tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-163666682012-01-24T15:13:26.139-05:00Various and sundry topics: sometimes serious, but often not; often political, sometimes not; sometimes provocative, usually not; usually humble, occasionally not; but always me.Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.comBlogger1511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-39300146996448011402011-02-23T07:11:00.003-05:002011-02-23T07:16:49.228-05:00

There is no hope of understanding the present or of preparing for the future without a deep understanding of the past. To put it simply, if you don't know history, you don't know anything.

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-14883665624326932402011-02-15T13:51:00.002-05:002011-02-15T13:54:53.472-05:00

The increasingly comprehensive understanding of the universe that science provides to humans is, for God, the equivalent of a bucket of water being thrown over the Wicked Witch of the West. God is gradually melting away to nothing.

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-41210021252388458142010-07-29T14:41:00.006-04:002010-07-29T15:13:45.644-04:00

My mother, Betty Treder, died late last night in Sunnyvale, California. She was 91, and had been in failing health for several years, but her passing was in relative peace and comfort. For that I am grateful, and for the opportunity to have known her for so long.She was a whip-smart lady with a ready smile, very funny and also very hard working. She treasured good ideas, loved to read, to travel,

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-7586136608152985832010-05-21T09:53:00.004-04:002010-05-21T10:07:20.645-04:00

Writer, filmmaker, inventor, and restauranteur Preston Sturges lived an amazing life.As a child, he was an unremarkable student with no apparent special talents.In his twenties, he was a flop, with no success and no prospects.In his thirties, he was a celebrated author of hit plays and movies.In his forties, he was one of Hollywood’s best-known and most successful directors. In his fifties, he

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-81856432377329373692010-05-08T17:47:00.004-04:002010-05-08T18:05:02.714-04:00

This is from a friend of a friend of a friend, who writes:I'm tired of conservatives bitching, bellyaching, and whining about everything, without providing any solutions.Remember this:Conservatives opposed rebelling against England.Conservatives opposed free public education.Conservatives opposed allowing citizens to vote (not just property owners).Conservatives opposed freeing the

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-14304489121127677502010-05-07T22:09:00.001-04:002010-05-08T18:05:16.683-04:00

I'm sorry if my atheism offends you. But guess what - your religious wars, jihads, crusades, inquisitions, censoring of free speech, brainwashing of children, murdering of albinos, forcing girls into underage marriages, female genital mutilation, stoning, pederasty, homophobia, and rejection of science and reason offends me. So, I guess we're even.

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-38310049526960015802008-02-22T19:51:00.003-05:002008-02-22T21:30:03.044-05:00

Things move amazingly fast these days, accelerated by the power of the Internet and an engaged populace. As an example, consider the story about relaxed security at a Barack Obama campaign event in Dallas.It surfaced for the first time, apparently, yesterday morning (!) in the pages of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Quickly picked up by various small bloggers, and then circulated to the masses by

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-59226541364457099712008-02-04T03:57:00.000-05:002008-02-04T04:03:21.130-05:00

Hope Steffey's night started with a call to police for help. It ended with her face down, naked, and sobbing on a jail cell floor. Now, the sheriff's deputies from Stark County, Ohio who allegedly used excessive force during a strip search 15 months ago face a federal lawsuit, and this recently released video won’t help their case.What's happening to our country??!Tags: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-87029700122005499402006-12-31T07:28:00.001-05:002010-05-08T18:06:38.710-04:00

Ever since the first time I saw Take the Money and Run or Bananas back when I was in high school, I've been a big fan of Woody Allen. He was that rare triple threat, a guy who could write, direct, and star in his own films -- and do all three brilliantly.When Annie Hall came out in 1977, I knew that something had changed. No longer just aces at making funny movies, Woody was now one of our great

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1167050141362219622006-12-25T07:32:00.000-05:002006-12-25T07:35:41.383-05:00

It's Christmas Day 2006, and:An overwhelming number of Britons believe religion does more harm than good while non-believers outnumber believers by nearly two to one, an ICM poll has suggested. Eighty-two percent said they saw religion as a cause of division and tension between people compared to 16 percent who disagreed. Sixty-three percent said they were not religious; 33 percent said they were

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1166553598959813062006-12-19T13:09:00.000-05:002006-12-19T13:39:59.036-05:00

Jamais Cascio, channeling Paul Kedrosky, asks:"What one sentence would you tell the future?"The response is supposed to focus on each person's area of expertise, whether it is politics, engineering, cooking, or whatever.I've thought about whether I should say something specifically about nanotechnology, such as "When we achieve the ability to engineer functional systems at the molecular scale,

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1163009878531722032006-11-08T13:12:00.000-05:002006-11-08T13:24:49.256-05:00

My first grandchild, Rachel, was born on Monday, November 6th, in Houston, Texas. Mother and baby are doing just fine. Isn't she beautiful?

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1162391143659094382006-11-01T09:25:00.000-05:002006-11-01T09:25:43.660-05:00

Pro Waterboarding?If I found out my government was torturing people, and I turned on the TV to hear what the Media was saying about it and all I heard was "I'm Pro torture" - I'd be mighty pissed.Had enough yet?

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1162390969747185862006-11-01T09:22:00.000-05:002006-11-01T09:22:49.873-05:00

Republican Senator's Staff Assaults Marine Vet [VIDEO]What kind of country is it when a Senator's constituent is assaulted for asking difficult and uncomfortable questions? What freedoms do we have left?Somebody needs to take a stand against those that would bully and intimidate their fellow citizens.Mike Stark is taking a stand. Bravo!

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1161372686001264622006-10-20T15:31:00.000-04:002006-10-20T15:34:51.416-04:00

This is from an item titled "War, What Is It Good For?" at the blog Eschaton:What I'm about to write isn't especially insightful, but given that our foreign policy debate these days is almost entirely played out between people who think wars are really great and those who think wars are like totally awesome, perhaps it needs to be said.There's this attitude out there where one's foreign policy

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1160912422718497182006-10-15T07:27:00.000-04:002006-10-15T07:40:22.733-04:00

From this:To this:In less than 60 seconds. An amazing demonstration of the power of perception, via makeup, photography, and photoshop. But which girl is really prettier?

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1160746669024017242006-10-13T09:37:00.000-04:002006-10-13T09:37:49.123-04:00

From Scientific American (via Daily Kos):What Would Happen To Earth If Humanity Ceased To Exist?Fascinating!

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1160669974105138532006-10-12T12:16:00.000-04:002006-10-12T12:21:54.566-04:00

Word:The detention of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay is unacceptable and counterproductive, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Thursday, underlining an increasingly critical British line on the U.S. camp in Cuba.Beckett, releasing Britain's annual report on human rights around the world, said that detention without trial of hundreds of suspects was "unacceptable in terms of human

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1156436909793645682006-08-24T12:28:00.000-04:002006-08-24T12:28:29.853-04:00

For all of my life, and the lives of almost everyone living today, students have been taught that our solar system had nine planets. Now, that has changed. PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. After a tumultuous week of clashing over the

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1155438691273900222006-08-12T23:11:00.000-04:002006-08-12T23:11:31.436-04:00

From Think Progress:A comparison of peoples’ views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower.” Yes!! The US public is less ignorant than Turkey!! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!! Er, I mean, WE'RE NUMBER, UM, 33.....One major factor: politics. “Major political parties in the United States are more willing to

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1154709772593937072006-08-04T12:38:00.000-04:002006-08-04T12:43:49.426-04:00

My daughter, Aria, who was married earlier this year and is expecting her first child (and my first grandchild!) in November. Isn't she beautiful?

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1154616259348922022006-08-03T10:18:00.000-04:002006-08-03T10:46:11.010-04:00

Would any reasonable, educated person oppose any of this? We are committed to democratic norms, procedures and structures — freedom of opinion and assembly, free elections, the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers, and the separation of state and religion. We value the traditions and institutions, the legacy of good governance, of those countries in which liberal, pluralist

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1154533170850497902006-08-02T11:33:00.000-04:002006-08-02T11:39:30.866-04:00

By nature I'm an optimist, nearly always seeing the glass as half full. During the past week, I've enjoyed a couple of very pleasant sleeping dreams that reinforce my commitment to and belief in the value of harmony and clarity.In one dream, I was sitting in a cafe full of strangers when someone started humming a tune. I liked the tune and began harmonizing with it, almost unconsciously. To my

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1154460564125238312006-08-01T15:26:00.000-04:002006-08-01T15:29:24.143-04:00

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1154265668628375822006-07-30T09:21:00.000-04:002006-07-30T09:31:25.623-04:00

Following are excerpts from an interview with Arab-American psychiatrist Wafa Sultan. The interview was aired on Al-Jazeera TV on February 21, 2006The clash we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions, or a clash of civilizations. It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle Ages and another mentality that

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1154033201142754272006-07-27T16:46:00.000-04:002006-07-27T16:49:48.463-04:00

This is disgusting.From MyDD: How to Rig Elections:In March 2001, Republicans held a five-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Because of its massive size, California would account for 53 seats in the House--or almost one out of every eight seats. Political junkies across the nation eagerly waited to see whether California--where Democrats controlled the state assembly--would

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1153409586218356322006-07-20T11:15:00.000-04:002006-07-20T21:18:28.473-04:00

SING ALONG! "One of the these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong..."Iraqi police find 38 tortured dead bodies around BaghdadPolice in Baghdad recovered 38 bodies across the Iraqi capital during a 24-hour period ending Thursday morning. All showed signs of torture.Republican Congressman Gutknecht gives grim assessment"The condition there is worse than I expected,

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1152672704681755102006-07-11T22:42:00.000-04:002006-07-11T22:52:26.846-04:00

A-ha!! I've always thought there was something bogus about restaurants charging $5 or whatever for plain old water in a bottle. It's especially annoying to me when you ask for a glass of water and then they bring you a fancy bottle and expect you to pay for it!So I was delighted to see this wickedly funny video expose'...

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1152039117571862152006-07-04T14:47:00.000-04:002006-07-04T14:56:42.870-04:00

So, I took this Internet quiz to determine my style of Ethical Philosophy. Who do I compare most closely to? Imagine my surprise: 1. Kant (100%) 2. Jean-Paul Sartre (79%) 3. John Stuart Mill (76%) 4. Prescriptivism (65%) 5. Jeremy Bentham (60%) 6. Ayn Rand (53%) 7. Epicureans (43%) 8. Stoics (39%) 9. Nel Noddings (34%) 10. Aquinas (33%) 11. David Hume

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1151495877012345842006-06-28T07:57:00.000-04:002006-06-28T07:57:57.260-04:00

With a tip o' the hat to Jan-Willem Bats, let's find out about the car of the future.GM has built a revolutionary car called the Hy-wire. It's an amazing piece of machinery.It has no pedals, but is entirely hand-operated. It rides on a fuel cell, and the engine is a flat block which basically forms the bottom of the car. The body of the car can be modified in half an hour.Watch the video here (

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1151325390877812462006-06-26T08:36:00.000-04:002006-06-26T08:43:09.443-04:00

When it comes to traditional conceptions of God, I'm not a religious person. In fact, I'm an atheist, a non-believer in a supernatural supreme being. I prefer to describe myself as an existential humanist, because that provides a positive underpinning for my dedication to finding and doing the right thing.I spend a lot of time thinking and writing on the ideas of right and wrong, on how we can

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1151247708692802632006-06-25T10:51:00.000-04:002006-06-25T11:09:15.356-04:00

Here's the great Molly Ivins on why she will not support Hillary Clinton for President:Enough triangulation, calculation and equivocation. Enough clever straddling, enough not offending anyone. This is not a Dick Morris election. Senator Clinton is apparently incapable of taking a clear stand on the war in Iraq, and that alone is enough to disqualify her. Her failure to speak out on Terri Schiavo

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1151147075566486522006-06-24T07:04:00.000-04:002006-06-24T07:04:35.740-04:00

Chris on AMERICAblog says: No need to spend your vacation money in St Kitts and NevisThey seem to have everything covered after receiving a plump payout from Japan for voting in favor of the pro-whaling lobby. It doesn't say much for the leadership of St Kitts and Nevis, who claim to be 'famous around the world for excellent preservation of the ecosystems' though voting in favor of commercial

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150993796448895722006-06-22T12:29:00.000-04:002006-06-22T12:29:56.570-04:00

Quoting Ernest Partridge:'All men, by nature, desire to know.' Alas, this timeless maxim by Aristotle was wide of the mark. Better to say that 'humans, by nature, desire to believe that they know.' Even this is not completely on target.The American pragmatist, John Dewey, enlightened by the insights of Darwinism and modern psychology, had it right when he observed (here in paraphrase), that 'all

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150845508903045262006-06-20T19:10:00.000-04:002006-06-20T19:20:09.506-04:00

It's just astonishing.One of the greatest speeches in the English language, perhaps the finest ever made in America, is only ten sentences long. It contains just 271 words -- 202 of them having one syllable! -- and likely took less than three minutes to deliver.If you appreciate the power of well-chosen words, there may be no finer example of masterful writing than Lincoln's Gettysburg Address:

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150842948679040742006-06-20T18:34:00.000-04:002006-06-20T18:35:48.693-04:00

Lew Rockwell in the Huffington Post says:There is something morally creepy about the way the White House responded to the news – released as inconspicuously as possible – that the 2,500th American soldier has died in Iraq.'It’s a number,' said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow.Yes, and so is 5,000, and 10,000, and 15,000. Is there is no amount of American bloodshed that would trigger a

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150803496903657562006-06-20T07:38:00.000-04:002006-06-20T07:39:27.100-04:00

Federal contracts up 86% under Bush; Halliburton rises 600%:WASHINGTON -- A new report claims that a 'shadow government' of federal contractors has exploded in size over the last five years.The document [PDF], compiled at the request of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and distributed to RAW STORY, indicates that procurement spending increased by over $175 billion between 2000 and 2005, making federal

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150802935346545192006-06-20T07:28:00.000-04:002006-06-20T07:28:55.560-04:00

Taxation, in my view, is not a ‘necessary evil’ and should not be regarded as an accommodation we grudgingly make. On the contrary, taxation is a positive.When applied wisely, wealth redistribution results in positive-sum gains. This works at every level, from family to municipality to region to nation (and, someday, the whole world). It is a means of establishing and building community; indeed,

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150636522267315292006-06-18T09:03:00.000-04:002006-06-18T09:15:22.296-04:00

Our cetacean brothers are (relatively) safe for now, but Japan has long-term plans to overturn the ban on commercial whaling.Pro-whaling nations, led by Japan, lost two key votes Friday at the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting — an indication they may not have the majority necessary to take control of the body and try to repeal its ban on commercial hunting.In the first vote,

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150477263342358162006-06-16T12:59:00.000-04:002006-06-16T13:02:35.796-04:00

In a copiously researched and annotated article for Rolling Stone, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says "something deeply troubling" took place in 2004:Nearly half of the 6 million American voters living abroad never received their ballots -- or received them too late to vote -- after the Pentagon unaccountably shut down a state-of-the-art Web site used to file overseas registrations. A consulting firm

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150420017730546792006-06-15T21:06:00.000-04:002006-06-15T21:08:15.786-04:00

If "Shanghai is under water," "does anybody really care?":On his radio show, Glenn Beck responded to a clip of the film An Inconvenient Truth in which Al Gore says that global warming could cause Shanghai to be submerged: "This is what would happen to Shanghai. Does anybody really care? I mean, come on. Shanghai is under water. Oh, no! Who's gonna make those little umbrellas for those tropical

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150382547686788092006-06-15T10:22:00.000-04:002006-06-15T10:42:27.786-04:00

Let's say you have a friend who has never seen a movie (!) and who asks you for a list of 100 films that would represent essential viewing. Which ones would you recommend?I challenged myself with this hypothetical request. Starting from lists that others had compiled and comparing them to my own favorites over many years of film buffery, I considered something like 500 movies and finally narrowed

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1150094966404602962006-06-12T02:49:00.000-04:002006-06-12T02:49:26.486-04:00

Changing climates, weapons of mass destruction, shifting balances of power -- the global situation is becoming a vortex, a maelstrom in which multiple risk factors will swirl and combine to create sudden new crises for which we may not have time to prepare. The act of reaching into the vortex to grab hold of and deal with one problem could send others spinning in new, ever more dangerous

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1149337047051897632006-06-03T08:17:00.000-04:002006-06-03T19:23:56.116-04:00

On Saturday, May 27, under a beautiful sunny sky on South Padre Island in Texas, my daughter -- and only child -- Aria, 26, was married to her long-time boyfriend Andrew, 32. It was a small affair, attended only by a few family members. The bride was beautiful, and we all had a lovely time.I am intensely proud of my daughter, a wonderful young woman with a heart as big as the state in which she

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1149336406525395352006-06-03T08:06:00.000-04:002006-06-03T08:06:49.823-04:00

Brian at FutureWire tells us about "Mind Meeting Machine":Scientists are making huge strides in developing computing devices that interface directly with the human mind. CNET profiles several such experiments, including: BrainGate, a computer that allows those with spinal cord injuries and other immobilizing conditions to control electronic devices through their thoughts. BioBricks, an open

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1149255009950653042006-06-02T09:30:00.000-04:002006-06-03T19:24:21.096-04:00

When you are a leading personality on a major TV news network, with millions of viewers who depend on you for truth in reporting, how important is it that you be accurate?What is the value of history remembered correctly?Is there any real danger in a gross rewriting of the facts?Judge for yourself.Olbermann on Accuracy (requires Quicktime)Ditto (uses Windows Media Player) Tags: History Ideas

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1148256395901693992006-05-21T19:32:00.000-04:002006-05-22T10:22:38.983-04:00

You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake. - Jeannette RankinWar is hell. It simply is.War is the single most uncivilized, immoral, inhuman activity in which humans participate. It is the measure of our immaturity as a species and our unfitness as designers of societies.When wars are fought, men go insane. They do the unthinkable. In wartime, atrocities occur. They always do

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1148254231370519942006-05-21T19:27:00.000-04:002006-05-21T19:38:23.463-04:00

How do we find answers to important questions? In the beginning, we looked to wise elders, sages, and shamans. Over time, authority to speak on matters of consequence became vested in secular rulers, religious leaders -- or, frequently, a hybrid of the two.It wasn’t until the 17th century that an objective approach to finding true answers was outlined by Bacon and Descartes (and later refined by

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1147954889682862982006-05-18T08:21:00.000-04:002006-05-21T19:43:07.873-04:00

Lovers of progressive ideas, open expression, and good 'ol American freedom have a favorite place to go on the Web for left-leaning news stories.But now, Crooks and Liars, run by John Amato, apparently has been hacked. The address currently points towards some ziaspace.com domain.Is this an "innocent" denial-of-service attack, or could it perhaps be an effort orchestrated by the Republican

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1147270613744850402006-05-10T10:16:00.000-04:002006-05-10T10:16:53.856-04:00

This is brilliant.Contract on Republicans:Getting to universal health care. First insure all kids. Immediately! Day One. Medicare for Kids.Restore fiscal sanity. Start by repealing the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans. On them only. We’re at war, folks. Let’s act like it.Corruption. Restore honor and integrity to government. No outing CIA agents. Clean up Congress. Real lobbying

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1147105743538900412006-05-08T12:29:00.000-04:002006-05-08T12:29:03.633-04:00

rubber hose:See how three presidents answered the question, "What was the best moment of your presidency?"Carter: The Camp David negotiationsClinton: The resolution of the Kosovo crisisBush: That time I caught a big fish on my ranchY'know, as Richard Cranium says, Bush is probably right. Catching that fish probably was the best thing he's done since he entered the Oval Office. Who says I never

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1147049319581983942006-05-07T20:48:00.000-04:002006-05-08T12:29:47.140-04:00

Rep. John Conyers, via The Huffington Post:Perhaps, if we had a little oversight, we wouldn't be mired in a war based on false pretenses in which we have lost thousands of our brave men and women in uniform and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. Perhaps we would not have had an energy policy drawn up in secret with oil company executives that has led to gas prices of more than three dollars

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1147003752246991372006-05-07T08:09:00.000-04:002006-05-07T08:09:12.353-04:00

I was wrong to have voted for George W. Bush. In historic terms, I believe George W. Bush is the worst two-term President in the history of the country. That's from a conservative talk show host, Doug McIntyre, on KABC Radio in Los Angeles.In the months and years since shock and awe I have been shocked repeatedly by a consistent litany of excuses, alibis, double-talk, inaccuracies, bogus

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146713128018787502006-05-03T22:52:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:25:28.076-04:00

The Ardent AtheistThe results are in, and you have scored: 76% You are an atheist, pure and simple. You think God is just one big lie, and consider religious people to be both annoying and beneath you. Ardent atheists will argue tooth and claw for their position, and have no truck with people that won't listen. You think being an atheist is the only way to lead an honest life, and see no

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146660794176193122006-05-03T08:53:00.000-04:002006-05-03T08:57:14.790-04:00

Peter King, after a visit to new Orleans:What I saw was a national disgrace. An inexcusable, irresponsible, borderline criminal national disgrace. I am ashamed of this country for the inaction I saw everywhere. . .Am I ticked off? Damn right I'm ticked off. If you're breathing, you should be morally outraged. Katrina fatigue? Hah! More Katrina news! Give me more! Give it to me every day on the

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146507532344426302006-05-01T14:18:00.000-04:002006-05-03T08:58:01.490-04:00

On May 1, 2003, President Bush stood underneath a “Mission Accomplished” banner and announced that “Major combat operations have ended.”Take a look at the situation then compared to the situation now, by the numbers, from Think Progress.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146457350416962612006-05-01T00:22:00.000-04:002006-05-01T00:28:32.843-04:00

Even if it means you break a nail -- or break your finger -- hit this link as fast and as hard as you can.You MUST NOT miss seeing Stephen Colbert's "merciless skewering of the Cheney administration and its media lapdogs" at last night's White House Correspondents dinner.Billmon has more:Colbert used satire the way it's used in more openly authoritarian societies: as a political weapon, a device

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146447462538070382006-04-30T21:37:00.000-04:002006-04-30T21:37:42.630-04:00

From Brilliant at Breakfast:Not a shot was fired, not a law was changed -- and yet we no longer have a President, we have a king -- a king who claims he need not obey any law he doesn't like.From the Boston Globe: President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146085225336575382006-04-26T16:58:00.000-04:002006-04-26T17:51:19.146-04:00

For having the intelligence, courage, and sensitivity to write a great song like "Dear Mr. President."Tags: Ideas Politics Reviews Society

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1146071284534583522006-04-26T13:06:00.000-04:002006-04-26T14:25:36.530-04:00

Because his book about A President Run Amok is #1 today in sales at Amazon!Tag: Politics Reviews

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1145981460806994342006-04-25T12:11:00.000-04:002006-04-25T12:11:00.883-04:00

The straight truth from Lawrence Wilkerson:Alexis de Tocqueville once said: "America is great because she is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."In January 2001, with the inauguration of George W. Bush as president, America set on a path to cease being good; America became a revolutionary nation, a radical republic. If our country continues on this path, it

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1145852264619974462006-04-24T00:17:00.000-04:002006-04-26T13:16:04.763-04:00

If Tiger Woods can do it, then why not me?

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1145839213944158242006-04-23T20:38:00.000-04:002006-04-26T13:18:09.296-04:00

Ok, here’s a movie meme. It’s the list of “movies you just kind of figure everybody ought to have seen in order to have any sort of informed discussion about movies” and for the most part I think it’s a good list. Other bloggers are bolding the ones they’ve seen, so I shall do the same. ”2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) Stanley Kubrick ”The 400 Blows” (1959) Francois Truffaut ”8 1/2” (1963)

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1145677581011268682006-04-21T23:46:00.000-04:002006-04-21T23:46:21.096-04:00

I want to do this!!!Tag: Fun

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1145537825788038682006-04-20T08:57:00.000-04:002006-04-20T09:12:09.286-04:00

It is impossible to put a finite value on the huge number of lives lost -- on all sides -- and bodies maimed during the Cheney-Bush invasion and occupation of Iraq.However, we can look at the billions of dollars in taxpayer money being spent there, and it's a horrendous disgrace all of its own.From today's Washington Post (emphasis added):With the expected passage this spring of the largest

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1145383503308516442006-04-18T13:42:00.000-04:002006-04-18T15:02:13.723-04:00

Are we near a major turning point [CNN report, after a short commercial] in public sentiment against the war in Iraq, against the doctrine of premptive attack, and against President Bush?During Vietnam, protest songs from concerned musicians like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Neil Young, and many others helped bring the issues of war to public consciousness and served as anthems for group action.Decades

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1144758390914665302006-04-11T08:23:00.000-04:002006-04-11T08:26:30.933-04:00

The bodies of storm victims are still being discovered in New Orleans — in March alone there were nine, along with one skull. Skeletonized or half-eaten by animals, with leathery, hardened skin or missing limbs, the bodies are lodged in piles of rubble, dangling from rafters or lying face down, arms outstretched on parlor floors.How can this be happening in the United States of America?

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1144169172503382382006-04-04T12:46:00.000-04:002006-04-04T12:46:12.650-04:00

From Cenk Uygur in the Huffington Post:Let me be the first to say -- before Tom DeLay even announces his resignation -- that he is not resigning because he wants to spend more time with his family. It might very well be because he needs to spend more time in prison.Last week, prosecutors were singing the praises of Jack Abramoff in open court, telling a judge in one of his cases how

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1143672345432692102006-03-29T17:40:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:45:45.456-05:00

Meat!A dialogue by Terry BissonFrom "Alien/Nation" in the April 1991 issue of Omni Magazine."They're made out of meat.""Meat?""Meat. They're made out of meat.""Meat?""There's no doubt about it. We picked several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, probed them all the way through. They're completely meat.""That's impossible. What about the radio signals? The

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1143570378747946452006-03-28T13:26:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:46:30.313-05:00

Boston Review, in their March/April 2006 issue offers a thought-provoking series of articles, CAN THE PEOPLE RULE? These four essays focus on the opportunities and challenges presented by a more participatory and deliberative democratic process.Gianpaolo Baiocchi writes about the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, where citizens set the city budget. He finds that the process has radically changed

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1143569581100239372006-03-28T13:13:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:48:00.420-05:00

From IST Results:European researchers have created an interface between mammalian neurons and silicon chips. The development is a crucial first step in the development of advanced technologies that combine silicon circuits with a mammal’s nervous system.The ultimate applications are potentially limitless. In the long term it will possibly enable the creation of very sophisticated neural

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142959140630674642006-03-21T11:30:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:48:15.560-05:00

The swimming pool at Balad air base, as seenthrough the window of a Black Hawk helicopter,44 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 25, 2005.An AP report from Balad Air Base (above), in Iraq:The question of America’s future in Iraq looms larger as the U.S. military enters the fourth year of its war here. . .The concrete goes on forever, vanishing into the noonday glare, 2 million cubic feet of it,

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142610375340318232006-03-17T10:46:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:48:29.576-05:00

From Yahoo! News:The Senate, on a 52-48 vote, sent to President Bush a bill raising the ceiling on the national debt to nearly $9 trillion and preventing a first-ever default on U.S. Treasury notes. When the government reaches the new ceiling, expected sometime next year, the debt will represent $30,000 for every man, woman and child in the United States. . . (emphasis added)Congress has now

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142539809828292582006-03-16T15:10:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:48:45.596-05:00

From LiberalOasis:A list of Democrat and Independent Senators who backed censure for Clinton (S. Res. 44 in the 106th Congress) and have yet to back censure for Bush:Daniel AkakaMax BaucusByron DorganDick DurbinDianne FeinsteinDaniel InouyeJim JeffordsTed KennedyHerb KohlMary LandrieuCarl LevinJoe LiebermanBlanche LincolnBarbara MikulskiPatty MurrayJack ReedHarry ReidJay RockefellerChuck

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142443993847903112006-03-15T12:33:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:49:06.963-05:00

"Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." - Abraham LincolnWord to the wise.Tags: History Ideas Politics Quotes

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142372180440396332006-03-14T16:36:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:49:23.596-05:00

Future of Iraq Project...Starting in October 2001, about a year and a half before the US and its allies invaded Iraq, the State Department spearheaded an effort called the Future of Iraq Project. Dozens of Iraqi exiles and international experts were brought together to figure out how to create a new Iraq should Saddam Hussein somehow be taken out of power.Within the project, seventeen working

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142343295860729532006-03-14T08:34:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:49:47.210-05:00

British Envoy on US in Iraq: "No leadership, no strategy, no coordination, no structure and inaccessible to ordinary Iraqis."Ugh.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142260853333153472006-03-13T09:40:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:50:10.856-05:00

Taking a break from politics (whew!), let's zoom all the way out to Saturn and see what the New York Times is reporting about possible extraterrestrial life...With newly discovered signs of liquid water, a moon of Saturn joins the small, highly select group of places in the solar system that could plausibly support life. The moon, Enceladus, is only 300 miles wide, and usually something that

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142180457860545662006-03-12T11:20:00.000-05:002006-03-12T11:22:11.936-05:00

What does someone in Egypt think about the US President?While on a visit to India and Pakistan, Bush was greeted by a wave of demonstrations, protests and bombings, a clear sign of the hatred felt by peoples for the American President as a politician and also, perhaps, as a person. Yet, he was behaving as if no such thing were happening all around him, although without tight

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142176103689559202006-03-12T10:08:00.000-05:002006-03-12T10:08:23.690-05:00

Arrest of Ex-Bush Aide Shocks AssociatesYeah, it's a strange and sordid tale. But let us remember this:The theft of $5,000 by Claude Allen is nothing compared to the theft of billions of dollars from the citizens of the United States and Iraq by Dick Cheney, Halliburton, et al.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1142175648161439902006-03-12T10:00:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:50:41.816-05:00

At Asia Times Online, Michael Schwartz says:US President George W. Bush marked the Iraqi election in December as the beginning of a new era. A freely selected permanent government would begin asserting its sovereignty over the country, building an administrative infrastructure and rising to the challenge of governing an unruly and often violent constituency.Only three months later, this hopeful

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141743582749988382006-03-07T09:59:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:50:56.600-05:00

Well, beat the drum, and hold the phone,The sun came out today!We're born again, there's new grass on the field.A-roundin' third and headed for home,It's a brown-eyed handsome man.Anyone can understand the way I feel.Jim Caple at ESPN.com has posted a touching tribute to Kirby Puckett.

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141698809184674282006-03-06T21:33:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:51:17.066-05:00

Arianna Huffington is right on the money here.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141665980901850772006-03-06T11:49:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:51:43.866-05:00

When the United States attacked and invaded Iraq, defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld described the campaign as "shock and awe."Iraqi (and Afghani) citizens are not the only ones who have been shocked by US military and intelligence actions. Almost daily, the awful horror grows for American citizens as we learn more about the atrocities that have been done in our name.Last night, 60 Minutes on CBS

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141660442717123862006-03-06T10:54:00.000-05:002006-03-06T10:54:02.883-05:00

Alan Abramowitz writes in the Washington Post:The problem for President Bush is a growing perception that he simply isn't competent. . .The predecessor whom Bush has begun to resemble isn't, as many liberal Democrats seem to believe, Richard Nixon. It's Jimmy Carter. Carter's political demise began when the American people, including many Democrats, started to perceive him as in over his head in

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141474015621090592006-03-04T07:06:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:52:04.370-05:00

"America felt for us just after Katrina. So did the politicians and even the president. They have moved on, but for us, we can't move on. Our lives are a mess."That's Dr. Vance Marinello of New Orleans, quoted in this extraordinary and moving story about the Crescent City, post-Katrina.Marinello is determined to stay in New Orleans and see his patients wherever he can find a couple of rooms to

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141441303156853842006-03-03T21:43:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:52:38.253-05:00

If you live in California or in the New York metro area, run don't walk to see Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, a stirring depiction of underground resistance to Hitler and the Nazis. Even though it has been nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film, this amazing new German production unfortunately does not have wide release in the U.S.What's great about Sophie Scholl is not only

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141396855045779912006-03-03T09:40:00.000-05:002006-03-03T09:40:55.103-05:00

What exactly is the Department of Homeland Security supposed to keep secure: Our freedoms, right? Well, apparently not.It appears that freedom is not high on their list of priorities. At least not when it comes to freedom of information.ABC News tells us:After AP's broadcast this week showing some of the Katrina briefings, the Homeland Security Department refused Thursday to release videos from

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141334340489805622006-03-02T16:19:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:53:02.313-05:00

Yuck, this is really creepy.Think Progress » Roots of Iraq Civil War May Be in ‘Salvador Option’Tag: History Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141318987664288962006-03-02T12:03:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:53:20.123-05:00

President Bush has admitted that he authorized warrantless domestic spying. Many Constitutional scholars believe he should be impeached, including the author of this article, who says:...there are only two ways to address the problem from here, given how little information the Administration is providing.One is for Bush to appoint a special prosecutor. So far, the Administration has shown no

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141311949771317952006-03-02T10:05:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:53:34.496-05:00

Yikes! Check out this amazing video.I wish the big networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN) would conduct serious hard-hitting interviews and investigations like this Mike Kirsch guy in Florida. Maybe then the sleazy Bush administration would not be getting away with breaking the law.Tags: Politics Reviews Society

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141273094042638172006-03-01T23:18:00.000-05:002006-03-29T17:53:59.693-05:00

Glenn Greenwald today posted an absolute must-read article covering important developments in the NSA domestic spying scandal.I could not possibly agree more with this:A plurality of Americans across the country believe that the President "clearly" is engaged in criminal acts, and a majority of all Americans believe he broke the law. That is a startling state of affairs. And large numbers of

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141255861454740692006-03-01T18:31:00.000-05:002006-03-01T18:31:01.510-05:00

Before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, President Bush clearly was warned that a catastrophe loomed.Experts said they could not predict whether the levees in New Orleans would hold -- a direct contradiction to Bush's lame excuse after the storm, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."It's all on tape: AP VideoTag: History Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141219225638896252006-03-01T08:20:00.000-05:002006-03-01T08:20:25.640-05:00

Boing Boing: "Soccer mom"How the heck did they simulate this? It's really convincing!Tag: Fun

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141218895290582502006-03-01T08:14:00.000-05:002006-03-01T08:15:57.963-05:00

That's civil obedience, not disobedience.What happens when a few college students take to the highways in Atlanta and actually obey the speed limit?Watch: A Meditation On the Speed Limit - Google VideoTags: Fun Politics Society

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141173831753221732006-02-28T19:43:00.000-05:002006-02-28T19:45:11.606-05:00

A poll of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq—reportedly the first of its kind—shows that 72% advocate a U.S. pullout within a year, with only 23% for staying as long ”as necessary,” reports Nicholas Kristof in his New York Times column today. Some 29% urge withdrawal “immediately.”Wow.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141173085555122392006-02-28T19:31:00.000-05:002006-02-28T19:31:25.626-05:00

This is so sad...Toll in Iraq's Deadly Surge: 1,300Yet I fear that far worse is yet to come.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1141077207271699292006-02-27T16:53:00.000-05:002006-02-27T16:53:27.466-05:00

LONDON Feb 27, 2006 (AP) - A new audit showed thieves stole the equivalent of about $92 million during last week's heist at a southeast England cash depot, police said Monday, describing the second-largest cash theft in recent history.The haul was second only to the looting of Iraq's central bank during the U.S.-led invasion. Still, it was the biggest cash theft in British history.Tag: Politics

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1140999815867031922006-02-26T19:23:00.000-05:002006-02-26T19:29:42.206-05:00

After shooting Austin lawyer Harry Whittington, Dick Cheney's immediate impulse was to control the intelligence. Rather than call the president directly, he ordered an aide to inform White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card that there had been an accident but not that Cheney was its cause. Then a host of surrogates attacked the victim for not steering clear of Cheney when he was firing. Cheney

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16366668.post-1140669927350234182006-02-22T23:45:00.000-05:002006-02-22T23:47:59.153-05:00

Rep. John Murtha says: Situation in Iraq Is Civil War His words today at Huffington Post:According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, the definition of a civil war is a "war between political factions or regions within the same country." That is exactly what is going on in Iraq, not a global war on terrorism, as the President continues to portray it. 93 percent of those

Mike Trederhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10600838775038267938noreply@blogger.com1