A couple of things are bouncing around my noodle this morning. Steve Gilliard - There isn't really much to add to hundreds of tributes to a great progressive blogger but I would just like to say that he was the only military historian I can think of who blogged and I'm really going to miss reading his informed rants on troop strength, equipment shortages, etc.
One of the frequently repeated remarks I'm seeing from right-wing bloggers on his passing is that Gilliard often pissed them off. Good. I'm sure he wouldn't of had it any other way.
Red Light Cameras - The Oregon legislature is set to pass a bill allowing more of these stupid things around the state. Great. Why not just install telescreens in our cubicles and make sure we participate in daily calisthenics? I remain aghast that these, along with their nefarious cousin photo radar, can be considered constitutional.
Democratic Debate - Can we put me down for "none of the above?" From what I saw they all handled themselves well, but so what? It's weird to me that we've reached a point where cultural and racial diversity has become commonplace but intellectual diversity is rare and far between. Pretty much the biggest difference between the Democratic and Republican candidates for President is a different skin tone and what "naughty bits" they happen to sport. It certainly isn't in ideas.
I'm not talking about Gravel but obviously Hillbama who the media tell us pretty much have the candidacy sewn up. Get us the hell out of Iraq, you weenis.
Posts
8 comments:
Gilly was always a good read. I'm gonna miss that guy.
Red Light Cameras - For a supposedly free country, we sure like endlessly watching and penalizing each other. In freedom-less socialist Europe, there is very little of this kind of traffic malarkey...fun fun fun at the Autobahn.
Democrats - I fart in their general direction, but the Repugs are going to be worse, so we're basically screwed. I do think things are going to get uglier in the foreign policy arena before election time, so the topics of today might mean little in 12 months.
Red Light cameras are another rip off...just like photo-radar. It really shows up that the whole bit has just become a revenue stream for law enforcement, not about "safety".
Manos-what a great reference!
I just got flashed... I expecting the ticket anyday now.
Snab-
I'm finding myself wishing for a dark horse to join the field than anytime in my lifetime.
LB-
Revenue is exactly right. I think they're actually a safety hazzard as idiots slam on their brakes on a yellow because they're worried about a ticket.
Manos was for you.
Swine-
Sorry to hear that. You should be the next one to take it to the supreme court. :-(
Sorry to hear that.
I'm running as many red lights as I can NOW, before I'm not allowed to in the future.
Also, I always wonder, what if the person in front of you slams on their brakes at just the right time (maybe they are filled with road rage and are striking back) and you're stuck in the intersection?
That's a good question. I'm not sure the cameras are set-up to catch b.s. like that. Just another reason to can the stupid things.
Actually the Oregonian article was careful not to point out that research shows an increase of accidents of the type Overdroid described at these intersections. Also, I believe there was one study that showed overall injuries actually increased with red light cameras although serious injuries were reduced a small amount. Can't remember the source anymore, sorry.
damn. i was reading your blog for the first time (saw the link on BlueOregon), and i was quite enjoying it until the penultimate paragraph. i don't mind you being pissed that the Dems couldn't transform 48 Senate votes into a veto override, but your conflation of Hillary & Obama -- not to mention parroting the Nader idiocy about sameness -- was just a bummer. i'm not sure how, after reading "The Audacity of Hope" and seeing Obama speak in person, you see him different from the Rs, the other Dems, only in skin pigment ratios.
o well. lots of other blogs to read. so much for yours.
Post a Comment