1/ I read a lot of these articles and some like this one are depressing.....we live in a country with huge possibilities and hopeless realities. We can't do DNA research because the abortion loonies get upset, and electric car and battery development is underfunded because the oil and gas industries don't want the competition...so they just buy a few politicians.
Meanwhile China is forging ahead investing billions in the industries of the future and Chinese infrastructure.....from DNA and stem cell research to electric cars.....
Our political system is corrupt and broken, which means the Chinese will probably win......they have such a head start.
Oh well.....let's go to Wal-Mart and buy more Chinese junk, with a stop at McDonalds on the way for some delicious chemicals...........
China is doing moon shots. Yes, that’s plural. When I say “moon shots” I mean big, multibillion-dollar, 25-year-horizon, game-changing investments. China has at least four going now: one is building a network of ultramodern airports; another is building a web of high-speed trains connecting major cities; a third is in bioscience, where the Beijing Genomics Institute this year ordered 128 DNA sequencers — from America — giving China the largest number in the world in one institute to launch its own stem cell/genetic engineering industry; and, finally, Beijing just announced that it was providing $15 billion in seed money for the country’s leading auto and battery companies to create an electric car industry, starting in 20 pilot cities. In essence, China Inc. just named its dream team of 16-state-owned enterprises to move China off oil and into the next industrial growth engine: electric cars.
Not to worry. America today also has its own multibillion-dollar, 25-year-horizon, game-changing moon shot: fixing Afghanistan.
2/ Rachael Maddow on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and the hopeless failure of both parties to get rid of this ludicrous policy.....everything that's dysfunctional about the Senate comes true with the Defence Authorisation Bill failing to pass.....
But what is really interesting is the logical way she lays out the Republican excuses why the bill didn't pass in the Senate and eviscerates them one by one. And then lays out a challenge to this Administration.....do you have the cojones to do the right thing?
She is one of the best journalists on TV....well worth watching for this 11 minutes....
3/ Most interesting article from Maureen Dowd on the freakshow that are some of the Tea Party candidates for high office in next months elections. Amusing column.......
We seem beset with spellbinding hybrids with the looks of Fox News anchors, the brains of mice and the power of changing the direction of the country.
President Obama was supposed to be a giant leap forward in modernity, the brainy, rational first black president leading us out of the scientific darkness of the W. years. But by letting nutters get a foothold, he may usher us into the past.
Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, John Boehner, Jim DeMint and some Tea Party types don’t merely yearn for the country they idealize from the 1950s. They want to go back to the 1750s.
Joe Miller, the Palin-blessed Republican nominee for Senate in Alaska, suggests that Social Security is unconstitutional because it wasn’t in the Constitution. The Constitution is a dazzling document, but do these originalists really think things haven’t changed since then?
4/ Speaking of the freakshow - Bill Maher unveils another scarily stupid video from Christine O'Donnell, the Republican Senate candidate for Delaware....1 minute....this one's on evolution.....
Christine O’Donnell doesn’t understand why monkeys can’t turn into people right before her eyes.
Bill Maher continued his video torment of O’Donnell by releasing another old clip of her on his HBO show on Friday night, this time showing one in which she argued that “Evolution is a myth.”
Maher shot back, “Have you ever looked at a monkey?” To which O’Donnell rebutted, “Why aren’t monkeys still evolving into humans?”
5/ Israel and the Palestinians
They were having the first potentially productive talks to settle this endless conflict for years, and the Israelis scuttle it by resuming building the settlements which were suspended for 10 months. They don't give a shit.....the Israeli government is dominated by their extreme right wing......
But we keep pumping money into Israel no matter what they do.....the Israeli lobby is very powerful in Washington.....
American officials made clear over the weekend that they were deeply disappointed in Mr. Netanyahu’s decision not to extend the freeze. Palestinian officials said they found it hard to understand how the Obama administration could express its opposition to the building but not get it stopped.
“We cannot accept the American position that says it is against settlements but doesn’t lead to an end to them,” Mr. Shaath, the negotiator, said. “We need a practical position from the United States against settlements. I am surprised that America is unable to stop them.”
6/ Video and performing dogs
OK Go have a new video with some amazing tricks from lots of dogs.....music....aaahh.....
The band, who are famed for their innovative music videos, released theclip for their latest single 'White Knuckles' on Monday (Sept. 20) and it's already proved to be a massive hit, reports NME.
7/ Whenever we get these Florida stories with me being a little rude about the scum in the Legislature, some of you may think I'm being a little hard on these fine fellows....well to those bleeding hearts read this one.....the story of the $48 million boondoggle that is the luxury courthouse for the First District Court of Appeal. This is your Republican Senate and House at work....of course they're all denying they had anything to do with it it now, including Marco Rubio. Great article by Carl Hiaasen.....
We live, folks, in one of the most corrupt states in the US.....that's why you need to vote YES on amendments 4, 5 and 6. Let's make a start......
The myth of Republican frugality is graphically exemplified by an ornate new state courthouse, about six miles from downtown Tallahassee.
It will soon house the First District Court of Appeal, and it was financed primarily with a $35 million bond issue that was slipped into the 2007-2008 budget at the last minute.
Originally (before a splatter of bad publicity), plans called for the new courthouse to provide each of the 15 appellate judges with their own 60-inch, mahagony-trimmed flat screen televisions.
Architectural features included individual bathrooms and kitchens, as well as a fitness room. A grand dome was installed, modeled on a Michigan courthouse that some of the Florida judges had toured, traveling there on a private jet paid for by the builder.
The $48 million judicial palace -- now derisively dubbed the ``Taj Mahal'' -- was constructed for $425 per square a foot, compared with $250 per square foot for most state buildings.
To make matters worse, the new First DCA courthouse will cost the badly strapped state court system about $1.7 million a year in rent. The old court building was rent-free.
http://www.miamiherald.com/
8/ Music video
Taylor Swift - "Mine" - for all of you who like beautiful girls singing country songs quite well.....
9/ Florida Elections
Most of these candidates are fairly clear to you if you aren't a vegetable, like the Senate [Marco vs Charlie vs Kendrick], Governor [ Alex vs Rick the billionaire], and perky little Pam Bondi, the Tea Party favourite for Attorney General [why is her ad so washed out of colour?] vs Dan Gelber........
But I just got my mail-in ballot and did a quick Google search on some of the races you may not be familiar with......
Florida Supreme Court
As stated Sunday, this court threw out the "deceptive" amendments put in by the politicians, so they're the good guys.... I voted - retain.
Fifth District Court of Appeal
Quick review of their recent cases show this court is anti-consumer, pro-business and very conservative......your choice....retain or don't retain......
Lake County School Board District #3
Tod Howard vs JoAnn Jones.....Howard is a Chiropractor in Clermont....website sounds sensible and he is endorsed by the Orlando Sentinel. Jones has baggage, unpaid taxes stuff, husband a developer. Howard sounds better.......
Mount Dora City Council
Vasco Watters vs Ken Wild - definitely Watters....the alternative isn't good....
Janet Coffman vs Kevin Batliner - Coffman is good......
James Yatsuk vs Steven Durkovic - definitely, absolutely Yatsuk.....
North Lake Hospital Districts [E&W]
Vote for the "B's" if you want to keep functioning hospitals in Lake County........I say this because the extremist candidates are the others, and they want to de-fund all hospitals.
NE - Jerry Brown
NW - Greg Beliveau and Bob Bone
Constitutional Amendments
NO on 1 and 8......YES on 2,4,5 and 6
Mount Dora
Tax exemptions to new businesses....YES....and we badly need more business, so this is a good option for the City Council to use wisely....
10/ Goodness me - Stouffers the frozen food giant has started putting suicide prevention tips on the boxes of their "servings for one" frozen packages....from Onion News.....dry wit funny.....2 minutes.....
11/ Here's a product you don't need, never thought about and is, in the cosmic scheme of things, worthless to anyone....a tongue cleaner, yes a tongue cleaner called the Orabrush.....but their videos have gone viral and they are selling a lot of these "things".......do we ever learn?
Remember Ronco? Shall I get Gilbert Gottfried to remind you of the ShoeDini again? Don't you dare buy one......
Note to all our readers.......your trusty correspondent will be on the road for about 6 weeks so the DDD may be a little uneven. But we'll be in Europe so we will try to get some articles and items with an International flavour.......
Todays video - Bubblegum special.....hmmmm......
Todays blind person joke
Two women were out for a Saturday stroll. One had a Doberman and the
other, a Chihuahua.
As they walked down the street, the one with the Doberman said to her
friend, "Let's go over to that bar for a drink."
The lady with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there...we've got the
dogs with us."
The one with the Doberman said, "Just watch, and do as I do."
They walked over to the bar and the one with the Doberman put on a pair of
dark glasses and started to walk in.
The bouncer at the door said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."
The woman with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my
seeing-eye dog."
The bouncer said, "A Doberman?"
The woman said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good."
The bouncer said, "OK, come on in."
The lady with the Chihuahua thought that convincing him that a Chihuahua
was a seeing-eye dog may be a bit more difficult, but thought,"What the
heck," so she put on her dark glasses and started to walk in.
Once again the bouncer said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."
The woman said, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog."
The bouncer said, "A Chihuahua?"
The woman said indignantly, "A Chihuahua? They gave me a fucking Chihuahua?
other, a Chihuahua.
As they walked down the street, the one with the Doberman said to her
friend, "Let's go over to that bar for a drink."
The lady with the Chihuahua said, "We can't go in there...we've got the
dogs with us."
The one with the Doberman said, "Just watch, and do as I do."
They walked over to the bar and the one with the Doberman put on a pair of
dark glasses and started to walk in.
The bouncer at the door said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."
The woman with the Doberman said, "You don't understand. This is my
seeing-eye dog."
The bouncer said, "A Doberman?"
The woman said, "Yes, they're using them now. They're very good."
The bouncer said, "OK, come on in."
The lady with the Chihuahua thought that convincing him that a Chihuahua
was a seeing-eye dog may be a bit more difficult, but thought,"What the
heck," so she put on her dark glasses and started to walk in.
Once again the bouncer said, "Sorry, lady, no pets allowed."
The woman said, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog."
The bouncer said, "A Chihuahua?"
The woman said indignantly, "A Chihuahua? They gave me a fucking Chihuahua?
Todays fertility joke
A chicken farmer went to a local bar.... Sat next to a woman and ordered a glass of champagne...
The woman perks up and says, 'How about that? I just ordered a glass of champagne, too!'
'What a coincidence' the farmer says. 'This is a special day for me.... I am celebrating'
'This is a special day for me too, I am also celebrating!' says the woman.
'What a coincidence!' says the farmer! As they clinked glasses the man asked, 'What are you celebrating?'
'My husband and I have been trying to have a child and today my gynaecologist told me that I am pregnant!'
'What a coincidence,' says the man. 'I'm a chicken farmer and for years all of my hens were infertile, but today they are all laying fertilized eggs.'
'That's great!' says the woman. 'How did your chickens become fertile?'
'I used a different cock,' he replied.
The woman smiled and said, 'What a coincidence.' .___
Todays Tea Party joke
THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT HEREIN OUR OWN COUNTRY!We Must Organize to Stop This Immediately! Have you noticed that stairs are getting steeper? Groceries are heavier.And everything is farther away.Yesterday I walked to the corner and I was dumbfounded to discover how long our street had become!
And, you know, people are less considerate now--especially the young ones. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them to speak up, they just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent message until they're red in the face!What do they think I am--a lip reader?
I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am.I ran into an old friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognize me.
I got to thinking about the poor dear while I was combing my hair this morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection. Well, REALLY, NOW-- even mirrors are not made the way they used to be!
Another thing, everyone drives so fast these days! You're risking life and limb if you happen to pull onto the freeway in front of them. All I can say is, their brakes must wear out awfully fast, judging from the way I see them screech and swerve in my rear-view mirror...
Clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they suddenly start labeling a size 10 or 12 dress as 18 or 20? Do they think no one notices? The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank. Do they think I actually believe the number I see on that dial?? HA!I would never let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they're fooling?
I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on but the telephone company is in on the conspiracy too: they've printed the phone books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in there!
All I can do is pass along this warning:
WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!
Unless something drastic happens, pretty soon everyone will have to suffer these awful indignities.PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO WE CAN GET THIS CONSPIRACY STOPPED!
PS: I am sending this to you in a larger font size, because something has happened to my computer's fonts: they are all much smaller than they once were...
