Owner: Hydrablog URL:www.hydrablog.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:00:29 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Collaborative blog discussing politics, economics, sports, and other topics. Often called the Backstreet Boys of the blogosphere, but really pay homage to the originators of pop sensation, New Kids on the Block. Generally from "governs least, governs be Site statistics:Click here
Car Jacked 2007-01-15 22:56:49 It goes without saying that Martin Luther King Jr's legacy is a victory for all people. He fought against an evil that made it legal to arbitrarily deny one group of Americans the rights offered by a free society. He is worthy of the praise of all Americans. It's a shame his universal message is reduced to provincialism by little people every year on his birthday. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin whines that because so many blacks and Latinos can't find jobs after high school (during a time of near full employment and when America is importing workers by the millions) this shows that Dr. King's work is not done. What nonsense. It is sad that this woman probably has no idea that she is belittling such a proud legacy by attaching it to such wrong-headed gripes. The civil rights movement was not a communist revolution. It's objectives were not to make all people equal economically or intellectually or spiritually or athletically. It's objective was to make all people equal in
UBlo: Mad as Hell and He Won't Take it Anymore 2007-01-17 00:14:24 Our Beloved Blogger took to the streets with his pals to rally for terrorist rights. My favorite part was the impromptu poetry reading that broke out from the fired up mob. Nothing says, "Take my movement seriously" like a good poetry reading!
Wal-Mart savings account? Don't bank on it. 2007-01-17 15:57:48 Colorado's intrepid elected officials are all geared up to protect its citizens, oops my bad, banks from the scourge of banking competition. The way I understand it, citizens elect politicians, and said citizens would clearly benefit from having Wal-Mart bring it's low cost model to the extremely profitable banking industry. However, Sen. Lois Tochtrop (D-Thornton) and Rep. Rosemary Marshall (D-Denver) both feel that they must protect those high margin banks and keep the scourge competition from helping the people of CO.Here's what's interesting. Wal-Mart made it's name by servicing rural areas that lacked real competition. Most big-box retailers set their criteria for store openings, generally based on income level in a given area, at a level much higher than Wal-Mart. Back in the day, this formula gave Wal-Mart a huge hole in the geography to exploit, and they did. And while there is much caterwauling about the loss of small stores, they generally went out of business bec
CO prepared to side-step Electoral College 2007-01-18 22:57:29 CO's Senate is preparing to vote on a bill that would enter the state into an agreement with other states to give all of their respective Electoral College
votes to the winner of the national popular vote (Yayyy!) while CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just vetoed a similar bill (Awwww.).The idea is backed by a group cryptically called "National Popular Vote" and they claim that they have bills sponsored in 29 states (As a quick side note, they discuss CA right up to the point where Arnie vetoes it, and they still list CA as one of the states. Maybe technically true, but I wasn't able to find anything about the the bill's sponsors looking to override the veto.)Anyhoo, I'm for the bill. I'm not a fan of the Electoral College, I think we have more than enough technology to allow for direct voting. I also don't but the argument that the EC makes small states relevant (no democrat campaigns in Wyoming and no Republican campaigns in Rhode Island, in fact nobody campaigns in either
All Day Happy Hour? 2007-01-18 22:31:00 Don't know why I'm on this alcohol bender, but here's one more.SC's State House is getting ready to vote on a bill allowing all day drink specials (but still not less than half-price), as opposed to just one hour.Beyond a rant long time readers (Hi Ma!) can now probably write for me, I'm stuck trying to figure out why the first law exists in the first place (and why the "not less than half-price" condition). My first thought was that it was some kind of prohibition left-over, but the fine, "at least three months in jail and a fine of $100" seems more modern. Anyway, the only thing I found particularly interesting about this is that I didn't know that the concept of "Happy
Hour" was bracketed by law. Read more:Happy Hour
Landline surcharge landmine 2007-01-18 18:20:52 Interesting AP story 'bout cell phone subscribers paying a subsidy for rural land telephony users.You can predict my rant, but I wanted to also use this as a case to point out how technology is changing existing labels. The only thing that cell phone and land line users share is the idea that you are talking to someone at a distance. The technologies are completely different, as are uses, abilities (a cell phone has mp3 players, camera, recorders, games, calendars, sms, email, etc - a land phone has...numbers) and even users. Yet in the minds of companies, regulators, and customers they are just versions of each other. It's like comparing a bicycle to a jumbo jet. Both enable you to travel more efficiently and faster than walking, but nothing about how they work, users, ease, etc are the same. We need to realize that cell phones and land line phones are fundamentally different, just as telephony and Internet use are different. Technology allows things that are very different t Read more:Landline
Vick-tim? 2007-01-18 16:33:22 Atlanta Falcon's QB Michael Vick was relieved of his water bottle at Miami International Airport Wednesday. Was it because of the silly new rule banning liquids? Nope. It was because it had a "secret compartment" that had "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana."Looks like Vick's decision making off the field is as questionable as it is on.One, Vick's got loads of cash. It's not like the Mary J is only sold in Miami. Just wait 'till you get wherever you're going and buy some there. Better still, Vick's a multi-millionaire with loads of people on his payroll, have someone from the entourage do it so you're not even close to the action (Limbaugh, as much as I like to nail him, had that figured out). But to be his own Wacky Weed mule? That's just not thinking. Why take the personal risk of getting caught with a dime bag at an airport. Everyone knows they screen, they screen for drugs, knives, guns, bombs and...LIQUIDS!
The Student Loan fiasco. 2007-01-19 23:30:59 Congress voted en mass to decrease the interest rates on student loans. Says SOH Pelosi,"Our young people should be driven by their dreams, not weighed down by debt."Great quote! Really. Inspiring, lofty, succinct. Oops, she carried on juuust a bit too far."At a time when college tuition continues to skyrocket, this crucial legislation will help remove some of the barriers to a higher education."And that's the rub. What I still don't get is how throwing more money at the system, which is what lower interest rates do, ground the rocket? Decreasing loan rates will only lead to increased tuition. It's just moving numbers around. Less capital at a higher interest rate, or more capital at a lower interest rate. It's a wash.The college system is flushed with cash. At the end of fiscal year 200f Harvard had an endowment of $26 billion. With tuition at $38k in 2003, and current undergrad enrollment of 6,700, that's $255,000 in undergrad expenses. If the Endowment makes 10% a Read more:Student
XM X-ed out? 2007-01-19 22:05:35 U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts ruled that the music industry lawsuit against XM + mp3 can proceed. The gist? The industry says XM is infringing on their rights by allowing users to record broadcast music on their mp3, XM says their protected by existing law saying people can record music onto tape players for personal use. Are too, am not, etc.First off, I have to admit I don't know much about the technology, don't own a satellite receiver and don't listen to much radio (aren't I fun?). Given that, here's my take. As you know, I do think that technology changes things. So I get that a cassette recording is different than mp3, with the mp3 having the potential to be mass distributed in a way cassette's never could. So crux one for me is the exportability of the mp3's derived from the satellite's feed. If there is none, then I think this is a dead issue, if it's there (and not, "You have to be a super geek to make it work") then I think the industry has a point. Un
Earmark's marked. 2007-01-20 19:14:05 The Senate voted to curb earmarks, special legislation slipped into spending bills, by mandating that the mark be posted to the internet 48 hours before the bill goes to vote, and 48 hours after the mark is introduces. As part of the post the Senator must include the names of all sponsors and they cannot use earmarks to induce other Senators to vote their way on a bill (I have no idea how they plan to monitor/enforce that last part - I'm sure the all powerful Senate Ethics Committee will have something to do with it, meaning you will never, ever read about a violation of this rule leading to any kind of punishment).Definitely a "around the edges" move on earmarks. But, also definitely better than before. I particularly like the internet angle. First, sometimes the best reform is sunshine. While not a direct slam to earmarks, making them less secret should slow them down. 96 hours is a long time in this day and age. Lots of time for news/blogs to discover, discuss, and put pres
Nuclear Boondoggle Upon Us Again 2007-01-22 23:31:00 Looks like Nuclear
Power is back. My feelings on this are well known (my comment from last year, plus another) , but it still bugs me to no end that we can't get past nuclear power. But I do hope we get past this new "wave."Look, I'm a clean air guy (a nation of little obese kids who can't exercise because they have asthma is not my happy vision of the future) and my bet is that human related emissions are adding to the warming trend, but even given both of those, I still think that nuclear is a bad, bad investment by the American people (and make no mistake, we will bear most of the cost, while giving away most of the revenue). My past comments,The "nuclear boondoggle" is the fallacy of the cost of Nuclear energy. It's commonly touted at about $.06/kilowatt. However, that cost does not include the following: First, there's insurance. Here the free market has made coverage too expensive for any plant to cover. Insurers just wouldn't touch it without a very, very high premiu Read more:Again
SCOTUS protects the 6th Amendment 2007-01-22 18:46:34 The Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling declared that judges cannot sentence people using information not found and voted on by a jury. Just for kicks, here's the 6th: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.I'm a big fan of the ruling (while admitting that the case that brought this up should merit life in prison). If you go to jail for something, every part of it should be before the jury, no "bonus time" allotments without the right to defend that in front of a jury.So, which of the anti-constitution fun bunch broke ranks to help the 6th? Ahhhh, it was Read more:Amendment
The College Tuition Increase Act of 2007 2007-01-22 16:08:06 I can't believe I missed the chance to name this thing in my post in the interest rate cut. Sloppy, just plain sloppy. I also liked, "The College
Windfall Act of 2007." Feel free to use either/both.Muscles, I know you responded in the comments section, but as I've been poking around I've found some interesting stats, and I'm not savvy enough to figure out a good way to create links in the "comments" section, so we're back to the front page.First, to Muscles' point about a "Three Tier System" either official as in CA, or implied as in the rest of the country. And for Stalin, here's an official H-Blog BIAS ALERT, not only did I go to a Junior College, but I received a full on AA. That's right folks, my business card reads Unknown Blogger, AA, BS, MBA. So naturally I bristle at this notion that JuCo's are inferior. Perhaps because of this, I also feel a strong affinity for Trade School Grads. Both are often derided among polite company for not being "real college." But h Read more:Tuition
The Great Flag Debate Continues 2007-01-24 02:06:59 Here's a quick follow-up on the Pahrump, NV ordinance banning flying foreign flags alone. Locals Bob and Liese Tamburrino flew an Italian and and a Polish flag on their garage in direct opposition to the new ordinance. First, mad props to the Tamburrino's. But I'm saving the biggest props for Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo who said that he has no plans to ever enforce the ordinance as he thinks its unconstitutional."The sheriff is a constitutional office," he said. "My job is to make sure when we enforce something there's a constitutionality behind it."Then later in response to an ordinance calling for restrictions on service to illegal immigrants,"The Nye County sheriff's office dispatch center is not going to ask someone's national status before we send a police car to their residence."Beautiful. Sheriff of the year in my humble opinion.While in Pahrump, NV you can't fly a foreign flag alone, CO's House (sorry for the CO focus today, hitting the Denver Post web site) is g Read more:Great
, Debate
CO Electoral College Update 2007-01-24 01:27:22 I know that H-Blog readers are riveted by CO Senate Bill 46, the Bill that would allocate CO's electoral college votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote, if enough other state's join the fun passed the Senate along party-line votes. Again, I'm a fan of this bill. The article says that the ideas prospects in the CO House are uncertain, but I'm still optimistic.I don't want to get off too far from the main idea, but I do want to take a minute to recognize that this bill passed along party lines. Interesting. I understand that this bill is controversial, but I don't see it as a party issue. Yes, the Electoral College
/Popular vote quirk helped W, but who's to say next time it doesn't help the Dems? Maybe I'm wrong, but with something this nuanced, straight party votes tell me that at least some Senators on both sides of the aisle are making an emotional vote, not one based on their own reasoning. I'm also having a hard time coming up with any big interests who w Read more:Update
"N" word no-no and a dog 2007-01-25 16:41:25 I'm on a bit of a state and local government kick, so bear with me.First, found this article on Foxnews.com (I'm waiting for my high-five Mr. Malone) about a small town, Brazoria, Mayor in Texas named Ken Corley who wants to make using the "n" word a $500 fine, but only if its used in "an offensive fashion." And what's the threshold for "offensive?"Under the proposed Brazoria ordinance, users of the N-word would be fined only if a complaint were filed against them, thus protecting those who think they are using the word as a term of endearment.Hmmmmm. How does it protect those who use this horribly offensive word as a "term of endearment" if the deciding factor is someone else's feelings or interpretation? I may call Muscles for Justice a "serial rapist" and mean it with the most love, but if files a complaint I get charged. So just how was I "protected?"I love it when unconstitutional laws are also poorly thought out and written.Over in Washington State, State Senator Ken Ja
SNL writers read the H-Blog, you should too. 2007-01-25 20:40:01 Simply put, reading the H-Blog not only keeps you ahead of the news media, but ahead of the comedy media too.Check out this new Saturday Night Live segment called "Really." It "borrows" heavily from my earlier post.OK, fine, the jokes were lay-ups, and they did them better. But still, my ball was in the hoop first.
We Are Going to Slap Your Wrist SO HARD 2007-01-26 23:38:49 The UN has just realized that Iran wants nukes for geopolitical power and not economic power. Welcome to the party, boys. Sadly, it's the US Undersecretary of State Scott Burns who said, "If they think they can get away with 3,000 centrifuges without another Security Council resolution and additional international pressure, then they are badly mistaken." Oh no! Not another Security Council resolution and additional international pressure! Who could possibly withstand that? What's next? The fluffy pillows with all the stuffing down in one end?I really hope the impotence of the international community in facing a soon to be nuclear Iran does not lead to tragedy. I really hope people like me who see mushroom clouds in our future, and more immediately Israel's future, are just extremest Chicken Littles. I truly hope it really doesn't matter who has nuclear weapons because no one will ever use them as the international community must believe since they do nothing to seriously st Read more:Going
, Wrist
Tancredo goes after congressional race based caucuses. 2007-01-26 23:14:37 Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo
(R) wants to end all race based caucuses. His reason? Tancredo told The Hill: "You should not have any organization, a caucus especially, based solely on race. I mean on issues? You bet. But on race? Why should we be separating ourselves up into these racial divisions?"It would be anathema to me if someone wanted to create a white caucus. A race is something over which we have no control. Everything we are told is we should ignore it, that we should try to eliminate that as a distinction in our society," he added.Here's my official Stalin Malone Bias Alert (or SMBA if you like), I'm no fan of Tancredo. I disagree with most everything he says. But...he's in the right place on this one. I don't think there needs to be official racial caucuses. His reason above is philosophically correct, and he has an ally in me. Apparently, he'll need all the allies he can get. Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Administration Committee, which
My take on W's Insurance Tax Plan 2007-01-30 00:21:36 I've been mulling over W's health insurance initiative, at least the tax code part. Here's the passage from the Sate of the Union Address.And so tonight, I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income on payroll tax -- or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills. At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their job. For Americans who now purchase health insurance on their own, this proposal would mean a substantial tax savings -- $4,500 for a family of four making
The GOP's big Slur 2007-01-31 00:45:05 Been reading of late about W's big "slur" against the Democratic members of congress in his State of the Union Address.During his speech, Bush congratulated what he called the "Democrat majority" while welcoming the "new," "changed" Congress, even though the prepared text of the speech reportedly called for Bush to recognize the "Democratic majority." Apparently referring to members of the Democratic party as the "Democrat" party is some kind of big insult.There's no great mystery about the motives behind this deliberate misnaming. "Democrat Party" is a slur, or intended to be—a handy way to express contempt. Aesthetic judgments are subjective, of course, but "Democrat Party" is jarring verging on ugly. It fairly screams "rat" At a slightly higher level of sophistication, it's an attempt to deny the enemy the positive connotations of its chosen appellation.Furthermore, while the word dates back to at least the Hading Administration, use today is all the fault of Ne
Boycott Shell Oil for deal with Iran! 2007-01-31 19:01:55 Shell Oil has just announced a deal with Iran, despite pressure from President Bush to forgo said deal. Keep in mind Shell has every right to do business with whomever they want, and that Shell is not an American company. So while Iran is a likely a direct threat to the US, it not a likely a direct threat to either England or Holland. However, Shell does do business in the US, and that makes their actions accountable to the us. Given that there was talk, and action (maybe) around a boycott of Venezuelan gas company Citgo, why no call for a boycott of Shell? While Chavez called W a "devil" (is that better or worse that Democrat Party?), Iran is both a much bigger future threat, and a very real current one given their support for those in Iraq who are killing US soldiers.Soooo, I'm officially calling for a boycott of Shell Oil. Buy BP, they've made the commitment to not invest in Iran (no word on whether they'll divest, and the decision may be because they don't have anything g Read more:Shell
, Boycott
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