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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted July 18, 2006 at 12:21 p.m.
- Filed under Uncategorized
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73 Comments
Can anyone tell me why we should trust the electronic voting machines used in Wichita this August 1st?
I get a reciept when I pump gas at QT. From MicroVote, I get nothing.
I might be pushing buttons on a child’s busy box for all I know . . .
Not much on the Wranglers in this Blog compared to what I thought might be… so I’ll stir the pot up…
Anyone find it ironic the Wranglers are looking to leave right by David Glass and his Wal Mart headquarters?
I know the attendence was poor, but did anyone ever see any promotion of the Wranglers at all on any local media? Seems to be the PR and advertising for the Wranglers was piss poor
I’m betting Wichita does $10-$15 million of rennovations for some other team to come in eventually… We’ll have to see who comes in (atleast its not the Royals unsuccessful farm league)
What’s the fate of the NBC tournament going to be?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/121604Z.shtml
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1118-22.htm
http://www.caef.us/
Wow! I’m finally one of the early posters on an open thread. I just wanted to take this opportunity and praise the writing ability of our very own ‘RD’. I’ve read her books and they are very well written. They are fluff reading but very sweet fluff. I am eagerly awaiting her next edition. (I’ll make sure to go out and buy it rather than beg for freebies).Way to go Rox!!
Julie, I havent read RD’s books, but I enjoy her posts every time. She is a great writer and thinker and I bet her books are wonderful.
RD, could you write some for me and my pals? heheh. We can tell ya stories….
Has anybody noticed that ED has been absent since war broke out in Lebanon?Do you think he’s gone mercenary?
No, his head probably exploded some sort of Jewish conspiracy overload.
Tracy- I was wondering the same thing. Do you suppose he’s undercover?
Maybe he got 86′d by the G-men for bein’ too buddy-buddy with them there Arabs.
Maybe it’s not just a mini-van?
Ed’s gone quiet. So has Joe Blow, Patriot, Nathan.
I’m pretty sure Nathan wasn’t Ed. As for the rest of them, makes you go “hmmm . . . “
Hank–you funny, ha-ha!
Now if we could get Ian on you little list there asap, I mean esod.
Hey Tracy,
Don’t know how to break this to ya, I’m not esod. I’d be esad if I was to use a moniker like that.
Thanks anyway,
Hank
Nathan probably doesn’t have the internet access he would need to be active here.
Okay Hank.Some posters change more than superman.
Last time I heard from him he was pirating a connection with his wireless card.
Momma bought him a new laptop so he could keep in touch and the turd hasn’t written in over a week.
If you’re reading this boy, we know where you are. We can be there by noon tomorrow! Either that or I’ll call you-know-who!
Pa
Yeah, Hank. Our nathininiraq group has sure been quiet. I guess there’s not much to tell right now.
I’m sure Nathan is busy getting that last training before deployment. He hasn’t shipped yet, has he, Hank?
But he should be contacting his Pa!
Did ya hear that, Nathan?
Dang kids.
“Can anyone tell me why we should trust the electronic voting machines used in Wichita this August 1st?”
You shouldn’t.
****
I imagine Nathan will have an e-mail account gets there. A friend of mine started out with a .mil account, but uses Hotmail now.
Down Priifreading!
Nathan doesn’t leave until next month sometime. They’re teaching him how to take a dump without getting sand in his shorts at Camp Pendleton right now.
He was in a parade at Stirling, KS on July 4th as a Marine color guard. (The day before he left) I have some pictures that I’ll post to the list soon.
Interesting observation, As the Marine color guard went by the old people stood up, removed their hats and placed their right hands over their hearts. Most under 30 pretty much ignored the passing of the colors. Sad.
Hank
Julie and KFG, how sweet of you! I’m definitely blushing.
Yes, Julie, they’re fluff. Can’t do much more in 50,000 words (200 pages double-spaced with 250 words per page *grin*). LOL I’m stretching though, trying to go for the 70-75,000 word books. (More LOLing)
KFG, I’m sure you could tell me some stories! There are publishers that handle those books, but as I’m sure I couldn’t do justice to something for, say, BET’s Arabesque (now Kimani out of Harlequin/Silhouette), I doubt I could for those other publishers either. I’m having to spending disbelief as it is. *grin*
Fantasy, folks, pure fantasy.
Oh, and believe it or not, truth sometimes doesn’t sell well in the fiction world. Truth really is stranger than fiction.
Rage, no kidding!
Correction to my own:
I’m having to suspend disbelief…
Stupid fingers don’t listen to the brain…or maybe they do.
KFG, how far is your restaurant from Hays? I think I heard one of my daughters say they were going to be in Hays soon. Knowing her fiance, they’ll HAVE to eat. Shoot, knowing HER, they’ll have to.
“I get a reciept when I pump gas at QT. From MicroVote, I get nothing.”
SEF, maybe those gas pump machines at QT should be checked. I noticed that the drawers at the teller windows at BWCU are made by Diebold…
More on the Wranglers…
War of words over the Wranglers’ future
by Anne MeyerKSN News
WICHITA, Kansas, Jul 18, 2006 — While there is still no word on the Wranglers future, we found out Monday that the vote in Springdale still isn’t over and a war of words may be brewing between our two cities.
As of Monday evening, about 300 ballots still needed to be certified in Springdale before the vote was final. But election officials in Arkansas said those votes have already been counted so the results should stay the same.
Another story is getting some talk around town stems from an article in Springdale’s Sunday paper and a reporter who took some shots at Wichita. Columnist Bob Caudle feels our city leaders have belittled Springdale in recent reports so he’s firing back.
He says in his article, “About the best thing you can say about Kansas in general and Wichita in particular is that there’s nothing around for miles and miles but miles and miles.”
So what do our city leaders say about the article?
“Our comments that we have made have not been negative comments, they’ve been comments that we want to keep the Wranglers here,” said Councilman Bob Martz. “If it’s a so-called ‘done deal’ like a lot of people seem to think, they have no reason to come out and make editorials and things like this at this point.”
We also talked to Springdale’s mayor. He says his city is not in a political feud with anyone. He thinks Wichita is a great place. In fact, he said he came here a couple of weeks ago and was treated like royalty.
Last update: Jul 18, 2006, 9:14am CDTSee more stories by Anne Meyer
http://www.ksn.com/news/stories/13917898.html—–
“Most under 30 pretty much ignored the passing of the colors.”
Maybe because the younger generation, and I include myself in this group, have never been asked to do anything for America, especially by this president.
There’s no heroic struggle (like in the Depression, WW2, the cold war) because there’s no sacrifice.
After 9-11 when America wanted to respond, our fearless leader told us to go shopping. To support Iraq, all we have to do is put a magnet on our car (not even as permanent as a sticker)– no need for a draft or even to pay more taxes.
Our national leadership has become all about me, me, me. Why should people respect the flag that represents their nation when all the see is “how have you helped ME lately?”
Hey Darth,
Why don’t you do something for your country?
There, you’ve been asked!
Hank
Hank,Since you brought the subject up…There was an Opinion line about the Pledge of Allegiance (SP?) at the Warren on Fourth of July. As it happened, I was at the Warren that evening. The Pledge started, and I think about only 10-12 of the people in the theater stood and put their hand over their heart. 30-40 people stayed planted on their ass. As you say, it was the older crowd that stood. God, that pissed me off!
I grew up under the shadow of the draft. Every American male knew he owed a debt of service to his country. Maybe the draft wasn’t such a bad thing.
Hank–
I am doing something for my country.
1. I fly the American flag every day.
2. I’m trying to get the party of the worst-president-ever out of office and make this a participatory democracy again.
Good on ya Darth!
Hank
Guys,
I’m not sure the younger generation was taught as we were about protocol when it comes to the flag and Pledge. That may be the parents’ “fault,” but it could be that it has been so ingrained in all of us that some didn’t think to do it. I’m not excusing it, by the way. I also stand, but I might be groaning inwardly when I do. I’m old. It hurts. *grin*
On the other hand, it could be that some felt that not standing was a way to personally protest what’s being done in this country. I guess you’d have to take a poll.
A friend pointed out last night that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not say the Pledge, due to their religious beliefs and interpretation of the Bible. You know, I see their point, and I say that’s okay.
To be honest, I have some conflicting feelings about following ceremonial protocol. I hate being hypcritical, and there are times I feel like not doing what I should. Call me a radical. LOL
The Senate passed the stemcell bill this afternoon. Now watch president @sshole veto it.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/washington/1stemcnd.html?hp&ex=1153281600&en=af381ec1100548d3&ei=5094&partner=homepage
This should make for some good fodder for the upcoming elections. Is Auntie Bessie sick? GOP says tough luck.
It is not about protocol, doing what you should, or ceremonial semantics…
IT IS ABOUT RESPECT.
The United States Flag represents so much more than your own narrow minded opinion of any particular administration.
The only reason someone wouldn’t stand for the United States Flag is they are too lazy, too stupid, or just plain disrespectful.
There is no excuse for it. Of course, what did you expect from a generation of kids who watch MTV or BET all day and couldn’t even tell you who Donald Rumsfield is let alone who their own Congressman is.
PS Sorry I’m a turd Pa, I’ll call you.
“On the other hand, it could be that some felt that not standing was a way to personally protest what’s being done in this country.”
RD: I really doubt it, but if that’s why they were doing it, it was still wrong-headed and disrespectful. As is the case with most folks, my respect for the country does not depend on who is in power.
I’m with XXX on this. Lazy, ignorant, and/or disrespectful about covers it.
Out?
XXX did not say that, Nathan did. XXX was pissed off.
Well,
I always applaud Vietnam vets when they are in a parade. I figure there is some making up to do there.
The flag? I used to get the hackles or whatever that shivery feeling is that a lot of people get seeing the flag. I just don’t anymore. I guess I know too much more than I used to. At the ballgame, I don’t refuse to stand for the national anthem. I just make sure I’m down getting a hot dog or something. Standing for it doesn’t feel right but not standing doesn’t quite either.Sorta like RD said I guess.
The pledge? I don’t say that anymore. It was droned into me every morning at school when I was a kid. Some of the words like “indivisible”, and “justice for all” just ring hollow now.And I do NOT like the words “under God” which were added long after the initial pledge was written, shouted louder than all the other words.As to the movie theater thing, I think I would have felt something like the writer of the letter in the Eagle did. At first surprised, I would have felt it was…..phony or forced. Warren HAS been a politician. There may have been motive.
The Pledge was written by a socialist . . . that’s why you’ve got the idealistic “with liberty and justice for all” part in it.
You think George Bush’s party would have written that?
They would have written “with liberty for all rich white men and justice for those that can pay for it.”
I always say the Pledge. Except when I get to the part added in the ’50’s about “under God” I say, “under gods” which I think reflects what America stands for better.
Nathan, I haven’t really read the updated thread. Doesn’t matter: Where are you now, and how the hell are you?
P.S. The current subject is red meat, but I have to pass. . . :)
“IT IS ABOUT RESPECT.
The United States Flag represents so much more than your own narrow minded opinion of any particular administration.”
You got that right, Nathan. Repub or Dem, liberal or conservative, hawk or dove, the Flag belongs to all of us. It is our birthright, the gift of freedom that previous generations earned for us and gave us.
Long may it wave.
Thanks for the guidance there JR, but Nathan and I posted simultaneously. Like I said, I’m with XXX on this.
It’s good to see that even Darth.. and I can agree on one thing (and probably not a whole lot more), saying the pledge. Which says that we both love our country, even though we have markedly different ideas as to what is best for it.
RD, Hays is about forty miles east of ME. I am not forty miles west of THEM!
I’m still mad at them for stealing the water out of Cedar Bluff.
The food at Gutch’s is pretty good. Lots of people like Gellas, me, not so much, but everyone is different. Al’s Chickenette has been there since the forties, Vernies Hamburgers are a classic, and the Taco Shop is owned by a friend of mine.
Never trust a skinny chef. I know all the joints :)
KFG would know if this is a hazed memory, or not, but isn’t it supposed to be true that the chicken served at Al’s Chickenette is never frozen. They have home made french fries that are to die for (that may even be literal :-)) Even if it is not true about the non-freezing, it is one excellent place – it is on south Vine – the main drag in Hays. (used to be, at least)
KFG,Is “Gella” a Volga-German word for “get it?” – roughly translated?
Hank, I wish you son a safe journey. Best, Ed
I’ve tried to post this twice, so I’m crossing my fingers it works.
Nathan, you’re right. Respect is the proper word to use. I apologize. Then again, not to argue, but the act of standing for the flag is the protocol we use to show our respect.
Now to get everyone off my back, let me explain something, and please keep it in mind for future reference.
In my business, knowing motiviation is very, very important, and it has become a habit for me to ask why someone does or doesn’t do somthing. Figuratively ask why, that is. It isn’t that I agree with being disrespectful, it’s just that ‘why’ thing.
Thanks Ed!
I appreciate your kind words.
Hank
I agree, the flag is to be respected, it stands for the ideal of freedom. No, we’re not perfect, but America is still by far the best place to live in the entire world.Standing with respect for the flag is the reminder of what it’s really all about and how we still need to work hard to make the USA what it was meant to be, a country where everyone is truly equal, free to speak our opinion, pursue our dreams, elect our leaders, and the ability to kick the bastards out of office when they screw up and betray our trust.Can you imagine if Gerorge Bush was our “president for life”? Makes me VERY grateful that a president can only screw things up for 8 yrs max and then he has to move on.
I think George’s recent outrageous behavior is his way of saying “Fuck you, my terms almost over anyway” to the American people. It’s kinda scary though, you know, like watching Tom Cruise off his meds.
Another Hays eatery was the Mecca Hamburger House out on Vine. Best burgers ever. The family put a bunch of kids through college, then closed the doors. Too bad, I miss it.BTW, another Fort Hays alum, Mickey Spillane, AKA Mike Hammer, has died. We used to jokingly call the journalism building Mike Hammer Hall. I have read all of his books. There was a TV series in the 60s that had the coolest saxaphone solo as a theme, and I don’t even like saxs that much.
Oh yeah, and the Kent Cafe. Had a chicken fried stake that covered an entire plate (probably mostly flour). The rest of the meal was served on a second plate.
Wow, Ed’s been LURKING!!What a change.
I just need to rant for a moment.
My boss is Lebanese. He’s a great guy. In my worst nightmares I can’t imagine him trying to kill me or sign up to be a terrorist.His family lives in Beirut. The violence is very hard on him. He has a different view of being a neigbor to Israel. Talks about how no one talks about the things Israel does to the people in the South. There isn’t anything he can do for his family and I can see him throwing himself into his work to not think about it.
My rant? A coworker. He professes to be a better christian than anyone else. He believes to compromise is to admit failure. (myself, I believe to go to war is to admit failure)
This whole week he’s gleeful over the invasion. Spends hours talking about the type of bombs being dropped. How the civilians being killed “brought it on themselves” He’s clueless of what that talk does to his boss. How can a christian be such an advocate of death and destruction?
Because Sum1. Christianity isn’t a personal belief system that many of those why say their christian, practice.
It’s a social club and a market. Saying your a christian doesn’t make you any different than saying you’re a Democrat. Just because you’re a Democrat, doesn’t make you a nice guy or somebody that cares for the plight of the less fortunante. Just says you belong to a social group, a club, a network peer group.
Most christians don’t go to church to worship god, they go there because family, friends, and co-workers go there. Networking possibilities, job contact, and etc.
A perfect example is when I used to work at Cessna. There was a big wig there that was “supposely” religous christian. He went to a specific church. All of a sudden people “buttkissers” started to go to the same church he did. Even new hires that never went to church or attended a different one started to go to the church the big wig went too. Why? Because people who were getting promotions to foreman and etc all went to this guys church. It was no secret.
Off Topic! But sort of a on it. I totally disagree with you Sum1 that going to war is to admit failure. But I guess I don’t go to your church!
Sum1, just tell the insensitive asshole to keep the talk about work.People who constantly tout their religion in the work place are so annoying. Combine that with the ‘might is right’ attitude, and I’m afraid I’d have to find some way to humiliate Mr. Cristian.
Dear Sum1,
Most Lebonse are great people, so what? Look at their country. The Lebonese are like the Muslims in most countries, either radical or neutral. They have allowed the terrorists to take over their country.
The Muslim religion is being defined by the nuts. War is a failure of many things, it’s what happens when a people have decided that freedom is more important than peace.
Hank
Yeah DD, big arguement in Hays about exactly what gella means. Sort of like, “isnt that right” or “get it” or such. I’ll try to say these in my best “cherman” accent.
“Boy that sun sure is hot today, gella?”
“Boy, dat bush fella sure has da whole damn world fouled up, gella?”
“Boy, dat terry and joe giffs our churches a bad name, gella?”
“Boy, dat kansas boe sure is a buncha knotheads, gella?”
heheheheheh. Thanks for the set up dd.
…I wonder if we will get a thread today about the political demise of ralph “christian coalition” reed being OUT of the lite gov race in georgia.
Lots of news in the real blogosphere about it. Church boy goes down the drain as a result of the abramhoff taint.
Some others running this year should beware. They outta be hearing footsteps right now.
And I see the feds are getting closer to katherine “i love makeup” harris in the government procurement ethics mess she is in.
Culture of Corruption.
I wonder if we will get a thread…
…and the Wichita “best places to live” thread is about a week late, no?
Washington DC – July 18, 2006 –
Patricia Todd made history today when voters in Alabama’s 54th legislative district voted to send the Democrat to the State House, marking the first time ever that legislature will include an openly gay Representative.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the nation’s largest gay and lesbian political action committee, endorsed Todd and helped raise tens of thousands of dollars from its national network of donors to help fund her campaign. Todd has no Republican opponent in the general election in November.
“The road to equality in Alabama is a mile shorter today,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. “Gays and lesbians in Alabama will now have what all Americans deserve–a voice and a vote.
Alabama knows well what a single voice can accomplish. We applaud Patricia’s courage in stepping up to be heard,” Wolfe said.
So…now ala-freakin’-bama is more progressive than kansas?
heheheheh
hee hee hee
The COMMENTS on this are the funniest things I have read in a long, long time.
End timers do not click!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364×1671697
“heheheheheh. Thanks for the set up dd.”
You are more than welcome . . . your examples were a trip down memory lane. I think that “gella” is like the French word, “nespa” – which means such things as “isn’t it true”, “don’t you agree”, etc.
Alabama??? Makes you wonder if something serious, as in voter revolt, is afoot. Neil Young is going to have to write some new songs.
DD -”I hope Neil Young will remembera southern man don’t need him around anyhow…
Sweethome Alabama, where they sky is so blueSweehome Alabama I’m comin home to you”
Sweet home Alabama, where they vote in lesbians & gaysSweet home Alabama, is waking up the 21st century.(last syllable has an long “a” – for the sake of rhyme)
Thanks, Julie. Lynard Skynard was a great band. I liked .38 Special, too.
“Children from low-income families have a 1 percent chance of reaching the top 5 percent of the income distribution.” So, if you’re born poor, you have a 1 in 100 chance of ending up rich. Not too shabby compared to countries where the chance is more like 1 in 10,000.
“Children of the rich who have about a 22 percent chance.” Rich children have a 78% chance of not being rich anymore. Guess this mobility thing works both ways.
“Children born to the middle class’ chance of ending up in a lower quintile (39.5 percent). A higher quintile (36.5 percent). Their chances of attaining the top five percentiles 1.8 percent.” So, the middle class can go either up or down. That sounds about right.
Because these measures are based on percentages of the population, they don’t really mean that much. There will always be people at the top 5% of income and the bottom 5% of income, but without some context of how good those respective incomes are, those statistics are a nothing more than a tautology.
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=1579981
The purple chicken just crossed an 8-lane super-hiway.
KFG,
LOVED the DU link. Sometimes a laugh saves the day.
Funny stuff that link KFG.
Makes me wanna hang around a fudamentalist church! I could watch for some people entering who look kinda nervous. Then if they came out all wide eyed, just follow ‘em home and wait for them to start giving away their stuff!
Actually, this is relevant to the post I wanted to make. I just say Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth”……..Compelling stuff. Had he made that movie in 1998, the election would not have been close enough for bush to steal. A Republican congress would have frustrated Gores efforts to address global warming……and probably just about anything else productive. But the ushot is people would now be saying “George who?”
Folks, Gore made the case. Global warming is here and it is now and human beings ARE at the very least contributing to it. But have you noticed that alot of people who decry global warming are the same folks waiting for Jesus to come scoop ‘em up? I say it is just a little more important to care about this world and what we are making it then it is to deny that there is a problem because to do so assumes we have power to alter “creation” I’d say we best err on the side of protecting what we got rather than hoping for paradise.
The debate is over. We CAN correct the damage we have done to this world. Anyone who says we can’t shows not much faith in their country or their fellow man. I’d just as soon they’d shut up.
I guess I wouldn’t make it. I’d be one of those thats like, “look, you can see right up her dress”, or sumpin.
I just got back from seeing the Gore movie, too.
Gore mentioned a meta-analysis that used 900+ studies – the percentage questioning if global warming was occurring – 0%. Not much of a controversy.
He also mentioned a study of popular press articles (number over 600) and the percentage questioning if global warming is occurring = 53%. A controversy in the popular press, but not in peer reveiewed scientific journals. Makes you go hmmm…., now doesn’t it.
My opinion only: Al may be saying that he’s not running, but he is running.
Darwins?
I didn’t get that out of it at all. Seems to me he is more interested in addressing global warming than in being President. While I WISH he would run, I sorta hope I am right and that he sticks to this fight.
I don’t think that he may be running diminishes his message at all. There was a lot of autobiographic material that was tangentially related to the subject, but … you had to wonder.
See, unlike the current resident of the White House, Al Gore can do two things at once, viz., make a documentary about an important subject and launch a campaign.
Just like he stated at the beginning of the movie, shouldn’t we be concerned about and prepare for threats in addition to terrorism? The ole multi-tasking Gore — he was talking on his cell and working on his Mac laptop.
Nah, Al is running. I hope he has learned enough from last time.
The movie was revealing of the force that moves Gore. The almost loss of his son motivating his concern for the future of the environment and all.
But if he WAS setting up a run, I didn’t see it. I WISH I did. I HOPE he runs.
“Nah, Al is running. I hope he has learned enough from last time”
Darwins I hope America has learned enough since last time.
Good point, JR.
OMG, too funny. The REST of the rapture story. Hee hee hee hee hee hee ……
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364×1672428