tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72841693360721849922024-03-14T13:52:36.916-04:00SENSE AND NONSENSECommentary and observations on life, including, but not limited to politics,economics, and social issues.Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-13156960398430196682013-04-19T19:46:00.002-04:002013-04-19T19:46:31.451-04:00Boston - one horrible incident of living in the times of terrorists<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br />My youngest
daughter lives and works in Boston. She contacted me after the explosion
to assure me she was okay. My concern abated, but it will be a long
time before the people of Boston and the surrounding cities can walk the
streets without thinking about the horrible event. Unfortunately, this
is likely to happen again, if not in Boston, then somewhere else.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0mzt4f5nWC1FwgsCxBVoJGDphrvWy5ht5z2z-CFm85RPeZTlIIyoVVFz7023e1ZtfkGCo8Q4-0khmvCIb3t-b6DrJD0gH83Kdf42D1WgtfgusEJs5bP8m_jmxirvXa0gNoNg8kXwB5dx/s1600/130417115227-01-evidence-horizontal-gallery.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0mzt4f5nWC1FwgsCxBVoJGDphrvWy5ht5z2z-CFm85RPeZTlIIyoVVFz7023e1ZtfkGCo8Q4-0khmvCIb3t-b6DrJD0gH83Kdf42D1WgtfgusEJs5bP8m_jmxirvXa0gNoNg8kXwB5dx/s320/130417115227-01-evidence-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br />It will be interesting to learn if the two Chechens
did this on their own or were part of a more extensive terrorist plot.
Young men with typical Caucasian features, light coloring, and no
background of associations with radical groups, present the worst case
scenario for the national terrorist defense system. <br /><br />We are in a
not so undeclared war with people who operate outside the laws of
humanity, which has no foreseeable end. While I am against the death
penalty on most matters, I have no sympathy for American citizens who go
to Al Qaeda
camps so they can prepare themselves to set off bombs against the
people of the world. Taking the fight to the terrorists is absolutely
necessary. They must know at all times that their next moment may be
their last.</b></span>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_h.png?x-id=827109fe-cd03-4c1c-86b7-0c12a38a8833" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-83739821681331169292012-12-18T19:11:00.000-05:002012-12-30T00:51:52.915-05:00Mass murders, gun control, and much mistaken information.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b><span style="font-size: small;">The tragedy in Connecticut has generated a lot of discussion. Better gun control is immediately brought up. While I believe better gun control would help, it would not stop the problem. The attachment of Americans to guns of all sorts creates an environment and opportunity for anyone who wants an automatic weapon to obtain one. The information below boggled my mind when I heard about it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20367936/gun-stores-outnumber-gas-stations-grocery-stores-fast-food-restaurants-in-america">CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -Government records show just in the month of November, Americans tried to buy 2 million guns.There are nearly 130,000 licensed firearms dealers in the United States. 51,000 are retail gun stores according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Compare that to: 37,000 grocery stores, 14,000 McDonald's restaurants, and 13,000 Starbucks stores nationwide.That means there two times more gun stores than McDonalds and Starbucks combined.Read more: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20367936/gun-stores-outnumber-gas-stations-grocery-stores-fast-food-restaurants-in-america#ixzz2FS20fImy</a><br /> </span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Anyone in America who wants the same weapons our Special Forces soldiers are using can easily obtain them.<br /><br />Much discussion about making sure people with mental illness don't get access to guns. Much easier said than done.<br /><br />I read a long discussion about how the closing state psychiatric hospitals has caused these mass murders. Almost all of this information is wrong. How do I know? I did my clinical internship at Fort Logan Mental Health Center in Denver Colorado in 1970-71. State mental institutions were awful, people got sicker, not well. Two major events <span style="font-size: small;">l</span>ed to the huge downsizing of state institutions. First, new drugs came out that enabled schizophrenics and others with serious mental disorders to function in the community. They needed a lot of support and help to function, which unfortunately didn't come for the next 15 years. The other major factor was the rise of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Centers. </span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In Colorado, they took money from the state institutions and funded the mental health centers in the community. California, not just Reagan, did defund mental health, resulting in people on the streets who should not have been released. The vast majority of serial killers and mass murderers suffer from a significant personality disorder. "Crazy people" rarely kill others, and autistic people are the least likely to kill others</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-51597222864833123852012-12-12T14:15:00.002-05:002012-12-13T08:57:43.849-05:00 Grover Norquist and the demise of the GOPThe news that Grover Norquist's influence over the GOP is declining comes at a time when the future of the party is being questioned. An endless number of postmortem analysis of the failed election attempt by Mitt Romney have focused on everything from the way he combs his hair to his casually writing off 47% of the population. Not enough attention has been paid to the damage caused by the "no new taxes mantra" enforced by Grover Norquist. Almost everybody would like to pay lower taxes, and certainly not want to see them increase. However, rational people recognize the inherent unfairness of the current tax laws and that circumstances can arise that necessitate increasing taxes. Or can they?
On Nov. 20, 2011, CBS aired an interview between Steve Croft and Grover Norquist. Below is an excerpt from that interview.
<br/>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Kroft: But you make it pretty clear. If someone breaks the pledge, you're gonna do everything you can to get rid of them.<br />
Norquist: To educate the voters that they raise taxes. And again, we educate people-- <br />
Kroft: To get rid of them. <br />
Norquist: To encourage them to go into another line of work, like shoplifting or bank robbing, where they have to do their own stealing. <br />
Kroft: You've got them by the shorthairs. <br />
Norquist: The voters do. Yeah". </blockquote>
<br />
In the above interchange, Norquist's lust for power dribbles down his cheek like excess blood on a vampire's fang. If someone breaks their pledge to Norquist, the voters aren't going to give that person's opponent in the next primary as much money as they need to win. Norquist and his minions will. The flood of money from outside a state to make sure pledge breakers don't get elected usurps the right of local voters to choose the person they want to represent them. Ultimately, this isn't about taxes were pledge it, it's about one man's need for power</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-15158688139042430342012-10-31T19:43:00.000-04:002012-10-31T19:43:00.646-04:00John Koster, The Rape Thing' Does Not Excuse Abortions<br />
John Koster, a Republican congressional candidate in Washington
state, said Sunday that "<a href="http://koster/">the rape thing" is not a good enough reason for a woman to have an abortion."</a> <br />
<br />
Koster joins <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/richard-mourdock-abortion_n_2007482.html" target="_hplink">Richard Mourdock who said</a>
that pregnancy from rape is "something God intended," Rep. <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Akin" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Todd Akin">Todd Akin</a>
(R-Mo.) who said victims of "legitimate rape" almost never become pregnant,
and Rep. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/tom-smith-rape_n_1834234.html" target="_hplink">Tom Smith</a> (R-Pa.) who compared pregnancy as a result of rape to "having a baby out of wedlock."<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerUlaUolIp3_dG6ujIQb6P9oP8h9i4O3YMsMSNj3IyUL9B2fBKfN0DhHuzTu8TySB7P6tKUMRGXE7iikPsqJH7Cdjqk9Ha4USAIF2DMYjtW619PoL6KWdz_-K8VmOOWHEt84sMi85dl11/s1600/rollcallpix055214-cropped-proto-custom_28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerUlaUolIp3_dG6ujIQb6P9oP8h9i4O3YMsMSNj3IyUL9B2fBKfN0DhHuzTu8TySB7P6tKUMRGXE7iikPsqJH7Cdjqk9Ha4USAIF2DMYjtW619PoL6KWdz_-K8VmOOWHEt84sMi85dl11/s320/rollcallpix055214-cropped-proto-custom_28.jpg" width="320" /></a>This isn't about right wing/tea party-GOP-<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Taliban">Taliban</a>/ candidates saying things that are stupid. It reveals a view of life that is beyond insensitivity. They are close to condemning women for getting raped, as if they were were responsible for their own tragedies.<br />
<br />
The more they say, the worse it gets.
<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/john-koster-the-rape-thing_n_2051752.html">"Incest is so rare, I mean, it's so rare," he said. "But the rape
thing-- you know, I know a woman who was raped and kept the child, gave
it up for adoption, and she doesn't regret it."</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/john-koster-the-rape-thing_n_2051752.html">He added, "On the rape thing, it's like, how does putting more violence onto a woman's body and taking the life of an innocent child that's a consequence of this crime -- how does that make it better? You know what I mean?</a>"<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/08YebGU1V64xI?utm_source=zemanta&utm_medium=p&utm_content=08YebGU1V64xI&utm_campaign=z1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="KIRKWOOD, MO - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. Rep. Todd ..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="100" src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/08YebGU1V64xI/150x100.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 150px;">KIRKWOOD, MO - SEPTEMBER 24: U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Akins comments have cost him a Senate seat which was within his grasp until his utterances revealed a meanness devoid of sensitivity to women who have suffered a horrible tragedy. <br />
<br />
There are undoubtedly more men who share the views of the four cited above. For them, it is fortunate that the election will be over and no one will be asking them questions that can destroy their careers by revealing who they really are.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-86211616899140066142012-10-29T19:16:00.000-04:002012-10-29T19:16:04.424-04:00 Richard Mourdock and the Tea Party Taliban<h3 class="rss-header">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/richard-mourdock-rape-remark_n_2041827.html">Mourdock Accepts Impact Of Controversial Rape Remarks</a></span></h3>
GOP Senate candidate <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mourdock" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Richard Mourdock">Richard Mourdock</a> said Monday he can't
"unring the bell" on comments he made last week about rape, and he's
joining a national Republican effort to shift discussion away from his
remarks.<br />
<br />
"You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, you
can't unring the bell," Mourdock said Monday. "I apologize that anyone
might have been offended by it personally, and we've moved on and are
talking about what people are talking about."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47422005@N04/8126383665" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Richard Mourdock - Caricature" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="142" src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8185/8126383665_2051dc47f4_m.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 240px;">Richard Mourdock - Caricature (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47422005@N04/8126383665" target="_blank">DonkeyHotey</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mourdock also told
reporters he was surprised by the reaction to his remarks after last
week's Senate debate and didn't realize he had said anything
controversial.<br />
<br />
This is not just an instance of insensitivity about the subject of rape. Rather, it's the continued radioactive leakage of extremely conservative Republicans whose views on society in general, and women in particular, is appalling to the rest of society. The Tea Party has its own unique vision of the world. They can't why anyone would take issue with what they say, because they only speak the "truth."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"When I walked off the stage, I expected --
walking to my green room -- high-fives, because I had no idea that the
statement that I made would possibly go a direction that it went," he
said.<br />
The direction that statement took last week knocked not
only his campaign off track, but provided ammunition for national
Democrats looking for women voters in key swing states. The Mourdock
campaign has used the Democratic responses in fundraising appeals to
supporters, while also arguing federal spending and the attack on the
U.S. Embassy in Libya are more pertinent issues.<br />
Top Republicans
working the Sunday talk show circuit attempted to right the ship this
weekend, answering questions about Mourdock's comments at times with
statements about the attack. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, one of the tea
party's biggest winners in 2010, told Fox News Sunday that abortion is
not an issue voters are talking about.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-11378972711574550092012-09-22T09:50:00.001-04:002012-11-29T19:48:38.779-05:00Feathered Dinosaurs Upsetting to Creationists <b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
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<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MrqHrjta7Y18jKJ7T47-eXNelVGrzLWxtmizfH4V1D63TkSSLSg31S6cTF4wV5t9PFDKXuwtZyeyD7s1lImu5cpntMSA-bJmV22X9nMtJuebCW9YLxYbzYhMhS75bgzhdZoNauw25kGg/s200/dei_head.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The traditional view of <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Dinosaur">dinosaurs</a> has been changing in
recent years based on new evidence, which indicates that dinosaurs had feathers
and links them ever more closely to birds.<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/09/creationists_and_dinosaurs_answers_in_genesis_teams_with_dissident_scientists_to_deny_feathered_dino_fossil_record.single.html"><span style="color: blue;">In an article in Slate on September 19, 2012, Brian Switek
documents the changing picture of </span></a>dinosaurs that is emerging as a
result of new science. Evolutionists, welcome new evidence and data so they can
have a more accurate understanding of what the dinosaurs were like and how they
lived.</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Biblical literalists, often called creationists,
are upset by the changing picture of dinosaurs and have launched a campaign to
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h2 class="sl-art-head-hed">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/09/creationists_and_dinosaurs_answers_in_genesis_teams_with_dissident_scientists_to_deny_feathered_dino_fossil_record.html">"The dinosaurs of our childhood aren’t around anymore. The sluggish, swamp-bound pea-brains that haunted museum halls and trundled through picture books have been eviscerated by agile, hot-blooded, and, often, feathery dinosaurs that more accurately reflect what Tyrannosaurus rex and kin were actually like. What’s more, thanks to a heap of lovely fossils, we now know that even the most fearsome of the tyrant dinosaurs were closely related to the avian dinosaurs—the birds—that flit around our backyards today."</a></span></span></h2>
</blockquote>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis—said,
“Dinosaurs have been held hostage for decades” by his mortal enemy, the
nefarious “secular humanists.” Ham is upset that
natural history museums, which actually run research programs and
contribute new facts and hypotheses to our understanding of prehistoric
life, unlike the Creation Museum that uses the traditional evidence of dinosaurs as a static, dumb slow-moving creature.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first dinosaurs evolved about 230 million years ago, and, with the exception of birds, perished about 6</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The creationists argue that dinosaurs were created on Day 6 of creation week <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_millennium_BC" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="4th millennium BC">6,000 years ago</a>, with birds being brought into existence on Day 5. the idea that dinosaurs might have had feathers extend the birds, which further confuses "creationism science," one of the great oxymorons of our time.</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5gLQlUrQkt4PzD62RJiwk_kO8xKNGYbG-06adoDn5C06VpIStV9icevXS9pxk25-Ak4E32lwReCDKQspfOFovhHx0ycs6rGGOgL-MJNEWs-hEQxNaXeNzWTdWsz4JkbnnvRhpe3z9dbg/s320/00354b459f6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h4 class="zemanta-related-title">
</h4>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In
Dark Journeys, short stories and dark poems describe perilous paths
taken by mortals, vampires, and other creatures of the night. One story
is about the surprise that awaits a mortal man when he has a picnic with
the Queen of the forest. In A Problem with Werewolves a mortal male and
his beautiful female vampire lover battle a pack of werewolves and a
hideous demon. Dark poems tell of the painful and sometimes fatal
relationships between mortals and vampires.If this sounds interesting,
and I hope it does, please follow the link and buy the anthology for
only $.99. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AERRMIM</a></b></span></span><br />
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</ul>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_h.png?x-id=d87f0d8e-df7b-4587-8139-69c7b255b569" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-84489403594666742412011-12-19T19:39:00.001-05:002011-12-19T19:41:21.485-05:00The Republican war on the middle classThe Republicans in the House of Representatives are making war on the middle class by denying them a tax break they so desperately need. Failure to extend the payroll tax relief will cost a million jobs according to some economists. Do the Republicans care? Evidently not.<br />
The quote below was taken from a New York Times article. Yes, we all know that the New York Times a Liberal newspaper. The statement below, is not a value judgment on someone's position. Rather it states positions clearly enunciated by both parties.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://loyalopposition.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/they-sure-have-earned-their-vacation-havent-they/">"the looming question remains unresolved — how to pay for the extension. House Republicans want to cut middle-class programs, Democrats want to raise taxes on millionaires, and neither seems inclined to give ground."</a></blockquote>
<br />
On television tonight, the latest polls showed an approval rating for the Republican Party of 20% and the president's approval rating was 49%. The people can clearly see where the fault lies. Everyone knows that the conservative wing of the conservative party is blocking passage of a law that would extend the tax cut. Eric Cantor, not John Boehner, is is in control of the House of Representatives. For all intensive purposes he and his cohorts are in control of this country's economic fate. That is one scary notion.I believe Mr. Canter to be an honorable man. However, this is not about honor, it is about an a rigid mindset that will not give an inch.<br />
<br />
Addressing the country's deficit is an important issue.,but it is not the only issue. If the government fails to act in ways to maximize economic stability, the impending economic crash a number of experts are predicting will become an inevitability. The blood will be on the economic hands of the Republican Party.<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-51023748920244478662011-12-18T11:49:00.003-05:002011-12-18T11:49:36.536-05:00The publishing revolution is over and we have won.<h3 class="post-title entry-title">
<br />
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4430674945773259751">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzlwuwvl-h2P4tpAeNDnDgnTU9dCKbCDlof7qvZPDGzIVByPVW9UCRGRin2jKIETo34fzPyJleQy5zbdbBj_2RFXwpBKao9kDuPIPLyTurtikVJBKBmzccoFlWHvRmwXOGYeNLAnCE88D/s1600/2b479b6785.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzlwuwvl-h2P4tpAeNDnDgnTU9dCKbCDlof7qvZPDGzIVByPVW9UCRGRin2jKIETo34fzPyJleQy5zbdbBj_2RFXwpBKao9kDuPIPLyTurtikVJBKBmzccoFlWHvRmwXOGYeNLAnCE88D/s200/2b479b6785.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="goog_763667793"></span><span id="goog_763667794"></span></span></b></div>
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In a recent post, I talked about the digital revolution in the publishing world. Since
then, I joined the Indie Book Collective. I think I needed a waiver to join
because I have a publisher, and my novel, Unholy Embrace, was published as a softcover.
In joining the collective, I became a full-fledged member of the revolution.
What does this mean? In the short-term, I will be selling packages of my short
stories on Amazon, Smashwords, and other Internet sites. Hopefully I will make
some money from this endeavor.</div>
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The long-term
consequences of joining this revolution are very important. When I finish my
second novel, I don't have to worry about finding a publisher. I will publish it
digitally at a time of my own choosing, with a price that makes the most sense
for me, not a publisher. Isn't self-publishing a meaningless effort to bolster
one's ego? Not anymore. Authors are making money, and more importantly,
reaching significant numbers of readers without a single tree being chopped
down. The picture to the left is like the "Don't tread on me," flag
that flourished early in the Revolutionary war for Independence. I think that's
a good analogy. Imagine yourself as an author. Which would you choose: to have
an attractive hardcover edition of your book that few people buy and read, or
published digitally and have a significant number of people buy and read your
book.? Rhetorical question.</div>
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But
what about getting a novel reviewed? Isn't it true that most reviewers will not
touch a self-published novel? That depends on which reviewers we are talking
about. The reviewers tied to the hardback and paperback trade will most likely
continue not to review self-published authors. Fortunately, there are a
significant number of reviewers who only review indie books. While none of
these reviewers works for midsize and major newspapers, or has a national
reputation (at the present time), they have readerships that are interested in
reading good books not traditional reviewers.</div>
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Authors
can get their books properly digitalized by submitting them to a site such as
Smashwords. This will likely become a more competitive market. So, I write the
novel, I published the novel, the novel is reviewed, and hopefully people will
buy the novel so they can read it. Isn't that what it's all about?</div>
</div>
<div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1">
<span class="post-author vcard"><br />
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<span class="post-labels"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-59615596675363179522011-12-15T01:31:00.000-05:002011-12-18T11:51:24.617-05:00Jailed Afghan rape victim freed<br />
The headline for this post is revolting. The description of what
happened to this woman reveals a twisted and bizarre mindset. It is
incomprehensible to me that a woman would be jailed after a man rapes
her. Yet, this happened in Afghanistan, and not for the first time. I assume that if I talked to a man from Afghanistan he would tell me
that I did not understand the way his society functions. My response would be, "When
you imprison women for being raped, you have a grotesque imitation of a society."<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dYQcIOdrNX_oGY-J_LWHUwAnWGkXaupCqqtz_DluyswruoSkv0KwD4I_noWpTt1fG9yeq0zTyrVtlxwsG33OlJEk16MRby1WGaIQCaie75cbqbZi91cYT1V5l-lZQQKV5Nu9eiCOqC6m/s1600/knin82l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dYQcIOdrNX_oGY-J_LWHUwAnWGkXaupCqqtz_DluyswruoSkv0KwD4I_noWpTt1fG9yeq0zTyrVtlxwsG33OlJEk16MRby1WGaIQCaie75cbqbZi91cYT1V5l-lZQQKV5Nu9eiCOqC6m/s320/knin82l.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
From CNN <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1046717808">An Afghan woman
imprisoned for adultery after a relative raped her
has been freed after President Hamid Karzai intervened on her behalf.
The woman, identified only as Gulnaz for her own protection, had been
sentenced to prison for 12 years after she reported that her cousin's
husband had raped her two years ago. Wednesday, she was free at a
women's shelter in Kabul, with her daughter..</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/14/world/asia/afghanistan-rape-victim/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular"> Her plight gained international attention when the European Union
blocked the broadcast of a documentary about her ordeal, saying it would
further jeopardize her safety. Afghan
Justice Minister Habibullah Ghaleb and a judiciary committee both
proposed a pardon. Karzai then ordered authorities to decree Gulnaz's
release.</a></blockquote>
Afghani men do not need to be protected from the Taliban as much as Afghani
women need to be protected from Afghani men. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-12134216605598670202011-12-14T06:47:00.001-05:002011-12-18T11:52:27.932-05:00Governer Rick Perry: Wrong on intolerance and wrong on his facts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NK4dBCMV5rkL1JOOG5aSYEcFuZV7O679EURD2aYy1Y23Elo_9OqVkSsX1qe1YK9jyio4wz1Hp7s1_qF03B4eqFf5uCsclLQFFdUubU_kWTrbJCpJNGFFWwt_vGXTw7Hj9_8bYk_X0J7X/s1600/rick-perry012011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NK4dBCMV5rkL1JOOG5aSYEcFuZV7O679EURD2aYy1Y23Elo_9OqVkSsX1qe1YK9jyio4wz1Hp7s1_qF03B4eqFf5uCsclLQFFdUubU_kWTrbJCpJNGFFWwt_vGXTw7Hj9_8bYk_X0J7X/s200/rick-perry012011.jpg" width="200" /></a>Governor Rick Perry of Texas showed something other than Christian spirit when he took time to say the following:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/rick-perry-ad-gay-military_n_1145491.html">"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm Christian. But you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in schools."</a> He went on to say, "As president, I'll end Obama's war on religion and I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage."</blockquote>
Governor Perry will have a very difficult time finding any written statements or recorded words documenting president Obama's war on religion. That's because president Obama's war on religion exists only in the mind of Governor Perry. I hope the governor did not say what he did because he is a victim of mad cow disease.<br />
<br />
When Perry expresses his concern over the inability of children to pray in school, I assume that he's speaking on behalf of Jewish, Moslem, Hindu, and children of other faiths, not just Christian children. There should be no shame attached to a person being a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, or a member of any other religion. Shame occurs when people cloak themselves with religion and use it to make vile utterances<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-14271127504534507702011-12-04T21:00:00.001-05:002011-12-18T11:56:14.333-05:00New Age of Publishing Books is Now<h2 class="date-header">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqO1KJC5n-Wc1tfAknULnR7YSDgncRU74yzQH7qTHYqH3tfV8zV2jH1mOqgCiBHfPHLkwYqp8jzqu95GC-9s9Vgxf486wXeKS_oVlIQOSmY_8_Pv8HvQ1ugJm1M9Vw5_TjVQ0teiMGqbu/s1600/indian-man-tearing-paper-sheet-thumb18879457.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqO1KJC5n-Wc1tfAknULnR7YSDgncRU74yzQH7qTHYqH3tfV8zV2jH1mOqgCiBHfPHLkwYqp8jzqu95GC-9s9Vgxf486wXeKS_oVlIQOSmY_8_Pv8HvQ1ugJm1M9Vw5_TjVQ0teiMGqbu/s200/indian-man-tearing-paper-sheet-thumb18879457.jpg" width="140" /></a>If,
the world is flat as Thomas Friedman says it is, then the world of
publishing is becoming paper thin. There was much ado when Amazon said
it was
going into the publishing business. Authors can make their pitch to
Amazon and get the best deal possible. So what's the difference, you
ask? Amazon has a fraction of the overhead of traditional publishers.
Amazon can afford to let the public make decisions about what he wants
to read. Traditional publishers can print books and have them collect
dust.<br />
<br />
Amazon is only the beginning of the revolution, sort of the tip of an
iceberg that's coming dead on a ship too slow to move out of its way. For those
authors that don't like dealing with Amazon, there are other alternatives. Take
a minute to visit <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/">Smashwords</a>. On
their website, you can buy novels, novellas, and all sorts of short stories.
Probably the low end stuff many people would say. Most people don't know that <a href="http://writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/006549_02092011.html">John
Grisham sold novels</a> out of the trunk of his car. Stephanie Meyer's overly
large manuscript was read by an assistant to the literary agent who probably would've
immediately tossed the 125,000 word sumission into the circular file. The old
publishing model was failure avoidant. Accumulate as many best-selling authors
as you can and publish their novels until the readership disappears or the
ink dries<br />
<br />
<br />
If Amazon is the publisher, it will want to sell the novel on its site, not
competing websites .Smashwords will sell your novel, short story, etc. on its
website, but it will also place novels at Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony,
Kobo, Diesel, and any other site that sells novels and pays their bills. Barnes
& Noble has entered the publishing business. I'm not a shill for Smashwords.
I haven't put my first short story up for sale there, yet. But it will happen soon.
Most importantly, I know it will sell. It's about vampires and werewolves, two
lovers, and a battle that makes the gunfight at the OK corral seem like a tea
party at Buckingham Palace.<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">This
post is based on what I've learned in the last two weeks. Most assuredly, there
are many things I don't know about in the new age of digital publishing. But I
hope to have fun learning them. This is the first of at least two posts on this
subject. The next post will focus on the changing nature of the relationship
between the writer and the reader</span></div>
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</div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-30472130116029804972011-12-01T23:38:00.001-05:002011-12-18T11:57:16.666-05:00Districts Pay Less in Poor Schools, Report Says<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Never under estimate the federal
government's power for discovering the obvious. A newly released study showed
that students in poor neighborhoods are frequently taught by low-paid rookie
teachers <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">who</b> move on as they gain
experience. The quote below from the New York Times is priceless. Everyone in
America knew that poor schools had the most inexperienced and often poor
teachers. Is there some conspiracy to deprive these children of a quality
education? Maybe, but the single best explanation is that good teachers don't
want to teach children who "don't want to learn." I put the last four
words in quotation marks because a number of elite schools have demonstrated
that these children can make significant progress, and many go on to college in
these exceptional schools.</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: yellow;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 5.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_993717050"><span style="color: blue;">Until now, however, researchers lacked nationwide data to
prove it. That changed Wednesday when the </span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_993717050" title="More articles about the U.S. Department of Education."><span style="color: blue;">Department of Education</span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_993717050"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_993717050" title="The report."><span style="color: blue;">released a 78-page report</span></a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/education/us-education-department-finds-salary-gap-in-poor-schools.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&src=recg&adxnnlx=1322799740-+O1wBrySQ8E2y9IZ8OdVqQ"><span style="color: blue;">. Its conclusion: Tens of thousands of schools serving
low-income students are being shortchanged because districts spend fewer state
and local dollars on teacher salaries in those schools than on salaries in
schools serving higher-income students. </span></a></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately, the schools led by
exceptional educators and backed up by the best teachers are rare exceptions. It's
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> just a matter of salary or
experience. The conditions under which a teacher has to work are extremely
important. Most of the poor children go to schools, which are the oldest and
most dilapidated in each school district. If school districts weren't able to
keep up all the maintenance in the past, and build new schools when necessary, it
is going to be more difficult in the future when monies are going to be tight
tightly budgeted. With so many people are out of work and/or owning homes that are
worth less than they paid for them, they are not going to vote for increases in
taxes to provide more money for the schools. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">If you are an experienced teacher
with demonstrated competence and seniority, would you rather work in an old
rundown school with rust and mildew, or, in one of the districts where the schools
have all the bells and whistles? Would you rather teach children who are
frequently underfed, often neglected, and have little motivation to learn, or
teach motivated children wanting to learn, well fed, and cared for by their
parents who expect them to go to college? Don't reach for your pencils these
are rhetorical questions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The report went on to document that
the problems began in 1965 with the passage of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, which channels money to educate poor children. The report cites
a loophole that allowed school systems to report educator salaries on a district
wide basis, which masked the difference between schools with low-income
children and those with middle or upper middle class incomes. That's another
surprise. Can you imagine people working the system for Washington? Ask the
bankers. Maybe they could load the school districts the money lady..</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-64595435816802255562011-12-01T12:36:00.001-05:002011-12-18T11:58:19.524-05:00Michele Bachmann: Evolution-Only Approach In Schools Amounts To 'Censorship By Government'.
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It seems we have returned to the
place where religious belief determines scientific fact. It's one thing to have
a theory that guides your research. It's quite another to have a belief system
that overrides the facts, or at lease changes The interpretation of them to fit
the belief system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2037664297" style="color: yellow;">"Bachmann also </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2037664297" style="color: yellow;" target="_hplink">stated</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2037664297" style="color: yellow;">,
"If you look at scientists there is not a unanimity of agreement on the
origins of life." She made similar remarks in 2006. "There are
hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel Prizes, who
believe in intelligent design," she </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2037664297" style="color: yellow;" target="_hplink">said</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/michele-bachmann-evolution_n_1122949.html" style="color: yellow;">."</a> </span></div>
</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMzwl6X7wCskj3GAe0alX19aQTiZae14pfHr8rnrb1aOyvQ7MdMd4mVRjNz8QhshAsdCTsTxw8JVTDWjM-fWMiKrgeYe8_ZEIjX9WCUyZCrMhK1qAbHzsBgC-zLSmK3I-LGXK2_w3zMe0/s1600/Bachmann+Michelle+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMzwl6X7wCskj3GAe0alX19aQTiZae14pfHr8rnrb1aOyvQ7MdMd4mVRjNz8QhshAsdCTsTxw8JVTDWjM-fWMiKrgeYe8_ZEIjX9WCUyZCrMhK1qAbHzsBgC-zLSmK3I-LGXK2_w3zMe0/s200/Bachmann+Michelle+4.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Religious belief systems don't
depend on empirical evidence, But rather on faith. If they find empirical
evidence that supports their beliefs, that's fine. If the evidence doesn't
support their beliefs, then they don't believe in the evidence. Or, they
cobbled together bits and pieces of "evidence" and assemble a shaky
theory to support their belief system.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Christian Conservatives have a
right to believe in anything they want to. But when they exert pressure to
determine the science that is taught in schools, they are infringing upon the
lives of all the people that don't share their religious beliefs. No one ever
said ever said that Darwinian evolution explains every fact and has no
contradictions. Of course it does. That is the nature of theories. A scientific
theory has to stand up against new findings that threaten its assumptions.
Religious theory, particularly those based on the assumption that the Bible is
the written word of God need to be kept in the churches and not in the school
system.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ms. Bachman is not alone in
disbelieving Darwinian evolution. But when she makes statements that hundreds
of scientists support our belief system, She's twisting the facts to support a
belief system that's based on twisted facts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The so-called theory of
"creative design" will never go away despite its paucity of facts,
because it isn't based on facts but rather on religious beliefs. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow; line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: yellow; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On December 20, 2005,<span style="color: #fff2cc;"> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2037664301" style="color: #fff2cc;" title="Question of fact">Judge Jones issued his 139-page findings of fact</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2037664301" style="color: #fff2cc;"> and
decision ruling that the Dover mandate which required the statement to be read
in class was unconstitutional. The ruling concluded that intelligent design is
not science, and permanently barred the board from "maintaining the ID
Policy in any school within the Dover Area School District, from requiring
teachers to denigrate or disparage the scientific theory of evolution, and from
requiring teachers to refer to a religious, alternative theory known as
ID."</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Our system of government was created
to protect the rights of minorities. That system shouldn't be used to allow
minorities to impose their beliefs on the majority of the population</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://on%20december%2020,%202005,%20judge%20jones%20issued%20his%20139-page%20findings%20of%20fact%20and%20decision%20ruling%20that%20the%20dover%20mandate%20which%20required%20the%20statement%20to%20be%20read%20in%20class%20was%20unconstitutional.%20the%20ruling%20concluded%20that%20intelligent%20design%20is%20not%20science,%20and%20permanently%20barred%20the%20board%20from%20%22maintaining%20the%20id%20policy%20in%20any%20school%20within%20the%20dover%20area%20school%20district,%20from%20requiring%20teachers%20to%20denigrate%20or%20disparage%20the%20scientific%20theory%20of%20evolution,%20and%20from%20requiring%20teachers%20to%20refer%20to%20a%20religious,%20alternative%20theory%20known%20as%20id.%22[/"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-79193361668932864192011-11-29T20:07:00.001-05:002011-11-29T20:47:11.420-05:00Miley Cyrus Woes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC7Ar7eIzuVuyIWFJR0Wnc5-JMP0VWCF3Wsh15bH87D8szOz9Jca80GJtnQSDKGDHbE1IFeY1QStWPFnPEmPqAFbXAmiInlQ0KkSngS15NDvQfsOEgXvFvOLvmSwmV0N2hMXmutpA-S9U/s1600/miley-cyrus-bad-posture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC7Ar7eIzuVuyIWFJR0Wnc5-JMP0VWCF3Wsh15bH87D8szOz9Jca80GJtnQSDKGDHbE1IFeY1QStWPFnPEmPqAFbXAmiInlQ0KkSngS15NDvQfsOEgXvFvOLvmSwmV0N2hMXmutpA-S9U/s200/miley-cyrus-bad-posture.png" width="140" /></a>"Miley Cyrus Alludes To Smoking Weed, Being A Stoner," was the headline on Huffington Post and many other print and web media. Is anyone surprised? Doubtful. Should anyone care? My initial reaction was to say no. However, here is a young woman on a train bound for places other than glory.If the headline is true, there will be a future filled with drug-induced crises, comebacks, more drug-induced crises, followed by more comebacks. Hopefully, there will be a substance-abuse free future for her. but by then, time and experience will have etched deep lines on her soul. The lessons she will have learned by then, she could have learned earlier, at a cheaper price.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlacrgGjv1n6PGR70sFufwa9AAkNt3x-rcTOxL5HtS-0YaM3TqofTmNFeZ2M4cAkNR-eVg4xLv96ZJ2U1qI4SGPJBVmJ6uEsmRJNJ32eoCQNPypeifTXfANOogvWL2ARi1IKTQHpajGt_L/s1600/Taylor+Swift+A+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlacrgGjv1n6PGR70sFufwa9AAkNt3x-rcTOxL5HtS-0YaM3TqofTmNFeZ2M4cAkNR-eVg4xLv96ZJ2U1qI4SGPJBVmJ6uEsmRJNJ32eoCQNPypeifTXfANOogvWL2ARi1IKTQHpajGt_L/s200/Taylor+Swift+A+%25283%2529.jpg" width="128" /></a>I can't help but think of Taylor Swift, who recently appeared on 60 minutes. Her head seems to be screwed on right and her thinking clear. She Is not only in charge of our own life, but in charge of the major corporation she has become. She showed a combination of wisdom and courage when she acknowledged the impact of her behavior on her young fans. She almost looks and sounds too good to be true. But Thus far,Ttere are no shocking pictures or revelations to indicate she is other than what she says she is. Miley Cyrus could do far worse than hanging out with Taylor Swift.<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-14947302780033764052011-11-14T20:10:00.001-05:002011-11-14T20:11:13.541-05:00A Hero Emerges- Senator Tom Coburn Steps ForthThe American system of government could not be more broken. Both parties stand miles apart in their stated beliefs and values and hurl invectives at each other. In the midst of this, a hero has emerged, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. The following headline is a rocket bursting through political hypocrisy and greed. <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/193365-coburn-targets-billions-in-tax-breaks-reaped-by-millionaires" target="_blank">. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released a report detailing special tax breaks for wealthy income earners that could give members of the supercommittee common ground for raising tax revenues.</a><br />
<br />
Sen. Coburn is not a liberal Democrat, a four letter word to many in this country, but rather a conservative Republican. It took an immeasurable amount of political courage for him to say the following.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">“From tax write-offs for gambling losses, vacation homes and luxury yachts to subsidies for their ranches and estates, the government is subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Multimillionaires are even receiving government checks for not working,” </span></blockquote><br />
His report found that millionaires enjoy $30 billion worth of tax giveaways in federal grants every year. His staff found that millionaires received $74 million worth of unemployment checks from 2005 to 2009. In 2009, 18 people earning more than $10 million a year received an average of $12,000 in unemployment benefits. These people didn't take advantage of a loophole. rather, they were the beneficiaries of a tax and political system that is morally bankrupt.<br />
<br />
I can understand people having a value system in which they seek to reduce the size of government and to minimize the tax burden on the vast majority of working Americans.I cannot comprehend why members of Congress would seek to preserve a system that gives handouts to millionaires. From my perspective, a substantial number of congress persons seek to enshrine a government dedicated to increasing the wealth of the most affluent<br />
I am not a socialist. If I were a rich man I would seek to hold on to as much of my wealth as possible. However I would not expect the government to actively work towards increasing my wealth.<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-57784944358887355282011-10-28T13:14:00.002-04:002011-10-28T13:24:46.699-04:00The death of the Liberal arts education curriculum.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2004398778">Recently,</a><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2011/10/michael_m_crow_president_of_arizona_state_university_explains_wh.html"> Michael Crowe, President of Arizona State University argued for the maintenance of traditional liberal arts courses.</a> He did so in response to Florida's Gov., Rick Scott, call for reductions in state appropriations for particular academic disciplines so that public universities can focus resources on producing graduates in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math. although I am a proponent of a liberal arts education, I am unable to agree with Mr. Crowe.<br />
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Over 40 years ago I graduated with a Bachelors degree in psychology from a well-rounded liberal arts program. I have no doubt that it made me a more complete person with a better understanding of the world around me. However, I went on to get a doctorate, which is how I earned a living. The realities of present day society are different than they were four decades ago.Getting a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, or English literature is not going to pay for an apartment in a major city, let alone student loans that have grown immensely.<br />
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My youngest daughter obtained a degree in mechanical engineering and in 2000 had no difficulty getting a well-paying job in Boston. She met other young woman her age who had liberal arts degrees from some of the finest universities in America. Many of them worked as "executive assistants" earning 60% of what she did. Before people get $50,000 or $100,000 in debt for their college education, they need to think about how they are going to pay it back. I think it is a shame that many of the courses that I took and enjoyed will no longer be offered. But the times change and what worked 40 years ago does not work today.<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-22982406374819760712010-09-28T20:23:00.000-04:002010-09-28T20:23:51.287-04:00Afghanistan: A Problem without a Solution?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibv6XsXqcp8uyAcKK_d95Dcd2idbylKZObJhaKp4gWRN21XpIjPuTUM7ULNFXTxeCieMtn8onZ-Goc3pUxSZTiDgyunjcpY_trkXR19ijCIlWIRTHVyK3yUS1ymzfesXqD2lPHXA9f3f5e/s1600/obama_afghanistan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibv6XsXqcp8uyAcKK_d95Dcd2idbylKZObJhaKp4gWRN21XpIjPuTUM7ULNFXTxeCieMtn8onZ-Goc3pUxSZTiDgyunjcpY_trkXR19ijCIlWIRTHVyK3yUS1ymzfesXqD2lPHXA9f3f5e/s200/obama_afghanistan.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>During the past six months, I have read numerous articles and watched television news stories about what is happening in the war in Afghanistan. Last night, On 60 Minutes, I saw evidence that we are fighting a war with no end in sight. CBS correspondent, Lara Logan was embedded with troops of the 101st Airborne in areas of Afghanistan immediately adjacent to Pakistan. She exhibited bravery that few people associate with correspondence these days.<br />
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Ms. Logan didn't just talk to the troops about the conditions they were confronting. She went on a mission with a captain in the 101st airborne that showed the intensity of fighting at this front line position. When the American soldiers arrived at the small native village, the chief of the village showed no inclination to talk or work with the captain. On the return mission, the unit came under heavy fire and the captain demonstrated an incredible indifference to bullets whizzing by him as he tried to extricate a truck stuck in the rocky terrain. The captain described an endless supply of soldiers coming in from Pakistan. No matter how many his men killed, more of the enemy pour across the border. He described the non-Afghani soldiers as well trained and willing to die. The captain's efforts to win over small isolated villages were meeting with little success. If the villagers cooperate with us, they are dead the next time that the Taliban enter their town.<br />
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The type of combat situation we saw on 60 minutes goes far beyond "Winning the Hearts and Minds of the People." General Pertraeus, who had much more success in Iraq, assured the president and the American people that with additional soldiers the country could be stabilized under what passes for Democratic leadership in that country. Please note I didn't say, "Win." Unless we find a way to seal off the border with Pakistan the war with the Taliban will go on forever. Is this another Vietnam, where no matter how many soldiers we pour into the country the fight continues to rage?<br />
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Recent polling has shown that the majority of Americans have now decided they are not in favor of our efforts in Afghanistan. However, there is still staunch support for our continued presence in that country as evidenced by the headline in the September 28, 2010 <a href=".http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0928/Afghanistan-war-Is-the-US-in-it-to-win-it">Christian Science Monitor</a>. <br />
<blockquote>" <strong><em>Afghanistan war: Is the US in it to win it? America's engagement in Afghanistan remains vital. Now is the time to renew our resolve and pursue our broad-based strategy, not look for an exit." </em></strong></blockquote>The article written by Kurt Volcker cites General Pertraeus statement, "We are in this to win." With the corrupt government in Kabul and a continual supply of soldiers crossing the border from Pakistan, the question must be raised as to whether it is possible to actually "win." At the same time, it is obvious that if we pull out of Afghanistan, or withdraw to the major cities, the Taliban will take over most of the country and Al Qaeda will have a training ground for far more terrorists than it had in 2001 when we first invaded the country. I don't pretend to have a solution. The question is whether the administration, or anyone in this country (Republicans included), has one.<div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-91203444594713260662010-08-28T09:09:00.000-04:002010-08-28T09:09:00.305-04:00The Phantom Paragrapher review of "An Unholy Embrace" by Neil Benson<span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Phantom Paragrapher</span></strong> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Review of "An Unholy Embrace" by Paula Zone </span></strong></a><br />
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Are you loving the whole mortal/vampire love storyline ? Edward and Bella in Twilight , Elena and Stefan / Damon in Vampire Diaries , Dylan and Claire in The Gates (though Claire is now turned) , Alexander/ Jagger and Raven in Vampire Kisses and Dimitri and Rose in Vampire Academy or Hugo and Elizabeth in The Point and who can forget our Sookie Stackhouse and Eric/Bill.<br />
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With Vampire Novels now on the rise for the last two years , reading an article -the world of Vampires has hit the money-making world of $7 Billion Dollars in Books, Movies, TV and Merchandise.<br />
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Today's Review is that whole mortal/vampire love affair but in today's book it contains the twist of the female being the Vampire and the mortal being the male.<br />
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Review : Unholy Embrace - Neil Benson -2010<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Embrace-Neil-Benson/dp/0982679505/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283000829&sr=1-1"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OELTegibuiojCT4ZAn6heA8MUbhYZMsUEIKbihhnlj5it-s4SnrRIyRJM0ip93NGN2eukIV7TjO1wBbZGnbAlZ1Ce7tNXXbpOMaSKrZ_D7E6LQUAekXtqRmBILytnaaiwMxIvqDjZijY/s200/unholy_embrace_final+revised+1x.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br />
A popular storyline lately has been the tale of the mortal/vampire love story and the majority of them have ended up writing the male as a Vampire and the female as the lovestruck mortal. One thing that I really liked in Neil Benson's book is that he decided to use gender reversed roles and make the male the lovestruck mortal and the female the Vampire. Having it this way, was a nice change for once. <br />
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The story starts when Frank and Nessa are out on a date and are attacked by Werewolves, the attack causes Nessa to extract her fangs and go all- vampirey , something that Frank hasn't really experienced before. From then on , we are transported back to the beginning -where they first met and how their relationship started and of course how they reached the point in the story. <br />
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What follows is Nessa explaining and opening her 400yr old heart to Frank and telling her story on how she became a Vampire starting in Hungary all the way to her travels via Vienna and Paris to the Present time in New York. <br />
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We read as the Werewolves attacks are just the beginning as Nessa has been on the run nearly 400 years and has been tracked by Narice - the vampire lover of the Vampire who turned Nessa and in return Nessa Killed out of vengeance. <br />
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When Frank realises the consequences and danger of being with Nessa , can he stand strong and embrace the unholiness of being with a Vampire or will he take the white feather coward option out and leave Nessa to follow a path of a normal life ?<br />
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An excellent story that shows readers in a paranormal and supernatural way that no matter what happens and how terrifying obstacles can be - love between not only mortals but mortals and supernaturals can stick tog<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Embrace-Neil-Benson/dp/0982679505/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274835629&sr=1-2"><strong>http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Embrace-Neil-Benson/dp/0982679505/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274835629&sr=1-2</strong></a><strong> </strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-76538140156397744412010-08-18T21:48:00.000-04:002010-08-18T21:48:32.010-04:00GOP - Great Obstructionist Party<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYQRyyM1DjWbtsBHbDSmbhTcLmMcXhwFUaEYTcYsDQV68tJGsSWwPmkq2_BZGBZ1N1iA1pR5MUhSnt9KofT2UWZ7Ye_OtVo9z4gxEQfjWn5LiDLlkrvdG8TbmDwzPW9pkA4i0Jpazj5EY/s1600/mcconnell-octc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYQRyyM1DjWbtsBHbDSmbhTcLmMcXhwFUaEYTcYsDQV68tJGsSWwPmkq2_BZGBZ1N1iA1pR5MUhSnt9KofT2UWZ7Ye_OtVo9z4gxEQfjWn5LiDLlkrvdG8TbmDwzPW9pkA4i0Jpazj5EY/s320/mcconnell-octc.jpg" /></a>The GOP, which used to stand for "Grand Old Party," has become the "Great Obstructionist Party." I didn't make this up on my own. I'm using the words of Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader. In the August 15th edition of the New York Times, the esteemed Senator said <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/us/politics/15memo.html?_r=2&scp=5&sq=mitch%20mcconnell&st=cse">“I wish we had been able to obstruct more,"</a> in referring to the Republican party's response to legislation enacteed by the Democrats during the past 18 months.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Senator could easily argue that I'm taking his words out of context. I would not disagree. However, I would point out that when President Bush, witth the urging of Secretary of Treasury Paulson and Fed Chairman Bernanke, asked for emergency legislation to prevent a meltdown of the nation's financial system the GOP as a party said "no." They allowed enough Senators and Representatives to vote yes to allow for the bailout package, but the party's heart was obstructed. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The GOP will go to the voters this fall and tell them the party tried to stop "bad legislation" from being enacted. However, the GOP cannot tell the voters of any positve actions that the party implemented or helped to enact. In times of crisis, leadership does not consist of "Just saying no."</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-37748721669853962812010-04-12T00:51:00.000-04:002010-04-12T00:51:12.916-04:00Sarah Palin: Future President and Chief Science Officer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJcZtb2sgU_hGPgO7TG-sFAXT_3xLpOvtx3YXw82L1YPLtHh2NyZT5UQVyyqw2ra_mR1i_PdYaswk4pg0EioOGZHD0-cRAmdC01If-PLTM-L7y2nJa4ZWpxWa8KcVjA7VDaVhIcqMrFsF/s1600/Sarah-Palin-Pitbull-With-Lipstick-46860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJcZtb2sgU_hGPgO7TG-sFAXT_3xLpOvtx3YXw82L1YPLtHh2NyZT5UQVyyqw2ra_mR1i_PdYaswk4pg0EioOGZHD0-cRAmdC01If-PLTM-L7y2nJa4ZWpxWa8KcVjA7VDaVhIcqMrFsF/s200/Sarah-Palin-Pitbull-With-Lipstick-46860.jpg" width="163" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Former half-term Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, continues to speak, and each time she does so gives more evidence of the vacuous nature of her thinking. She recently opined on how the nation should approach nuclear disarmament. I found this remarkable for a woman who before her nomination to vice-president didn't know the difference between Pluto and plutonium. President Obama respectfully declined her advice and continued to work on plans based on input from senior scientific and political advisers. </strong><br />
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<strong>Now she has clarified the issue of global warming once and for all. She is "Agin it. You betcha." At a recent Republican convention, she stated:</strong><br />
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<blockquote><a href="http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0410/palin-this-snake-oil-science-stuff/"><strong>"We should create a competitive climate for investment in renewables and alternatives, none of this snake oil science stuff that is based on this global warming, Gore-gate stuff that came down where there was revelation that the scientists, some of these scientists were playing political games."</strong></a></blockquote><strong>I can understand people having questions about the causes of global warming. However, her reference to snake oil is a bit odd. Does she think snake oil is a cause for global warming or prevents it? Is it possible the de facto head of the Tea Party has a little too much Kool aid in her tea? If you want to risk brain damage, try reading the second sentence a couple of times.</strong><br />
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<strong>Tonight, on 60 minutes, they highlighted the finding of a link between apes and Homo sapiens. A scientist found the skull of a nine-year-old child that is 1.9 million years old. Undoubtedly, Ms. Palin will remind us this is more snake oil. She point out the Bible and has everything we need to know about evolution. A long time ago when I was in graduate school, the pastor of the St. Thomas Aquinas Center at Purdue University told an audience that "the Bible tells us how to get to heaven, not how the heavens were made." I wonder how Chief Science Officer Sarah Palin would have reacted to hearing that statement from a Catholic priest.</strong><br />
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</strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-54748873885008205552010-03-25T21:24:00.000-04:002010-03-25T21:24:49.204-04:00Unholy Embrace vampire novel by Neil Benson - The vampire as beauty and the beast.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-RzrRn4GRkiEGdUeinN_7sdYY6nm8f0GbmUA21ziqQjq-6l2TD33RpbL4mTkwFP9YNQD9i-KD0CIjWv6k6xm-POsZsiIHa1qFM3HOuafD2NuvsEa8FgkSLcqlPEMcwPs4AE7cGkzKCOV/s1600/vampire+beauty+and+the+beast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-RzrRn4GRkiEGdUeinN_7sdYY6nm8f0GbmUA21ziqQjq-6l2TD33RpbL4mTkwFP9YNQD9i-KD0CIjWv6k6xm-POsZsiIHa1qFM3HOuafD2NuvsEa8FgkSLcqlPEMcwPs4AE7cGkzKCOV/s320/vampire+beauty+and+the+beast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<strong>In my vampire novel, Nessa, the vampire, is a beautiful, elegant woman. But as her mortal lover, Frank, finds out early in the novel, she is capable of acts of physical violence he finds difficult to comprehend. Furthermore, when he sees her fangs dripping with blood, the lovely woman he loves is transformed into the hideous, undead creature of myth.</strong><br />
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<strong>There was nothing startling or revelatory about this kind of change. The duality of good and evil is clearly stated in the Old Testament in the passage that follows.</strong><br />
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<strong>"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. "(Isaiah 45:5-8)</strong><br />
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<strong>The novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the vile Mr Edward Hyde. The work is famous for its vivid portrayal of a split personality, split in the sense that within the same person there is both an apparently good and an evil personality each being quite distinct from the other. The novella's impact is such that it has become a part of the language, with the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next.</strong><br />
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<strong>In my novel, Nessa strives deny her vampirism as much as possible. She wants to be the "good human," not the "evil" vampire. However, there are times when circumstances force her to become the lethal vampire in her own self-defense, or to save Frank. Even acting in self defense, her ferocity and physical power enable her to act in a way most people would find abhorrent. There are instances in the novel when her actions go far beyond self-defense, and the crueler, aspect of her nature is revealed.</strong><br />
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<strong>We all struggle with our own impulses of good and evil. In order to retain our essential humanity it is necessary we keep our evil impulses at bay. Recent history has shown that under certain circumstances "good people" can act in ways that contravene the ethical and moral standards under which we live.</strong><br />
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<strong>Nessa, despite her desire to be human, is the vampire, the beast. So beauty and the beast reside side-by-side. </strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1639917-Unholy-Embrace----First-Three-Chapters">http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1639917-Unholy-Embrace----First-Three-Chapters</a> </strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-5277348218976722252010-03-14T22:07:00.000-04:002010-03-14T22:07:19.393-04:00We Are the Vampires by Neil Benson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaSqHNw7Moj3l8ROPiM74cM4XVCqCn1kHuQd6BTUAHDddxsup0ReACFjP228TiUVNvz5uawOQp3QJ8RorRZdCcii48xuT9T75D0cUFyoRdXW836zjQERQ6iqCz3ISg3jfDwwyGjqYPeiF/s1600-h/dracula-1024x944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaSqHNw7Moj3l8ROPiM74cM4XVCqCn1kHuQd6BTUAHDddxsup0ReACFjP228TiUVNvz5uawOQp3QJ8RorRZdCcii48xuT9T75D0cUFyoRdXW836zjQERQ6iqCz3ISg3jfDwwyGjqYPeiF/s200/dracula-1024x944.jpg" vt="true" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4hyzm9jUaYX2bf3sX2jtqEk1tNO-VUSurWkukks1x_IYrU7JreelCRF7FKoIgewM2_WWamZs6IlJo7MqkQxsHVM2hX-dvKXLiV1Re_1jTUS55c7EF-nGbgLbYTieL0J97fwHXGQfUVBg/s1600-h/richard-fuld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4hyzm9jUaYX2bf3sX2jtqEk1tNO-VUSurWkukks1x_IYrU7JreelCRF7FKoIgewM2_WWamZs6IlJo7MqkQxsHVM2hX-dvKXLiV1Re_1jTUS55c7EF-nGbgLbYTieL0J97fwHXGQfUVBg/s200/richard-fuld.jpg" vt="true" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Vampires are us, not other. When we look into the mirror, they are the twisted reflections of evil within us. This is not to say that all, or even most, people are essentially evil. Rather, the vampire is a metaphor for some of our evil wishes. As much as the myth of the vampire is about sex, it is also about greed. The vampire hungers for the blood of the living and takes it by force, not caring whether the victim lives or dies. Of course, there is the exception. That is when the vampire for personal reasons decides to turn the victim into one of the "undead." Evil breeding evil.</strong><br />
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<strong>Various legends and myths make Lilith, Adam's first wife, the mother of all vampires or all succubi. According to the myth, Lilith refused to subjugate herself to Adam and demanded to be his equal. She might have been the first feminist. For her defiance, she paid an awful price. The Angels killed her children, and she in turn swore vengeance on the descendent of Adam. There are 4000-year-old stone carvings of Lilith. The presence of the carving does not necessarily make her real. However, for people to have taken the trouble to make carvings of her meant she was of more than minor significance. There are legends of vampires in many other cultures separated from the civilizations that arose in Mesopotamia and its neighboring areas. </strong><br />
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<strong>I believe one way to look at the vampire is to see the creature as humanity disowning its own evil intent. We invent the creature and give it lust and other qualities we deny exist in ourselves. After millenniums passed, the vampire arrived in literature. First in John Polypore's The Vampyre, then in Carmilla" by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and finally in Dracula by Bram Stoker. It is worth noting that Lord Ruthven in Vampire and Carmilla both appear as "normal" human beings. However, Dracula is described as thin, with a long white mustache, pointed ears and sharp teeth. He is dressed all in black and has hair on his palms. Jonathan Harker notes his "extraordinary" pallor.</strong><br />
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<strong>I believe Dracula was depicted to make him an evil looking creature, not one of us. A hundred years pass, and vampires are once again indistinguishable from us. In many novels, they are creatures of great beauty and allure. In recent novels, they have been tamed, and were it not for their thirst for blood and immortality, could probably join the Chamber of Commerce. But in 2007, continuing into 2008 and 2009, a worldwide financial catastrophe brings forth a different vampire. These vampires do not take in blood, nor are they immortal and have inhuman strength. Rather, these vampires sucked the financial blood of the nation that a second Great Depression was only narrowly averted. These vampires are bankers, brokers, heads of investment firms, mortgage agents, and a host of others who fed on society's greed for bigger, better houses.</strong><br />
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</strong><br />
<strong>Vampires will always be among us. For they are "us" in our worst aspects. Whether in the form of the myth or the reality of people so greedy they would destroy an economy, they are us.</strong><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-85482763809085294382010-01-17T14:42:00.006-05:002010-01-17T15:06:53.513-05:00Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson Bound for Hell<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXCAcQCDfYd5nVwzvbV_WDebII7gVlkgz2FOLxv01kxCjiOHASKhVJNhx0y94-XocrgFh_101Fmv8B4CvNaHENwDcG4BkDRAezq9rb1vfKEs6RKiZnshlyDTNkqiI9F2aDmv1Ad_HUVt_/s1600-h/ap_Rush_Limbaugh_090129_mn.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 164px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 163px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427801475226810402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXCAcQCDfYd5nVwzvbV_WDebII7gVlkgz2FOLxv01kxCjiOHASKhVJNhx0y94-XocrgFh_101Fmv8B4CvNaHENwDcG4BkDRAezq9rb1vfKEs6RKiZnshlyDTNkqiI9F2aDmv1Ad_HUVt_/s200/ap_Rush_Limbaugh_090129_mn.jpg" /></a> Just when you think you've heard the ultimate insensitive comment from Rush Limbaugh, he shows you that you have underestimated his ability to be less than a human being. On a recent radio show, his Rushness said,<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></p><blockquote><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html">"<span style="color:black;"> <span lang="EN">Speaking on his radio show Wednesday, Limbaugh said the earthquake has played into Obama’s hands, allowing the president to look “compassionate” and “humanitarian” while at the same time bolstering his standing in both the “light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.” He added: “We've already donated to Haiti. It’s called </a><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html">the U.S. income tax.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></a></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html"><span lang="EN" style="color:black;">Conservative columnists on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Show said the following.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></a></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html"><span lang="EN" style="color:black;">“They are deeply insensitive,” said conservative commentator </span></a><a target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Pat Buchanan</span></a> on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”<br />Sitting next to Buchanan on set, host <a target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">Joe Scarborough</span></a> called Limbaugh’s comments “deplorable.” “The insensitivity is stunning,” said the former Republican congressman.<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><p><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html"><span lang="EN" style="color:black;"></span></a></p><p><span lang="EN" style="color:black;">How can Rush Limbaugh consider himself a Christian when he says so many vile things, and holds his fellow men and women in such contempt. It would be interesting to see him attempting to enter heaven and St. Peter holding an inch thick file of the venomous things he has said during his life. Get into heaven? No way. Bound for a much warmer climate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:';color:black;">While Limbaugh received a modicum of support, nobody of note has stepped up to defend Robertson’s claim that Haiti got hit by an earthquake because it is “cursed.” <o:p></o:p></span></a></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLzet2CrrEz36V2TelsP1h0KhJuOAhm5RogKodBbO7W97BavNTftBto1AhgljkduwHWLS1pauJFoRSXUDhCSD2buXZbr8c7vvdkBxCej0ZGX-MjWgyLeMGz8aYSQ3kHrzoZGE0-YEtRPG/s1600-h/18532_PatAlienLizard.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 98px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427801928873651586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLzet2CrrEz36V2TelsP1h0KhJuOAhm5RogKodBbO7W97BavNTftBto1AhgljkduwHWLS1pauJFoRSXUDhCSD2buXZbr8c7vvdkBxCej0ZGX-MjWgyLeMGz8aYSQ3kHrzoZGE0-YEtRPG/s200/18532_PatAlienLizard.jpg" /></a> <p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:';color:black;">Speaking about the disaster during his program “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network, Robertson said that when Haiti was still a French colony its leaders </span></a><a target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;">“swore a pact to the devil”</span></a> to get out from “under the heel of the French.” <o:p></o:p></p><br /><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal" class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31502_Page2.html"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:';color:black;">“They said, ‘we will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal,’”<o:p></o:p></span></a></p><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%;font-family:';color:black;" lang="EN" >No doubt Pat Robertson considers himself a person close to God. Once Robertson shuffles off this mortal coil he is likely to find himself heartily embraced by Satan rather than uplifted into glory and heaven. The man is just plain mean. What he says disqualifies him not only as a Christian, but also as a human being.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-61725013385539476842010-01-13T23:16:00.001-05:002010-01-17T15:06:34.667-05:00The NBC Scandal: The True Story<h3 style="BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous"><a name="2837934890396602312"></a><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-size:13;" ><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-size:130%;" >I was astonished to learn there was a scandal at NBC. But if the New York Times says there was a scandal, then there must have been a scandal. In today's New York Times, Alessandra Stanley, wrote the following. </span></strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';" ><?xml:namespace prefix = u2 /><u2:p></u2:p><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';" ><u2:p><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/theres-nothing-like-a-brouhaha-to-juice-up-late-night-tv/"></a></u2:p><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/theres-nothing-like-a-brouhaha-to-juice-up-late-night-tv/"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,153);font-size:130%;" >"Possibly the most incisive joke about NBC's late-night meltdown came from Conan O’Brien’s “Tonight Show” sidekick Andy Richter. “It’s been the most fun I’ve ever had in a show-biz scandal,” Mr. Richter said sardonically to Mr. O'Brien on their set on Tuesday.</span><u2:p></u2:p></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';" ><a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/theres-nothing-like-a-brouhaha-to-juice-up-late-night-tv/"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,153);font-size:130%;" >The NBC scandal isn’t fun exactly, but it is has produced the kind of must-see-in-real-time television that late-night comedy shows rarely offer anymore."</span><u2:p></u2:p></strong></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115)"><u2:p></u2:p><u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-size:130%;">While it would be foolish to challenge anything said in the New York Times, perhaps the above bears some further investigation</span></span></strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:Mangal;" >।</span></strong><strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115)"> According to Webster's online dictionary, the top three definitions for the word scandal are listed below.</span></strong><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><strong><i><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-size:130%;" >1 a : discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person b : conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another </span></i></strong><b><i><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';" ><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2 : loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : </span></strong></span></i></b><i><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';" ><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disgrace"><strong><span style="FONT-VARIANT: small-caps; COLOR: rgb(35,80,138)font-size:130%;" >disgrace</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></strong><b><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">3 a : a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it b : a person whose conduct offends propriety or morality<o:p></o:p></span></strong></b></span></i></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>As I read the above definitions, nothing that has happened with Jay Leno or Conan O'Brien meets any of these criteria. Why should I be an old curmudgeon and ruin the party? After all, the public's appetite for information about scandal seems bottomless. The David Letterman scandal in the fall, was a small prelude to the Tiger Woods scandal. Though Tigers pummeling is far from an end, the day will come when he crawls back onto the golf course to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Or is that outrageously bad boy behavior? Never mind, it's probably the same. It's probably best that I not get involved with such controversies. I have to help my publisher get my vampire novel ready for publication. Vampires. That's a safe subject. You've never heard of a vampire scandals, have you?</strong><u2:p></u2:p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;" ><u2:p><a href="http://www.sphere.com/search?q=sphereit:http://senseandnonsensnb.blogspot.com/2010/01/nbc-scandal-true-story.html/"></a></u2:p><a href="http://www.sphere.com/search?q=sphereit:http://senseandnonsensnb.blogspot.com/2010/01/nbc-scandal-true-story.html/">Sphere: Related Content</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;" ><script type="text/javascript"> var addthis_pub="neilbco"; </script></span><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,153); TEXT-DECORATION: nonefont-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;" ><?xml:namespace prefix = v /><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" preferrelative="t" spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f><v:path connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" extrusionok="f"><o:lock aspectratio="t" ext="edit"></v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" alt="Bookmark and Share" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20" type="#_x0000_t75" button="t" spid="_x0000_i1027"><v:imagedata title="Bookmark and Share" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\NEILBE~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif"></v:shape><!--[if !vml]--><span style="font-size:+0;"><img border="0" alt="Bookmark and Share" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/NEILBE~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="124" height="16" shapes="Picture_x0020_4" /></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;" ><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/200/addthis_widget.js"> </script><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; BACKGROUND: rgb(255,255,204); -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous" class="MsoNormal"><span class="post-labels"><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;" ><br /><a href="http://senseandnonsensnb.blogspot.com/search/label/NBC%20scandal"></a></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(52,20,115);font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';font-size:13;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></v:imagedata></o:lock></v:path></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas></v:stroke><div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7284169336072184992.post-47822782320224622552009-09-10T00:55:00.004-04:002009-09-10T01:03:38.018-04:00The Obstructionist Republican Party<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGWtjSz6vohMwIHruNOZw3k6FPCzwMeShJ4D_2T1H-_ufy4I8d0EN3ws4u2mpDaOzYMuqRwYZIMdGejnB-za2JBuXqNi6Qz_JNdM6LRygD0YFlTwOFP_e3VOf214uWvQxqCfY79nW7MeW/s1600-h/PaulRyan.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGWtjSz6vohMwIHruNOZw3k6FPCzwMeShJ4D_2T1H-_ufy4I8d0EN3ws4u2mpDaOzYMuqRwYZIMdGejnB-za2JBuXqNi6Qz_JNdM6LRygD0YFlTwOFP_e3VOf214uWvQxqCfY79nW7MeW/s320/PaulRyan.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379699305562280402" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNEILBE%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">What's left of the Republican Party has a new motto. It's "Just Say No" again, and again to anything proposed by the current administration. It could be argued that the Republicans are fulfilling their role as the loyal opposition. However, that argument is terribly thin because it is hard to know what the Republican Party stands for, if it stands for anything at all.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The main mission of the Republican Party seems to be to prevent President Obama from implementing any plan in any area. The Republicans voted against the stimulus package, and offered very little in the way of an alternative that made sense to anybody but fellow Republicans. They were against the bailout of the big three automakers which ought to be interesting the next time they're trying to get votes in <st1:state><st1:place>Ohio</st1:place></st1:state> and <st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The essential nature of the current Republican Party position was eloquently stated in July, by Senator Jim DeMint of <st1:state><st1:place>South Carolina</st1:place></st1:state>. When talking with Republican activists regarding efforts to stop the current health care initiative he said, <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/07/white-house-plans-to-use-demints-waterloo-quote-to-rally-the-troops.html">"If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his <st1:city><st1:place>Waterloo</st1:place></st1:city>. It will break him." </a>If Senator DeMint were interested in serving the interests of the people of <st1:state><st1:place>South Carolina</st1:place></st1:state>, he might remember the large percentage of his constituency, which has either no health insurance or inadequate health care coverage. The senator from <st1:state><st1:place>South Carolina</st1:place></st1:state> may be prescient in his prediction of <st1:city><st1:place>Waterloo</st1:place></st1:city>, but it may be about his own party rather than the president.</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNEILBE%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">The Republicans rightly raise concerns about the amount of money being spent by the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration. Unfortunately, the Republicans are adept at raising concerns, but short on offering realistic alternatives to solving the critical problems facing this country today. The continued absence of meaningful leadership within the Republican Party has allowed Sarah Palin to develop delusions about her ability to run for the presidency in 2012. Perhaps the Republican Party will get its just reward after all.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">That's all folks.</div>Neil Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18269735762990766138noreply@blogger.com1