Local Posts #57

2010-1-23 04:32:00

Jan 1, 2010 -- Post #1

JJ:

Nice letter for a 13 year old, Logan, but when I was your age people were grumbling about Christmas being too commercial just as you are doing now. That was over 50 years ago and not much has changed with people's commercial attitudes. What has changed is not the commercialization but the "de-Chrismassing" of Christmas. Happy Holidays is being pushed for a replacement for Merry Christmas and any phrase with Christ in it is downplayed, changed or illegal somewhere.

Imagine if this happened with New Year's because the Chinese and some other nations do not recognize it. Maybe the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] will tell us we just have to wish our neighbors a "happy wholeness year" or perhaps something even stranger.

  

Jan 1, 2010 -- Post #2

"Proletariat":

"There are a few individuals on the left who hate, but nowhere near the ferocity of the right-wing. The Republican Party continues to traffic in lies and fear. They are engaging in the kinds of activities that they criticized during the Cheney-Bush years. Many on the right hate America and its leader...."

JJ:

What planet are you from? Liberals are much more into hate than conservatives. Just ask liberals Joe Lieberman, Alan Colmes and Juan Williams who admit they receive much more hate mail and threats from their own kind than from conservatives who treat them well.

  

Jan 1, 2010 -- Post #3

"Gimmeshelter":

"Happy New Year to you all, even 'ol Joe. May this year, and decade, bring us tranquility, peace and respect for others."

JJ:

Even little ole me? Gosh, thanks. On that note Happy New Year to all. One thing I do like about Lefties is they are fun to party with -- most of them anyway.

  

Jan 1, 2010 -- Post #3

"Csmith147" wrote:

"You are wrong 'joe732,' [JJ] Christmas never has been exclusively about Christ, the origins are easily traced to the pagans and their celebration of winter solstice, also, the Mummers were Roman carolers, not Christian. We still have the Mummers parade in Philly."

JJ:

I never said that December 25th has always throughout history been designated as Christmas in honor of the birth of Christ. How could it? Most of history occurred before he was born... Duh.

It should be obvious that in the history of America, December 25th has not been dedicated to Roman Gods and to say that Roman Gods has a place in present Christmas is silly. That's like saying because Babe Ruth and I were born on the same day then I am celebrating his birthday as well as mine. I am not. Neither do we celebrate the Roman gods at Christmas as we go with what is, not what is not.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #1

JJ:

Yeah, that ACLU is really interested in the rights of all citizens. Like they defended the egregious intrusion on the privacy of "Joe the Plumber." NOT! They were fine with Linda Tripp's FBI files being released but are happy to defend NAMBLA -- Man-Boy Love Association. They do go after the Boy Scouts and every cross on a hill, even on private land.

Their goal is well expressed by their founder, Roger Baldwin:

"I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the State itself as an instrument of property, the abolition of the propertied class and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal. It sums up into one single purpose -- the abolition of the system dog-eat-dog under which we live, and the substitution by the most effective non-violence possible of a system of cooperative ownership and use of all wealth."

(From Roger Nash Baldwin and the American Civil Liberties Union [New York: Columbia University Press, 2000], pp. 228-229.)

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #2

"Badnana" wrote:

"I think you have a great point, Mr. Jaeger. Hyperpartisanship is refusing to look at reality. In reality, no one party has all the right moves, all the right answers or all the mistakes. I love a conversation that includes consideration and reflection, instead of the usual insults, sarcasm...."

JJ:

If you mean what you say then you can stop the distortion that the Tea Party people call themselves "Teabaggers" and stop using the degrading term yourself. I'm glad you believe in being considerate. Maybe your posts will now take on a new flavor.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #3

"Badnana" wrote:

"My intent is to raise myself from the temptation to counter punch or react to trolling posts. Here's a challenge, Joseph. How about we try to bring respect, consideration, reflection and honest debate back to this forum? I will put down the weapons..will you? I don't mean we have to agree, but let's...."

JJ:

I always try and be civil. I have never used name calling on a personal basis and never referred to the Left by anything as degrading as "Teabaggers" is to the Right. If you just follow my lead I'll be happy.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #4

"My2CentsWorth" wrote:

"Greed = GOP
"Corruption = GOP
"Incompetence = GOP
"Self-interest before the common good = GOP"

JJ:

Notice that the accusations are nebulous. On the other hand, it is easy to make them specific related to the current Democratic majority.

Greed = Spending most of the stimulus on pet projects that satisfy their greed rather than the will of the people. Also releasing most of the stimulus just before the next election is egregious.

Corruption: Where do I start? How about illegally giving many millions to representatives such as Mary Landau and Ben Nelson to buy their votes?

Incompetence = Moving Guantanamo prisoners to Illinois and trying them as if they were citizens in New York. Very dangerous and will cost billions.

Self-interest before the common good = The Democratic Congress keeps voting for bills that the majority are against and they are against them because they are not for the common good. Saddling our kids with debt is just one example.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #5

"Loki":

"Forget that partisan. You are the enemy. You have labeled yourself time after time. You don't seek to understand, you don't seek to cooperate, then you hold out a false olive branch? Do that around me and I'll chop your arm off. Partisans = cancer. The best way to cure that malaise is to cut it out of the body of the USA one partisan and pundit at a time. Clack, clack, bang-bang."

JJ:

You are breathing out threats and you call me the enemy? I have never done anything like you just did. The Left thinks someone is uncivil if you just disagree with them. That is all I have been doing and they cannot handle the free speech.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #6

"Loki":

"Typing, not breathing. And I'm not a Leftist. I can't be. I served as a commissioned officer in the USMC for 20 years and fought for YOU in 4 countries. I own guns and lots of ammo. I am a partner in 3 privately owned small to mid-size businesses. Through my education and experience, I...."

JJ:

Then why do you only attack those who support the military and smaller government? Why do you only attack the Right and not the Left, many of whom want your guns? You seem to only support the socialists here which belies your post you just made.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #7

"InterestedObserver":

"You are both certifiable. Joseph your innocent act is nothing but an act. To pretend that you just come in here minding your business and never incite an attack or argument is just ridiculous. Anyone who reads these comments knows better as do you."

JJ:

I've never said that my posts are not controversial. Truth, not accepted, is always controversial. Nothing I do is an act. I never call any individuals names and if we all just start there this will be a better place. You broke one of my personal rules of good behavior with your first four words.

  

Jan 2, 2010 -- Post #8

"Boise Blue":

"From the New Oxford American Dictionary: According to the release, they define 'teabagger' as 'a person who protests President Obama's tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as 'Tea Party' protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773).'"

JJ:

This is not accessible online and you do not give the quote, but if it does so what? If a dictionary called blacks the "N-word," does that mean that they originated it for themselves? Of course not.

Even so, it was those who hate the tea parties that originated the "teabagger" term, a gross sexual act.

You then give a worn out reference that has been repeated and dealt with a half dozen times. The article does not prove that the term originated with the Right. You cite a Left wing site that is trying to make the case but fails.

If you cannot find a reference to a prominent conservative (or any for that matter) who calls himself a "teabagger" you should cease embarrassing yourself.

  

Jan 5, 2010 -- Post #1

JJ:

It seems that God is sending the global cooling deniers a message. Here is just one day's headlines from the Drudge Report:

  

"Winter Could Be Worst in 25 Years for USA...."

http://www.accuweather.com/news-weatherfeatures.asp? partner=&traveler=0&date=20_10-01-04_1701&month=1&year=2010

  

"Chill Map."

http://vortex.plymouth.edu/uschill.gif

  

"3 Deaths Due To Cold in Memphis"

http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-cold-deaths,0,5066667.story

  

"Paper: Gas Supplies Running Out In UK...."

http://drudgereport.com/

  

"Vermont sets 'all-time record for one snowstorm'."

http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2010/01/03/Alltime-r ecord-snowfall-in/126_2573458.html

  

"Iowa temps 'a solid 30 degrees below normal'."

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100103/NEWS/1030352 /-1/SiteMap/Feeling-cold?-We-re-at-30-below-normal

  

"Seoul buried in heaviest snowfall in 70 years."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100104/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_storms

  

"Historic ice build-up shuts down NJ nuclear power plant."

http://cbs3.com/local/nuclear.power.plant.2.1404207.html

  

"Beijing -- coldest in 40 years."

http://www.theage.com.au/world/siberian-winds-usher-in-record-lows- in-beijing-20_100103-lna6.html

  

"Miami shivers from coldest weather in decade."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.ddf1d3c1eb6d81b959257 820155d3d51.1b1_&show_article=1

  

Jan 5, 2010 -- Post #2

"Boohoo":

"Drudge...now there's a credible news source. Those who cherry-pick isolated weather data to deny climate change do not understand the science of global warming.

"This is their propaganda."

JJ:

Studies have shown that Drudge references liberal media more than conservative. So if you do not think Drudge is credible you must not think the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC ABC, CBS, NBC, LA Times, etc., is credible.

  

Jan 5, 2010 -- Post #3

"TWall":

"I tend to disagree with global warming/climate change but it is a great idea to curb waste and pollution."

JJ:

Nice to agree with you on something. The problem is that CO2 [Carbon Dioxide] is not a pollutant, but a plant food that is making for a greener more fertile planet. The small amount of warming it is creating may also help forestall a coming ice age. The real problem is the mercury and sulfur dioxide coming from the coal burning plants. Replacing these with nuclear, wind and solar should be pursued with a much higher priority than oil which is doing minimal environmental damage comparatively speaking.

  

"TWall":

"I'd go even further and impose child limits (to curb the population explosion)."

JJ:

I agree we need to curb population, but doing it by force will make lawbreakers out of many people of good intention. Instead we should pay those in poverty to get fixed. This would accomplish the goal without violating free will.

  

Jan 7, 2010 -- Post #1

JJ:

Sounds like Lauri Bryan has bought into the piece of propaganda that the government can spend our money better than we can spend it.

So does the bureaucracy have more common sense than average people trying to balance their checkbooks? Obviously not because we can balance our checkbooks much better than they can.

Who then is a most credible steward of money -- Congress or the American people?

The answer is obvious.

Therefore, any tax break for the rich or poor is money much better spent than in the hands of power hungry bureaucrats whose latest shenanigans had them illegally stealing hundreds of millions from us to buy votes to shove their health care plan down our throats.

What's the best use of money? The stimulus or tax cuts? Don't make me laugh. Check this out:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=8045022&page=1

$3.4 million for a turtle crossing is typical of bureaucrat spending. Spending reduction is another topic that needs addressed.

  

Jan 7, 2010 -- Post #2

"Joesmith":

"The president has not done anything other then try to clean up the mess from the previous 8 years."

JJ:

If you call that cleaning up a mess you'd better stay away from nuclear waste.

  

Jan 7, 2010 -- Post #3

"TWall":

"In her book Palin cites this quote from former UCLA coach John Wooden, 'Our land is everything to us...I will tell you one of the things we remember on our land. We remember that our grandfathers paid for it-with their lives.'

"Problem is this quote is actually from John Wooden Legs, a native American activist. It does make one wonder how many more inaccuracies are in her book."

JJ:

Yea, like you are reading [Sarah] Palin's book. Obviously you picked this up from a "hate site," and one has to really pick at straws to find fault with this.

Why?

Because this quote is simply attributed many times to just "John Wooden," missing the "Legs."

Talk about picking at straws.

Her book doesn't mention the UCLA [University Of California, Los Angeles] coach but repeats the quote as just attributing it to John Wooden as do many places on the Internet.

Even before Palin's book was published the AP [Associated Press] got a copy and 9 reporters studied the whole thing for errors and came up with a weak list of mistakes, most subject to interpretation. Since this intensive study by nine wordsmiths found no flaw with the Wooden quote it's a stretch to fault Palin for it.

Just imagine the mistakes the Left would find if they scrutinized Obama's or [Al] Gore's books like they have Palin's.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #1

JJ:

I like the quote Ella gave from Norman Vincent Peale:

"There was a time when the American people roared like lions for liberty -- now they bleat like sheep for security."

Shultze seems to be one of these sheep who is complaining that our representatives haven't given him more goodies.

He thinks the Stimulus give-away program saved jobs. I don't think so. Unemployment went from 8 percent to over 10 percent and we were told the Stimulus would keep it from going beyond 8 percent.

He thinks we should have the same health care as Congress. Well, we can't afford [Speaker Of The House, Nancy] Pelosi's private jet let alone that quality of cushy health care for all. But he whines, we should have it free because [Idaho Republican] Senator Crapo has it. Congress does have too many perks but Crapo had little to do with them. Is he also crying because he does not have an expense account like [Congressman (D)] Barney Frank, or an Air Force One like Obama? Poor soul.

Such people must continually live life with an eternal gap in their lives.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #2

"TWall":

"I'm with you Mr. Schultze. Our 'leaders' in this country get the best health care of us all, and better yet we foot the bill. Sounds a lot like socialism to me. Amazing how they are all against that dirty word, yet the greater good supplies them with health care."

JJ:

Getting health care from your employer is not socialism. I agree, Bill's letter sounded good until the DNA statement. Now if he had said the DNA complexity is evidence of an intelligent hand -- I could agree. Nothing or no intelligence cannot create intelligence or a medium for intelligence.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #3

"Boiseriver":

"Bob McFarland, if Mr. Minnick (An Idaho Democrat against Obamacare) is as ethical as you claim, he should stop accepting money from the industries that his votes reward."

JJ:

How about the other 534 members of Congress? Why single out Minnick?

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #4

"Larnewoman":

"The science isn't settled on many points, but the skeptic case is weak in comparison to the consensus position as best I can tell."

JJ:

You think this way because the information you have received has been censored, distorted from destroyed records, and presented by bureaucrats who will lose big time if the global warming religion is not sustained.

There are many good books that present the true story much more convincingly than any true believer. Here is one you can download free. I dare you to read it and then say you still believe in Al Gore.

http://theresilientearth.com/files/table_of_contents.html

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #5

"Gimmeshelter":

"Amazing how you think only the Dems have benefits. You were pretty quiet about it for the previous eight years."

JJ:

How would you know what I've said over the past eight years? I have not been quiet.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #6

"Rac10s4me":

"For Ella Mackley: The only roar I hear from the Right is No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o."

JJ:

That's the sound you naturally make when someone is driving you off a cliff.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #7

"Liberal_philia":

"Geeze, 'Intelligent Design'? That's code for Creationism, isn't it?

"Yeah, the 'Jury is still out' on Evolution, Global Warming, and Gravity....

"Come on Joseph, the 'Flintstones' was not a Documentary."

JJ:

Depends on how you define creationism. Sounds like you think you are living in a world that is imaginary and not even created. Intelligent Design can include evolution -- it is a fairly broad concept that would even include Buddhism concerning which most of the Left are oblivious.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #8

"Larnewoman":

"I have posted previously that I did not see Gore's movie. I don't much listen to bureaucrats and value their opinion less than researchers, who admittedly aren't perfect. You seem to me to be the one with the closed mind, looking for support wherever you find it."

JJ:

You must listen to bureaucrats because most of the pro orthodox global warming information is filtered through them at the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] and other outlets that are funded by those who demand certain results -- as is revealed in the released emails.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #9

"Liberal_philia" wrote:

"What happened to your Edgar persona?"

JJ:

Not me. Sorry. I have used only one identity.

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #9

"Flatline" wrote:

"Global warming is warm.

"It's cold outside;

"Therefore, there is no global warming."

JJ:

That may sound simplistic but the winter is so bad everywhere it almost seems that God is sending a message saying: "And exactly how cold do I have to make it before you will shut up about Global Warming and move to more important matters?"

  

Jan 8, 2010 -- Post #10

"Larnewoman" wrote:

"Could you supply the text that indicates that any 'filtering' was accomplished?"

JJ:

Here's some references:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1545134/Scientists- threatened-for-climate-denial.html

http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2009/12/11/senior-ipcc- member-has-global-warming-skeptic-threatened-by-un-security/comment-page-1/

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/global-warming011807.htm

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/dec/19/follow-the-money- in-global-warming-hoax/

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/7710

I see filtering almost daily when global warming is talked about in the media. Give me any article on the Internet that disagrees with me and I'll show you the filtering.

  

Jan 9, 2010 -- Post #1

JJ:

People who nitpick about when a decade, or the millennium began are picking at straws and need to get a life. 2010 began the new decade and the reason for this is -- the zero year is what the public consciousness has decided upon. What's happening and decided now is what matters -- not the fact that we started with the year one. They didn't even understand zero back then or they would have used it. Beginning new decades with zeros is just more convenient and if that's what everyone wants to go with I am fine with it.

And what's with calling the [Idaho] Statesman people hypocrites for merely pointing out the beginning of a new decade beginning with zero?

  

Jan 9, 2010 -- Post #2

"Run" says:

"Your statements expose your complete ignorance of important mathematical fundamentals, not to mention your misunderstanding of the history of mathematics; they didn't understand the concept of zero at the time of Jesus' birth? Are you kidding me? Have you never read Euclid's Elements? Not to mention the fact that the ancient Chinese were much more adept at mathematics than the western world at that time."

JJ:

It must be embarrassing to insult me when you are the one in error here.

Unlike modern mathematics where angles can be positive, negative, or zero in the "Elements" by Euclid angles are always greater than zero and less than two right angles except for an obtuse exception where he talks about the central angle of a circle.

Except for empty place indicators Zero as a digit in modern math was not used by Euclid or anyone until Indian mathematics introduced it around 650 AD and it is thought the Chinese borrowed the concept from them.

The Romans at the time of Jesus used letters for numbers and there was no zero in their numbering or letter system. The current calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and even at this late date few had an understanding of zero or used it in calculations. They thus repeated the Roman error of starting at one rather than zero.

It wasn't until about a century later that zero became widely used in mathematics.

If we had used more enlightened modern mathematics in creating the calendar we'd have one with Christ born at the year zero rather than 1 AD and there would be no argument as to when a decade ends.

  

Jan 9, 2010 -- Post #3

"Run" says:

"If I have to hear one of you climate change deniers pull the whole it's-cold-outside-today-so-global-warming-isn't-happening thing, I'm gonna scream."

JJ:

Where are these climate change deniers? I'm certainly not one. The climate has been changing for billions of years -- everyone knows that. It's not just cold outside, the past couple winters has been cold all over the world. 2008 was colder than 1881 according to NASA. It will be interesting to see the data on 2009.

  

Jan 9, 2010 -- Post #4

"Run":

"Wrong again, bub, and I'm not talking about angles. I'm talking about directed distances, which are necessary to proving properties of concurrency points in triangles (centroid, circumcenter, incenter, and orthocenter.) It is impossible to have a directed distance without this concept."

JJ:

That's a far cry from zero as used in modern math.

  

"Run":

"Did I ever question the origin of the error?"

  

JJ:

You called me ignorant for stating this: "They didn't even understand zero back then...." (Roman times) and this was the source of the error. Most didn't even understand zero in 1542 when the current calendar as formulated. My statement was correct and not ignorant and your attempt to correct me was misguided.

  

Jan 9, 2010 -- Post #4

JJ:

I said: "Where are these climate change deniers? I'm certainly not one. The climate has been changing for billions of years -- everyone knows that."

"Run":

"OMG [Oh, My God]. Did you really have the audacity to call the letter writers nitpickers hours before writing this?"

JJ:

I'd say that defending myself against being told that I do not recognize that climate changes is far from nitpicky. That's as bad as being called a "flat earther."

  

"Run":

"Here: You're a denier of climate change accelerated beyond the natural rates of change. Is that better?"

JJ:

So what's the normal rate of climate temperature change for a decade, 100 or 1000 years? If you can prove to me what is normal and that we are currently above normal in degree of change then I'll accept it.

This makes you incorrect in assuming I am a denier even with your corrected wording.