How to be a good liberal.

There are 21 statements. They came from a Republican/conservative source, obviously. My thoughts are after each.

You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

I believe in capital punishment and am pro-choice.

You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

I don't believe that businesses create opresssion and believe that governments have a role in creating prosperity.

You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese and North Korean Communists.

I believe that guns in the hands of non-law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than nuclear weapons in the hands of China and North Korean communists.

You have to believe that there was no art before federal funding.

I don't believe there was no art before federal funding.

You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical ocumented changes in the earth's climate and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV's.

I believe that global temperatures are affected by overall emissions, of which SUVs are a part.

You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.

I believe that gender roles and homosexuality are natural.

You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

I believe the AIDS virus is spreading, regardless of federal funding.

You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

I believe that 4th graders already know more about sex than about reading.

You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

I believe hunters care as much about nature as San Franciscans.

You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

I believe that self-esteem is as important as doing soemthing to earn it.

You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

I believe the NRA is as overly influential as the ACLU.

You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

I believe that taxes and ATM fees are both too high.

You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell.

I believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are just little bit less important than Jefferson, Lee, Edison and Bell.

You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

I don't believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not racist.

You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

I believe Hillary Clinton is normal, but since I don't know her I don't know if she's a very nice person.

You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

I believe socialism (or communism) hasn't worked is because people like to own things.

You have to believe that conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

I don't believe that anyone who tells the truth belongs in jail, but I don't think that Clinton was a sex offender.

You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and beastiality should be constitutionally protected and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

I believe that a homosexual parade has a right to assemble and that manger scenes should not be illegal.

You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by the Chinese government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

I do not believe that illegal funding of the Democratic Party by the Chinese government is in the best interest of the United States.

You have to believe that it's okay to give federal workers Christmas Day off but it's not okay to say "Merry Christmas."

I believe it's okay to give federal workers Christmas Day off and it's okay to say "Merry Christmas."

You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast right wing conspiracy.

I do not believe this message is part of a vast right wing conspiracy.

Greed is good?

In a letter to the editor in the Chicago Sun-Times on August 28, 2006, a reader wrote:

"Once and for all, let us stop putting the blame on the people who come here looking for a better life. American greed breeds illegal immigration. They are not as much criminals as they are pawns in our game of wealth and greed."
- Anthony C. Wilson, La Grange, IL

Movie Review: Bobby

Saw this movie last night. Sometimes awkward pacing, but overall very good. The voiceover of the speeches by RFK were powerful.

One thing I did not realize is that Dr. King was killed on April 4, 1968 and and Bobby Kennedy was killed on June 6, 1968. Kennedy had just won the California presidential primary. Two extremely prominent assassinations within two months of each other. The effect on the psyche of the country must have been incalculable.

I don't even know if there's a comparison to be made today in terms of loss of national figures. I don't even want to make comparisons because the FBI and Secret Service will be knocking on my door.

Election conspiracy theorists

Florida's 13th Congressional District is garnering attention because of the results of the November 7 mid-term election. There was a vast undervote (like 18,000) in which the Republican candidate won by less than 1,000 votes. Some people are thinking it's a huge conspiracy which produces the below:

Though the clocks on the machines are set back to the date of the election during this test, generally, malicious software is capable of watching the clock, and knowing when the clock is reset. Since it knows the date and time, it is programmed not to misbehave if it's not during a live election. Therefore, it's possible for a malicious bug that was wide awake during the election to sleep right through this "audit."

With no proof whatsoever, uh huh.

Jesus is NOT peace

Christmas is a holiday to mark the birth of Jesus Christ. He spread a message of peace. These statements are pretty much universally accepted by Christians and Americans in particular. However, to incorporate the two is looked down upon.

A woman in southwest Colorado put up a Christmas wreath in the shape of a traditional peace sign. See, Christmas, the message of peace conflict with people who think that "peace" means "anti-war". Imagine that!

The president of the woman's homeowner association tried to take to make her down. The president

"...ordered the committee to require [the woman] to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. [The association presiden then] fired all five committee members."

Bringing "freedom" to Islamic societies

Freedom means people do what they want to do, which isn't always what you wanted them to do. The law of unintended consequences:

"Democracy and liberalism are not the same thing, and, in parts of the Muslim world, the former certainly does not guarantee the latter."

Democratic goals

Every news article about the incoming Democratic Congress details their goals. Here are thoughts:

Increasing the minimum wage.

Because it hasn't been adjusted for inflation, making the actual existing minimum wage anachronistic, any increase is a band-aid and meant to make people feel better without any actual results. No poor people will be less poor because of an increase.

Enacting the September 11 Commission's security recommendations.

No brainer. This is just plain obvious. To NOT do so is treasonous.

Allowing the government to negotiate drug prices for Medicare patients.

Use the buying power of government to save money for taxpayers.

Cutting energy industry tax breaks.

Energy companies say they can only survive with the breaks, but with several billion dollar profits, that is increasingly hard to believe. If their P/E ratio goes down, then reinstituting tax breaks can be an option.

Lowering financial hurdles for access to higher education.

Higher education in the United States isn't hard enough. This is obvious by the need for immigrant workers in hard sciences ande engineering. But if a smart person in the United States wants to go to college and work hard simply can't pay tuition, they should be afforded the chance to contribute to society through their knowledge and determination instead of financial status.