COMensarations
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Kerry Rides Again!
What form of madness IS this?
According to the New York Times, John Kerry, who lost his run at the presidency in 2004, is after those dastardly Swift Boat vets who torpedoed his effort with their advertising campaign.
If this is accurate there can be only one of two possible explanations. (1) He is planning another run at the presidency in 2008 and wants to eliminate the Swift Boat Vets for Truth gadfly early on or (2) he’s stark, raving mad.
Well...maybe they’re one in the same form, afterall.
Glenn ‘Instapundit’ Reynolds has more detailed background information HERE. But does not address the ‘method to this madness’.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Drink To Your Health
Things that the prohibitionists don’t want you to know.
Here’s an interesting report about how drinking a tad more than ‘moderately’ is good for you.
Back when the research community began looking seriously at the so-called Mediterranean diet, wondering why the fatty food eating Europeans had hardly any heart troubles, I started tracking this matter. Today’s report supports the idea that drinking alcohol, regularly, albeit not excessively, i.e., a lot at once, is pretty good for ones heart.
However, I admit, we do not have a complete understanding of the other aspects of this. More study is required. Any volunteers?
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Thoughts on a Campaign
The Holtzman-Spradley for Governor campaign, to date.
The state’s Republicans are experiencing a primary-level contest between two camps; Holtzman-Spradley and Beauprez.
I’ve not had meaningful contact with the latter’s camp, but I have had some interesting contact with the Holtzman-Spradley camp....
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Full Time Employment…
...for the BATF?
Or maybe they’ll have to take a cut in their personnel?
An item in today’s Pueblo Chieftain inadvertantly brings to mind all the fun and games the infamous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) had at a small commune outside of Waco, Texas, some years ago.
Then the challenge was a bunch of weirdo ‘christians’ with ‘guns’ and an alleged drug lab. However, the drug lab business was just a ruse on the part of the BATF to get the Army’s Joint Task Force-6 to provide training in how to conduct military operations in a built-up environment. As it turned out there was NO such drug lab. Oops. So sorry. We apologize for killing 84 men, women and children in this all too typical no-knock raid. Our mistake.
NOW, with the cost of gasoline going through the roof, the BATF is faced with a new challenge......
You Might Get a Friend In Government
It’s going to be a busy year.
And I thought life in Pueblo would be so quiet. Apparently it was too quiet for someone in this household.
Yesterday, Susan announced her candidacy for the Colorado State Legislature’s 46th Distict, in the heart of Pueblo.
It started last month at the county’s Republican Election-Year Assembly. All I did was step out of the auditorium to visit the little boys’ room. And when I came back, Susan was ascending the stairs form the podium to the applause of the assembled precinct delegates.
When I asked her what that was all about she said, “I’m running for the legislature.”
My reply was, “I just leave you alone for a few minutes and THIS is what you get us into??!?!?”
At any rate, she made her public announcement yesterday afternoon on the steps of City Hall. So the fats in the fire now.
You can follow the campaign at the weblog.
Stopping the Talking
Some City Fathers want to muzzle the public forum.
Personally?
I don’t think THIS is a ‘good idea’.
I think the televising of the City Father’s meetings is a GREAT idea. And that includes letting people bring their pet peeves before the council meetings for the world to see. It allows the general public to use technologies to improve their understanding and promote their participation in the busy of governing this great city.
To remove from public view the occasions when people can speak in the same manner as the City Fathers speak in council is anathema to good government.
There may be occasions when someone behaves badly. That’s life. We’ve laws in place to deal with such occasions. We should let the law deal with such instances, if and when they arise. We should NOT gag the public in general, silencing them in the public forum of the City Chambers, just because someone is worried about litigation. If we’re so worried about litigation that we cannot even speak in the public forum, as the City Fathers do, then we may as well do away with the Bill of Rights altogether. And turn EVERYTHING over to the attorneys.
My suggestion to the City Fathers about the odd individual who comes before them so very often is to put them at the very bottom of the list of any others who may come forward to address them. Such individuals may get ‘bumped’ due to time limitations, e.g., not enough slots during the Public Forum period. Such a mechanism would allow others who are not quite such frequent criers to get their words heard in chambers and on the air.
Admittedly, there will likely be times when no one else has signed up to address the City Fathers and such a person will be there. But all I can say to that is....
You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
Or is there another reason why the City Fathers want to eliminate televised public critique of their performance?
Monday, May 15, 2006
God Talk Makes Minister ‘Nervous’
Did this man choose the wrong ‘profession’?
In his column last Sunday, Jack Wilson, a “psychologist and Episcopal priest”, has problems with people who talk overtly about God.
And I’m having trouble understanding the nature of his problem.
Maybe he’ll provide additional information.....
Monday, May 08, 2006
Well, That Was Easy
I finally got off my duff...
and sigend up with the Colorado No Call List. I always hesitate over these things because it seems like they always ask a lot of unexpected and intrusive questions.
Nope. Phone number and zip code. That’s it. They also ask for your e-mail, but that’s optional. So you can go to your local library and do it on one of their internet computers even if you don’t have e-mail.
I can hardly wait until July 31 when the mortgage/siding/insurance/whatever calls will stop.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
The Killing of HB1352
The joys of political machinations in the Colorado State Senate.
Everyone can turn off their television between January and mi-May and enjoy the intrigues of the Colorado State General Assembly, a.k.a. Legislature. It’s better than any prime-time soap opera and much more educational.
Take, for instance, the farcical actions on the part of our elected officials with regards to killing any idea of clean water in the state of Colorado....
Apologies
It’s been a while....
...since I was regularly posting items of interest here. The Lord knows there’s been a slew of things to bring up for consideration of late.
I apologize for that.
I’ve got an explanation. But I can’t divulge it at this point. In another fortnight, all will be blatantly obvious.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Outrageous!
Has the Denver Mensa LocSec flipped his lid?
The latest e-mail on the Denver Mensa listserv seems to be over the top and into the proverbial deep-end.
Of late, we’ve noticed a flurry of traffic on the listserv that indicated that all was not well in the ‘state of Denver Mensa’. This included the recent resignation of the Editor and the announcement that the RVC is planning on a little ‘visit’. However, those were mere politics compared to the message sent out by the LocSec this morning....