Sunday, March 9, 2008

PHARMACEUTICALS FOUND IN DRINKING WATER



A year or so ago I saw a news story about drugs like birth control, anti-depressants and viagra showing up in the drinking water in Los Angeles. The newscaster said that people must be flushing their drugs down the toilet in order for them to end up in our drinking water.

It is difficult for me to imagine large numbers of women flushing birth control pills. Or middle aged men flushing their beloved viagra.

This was all shocking enough. But the news story ended with a matter-of-fact blurb that, by the way, Los Angeles had started cycling treated waste water into the reservoirs used for drinking water. I almost fell out of my seat at how flippant this last comment was thrown into the report.

This news story (linked to below) shows that this is happening nationwide and admits that these drugs show up in the reservoirs because we secrete the excess from our bodies through our urine. The story kind of dances around the inference that we are drinking treated waste water but gets to it eventually.

And fish are being "altered" by these drugs. We are being told that the trace amounts of these pharmaceuticals are too small to affect us. Oh, really? Researchers are finding male fish who are turning into female fish. Some even grow eggs. And we are to believe that continued exposure to this is not going to affect our children? Or ourselves?

Sometimes I feel that we are a generation being used as guinea pigs. With all the genetically modified crops, cows pumped full of growth hormones... all this technology has not had their long term effects tested. One day, years from now, our government will tell us, "Whoops! Sorry about that!"

IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR



As more and more soldiers and veterans who have fought in Iraq speak out against the war more and more Americans realize that it is possible to support the troops and still oppose the decisions made by our government. If you are reading this post you probably believe as I do that the best way to support and honor the brave men and women serving in that country is to bring that back as safely and quickly as possible.

I have had a step-brother and nephew serve two tours in Iraq. Luckily the both returned home alive and unharmed. And I've seen the pain and worry in the face of my step-brother's mother.

The organization Irag Veterans Against the War will be hosting events and fundraisers all across the country from March 13th through the 16th. There is a link to a map showing events in an area near you.

IVATW - Winter Soldier

Thursday, March 6, 2008

CLINTON FUNDRAISING SCANDAL - PT. 2



A good friend emailed the link to these videos to me. And as I watched through them I realized that this was related to a small news blurb I had stumbled across a few nights ago:

Clinton's To Face Fraud Trial

She really does have experience to succeed in Washington!!!

CLINTON FUNDRAISING SCANDAL - PT. 1


Dirty, dirty!

RELENTLESS DELEGATE MATH



This article shows that despite the recent victories, the delegate math facing Hillary Clinton is daunting. Not only will she need to win every remaining primary by a significant margin (margin's she has not been able to generate up to this point), but all indications are that the superdelegates will not contradict the will of the earned delegates.

I just wish it would end so that the Democratic candidate can begin focusing on the general election.

Newsweek - Hillary's New Math Problem

THE REASON BEHIND HILLARY'S SURGE?



This sounds insidious, but this author conjectures that the reason for the Clinton victories this past Tuesday was a significant number of Republicans voting for her in the open elections.

AmericanGoy - The Real Reason Behind The Clinton Surge

As proof, he offers this transcript from Rush Limbaugh:

Limbaugh Urges Republicans To Vote For Clinton

THAT CRAZY DELEGATE MATH



It seems that although Clinton won the general primary election in Texas, Obama will come out a few votes ahead as the caucus votes are counted. Despite the momentum her campaign has gained from the wins on Tuesday the likelihood of her winning with the margins needed in the remaining states is quite slim. Some say impossible.

BUSH DOES A TAP DANCE


The world is going to miss President Bush. He's funny!

"Come the millennium, month 12
In the home of greatest power,
The village idiot will come forth
To be acclaimed the leader."

Nostradamus, 1555

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

CLINTON BREAKS LOSING STREAK


Senator Clinton won three out of four elections last night in a very important day. Her campaign was calling these elections, particularly in Texas and Ohio, as a "firewall."

Voter turnout was quite high throughout all the states. And Clinton seems to have won the lion's share of voters who had waited until the last minute to decide.

WIthout these wins the Clinton campaign would have been in serious trouble. As it turns out, it is almost impossible for her to win enough of the remaining states by a wide enough margin to overtake her opponent, Senator Obama. Ahh... those superdelegates!

And even after the victories last night, the net delegate gain for Clinton is somewhere between +15 or, in one news story, -3.

What I found interesting are news stories that A significant number of Republicans voted for Clinton in the open Texas election. And I listened to the Republican governor of Florida arguing that the Democratic party should seat the delegates of his state, which went to Clinton. She was the only candidate who campaigned in that state, along with Michigan, who had been warned that their votes would not be counted due to known rules violations. Such an event would definitely benefit Senator Clinton.

Suspicious that a Republican would want this to happen.

Caucus Votes Still Being Counted In Texas

PLAY THE DELEGATE GAME!

This is great! An interactive map which lets you play the guessing game with the Democratic candidate delegate counts. You simply change the sliders for the remaining states to bias one candidate or another and the map will update to show you how those vote outcomes will affect the delegate count.

Because they are all elections in which delegates are awarded proportionally, the possible permutations are endlessly fun!

The Delegate Game!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

REESE WITHERSPOON CHANNELS HILLARY


I couldn't resist. Now, I'm not implying that Hillary Clinton's personality mirrors the Witherspoon character in the movie "Election" in any way. I mean, the Witherspoon character is vicious, willing to do anything and everything to win, believes in her bones that she deserves to win and that anyone standing in her way is trying to steal the post ordained for her. And that Flick character is just a mean, mean person.

I am NOT making that inference at all. Just thought the clip was humorous is all.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Are Americans Stoopid?!


Americans are stupid - Watch more free videos
This is as scary as it is funny! You absolutely MUST watch this video!

SOURCE OF IRAN NUKE EVIDENCE IN QUESTION

Despite the Bush administration pointing to a laptop with over 1,000 pages of documents as primary evidence for the existence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. Like the now infamous "yellow cake" evidence, other countries have expressed serious doubts about the authenticity of this information.

This news article reports that there is now evidence that the source of these documents was in fact the Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency.

Fortunately, recent National Security Estimates (NIS) have minimized the immediacy of the Iranian nuclear weapons development. A mistake which added to the drumbeat leading us into the march to war in Iraq.

Iran Nuke Program Info

CLINTON'S INFAMOUS "IT'S 3AM" AD & THE OBAMA RESPONSE


WHO DO YOU WANT ANSWERING THE PHONE?

Hillary Clinton recently released an ad in which she asks America "who do you want answering the phone" in a moment of national crisis. The argument plays off of one of the main themes in her campaign; that she has close to two decades of political experience. Last I checked, she has not been a senator quite that long, but who's really counting?!

A reporter from Slate released a portion of a phone interview with a Clinton campaign staffer at the point that he asked in which way was she challenged in a foreign policy capacity...

... and then there was a moment of silence. Take a listen.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/02/pregnant_pause.html