Maybe That Marriage Amendment Isn't Such A Bad Idea, After All

I Guess They Enjoy Making Up

Do you think that you & your significant other argue too much?

New Science, New Veggies

Remember when USDA tried to classify catsup (or is it "ketchup") and relish as vegatables? Well, they're at it again.

Under proposed new rules, such healthy edibles as frozen french fries (or are they "Freedom Fries") could be classified as fresh vegatables. Better yet, chocolate covered cherries could be classified as fresh fruit.

"As bizarre as it may sound, a federal judge in Texas last week endorsed the USDA's rules in a court case, saying the term 'fresh vegetables' was ambiguous," writes the Sun-Sentinel, a Florida newspaper. "The USDA quietly changed the regulations last year at the behest of the french fry industry, which has spent the past five decades pushing for a revision to the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). The law was passed by Congress in 1930 to protect fruit and vegetable farmers."

I'm not making this up.

Meanwhile, the same government is busily undoing three decades of pollution regulations, claiming that they are based on "junk science."

Old Ben Had The Right Idea 250 Years Ago

"Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary
Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin

The American Way

Although I may not agree with what you have to say, I will defend to the death my right to publicly humiliate you for saying it.
-- R. A. Buroker (Copyright 2004, Chris White)

Time For A Reaganality Check

Note: this is NOT Reagan-bashing. I admire the man too much for that. However, his legacy needs to be based on fact, not myth. I guess there aren't any fact-checkers left in the news media, because this week our beloved news media have spread several myths. The myths are refuted below:

- The House and Senate did not both come under Republican rule during Reagan's time. The Democrats controlled the House of Representatives in all 4 of Reagan's Congresses. The Democrats controlled BOTH Houses in Reagan's last Congress (1987-1988). Source: You look it up; I did.

- The Berlin Wall did not come down when Reagan was in office. It came down in November, 1989. Source: Don't be so lazy; look it up.

- Reagan is not the president who left office with the highest approval rating in modern times. That honor goes to Bill Clinton.

- Reagan was not the "most popular president ever." That statement is highly subjective.
  * if we use average approval ratings over the term in office as the measure... Clinton and Reagan are tied for 4th place.
  * if we only include post-WWII presidents who served 2 terms, then Clinton and Reagan are tied for 2nd place.
  * if we count all 43 Presidents, surely a few more might go right to the top of the list. Washington, Jefferson, both Roosevelts.... Shall I go on?

- Reagan did not preside over the longest economic expansion in history. That is somewhat subjective, so let's allow a current US State Department document decide:
  * "By the end of 1999, the economy had grown continuously since March 1991, the longest peacetime economic expansion in history." [That's longer than Reagan was President]
  * "Unemployment totaled just 4.1 percent of the labor force in November 1999, the lowest rate in nearly 30 years."
  * "Consumer prices, which rose just 1.6 percent in 1998 (the smallest increase except for one year since 1964), climbed only somewhat faster in 1999 (2.4 percent through October)."

- Reagan did not shrink the size of government.
  * In terms of reducing the number of federal non-defense employees, Reagan didn't cut it at all; he's in 3rd place (behind 2 Democrats).
  * In terms of managing federal spending, Reagan comes in 4th (behind 3 Democrats).

- Reagan DID preside over what was at the time the "biggest tax cut in history", but it was followed up the next year by the "biggest tax increase in history." It seems that there were at least 2 problems with the tax cut:
  * the tax cut was "justified" by information which was both false and falsified [sounds familiar]
  * the tax cut really mucked up an economy that was struggling to recover

- Reagan was not "beloved by all." He was loved by some, liked by some, and despised by some. All had their reasons. And that's a fact, Jack.

A Thousand Days

Think of what some Presidents have accomplished in 1000 days.

Then think of Dubya, and pick just about any thousand days of his term in office:
* since his promise ("dead or alive") 1000 days ago, we have neither captured nor killed Osama Bin Laden and Mullah Omar; both continue to preside of active terrorist networks
* fewer people working in the USA
* net average household income down
* approval ratings tumbling down to less than 50%; in fact, to less than half of what his ratings were in the weeks following 9/11/2001
* record budget deficits
* thousands kept in concentration camps in Cuba, and not a single one convicted of any crime
* many broken treaties (aka "broken promises")
* loss of nearly all allies of any significance
* no WMDs found
* no connection established between Saddam Hussein and Al Qeada
* no connection established between Saddam and 9/11/2001
* no connection established between Saddam Hussein and any terrorists (except Palestinians who have their own issues, not involving us in any way)
* as many troops needed as fired General Sinseki said we'd need
* hundreds of millions of dollar more than what we were told that the war would cost
* a President who routinely breaks laws, e.g., has an illegal unregistered handgun in his office, defaces flags by signing them, refuses to release documents when under order to release them, etc.
* inflation straing to break loose
* rising interest rates

A Spacey Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey Explained

A great site for fans of Kubrick's masterpiece, and even more so for anyone still confused by it.

Please check it out, then e-mail me with an explanation. I still don't get it... except for this part:
Dave: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.