SF Chronicle article re: CA Prop 90

This was in my mailbox this morning. It came from someone I have a lot of respect for.

Dear (XXXX) member:

"We had no idea."

You're going to hear that a lot if Proposition 90 passes next month. Millions of people are going to wake up the morning after Election Day and wish they'd read the fine print. Please don't be one of them. Prop 90 is the single most dangerous threat that has ever been leveled at our state's environment. As a native and long-time resident of California, I don't say that lightly. Prop 90 will make it virtually impossible for our state and local governments to do their job of protecting the wildlife, wild lands and other natural resources that make California the special place that it is. The way Prop 90 works is simple. Anytime our government wants to protect some vestige of open space or save an old growth forest or restrict offshore oil drilling, Prop 90 would empower hordes of people to sue the government and collect compensation if they feel their properties or businesses have been compromised. If Prop 90 is enacted, environmental protection will grind to a halt, because we the taxpayers will be unable to afford the billions and billions in payouts. And guess what? Paralyzing government is exactly what Prop 90 aims to do. This cynical ploy is so insidious -- and yet potentially popular -- because it's masquerading as a law that will protect our homes and businesses from government seizure under the power of eminent domain. Well, I'll be first in line to defend private property and protest government seizure. But not if the "cure" is a hundred times worse than the disease! Prop 90 is nothing but a stalking horse for a group of out-of-state, anti-government extremists who would impoverish Californians both environmentally and financially. Don't wake up the morning after Election Day and wish you'd read the fine print. Read it now at http://www.noProp90.com/And make sure your friends, family and colleagues in California read it, too.
Please forward them this email right now.

(XXXX) has joined with a broad coalition of citizen groups who are fighting hard to turn back this unprecedented attack on our environment. (You can see the full list of opponents at http://www.noprop90.com/coalition/index.php)

Please do your part by spreading the word to everyone you know. Tell them to vote "No on 90" on Election Day.

Sincerely,

Robert Redford

P.S. Newspapers across the state are urging a No vote on 90. You can read theireditorials at http://www.noprop90.com/media/articles/?set=article_j6dcq2bwmxw4ax





Freakin Howie Rich wants this thing to pass. Who?

look for video link on this page:

PBS NOW on ballot initiatives, Who is Howie Rich?


When I think of Howie Rich and his ballot initiatives, this song gets stuck in my head: Locals Only

Ok, like yeah, I'm totally dating myself, but like, Oh well.

Energy Security -- Yes on Prop 87

Yes On 89 TV Ad:

California voting information paper ballots

CALIFORNIA SEC. OF STATE DECLARES ALL STATE VOTERS MAY OPT TO VOTE ON A PAPER BALLOT IN MID-TERM ELECTION!
BLOGGED BY Brad ON 10/16/2006 6:35AM

Or if you don't want to mess with the pdf file, here's the text of the memo from Secretary of State Bruce McPherson's office.

"October 3, 2006

To: All County Clerks/Registrars Of Voters/Vendors (06353)

From: Susan Lapsley, Assistant Secretary of State, Elections

As the Secretary of State directed in the November 2005 Special Election and the June 2006 Primary Election any county using a direct recording electronic (DRE) voting system that is certified for use in California with an electronic provisional ballot module may use this module for the casting of provisional ballots in accordance with the adopted procedures of the voting system or, alternatively, may use paper provisional ballots. However, all county elections official shall have an adequate supply of paper ballots, as determined by the elections official, available at the voting locations for use in the event of a temporary loss of the ability to use electronic equipment, or if a voter chooses not to vote on electronic equipment.
This back-up supply can be absentee ballots or other option as determined to be reasonable by the elections official. If absentee ballots are used at the polls, the voter need NOT apply for an absentee ballot in order to be able to use it to vote at the polls. You may also use paper provisional ballots to satisfy voters wishing to vote on paper in the event that DRE counties do not have a sufficient supply of absentee ballots to satisfy the needs of the precinct voters. In such instances, the ballots of verified eligible voters who wish to vote on paper and are provided a provisional ballot to do so should not be treated as a provisional ballot cast but, rather, as a regular ballot. If your supply of back-up paper ballots becomes exhausted, the elections official, pursuant to Elections Code Section 14299, shall deliver that necessary additional supplies to the polling place. Since voters can vote absentee ballots at the polls (as we noted above), by extension it is possible that officials might provide a supply of "reasonable facsimilies" of sample ballots to polling places since such facsimilies are allowed to function as absentee ballots, pursuant to Elections Code Sections 13316, 13317, until additional supplies can be delivered to the polling place.
Thanks for your cooperation. If you have questions or concerns about this, please feel free to contact me as slapsley@ss.ca.gov or (916) 653-724 "

Three hots and a cot

Didn't like that cute little cartoon with the nifty soundtrack?

Here's some evidence that the socialistic programs are broken in the US, but capitalism here also blows.

Communist manifestoon

Communist manifestoon

hat tip Danny
Moyers Weighs In On Net Neutrality
Breaking News
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/13/2006 4:40:00 PM

Talon?

Documents Shed New Light on Pentagon Surveillance of Peace Activists
(10/12/2006)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org
Defense Department Tracked Quakers, Student Groups

The name of the database is Talon.


Yep, HotMilitaryStud.com was all over that shit. Remember Talon News ?

Yeah, I know, I'm gross sometimes, and I dont'think there is any real connection, but it is kind of a strange coincidence, don't you think?

Sibel Edmonds

Test your knowledge of the Sibel Edmonds case.

I got 18 right.

Heh.

Lost in translation

Translation kit to aid US troops in Iraq

Thursday 12 October 2006, 9:59
Makka Time, 6:59 GMT


The device will not be used in combat or conflict situations
The US military may soon be able to communicate better with Iraqis in their own language, thanks to technology developed by IBM that quickly translates spoken English into Iraqi Arabic...


...The IBM technology can translate more than 50,000 English words and 100,000 words in Iraqi Arabic, IBM said.
Eventually, Nahamoo said, the technology could find its way into commercial settings where many languages are spoken, such as banking, aerospace and defence, and law enforcement. Tourists could use the technology as well, he said.





Duz it come in purty colors too?

Cuz yoo know I been planning that vacation to Eye-Rack fer ah while now.

Ice-T - Colors (roko.one)

mmmmmm

Zoinks!

Army: Recruits doing better in boot camp, now that drill sergeants do not scream so much
The Associated Press
Published: October 10, 2006

Lower standards help Army recruit more
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
Tue Oct 10, 4:38 AM ET
...About 17 percent of the first-time recruits, or about 13,600, were accepted under waivers for various medical, moral or criminal problems, including misdemeanor arrests or drunk driving. That is a slight increase from last year, the Army said...

So, we have kinder, gentler drill sergeants, and lower recruitment standards, including new recruits with possible drug/alcohol problems.










Hey, I know, let's send these people to Afghanistan where the opium poppy growers just had a banner fucking year!!!!



U.S. urges spraying Afghan opium crop
BUT COUNTRY FEARS HAZARDS OF HERBICIDES
Posted on Sun, Oct. 01, 2006
By Jim Krane
Associated Press

Olbermann on the Murder of Habeus Corpus

Kissinger- Condor, Condor - Kissinger-- got it?

Part 1 from Buzzflash-- Torture, Murder, Bush, Kissinger and The Mothers of the Disappeared in Argentina: America on the Brink of Horror

Part 2 from Buzzflash on Operation Condor


A condor is in the same family as a vulture by the way....


How appropriate that Henry Kissinger would be behind something called Operation Condor.

Here's some more background on Kissinger:

Video: The Trials of Henry Kissinger: The Making Of A War Criminal:

Israel

In Israel you can critisize Israel.

In America, Jews can't critisize Israel.

Make sense?

Too bad, deal with it unless you want the ADL all over your ass.

from TPM Cafe

More details from Juan Cole at Informed Comment

News DIssector

Danny Schechter the News Dissector

Iraq

Every time I read something about the Iraq war my eyes widen in horror and I automatically bring my hand up to cover my mouth.

It's just one bloody, horrible, sickening story after another .


I don't know what the hell the people in charge were thinking. The British couldn't control Iraq.




Oh yeah, that's right, I keep forgetting who's in charge.

An example of why a Democrat is just an informed Republican

y mas: Required viewing by every patriot!


Hmmm, this has nothing at all to do with the Kucinich footage, but it pissed me off, so here's me going off:

Oh for f#*'s sake, no wonder TBogg calls this guy Special Ed.

Ed, you stupid twit, the Mexicans have better fako papers, why should they work in the fields?

TGIF

Republican leadership's immediate reaction to predatorgate:













and that's all I have to say about Foleygate.


I can't connect the following two stories, but they have been the only stories that I've found interesting today.

Tageblatt, Luxembourg
America's Science Empire: It's About Money ... and More
Translated By Sandrine Ageorges
October 4, 2006

According to Peter Bowler, a Professor in the History of Science at the University of Belfast, "The United States constitutes the most powerful scientific economy in the world. They invest more money and probably in a more coherent fashion than anyone else, and in the end, it pays off."
...However the picture in the United States is not completely rosey, where the number of qualified science graduates is dropping, and where public opinion surveys in regard to the sciences reflect a general indifference, if not the suspicion or aversion reflected by fundamentalist religious movements...
...Lastly, the United States is growing concerned with a number of fundamental research projects in Europe that could reverse the trend of American domination, for example into particle physics and atomic fusion...
America's Science Empire: It's About Money ... and More


Y numero dos.

Last night on the local newz one of the stations covers the local World Can't Wait Bush protest and this morning I look for an online link and I can't find it, AND I can't remember which station I was watching. Duh. I wanted a quote because the commentator had said something like 'These people aren't going to get rid of the Bush administration at the polls, they are putting pressure on them to leave office through Nationwide protests .

Of course there was no mention of the GD voting machines, AND the GD Diebold optical scanners on our local newz, which is usually brought to us by the M-I-C.

Y mas from
BradBlog

Hello again

I missed Words Have Power .

Who knew that Juan Cole could write a Letterman (-like) top ten list?

Heh.

I'm sick of the Foley stuff

The guy's name grosses me out.

If you've ever worked in a hospital you know what a "Foley" is.


Sooooooo, how about oil?

One of my favorite subjects.

Basic Petroleum Statistics (data for 2005 except where noted)
Date Last Updated/Reviewed: July 2006 Next Update/Review: September 2006

Here's one of my favorite statistics:
What we use every day

Fun to compare what we produce every day, eh?



Opec 'to cut oil production'
Thursday 05 October 2006, 23:27 Makka Time, 20:27 GMT

Daily Show: Annual GOP BBQ and Nude Cub Scout Wrestle

Not all of it is funny, it's just too disgusting

Welcome to Pottersville: House Passes “Pederast Reform Act of 2006.”

Ooooohhhhhh Yeaaaaaaah, he does it again!


Welcome to Pottersville: House Passes “Pederast Reform Act of 2006.”

Just go laugh

WaiterRant: Void Codes

Jeeeze, some of the comments are funny also.

After Foley, New Fears For the GOP

Some Say Party Could Lose House and Senate
By Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 3, 2006; Page A01



My response?



Sympathy is in between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.

Who's next?

Former Rep. Mark Foley Enters Rehab
MONDAY OCTOBER 02, 2006 03:30PM EST
By Stephen M. Silverman


Report: Ex-Rep. Ney to plead guilty, enter alcohol rehab



Maybe one of these two? They look like they have substance abuse problems. I don't know that, I'm just sayin.

Venezuela and Nigeria cut oil output

Hat tip: WTF? is it now?


By Carola Hoyos in London
Published: September 29 2006 19:02 Last updated: September 29 2006 19:02

Venezuela and Nigeria, both members of the Opec oil cartel, on Friday announced that they would reduce their oil production by as much as 200,000 barrels a day to shore up prices.

Gee, what fun to deal with right after the Repugnant thuglicans steal the next election.

http://www.teambio.org/2006/09/stick-a-yellow-ribbon-up-your-suv/

Borat

It probably would have been a good idea to find out who Borat was before I posted this . I don't have cable, and there's only so much TV I can stand. Ali G is all over YouTube, & it's funny, but I'm not thrilled with Borat.

this is funny: http://cheneys.cf.huffingtonpost.com/

skippy invites us to visit

the Armchair Blog's "Rick Santorum's Republican Child Molester's" page

GOP (Grand Old Pedophiles)

Blue hats and wife storage - Borat haunts Kazakh president

Blue hats and wife storage - Borat haunts Kazakh president
Ed Pilkington in New York
Saturday September 30, 2006
The Guardian

The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, met George Bush in the White House yesterday vowing to continue to push for the modernisation of his central Asian country. "Women can now travel on inside of bus, homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats, and age of consent has been raised to eight years old," he said.

Wow, interested enough in reform to meet with Cap'n Crusades anyway.

Update: I knew there was more to this than met the eye:

China to build billion-dollar pipeline
Wednesday 27 September 2006, 17:27 Makka Time, 14:27 GMT

China has approved the construction of a multi-billion dollar pipeline to carry gas imported from Turkmenistan to China's southern business city of Guangzhou.

...The pipeline would have to go through either Kazakhstan or a combination of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan...

Um, yeah, make that oily and gassy and ready to torture Cap'n Crusades.

Think the Cap'n is taking advice from Kissinger?