Friday Open Thread
I’ve obviously been doing a pretty poor job of choosing topics you all want to spout off on this week, so today you get an open thread. I know the phones were jammed up during the 9/11 Conspiracy Theory segment, so there’s one idea. But anything goes below, as far as subject matter goes.
I want to make a comment on the idiocy I see everyday.
Frankly, I am sick of all the stupid people that have the same vote that I do, or the hardcore ideologues that stopped thinking about what they believe in a long time ago and now fight vehemently in support of it.
With the risk of sounding partisan, most of the wingers that say that Palin is somehow a good choice are the VERY people I’m talking about. How one can objectively look at this woman, who came from the icy boonies, with a very narrow and narrow minded world view, and say she’s a good choice is beyond my comprehension.
And to bring her backwards religion.. Well, let’s just say that her version of Christianity, were it implemented, would be the envy of the Taliban. Unlike some of my more enlightened Americans, I say FUCK RELIGION. ALL OF IT. Way more harm than good comes of it, and if you look at books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy, which are brutal and inhumanly savage and say that the bible is the source of our morality is to probe the depths of human depravity.
John from Cleveland Reply:
September 12th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Abe, perhaps people with all of their “idiocy” should have less say? Perhaps veterans get double votes, people with advanced degrees also get a vote multiplier.
I’m sorry, we will have to live with the stupid sheeple in our fair nation.
Mosquito Dan Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 2:09 am
Real Army Footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HQhn20Gcdo
Scary Stuff
Steve, jasper Reply:
September 12th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I’m watching Bill Moyers’ Journal on PBS at this moment which speaks well to this.
It’s talking about the Shock Jocks.
I suggest you try to watch a copy of it if you want more info on this very topic.
I have NO respect for anyone’s religion. If you want to worship your magical sky buddy, your invisible friend, your all powerful hippie god, please do humanity a favor and STAY AWAY FROM POLITICS. Humanity’s survival depends on your political apathy.
Why don’t you just go worry about your own family and community. Oh, wait, not your community. According to you “good christians”, helping your community is apparently dispairagable and frowned upon, based on the way you folks have been ridiculing Obama’s efforts.
I stand corrected. Worry about your family and to hell with your community. Just make sure to be good christians and if your kids misbehave, you’re duty bound by your god to hang your child from the entrance to your town, right next to the flagpole, and stone him or her to death. Also, if your kid’s a homo, do the same.
Otherwise, your wrathful and angry pimple faced hormonal god will frown upon you and you’ll burn in hell with all the cool kids.
Erik from New York Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I’m sorry Abe but your opinion in this case is just as bigoted, ignorant, hateful, as the Ku Klux Klan. You have a right to all that hate and bigotry but that scares me much, much more than anyone’s faith.
Big Brother Reply:
September 16th, 2008 at 12:24 am
I think Abe has some issues. I mean, God would not have pimples. Duh.
Erik from New York Reply:
September 16th, 2008 at 12:36 am
LOL. Seriously I think hatred and bigotry is way more dangerous and offensive than someones personal faith. Let me also state that faith and religion are two different things. I tend to associate religion with corruption and misinformation about faith intended to manipulate. Faith on the other hand is what I have in my Christian beliefs and others might have in opposing scientific theory. I do believe in science as seeing results is undeniable but theories based on half information require just as much faith as do my beliefs. I do not wish to push my beliefs on anyone as I believe in the freedom to be what you are and I believe that so much I devoted 15 years of my life in support and defense of the Constitution in the Marine Corps. I am still as willing today to give my life to defend the rights of others to see things differently than I do. That is such an important thing to remember when engaging in these kinds of debates because we tend to lose respect for those we disagree with but we should not lose respect for their right to disagree and that applies to both sides of any argument.
Rich from Philly Reply:
September 16th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
“Let me also state that faith and religion are two different things.”
Faith is the cornerstone of Religion as a whole. You can not be a true believer in God unless you have faith that he exists as there is no physical proof to his existence. Unbiased history (if there is such a thing) is both Judge and Jury for the basis of that faith, but that is for a different argument.
“I do not wish to push my beliefs on anyone as I believe in the freedom to be what you are and I believe that so much I devoted 15 years of my life in support and defense of the Constitution in the Marine Corps.”
I wish more people of faith believed as you do. The problem is that Fundamentalist Christians have injected themselves into the political scene with such vigor and “Moral Justice” that they have corrupted the Republican Party and hijacked the Conservative movement. Perkin’s and Dobson use the 30-40 million voters who sway to their fiery rhetoric as a political cudgel beating down those in the true Conservative movement from running for office. They lobby our Congress and try to insert their “Christian” views onto the American people. Their Candidates use their Fundamentalist views as part of their platform while running for office and some like Huckabee wanted to amend the Constitution to resemble more of “God’s Law”. That is just unacceptable.
Once you use your Fundamentalist beliefs to run for office you open those beliefs to scrutiny. They become fair game for debate and analysis and can be fairly criticized as part of the political process. You can not claim bigotry or discrimination because the candidates are using them as an aid to help get them elected. Personally I do not want to have anyone in the White house (no I don’t count Bush as a Palin type Fundamentalist) that honestly believes that the “End of Days” certain and that the Rapture will beam people to heaven while the rest of us burn on Earth and suffer at Satan’s amusement. For some strange reason that sounds “Un-American” to me and is part of the reason you have people like Abe voicing their frustrations like they do. The main stream press has given the Fundamentalists a free pass when it comes to examining the details of what they believe. They can use this political crutch to help push their agenda and then claim they are discrimination when someone brings up some of the more “interesting” beliefs they subscribe to. If the bulk of the people really knew what they thought about these “interesting” beliefs they would not be taking Palin to seriously right now.
Erik from New York Reply:
September 16th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I completely agree with your point that once you attempt to use your religious views as a political talking point to gain votes then it is very much fair game.
I do not on the other hand believe that the belief in the rapture or end of days or anything else of the sort has any relevance when it comes to whether or not someone is fit to serve as President or Vice President.
What is 1000 times more important to me is whether they are going to protect my Constitutionally protected rights and abide by the restrictions sited in the Constitution and not attempt to further the power of the executive as we have seen from the Bush administration. Also I do not want government dipping into my pocket without my consent to take my ,money as use it how they see fit without ever even holding referendum as to whether the people are in favor of what they are doing with our money or not.
See if these Constitutional restrictions are followed and the Bill of Rights respected by government then it would not matter if everyone in the Senate, House, White House, and Supreme Court sat around praying to purple sea monsters from Mars in their underwear because the government would be running as it should without regard to their religious freedom.
Rich from Philly Reply:
September 17th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Im sorry man, but the bottom line is you can not believe the End of Days is coming to pass and be in control of the highest seat of government. It is 100% relevant and can not be ignored when judging a candidate for office . If you want to say that your religion gives you the moral authority to pass judgment and use it as a justification to remove my rights as an American citizen, then we have the right to question the fact that “you” think that Jesus is coming over in a his Jesus Ship and is going to beam you up while the rest of us (Including Catholics like me)are going to burn in Satan’s unholy fire. Most people in this country (in my opinion) would agree that anyone who views the Rapture and Armageddon as a unavoidable, soon to come event as unfit to hold the highest office we have. Not to mention the fact that these people also believe that they are doing Gods work as justification for whatever irrational beliefs they have. We have a clinical term we use for that condition…..Delusional and that alone makes you unfit for ANY government office. Im sorry if this goes over harshly, but beliefs like I have stated above fall more in line with being a cult then a Religion, that being said I believe that Religion as a whole should be considered a cult. But who am I to judge, which I guess is more or less the point you are trying to make.
Erik from New York Reply:
September 17th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Rich
This exception is what makes what you say absolutely correct “If you want to say that your religion gives you the moral authority to pass judgment and use it as a justification to remove my rights as an American citizen, then we have the right to question the fact that “you” think that Jesus is coming over in a his Jesus Ship and is going to beam you up”
But the first amendment really does prohibit that. What I am simply saying it that a just and Constitutional leader’s religion, faith, or lifestyle choice is and should be completely irrelevant. See this is why the Constitution is such a great limiting document if it were followed many of our problems and concerns would be taken care of because they are the same concerns that were addressed 250 years ago.
thought you might like this:
http://www.sarahpalinblows.com
Pete,
I’ve just started listening to your show last week, and I am truly excited to hear someone who is cutting through the bullshit and able to analyze the real issues, and while being fair to both sides, when something is obviously bullshit, you call it out, and redirect asides back to the main issues.
It is because of this, that I’m asking you…. Please , please talk about Peak Oil. There are sites like www.theoildrum.com , and books like “Twilight in the Desert” by Matthew Simmons (legendary Investment Banker in the Energy Industry).
To summerize it as best I can, because I’m sure you are busy,
Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.
We are at that peak right now. All of this talk about oil prices, and very few actually talk about this. I promise you, that if you gave this subject 30 minutes of research you would be blown away by how no one is discussing it.
Oil prices are going to shoot back up and crush the worldwide economy. Its not that we are running out of oil (after all there is still 1/2 in the ground), but the easiest to get to oil, and light crude is mostly gone, and from here on out it will become more and more expensive to pull out of the ground, and the amount we can pull out daily will continue to decline exponentially, while our demand (due to china, india, population growth, etc) will continue to rise.
This is a HUGE problem that is not even being discussed, and instead people are talking about lipstick and pigs… Please help us trying to bring this to light.
Big Brother Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Thanks for raising this issue, Ryan. I guess I’ve never understood why people are so frantic about this peak oil concept. Most people I know would be alarmed to hear that half the oil is still in the ground. I think people think we used the accessible majority a long time ago. It doesn’t really change any of the arguments much. It’s worthy of note, for sure, but what I can’t understand is how it becomes some people’s central argument. Yeah, oil prices are going to keep skyrocketing. We need to eliminate our dependence on it. Totally agreeable to anyone with half a brain. Which is maybe why it hasn’t gotten much emphasis on the show (though it has been raised).
Steve, jasper Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Big Bro, even if you concede that half the oil is in the ground (something I dispute if you talk quality) there are twice as many people using it.
It’s a matter of Algebra maybe even Calculus. Neither of which I was great at!
Big Brother Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 1:09 am
No, I get the issue, Steve. I guess I just always assumed everyone knows it. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve never seen someone say “Oh my god” after hearing the peak oil theory. It seems to me that’s just a name given to something that is common knowledge and common sense. Instead of “Oh my god” people tend to say “No duh.” But, again, my sample group could be way off. I just think a lot of people are well aware that less than half the highly accessible oil is left, and if demand keeps increasing, economies are fucked and we’re fucked.
What is astonishing to me is that most of the people who posit this peak oil “phenomenon” and cry to the hills about it are somehow not critical of market capitalism which is, after all, the system that brought us the crisis, hands down. Most are, in fact, market apologists who think we can somehow supply-and-demand our way out of the problem (if they have any solution in mind at all). Their lack of imagination makes me cringe.
Another consideration: presumably, the later we peak, the more the planet becomes uninhabitable…
Steve, jasper Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Gotcha, man it’s late, don’t know why I’m up posting this stuff.
It is amazing we are so fixed to 150 year old technology when it comes to cars and electrical generation.
It’s as if we should still be using the telegraph instead of the internet!
Why does oil have such a strangle hold on the world?
Grant in New Orleans Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Im sorry to burst your bubble Pete but at the end of the day there is two sides to this coin.
Maybe market capitalism is part of the oil problem, but then again we have people suffering in some countries due to the fact that they can’t afford or are not allowed to use the fossil fuels the eco-nazi’s loathe so much.
At the end of the day its supply and demand that will save us from this problem as oil becomes less and less available we will have more efficient cars or hopefully alternative energy sources.
But we won’t have alternative energy because the hippies sang cumbaya loud enough, we’ll have it because someone came up with an invention and will soon be rich off of it and that’s not a bad thing.
Ryan Boyles Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
The reason people get frantic about it is the implications of what , say $200 a barrel oil means for the world and this country. Our food, heating, a/c , transportation, plastic, medicine, tires, … i mean it is the lifeblood of this economy. If $150 oil would have stayed, the airlines would have collapsed (they will eventually), and the price of meat and dairy will become unaffordable for even many in the U.S. (already is for most in the world). A good page about some of these implications is www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net Basically saying that we need to eliminate our dependence on it (we have for how long now?) and actually doing it is quite another. It would take AT LEAST 10 years with all hands on deck and a national effort in the style of a manhatten project to even get a sizable part of our economy to not be dependent on oil. More realistically 20 years. We don’t have 20 years. We don’t have 10 years. We don’t even have 5 years. Many predict we will start down that downside of the peak somewhere between 2008-2012. Think about all the infrastructer that has to be setup in order to fascilitate any transition. Take hybrid plug ins w/ 100 mpg. Forget about how many they manufacture, … how many are going to be able in this economy to just go buy a new car. Some will, but most wont. It takes about 7-10 years for the car fleet in this country to turnover. I mean , people talking about getting off oil are living in a dream world. People who have studied and tried to extrapolate some of the consequences see very clearly that its just not possible. The best many hope for is a slow crash, that would enable us to get off in some semblence of order.
As far as how you said you dont’ get why it becomes people’s central argument, lets take a look at some of the major things going on in the world right now. The war in Iraq, the threat of war with Iran, the Russian-Georgian conflict. We know now that the administration was well aware there were no WMDS before the invasion (not shocking to anyone paying attention, but now its common knowledge). We know its not about bringing freedom or any of that other shit, .. we know this. So why then? Just to take their oil? Thats a little too simplistic as well. Its geopolitical strategy. The most untapped reserves in the world, and they were going to do whatever it took to take control over that region, and get a foothold. Also, Iraq had just announced it was switching to Euros instead of Dollars (petrodollar recycling is a huge reason for US advantage) What about Iran? And the Russian-Georgian conflict? Russia isn’t even scared to come out and say it. They threatened to cut off the supply of heating oil to europe (BTC pipeline flows through georgia) if we didnt back off… google it.
So what is happening is… the major players in this world at this moment are positioning themselves for control over the most vital resources (energy), and telling their populations whatever they will buy.
Peak oil is central to understanding our foreign policy. Countries like Russia, Venezuela, China’s Foreign policies. Understanding the Economy as a whole (most people nievely think we can keep operating at extremely high oil prices). understanding transportation options and alternative energy. Etc, etc. Understanding National Security … I am a news junky, and Peak Oil is by far the biggest issue on the table, and no one wants to talk about it. I’d be more than glad to discuss it on your show with you or anyone else who is concerned or thinks there is no need for concern.
Ryan Boyles
Big Brother Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Okay, Ryan, I guess I’m not really able to convey my meaning on this. I see all of the issues that peak oil underlies. My whole point is just that I think most everyone already understands this. It’s like screaming at the top of your lungs that our country is at war. We know it’s at war. That’s not super helpful.
I think maybe it’s the term? (Using capital letters doesn’t make a lot of sense, it just makes it sound kooky, by the way) People who use the term “peak oil” seem to think everyone should use the term, and if it’s not being used, the concept is not widely understood. I’m just saying, I think the same people who can find Venezuela on a map get that we are running out of oil and that it is a compounding factor that is going to cause catastrophic consequences unless something radical is done.
Which is why it bothers me that even the majority of people who talk about “peak oil” don’t seem to advocate radical economic changes. We don’t have economic institutions that are capable of responding to crises like this, so we need to replace the structures. But you almost never hear this, so it’s hard to take the peak oil crowd seriously when they don’t have solutions to offer. I mean, at least the folks who believe in the Rapture offer religion as a way out (is that why Peak Oil gets capitalized, because it’s a Rapture-like “event”?).
Ryan Boyles Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I think that is the biggest assumption I’ve heard in a long time. Most people who can point out venezuela on a map (implying I suppose people who are not idiots) are aware of the concepts of peak oil?
Honestly that’s ridiculous, I’m surprised to hear that from this site. Most people don’t have a fucking clue about what the ramifications are of $200 oil. They might think it just means higher prices at the pump and people needing to buy smaller cars.
I have to completely disagree with you on that, and it seems that the people you associate with (if they really got peak oil and I’m guessing thats incorrect as well), are more informed than the general public. It’s not about running out of oil, which you’ve stated the myth that turns into the red hearing because of course we aren’t running out of oil. What we’ve run out of is cheap oil, and its going to get exponentially more expensive to use, and we aren’t going to be able to reverse our demand of that product. That is the crisis.
Secondly, I don’t know a single person in the peak oil community www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net or www.theoildrum.com ’s forums) that doesn’t advocate radical economic changes. That is another poor assumption. Most of them advocate disolving the Federal Reserve, going back to the gold standard, having subsidies for alternative energy put in place, advocate drilling where we can, talk up 3rd party candidates like ron paul, etc. All pretty fucking radical, so I don’t which people you are talking to about peak oil, but I assure you they are either in the small minority (not likely) or you are assuming they are familiar with peak oil (more likely) , yet they are not.
Big Brother Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Like I said a couple times, maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about in terms of what people think or understand. I just don’t think peak oil is a concept people don’t already get. They might not grasp or want to grapple with the implications, but it’s not exactly rocket science. When I first heard the term some years back I said “no duh.”
There are millions of reasons economies worldwide are on their way to collapse. Oil is certainly a core element, but dominant economic structures and policies are the actual vehicle. Privatization, foreign resource extraction, rampant misallocation and wealth inequity, and so-called “free markets” got us where we are. Oil is a mere commodity — the systems that let us become dependent on it are the true culprit.
I guess we disagree on the definition of radical if you think Ron Paul fits it. I guess it could be considered radical to want to get rid of all government regulations, that’s just not a usage of the term I’m used to. I would label that “ass backwards” instead.
I haven’t actually seen so much of that from the peak oil crowd. Maybe the crowd is bigger than either of us realized. It’s obvious to me, though, that there are segments of that “movement” so to speak that you just aren’t familiar with. I’ve certainly read a fair amount by several writers, and I’ve read several reviews of books though no books themselves dedicated to the matter, and I don’t think any of them were by market champions or libertarians. My guess is there are divergent strains within the field and they aren’t cross-linking very much. Or maybe I’ve been reading bad reviews or poorly expressed articles.
It frankly blows my mind that people alarmed by peak oil would embrace free market capitalism. I mean, don’t they realize that is what got us into this mess? A system that does not take externalities into account in setting prices is doomed to cause and accelerate exactly these kinds of crises. Switching from what we have now to a “freer” market for allocation would only speed our demise. We’d ride the demand curve like a skateboarding ramp while supplies ran out faster than ever. What am I missing? By the time the market gets around to demanding alternative fuels, we’ll be even farther into the hole.
The only alternative to running headlong into our own demise is a command economy. Democratic, participatory planning would be optimal with prices set according to perceived social costs and benefits of production/consumption, but of course we’re more likely to get some kind of fascism. And, of course, we’ll deserve it for having let market forces dominate unimpeded for so long.
Ryan Boyles Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I see we are still misunderstanding each other. First off, there is an enormous group of people who have very organized and active communites like I pointed out - www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net (their forum has 1000’s of visitors a day) , www.theoildrum.com , etc. There are about 5 more prominent ones out there, and they don’t all think one way or the other… one of the reasons I really enjoy the discourse. There are people on the far left, far right, and everything in between (seriously, it couldn’t be more split).
When you said “Which is why it bothers me that even the majority of people who talk about “peak oil” don’t seem to advocate radical economic changes. We don’t have economic institutions that are capable of responding to crises like this, so we need to replace the structures. But you almost never hear this, so it’s hard to take the peak oil crowd seriously when they don’t have solutions to offer.”
I was simply giving you some radical economic changes. The ones I listed certainly were radical, and Ron Paul certainly is radically different. The reason I used him as an example , even though I’m not a supporter, is because the democrats and republicans (the only parties that ahve a real chance of winning an election) are debating the smaller issues, and the MAJOR issues are only being talked about by Ron Paul and Ralph Nader (opposite extremes). Both of them would change the system itself, while the main parties argue over the small shit.
You said you can’t understand why people alarmed at peak oil might embrace what Ron Paul and others are proposing. I don’t see why this is hard to get. He is talking about putting us back on the gold standard, and abolishing the Federal Reserve. That would have an enormous impact on all of the problems with the devaluation of our currency and the worldwide impending economic crash.
You should take a look at those forums and look at the level of activity and quality of the posts , especially in the financial forum on LATOC. There is discourse there that is not going on anywhere in the mainstream media, nor being talked about in any depth by the 2 main candidates.
Big Brother Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Okay, Ryan, I’ll accept that we must be misunderstanding each other, and I’ll look into some of the stuff you’re pointing me to. Some of this stuff, like re-inflating the value of the dollar, doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense as a way to cut oil consumption given that dollar holders are far and away the biggest purchasers of oil. Maybe you could explain how that is supposed to work.
It sounds to me like there might be some snake-oil types taking advantage of the peak-oil frenzy to win converts to their nutty, anti-human economic plans (not that getting rid of the Fed or returning to the gold standard are anti-human, but most people who espouse that shit also espouse freer markets, which means faster plunge down the wrong slope of the oil peak).
Ryan, I read an amazing article called The Long Emergency a few years ago in Rolling Stone.
You might like it. Check it out at:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7203633/the_long_emergency
Ryan Boyles Reply:
September 12th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
yes, the Long Emergency is an excellent book (the article is referencing this) Thanks for pointing it out though. I just want to hear the shows like this talking about it.
Steve, jasper Reply:
September 12th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Yea, and just today I was talking to a winger (I’ll let you guess which side) and she was saying we’d have all the oil we need if we’d just drill, drill, drill!
You can bring out all the experts in the world to talk about peak oil and the other side is going to bring out their crackpots to dispute it.
And the disciples will follow!
Ignorance is bliss.
You’ll never get Rush, O’Reilly and the rest to talk about it but that is the only way things will change.
Big Brother Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Here’s an article I read recently that discusses The Long Emergency and several other books/concepts around peak oil. This is the most sober thing I’ve read so far on the matter, but I’m always eager to learn more, so other links are welcome.
The Future is Now - the end of cheap oil
WARNING: THREAD HIJACK IN PROGRESS:
Okay, I am sitting here thinking of all the things that I would love to see happen in a presidential election here.
1. A “press conference” and “weigh in” just like those in a boxing match. Allow them to jack-jack all they want. Plus, I’d love to see Palin weigh in.
Steve, jasper Reply:
September 13th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I’d just like to restate that the campaigns themselves have become an industry.
Look how long all this has been going on and how much money has gone into the hands of corporations, especially media, because of it.
Something really needs to change!
Off topic, but this is an “open thread”. I was listening to Friday’s show when Pete had to leave after the first hour. Well I listened to part of the replay afterwards and I have to stop in Cleveland and shake John’s hand and Pete you have to call him “daddy”. John called in and said Palin’s fuck up with Freddie and Fannie is no differnt then Obama’s draft card comment. Pete said, well that was in 1979 nobody cares about 1979, and John mentioned something about how Freddy and Fannie were once tax payer funded. And Pete said, big difference. Well, John, call in on Monday, Pete owes you a “Daddy”! Because, Pete, if it’s ok for Barack to have a brain fart about something as big as a draft card, then Palin can have a brain fart about a mortgage lender. I still think Palin has no idea what she’s talking about but either way, John won that battle.
Why does poop stink?
Sorry, just thought we needed a break.
Potty humor always works!
What Barack should have said is that he registered with the Selective Service as all men had to do at the age of 18.
John from Cleveland Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 10:28 am
WRONG WRONG WRONG!
Barack claimed he did it on his 18th birthday in 1979 and that he remembers it. He says that this was the only time he considered joining up….
From Wikipedia:
On March 29, 1975, Pres. Gerald Ford signed Proclamation 4360, Terminating Registration Procedures Under Military Selective Service Act, eliminating the registration requirement for all 18-25 year old male citizens. Then on July 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Proclamation 4771, Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act, retroactively re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18-26 year old male citizens born on or after January 1, 1960.
Mama Mary Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Wow! I never knew registration with Selective Service had been suspended. I should have checked my facts. It appears that Obama is as big a liar as Mccain and Palin. Anything to get elected. Heaven help us! I didn’t mean to get your dander up with my remark, John. You could have simply told me I was wrong. The capital letters aren’t necessary. You do know that McCain and Palin are lying also, don’t you?
Big Brother Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Don’t mind John, Mom, he’s just not used to being right, so even over something this insignificant he can’t help but celebrate robustly
John from Cleveland Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I know Brian… Cause if it was a McCain fact error, you’d be applauding me right now.
Your younger brother dismissed it the same way. I am not surprised.
Big Brother Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Ugh, these claims that I am pro-Obama are getting so old, everybody. Obama is a liar about his past. Wow. News flash. Can we please focus on the lies these idiots are telling about their policies and records? Pretty please? John, you’re the one who (admirably) laments avoidance of the issues, but you jump for joy whenever Obama makes a gaffe? Whatever happened to the issues?
John from Cleveland Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
No,
I jumped on both Palin and Obama on the air.
Your brother completely dismissed Obama’s forgetting his own past versus going after Palin’s lack of knowledge about how Fannie/Freddie worked. One is a sign of stupidity while the other is a bald faced lie.
Big Brother Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Actually, it is stupid for Obama to have lied about Selective Service registration, so that’s a lie and stupid, but it’s altogether inconsequential, just like Clinton’s sniper-fire legend. So far, we have 3 stupid liars topping the tickets, plus Biden, who’s getting a free ride behind all the fray. I’m not sure if he’s stupid or how often he lies, but he sure is an asshole.
Big Bro, this maybe insignificant, just as Sarah Palin’s miss on saying Freddie and Fannie got to be too much for tax-payers. Although insignificant I have to mention Pete got into it pretty good with John and in my own opinion every lie is significant. If your willing to lie about something small it’s only because your working your way up to a big lie, so in my own opinion a small lie or a big is still a lie. Just as if a thief cops a dime he’s willing to cop a dollar.
All I want is for people to get off band wagons, get off the Democrate train and get off the Rupublican train. This election has proven only two things. America is still full of racism and for some still think a women can’t hold power. I’d like to say this election has also proven religion is still the way to steal vote but lets face it, that’s always been an issue.
This election could have been decided by now if Barack Obama wouldn’t have made his biggest mistake yet. He didn’t put Hilary on his ticket, and John McCain who previously wrote off Palin put her on more less due to Obama’s mistake but also because the GOP told him to, he would have easily picked someone else had Barack picked Hilary by throwing off McCain’s only stradegy.
…What happened to the spell checker???
Big Brother Reply:
September 14th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Hey Scott, I think we agree on this. I am not saying Obama isn’t a liar. He’s probably just as big a liar as McCain or Palin but better at hiding it. And I agree they shouldn’t get away with any lies. I was just picking on John for getting so aroused over this one. It’s funny to see partisans who defend horrible liars get excited when the other side gets caught in something, anything, miniscule. They act like this stupid thing is remotely the same as Palin lying about her record. I mean, it should disqualify him from being president, if you ask me. But then all the others should have been disqualified already.
But I hope you’re not saying my steadfast opposition to Palin is sexist. That is just so sketchy and so offensive to people who have substantial reasons to dislike a candidate. As I’ve been saying I don’t think Obama’s race is a major factor in people deciding against him, I also don’t think Palin’s sex is much of an issue. I mean, there can be no doubt that the sector of society that is most excited about her is the most anti-woman sector of society, so I don’t even get that claim, if it’s what you were suggesting.
Sorry about the spell checker. I’ll try to get it back. I’m just playing with different features that sometimes override one another. If you use FireFox you can set it to spellcheck as you type! I highly recommend it for that and 80 other reasons. But I don’t judge anyone for spelling and I don’t respect anyone who does.
John from Cleveland Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Pick on me all you want. I still rule!
Also, can you please turn the announcement email off? I don’t like having my inbox filled.
Big Brother Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Everyone else loves the announcement email. I can’t believe it isn’t optional, though. I guess I have to find another plugin for dealing with comments. Damnit.
In the meantime, there is a key in the upper right-hand corner of your keyboard that says “Del”. Use that to “delete” the unwanted emails.
Or, in your email program, create a filter to automatically discard the emails.
I especially love the part at the end where it says “This email is sended by blog system automatically…” It is written by a Japanese coder. All our base are belong to them.
Yours in service,
Brian
Alex P Reply:
September 16th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Set us up the bomb.
http://www.236.com/blog/w/michael_weingartner_and_lee_camp/mccains_voice_mail_to_palin_le_8644.php
Check out this website and listen to the audio, its absolutly hilarious!! Pete, you need to play this on the show, great humor!!
Big Brother Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Pete played this on the show the day it came out. Pretty damn funny.
Big Brother Reply:
September 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
For some reason the spam filter in the comments system hates Scott the Trucker. So I’m sorry if the are delays posting Scott’s or others’ stuff, but I have to go in every so often and un-spam the legitimate posts.
I figured I would add this considering I am somewhat happy about it and I know it will not make mainstream news.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/09/15/barr-wins-pennsylvania-substitution-lawsuit/
This is a link to an article about a failed underhanded legal maneuver to attempt to keep a 3rd party candidate off the ballot by the McCain camp.