exploited with out talking to them. They have defended the land against military units using only roadblocks and spears. For a more information click here, The Real News. ...
Otto's War Room - Jun 9
It is not that the atheist demands evidence and the theist does not; it is that the kinds of acceptable evidence are different. ...
Heretical Ideas - Jun 9
I'll be honest, I am basing this entire post on a headline from the Huffington Post that said Rupert Murdoch thinks President Obama is "dangerous." This coming from a guy that owns Fox News, which in itself is truly "dangerous," but he also owns the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal. And he owns newspapers/tabloids in England and Australia, and TV stations throughout the country do...
Kansas Progressivite - Jun 9
So Ms. TfK and I are tooling along, minding our business. A walk in the park seemed in order, so we had driven off to enjoy some fine weather. At the left turn into the park, we waited for traffic to stop when the light turned, and then made our quick turn during the yellow. At least, that was the plan. Someone else, trying to beat the now yellow light, barreled through, sending our car into a...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
"Anorexics never have boyfriends. ... That's one way to know you don't have anorexia, if you have a boyfriend."-- Ann Coulter So says the freakishly skinny, apparently single punditress. Thanks to Lindsay for the tip. ...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
A semi-regular theme of TfK's coverage of polling on evolution is the effect of gender on views of evolution. A Pew poll a year ago found that women were much less likely than men to accept evolution, even when they controlled for education, religion, age, and income. Which is why I was surprised that the major study of views of evolution published in last week's Science found no such effect...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
As cooler heads have pointed out , the recently announced plot to blow up airliners coming into the US is not only not a new idea, it had actually been implemented before. That it's been 12 years since Bojinka was discovered and disrupted and there's still no working plan for blocking people from carrying a bomb onto a plane short of having folks dump out their water bottles says all that must b...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
As part of a larger project to provide information about incumbents in tight races, we offer this list of news accounts. Jon Kyl Rick Renzi J.D. Hayworth John Doolittle Richard Pombo Brian Bilbray Marilyn Musgrave Doug Lamborn Rick O'Donnell Christopher Shays Vernon Buchanan Joe Negron Clay Shaw Bill Sali Peter Roskam Mark Kirk Dennis Hastert Chris Chocola Joh...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 6 clicks
The DI's "Evolution News And Views" blog complains that LiveScience's "'All About Evolution and Intelligent Design' is neither all about evolution, nor is is it all about intelligent design." Which is rich coming from a blog that, despite being hosted at "evolutionnews.org", has no evolution news. ...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 2 clicks
Thoughts from Kansas is moving! As of around now, the Scienceblogs version of Thoughts from Kansas is live, and all new posts will live there. I'll be putting big reminders up here, and will do all I can to move you over there. RSS junkies can either switch to the Sb RSS , or wait for me to switch the existing feedburner feeds to grab that. It's your call. Blogger has been good to me for...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 4 clicks
Lawrence Krauss, who gave a great talk at KU last spring, has an essay in today's Times about How to Make Sure Children Are Scientifically Illiterate , paying special attention to Kansas, of course. Speaking of creationist veterinarian and Board Chair Steve Abrams, he writes: A key concern should not be whether Dr. Abrams’s religious views have a place in the classroom, but rather how som...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 6 clicks
In a ruling that I could have predicted last December, a federal judge orders halt to the NSA's illegal domestic wiretapping : A federal judge in Detroit ordered a halt to the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program, ruling for the first time that the controversial effort ordered by President Bush was unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor wrote in a strongl...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
Via Schneier's discussion of the human/bear security trade-off , we learn that: "There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." This seems like a good time to remind people that, once upon a time, tourists in Yellowstone would smear their offspring with honey to get pictures of their brood being licked by a bear. They were consistently...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
Part of the reason Harry McDonald lost a his Board of Ed. race against incumbent John Bacon was the 10% of the vote that David Oliphant siphoned off. Suggestions that Oliphant's run was intended to weaken McDonald's showing have swirled since Oliphant entered the race, and the Pitch Weekly asked Oliphant some tough questions . I put the whole exchange below, but let's just pull out a few choice...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
As Dr. Myers helps Francis Collins protect his name , it remains important to remember that "Darwinism" does not and could not justify Nazism. That won't stop the heinous folks at the Coral Ridge Ministries from spending a million bucks promoting the absurd link, but it's worth remembering why it's false. We can turn, as Nick Matzke has , to professional historians like Robert Richards, who ...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
A while back I pointed out a Dembski post about the Wedge, in which he dismissed it as old news . To my great surprise, my comment there wasn't instantly deleted, and an IDolator tried to address it. Hilarity ensued. My question had been about the scientific content of ID, whether anyone could defend the claim that (in the Wedge's terms) it was "without solid scholarship, research and argument...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
SurveyUSA managed to sneak the results of their poll on presidential approval and their poll of senator approval out without my noticing. Last month, Kansas was the 13th most approving state, it is now the 20th, tied with Democratic stronghold Hawaii and swing-state Pennsylvania. There are only four states where the President has positive net approval, and all those states still give him bet...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 5 clicks
Blog Meridian answers yes to the question "You're setting up the KGB carnival here again?" Enjoy. ...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 3 clicks
The Capital-Journal reports on Connie Morris's future plans: "Rest," said Morris, when asked what her plans were after her loss. She denied rumors she was preparing to stage a write-in campaign in November. "Nothing to it," she said. Sort of like ID? A Christian News and Media Agency quotes the erstwhile Board of Ed. member saying that "the 'lying liberal media' defeated her": "The media ...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
Phelps donation to Kline campaign brings criticism : Paul Morrison’s campaign for attorney general criticized Atty. Gen. Phill Kline on Monday for taking a campaign contribution from a member of the Fred Phelps family. “The fact that Phill Kline would take money from a person who protests the funerals of our servicemen and women is disturbing,” Morrison’s campaign manage...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 4 clicks
From the Merry Wives of Windsor : SLENDER. Why do your dogs bark so? Be there bears i' th' town? ANNE. I think there are, sir; I heard them talk'd of. SLENDER. I love the sport well; but I shall as soon quarrel at it as any man in England. You are afraid, if you see the bear loose, are you not? ANNE. Ay, indeed, sir. SLENDER. That's meat and drink to me now. I have seen Sackerson loose twe...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
Cut school aid . Also of interest in the article, Barnett says "Why have we not been growing? It's because we're a high-tax state, and we're not a business-friendly state," but the article points out that "In May 2004, Forbes magazine named Kansas the nation's most business-friendly state, and in March, a national corporate relocation firm said Kansas was among the top 10." Out of touch is an un...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 2 clicks
MyDD points out that the NRCC's ad purchases fall below the DCCC's , and: conspicuously absent from the Republican list are perennial targets like Dennis Moore in Kansas and Jim Matheson in Utah. Democrats are challenging more seats, raising more, spending more, and frankly are fielding better candidates. Dennis Moore's seat isn't safe yet, but when you win as many times as he has in tough figh...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8 - 5 clicks
Various people are asking Are We Fighting 'Islamic Fascists'? This in response to the President's claim that, "This nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom." David Ignatius (linked above) says "I have been pondering since [last week] his description of the enemy. What are 'Islamic fascists,' and does this phrase make sense in descri...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
Two recent comments on the 25th anniversary of AIDS took up a similar call, one in the New England Journal of Medicine , the other from Scienceblogger Tara Smith . Both essentially argue for the broadening of HIV testing in American society. The NEJM piece largely recycles the history of debates about testing for HIV in the general population, and state limitations on what testing can be man...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
The Parsons Sun reports that BoE loser Brad Patzer is going back to Idaho . Setting an example of how to be a gracious loser, Patzer hasn't been returning the paper's calls. Rather than standing by the children of Caney, where he can be close to mom-in-law and ex-BoE member Iris Van Meter, Patzer is off to an alternative school back in Idaho, a state he only left last summer. Local school su...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
Apparently this is what we're doing : The rules: "Go here and look through random quotes until you find 5 that you think reflect who you are or what you believe." Part of being creative is learning how to protect your freedom. That includes freedom from avarice. Hugh Macleod, How To Be Creative: 31 Remain Frugal, 08-22-04 We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. Bertha Ca...
Thoughts from Kansas - Jun 8
I am finding it difficult to get motivated to blog when I am working from home. Especially since I have a newborn, and he likes to take up a lot of my time :) He has also taken my focus away from what's going on in the world. I am feeling really unconnected and uninformed at the moment. I actually didn't realize that President Obama was giving his middle east speech this week and haven't had t...
Kansas Progressivite - Jun 8
Welcome to the 12-gauge approach to movie-reviewing. As Trinity would say, "Dodge this!" ...
Heretical Ideas - Jun 8
