Ignorance is Bliss

"Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods" -- the textbook definition of progressive. One would think that all people would want to strive for these things. That is, unless you had met a conservative. To all too many of them, progress and truth are things to be hidden. Yet a few examples:


Senate Rejects Birth Control and Other Proposals to Reduce the Need for Abortion. Abortions have went up under Bush. Ironic when you consider that they say they are pro-life.

GOP Boards Up the 'Town Hall'. This happened because too many people were actually asking questions. What a novel concept for a town hall meeting ... questions.

Catholics are advised to avoid 'Da Vinci Code'. While this one is not specifically about conservatives, it IS about the religious zealotry that permeates the right. Be afraid of truth ... "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain".

Alex in Preschool

Just got back Alex's first ever class picture. Click image to see whole class:

Alaska Drilling

If this doesn't make your blood boil, then you don't care about this world:

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The choice that these senators made in voting for this is unconscionable. In the interest of fairness and full disclosure, I applaud John McCain for continuing his support of the environment by again breaking with his party to vote against this measure.

In other environmental news, the Bush administration is continuing the denial of the effects of global warming even in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence and worldwide agreement:

Kilimanjaro

Reminder of Fahrenheit 9/11

This article reminded me of the scene in Fahrenheit 9/11 when Bloodhound Gang's lyric "burn motherfucker burn" was played as the rallying cry of GIs. The young soldier that describes the song was chilling in his matter-of-fact dismissal of war and death.

Extreme Cinema Verite

On one hand, you feel so angry with the soldiers for being so thoughtless of the lives that are being taken. But then you are angry at the government for putting these 18 and 19 year olds in a situation that their young minds cannot make sense of with their video game and MTV upbringing.

Free Train Rides

Has anyone heard of this place?

Maricopa Live Steamers




I saw a special on them on local access Channel 11 in Glendale. I think we're going to try and check it out this weekend. If anyone else is interested, let us know.

Judge Strikes Down Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Well, it looks like there at least a few judges left that understand the law and that are not trying to use the courts to justify decrimination:

California

Goehring Family Visit

My folks were in town staying with us this weekend. Darin and family also came out and visited. Some pics from the get-together. Click on each to get larger image.

Kain Elsen

New pics of Kain Elsen. Use the following:

username: dbackdad@cox.net
password: alexalex

McCain

Let me preface this by saying that I've always liked John McCain. Even though I'm a registered Democrat, I've voted for him twice. I've always believed that he was a straight shooter and had the interests of Arizonans in mind. But something has happened over the last year. He has completely become a shill for the Republican party. He's parroting Republican talking points on TV talk shows and kissing up to a politician that assasinated his character in the presidential primaries.

The latest example was his appearance on Hannity and Colmes (I know ... hardly a bastion of enlightened thought). He had the audacity to say, "And I would remind you that countries like Sweden, Chile, England, others, all have personal savings accounts. And they have all been very successful." He was so completely talking out of his ass. He doesn't even care any more. He'll spout any unresearched, Republican talking point garbage that an aide will put in his hands.

Whatever integrity he still had has been lost. I won't make the mistake of buying anything that this man says any more.

Banner day for the administration

They're in rare form in Washington lately:

• Bush is pushing ahead with raping some of our most pristine lands for their natural resources: Arctic Drilling . For a more detailed analysis of what they are planning: Oil on Ice

• Republicans have this distorted view that the environment will always recover from any damage we inflict on it. Rush is one of the strongest proponent's of this view. He's right in one sense ... the environment will recover ... but long after we are all dead. "The environment heals slowly -- we are destroying it rapidly."

• It is typical that when we are facing record gas prices, their first thought is to go look for more oil instead of getting at the root of the issue: our dependance on fossil fuels. There are many alternative energy sources that we don't take advantage of because our government is so in bed with special interests from big oil and the auto industry. And we continue to not take advantage of mass transit. Urban sprawl contributes to more gas usage, more pollution, disconnected neighborhoods, blight in our inner cities, etc. So many people and especially those in power have so little understanding how everything is related. They plan for next year instead of for the next 100 years. Countries in Europe have created test projects where entire towns or areas are given incentives for switching to more efficient/clean energy sources. And they've discovered that doing so has created benefits beyond just saving energy and the environment: whole new industries to support the new technologies.

• It's this lust for oil that has created the problem for us in the Middle East. We're getting in the middle of ethnic conflicts that we would not otherwise do if we didn't have an economic interest. And it's this meddling that is causing the very thing we are supposedly over there fighting: Imperial Hubris

• With a straight face, the government released a report saying that "...no Pentagon policy was responsible for abusive treatment of prisoners." This administration, even when faced with overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing, will never admit it.

Arizona Spring Fling 2005

My friend Eric is a major biker and is one of the organizers for the following event:

Spring Fling 2005

If you're interested in mountain biking, definitely check it out.

John Bolton

This is kinda like the fox guarding the hen house:

New UN Ambassador

West Valley View Letter

I had a letter to the editor printed in this week's:

West Valley View

The letter that it was in response to is also listed.

Bobby Fischer

Anybody that knows me fairly well know my affinity for chess (15 chess sets, over a hundred books on chess). This is just a little update on probably the most famous chess player ever, the reclusive Bobby Fischer.

Journalists as Targets?

Is there some kind of pattern here?

Shot hostage disputes U.S. account

This comes on the heels of CNN's Eason Jordan getting fired because he had suggested that the U.S. was targeting journalists. This wasn't some nutjob blogger making this suggestion but rather a 23 year veteran of the network.

Alex Birthday Screen Caps

Screen captures from Alex's birthday video. Click to get larger images.

Like Father, Like Son

This story reminds me of when Danny Ainge played at BYU and then the Boston Celtics. He was always a hothead that you hated if he was on the other team but loved if he was on yours. Austin Ainge is Danny's son and a former high school player here in the valley.

Players subject to tougher penalties in future

Church and State

Expanding on our discussion of the secular nature of our government (which the right has either forgotten or knowingly ignored):

Our Godless Constitution

Happy 4th Birthday Little Guy!!

Mommy and Daddy love you!

Compassionate Conservatives?

The hypocrisy of the Republican party is reaching a fever pitch. Jim Gibbons, Republican congressman from Nevada, is suggesting that anybody who disagrees with right-wing views should be used as "human shields" in Iraq. I'm tired of these hawks questioning the patriotism of people who actually care about this country.

These modern-day McCarthyites need to be called out. Of course, our bullshit media will never call them out. "Liberal media", my ass. A great book on just how right-wing media is:

The Republican Noise Machine by David Brock