Obviously, a thinker!

Inquisition to examine round-earth theory

Inquisition to examine round-earth theory

Feb. 2, 1525 (ESPÑA)  Seville

A major debate has arisen across the Christian world in recent months over the latest findings in geography.  While the vast majority of leading geographers and scientists are ready to accept the global view of the Earth, many, more conservative groups criticize their conclusions.

Citing the findings of Columbus, and more recently, Magellan’s crew, Don Pedro del Redondo de la Tierra of Cadiz, Associate Professor of Geography at Universidad de Santa Catalina (USC), defended the spherical-earth view. 

In an interview with the leading scientific periodical, La Luz, the professor stated, “If Magellan’s ships traveled in only a westerly direction and ended up where they started, it must prove that there is no edge to the earth.  There are few thinking people who can deny the scientific evidence.”

Howls of outrage and ridicule followed the comments of Redondo and his colleagues.  “If the world was round, you would fall off if you went too far south!  This is round earth business is only a theory.” argued Fr. I. C. Myopic of St. Boniface Parish in last Sunday’s sermon.

“God made the world flat.  This ‘round earth’ business is only a lie placed in some people’s heads by Satan to test our faith.”  Citing the number of  ships that never returned to port as the truth behind the matter, Father Myopic encouraged his parishioners to rally and “reject the devil’s work and follow the word of the True Church.”

Recent word from the Vatican indicates that the Inquisition has been asked to look into this matter to see if heresy has taken place.  Urged on by heavy lobbying from the makers of flat-earth maps who have taken quite a financial hit the past few years, the curia is waiting for the definitive word from the Holy Father as to the revealed truth of the matter.

Schools and institutions of higher learning in Spain are in a quandary.  As an attempt to reach a compromise that will keep both sides of the issue happy, the Director-General of Truth-through-discipline for Crown and Catholic Schools, Bishop U. R. Merda is requiring all educators in the kingdom to present a “fair and balanced view” and present the round or flat earth views side-by-side and let each student make his own choice.

“After all, this is a matter of faith.  This is no time to question established authority.” proclaimed the bishop last Saturday during the weekly burnings-at-the-stake at the city’s Plaza Mayor.

-John Mollan, reporting © 2012                  http://progressivenorthwest.blogspot.com

President Romney at the G8

—The Times, December 28, 2011. The moment President Romney entered the room where the opening reception of his first G-8 summit was being held, he was approached by a small man who shook his hand and said, “Je suis Nicolas Sarkozy.” “Are you of French-Canadian origin?” President Romney said, smiling broadly. “I am French,” Sarkozy replied, looking somewhat puzzled. “I am, in fact, the President of France.” “Congratulations,” President Romney said. “Lipstick contains a substance made from fish scales.” Before Sarkozy could reply—in fact, before he could think of anything to say on the subject of lipstick manufacturing—they were approached by Angela Merkel, of Germany, who looked eager to greet the newest leader in the G-8. President Romney peered at her briefly and then said to Sarkozy, “Your aunt? Your mother?” “This is Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,” Sarkozy said. Chancellor Merkel looked somewhat taken aback at being mistaken for Sarkozy’s aunt. When she’d regained her composure, she said to President Romney, “I know you will have much to add on the question of the debt crisis in the euro zone, Mr. President.” President Romney looked at the German Chancellor carefully, up and down. “I’d say you’d go about one-forty, give or take five pounds,” he said. “Am I in the ballpark?” Chancellor Merkel, hoping she might have misunderstood the President, said, “I believe the future of the euro will dominate our discussions in the coming days.” “The city that has more bridges than any other city in the world is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” President Romney said. “Congratulations.” “Congratulations to Pittsburgh?” Chancellor Merkel asked. President Romney thought for a moment. “No,” he said. “Just congratulations.” Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, joined the group and introduced himself to President Romney. “Are you of French-Canadian origin?” President Romney said. “No, I’m not,” the Prime Minister replied. “But I am Canadian.” “The state stone of Michigan is the Petoskey stone,” the President said. Then, spotting a gentleman standing a few feet away, he asked, “Are you of French-Canadian origin?” “No, I am David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” the man said. President Romney looked at Cameron and then at Harper and then at Cameron again. “Brothers?” he said. “Cousins? Uncle and aunt?” “No,” Cameron said. At that point, the group was joined by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, of Japan. He and President Romney were introduced. “What are you—around fifty-five or sixty?” the President asked. “Am I close?” “I am fifty-six years of age,” the Japanese Prime Minister said, rather formally. “Yoshihiko sounds French-Canadian,” the President said. “I don’t suppose you’re of French-Canadian origin, are you?” “No, I am not,” the Prime Minister said. “Congratulations,” the President replied. “Saul Rogovin, of the Detroit Tigers, hit a grand-slam home run in 1950, and it wasn’t until 2008 that another Jewish pitcher hit a grand-slam home run.” “Congratulations,” Chancellor Merkel said. “Yes,” the others murmured. “Congratulations.” ♦ Read more http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2012/01/16/120116sh_shouts_trillin#ixzz1tElLeRql Thanks to my friend Art for this gem!

Freedom isn't free

"Mexican Mitt" or the real Mitt?

Romney attempts to woo Latino Voters?
See this wonderful link
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/mexican-mitt-mocks-real-romneys-bid-to-court-latino-vote/ 
ABC News - Mexican Mitt

Rabid Psycho Anti-Obama Sicko website.

This is the most disgusting piece of racist hate crap that I have ever run across on the web.

It really shows the "mentality" (and I use that word loosely) of the Obama haters.

 

http://www.ihateobama.com/

 

I wonder if the author was weaned WAY too early?  I think he needs his mommy.

 

As they say, "Know your enemy."

 

There's a sucker born every minute

Rolling Stone on Koch Bros.

Voter Fraud and Republican Hyprocrisy

I guess this explains it all. (five string)

The Republicans of the Right (not to be confused with correct) have been running a national legislative campaign to suppress what they call “voter fraud.”  In order to vote, they are demanding all sorts of elaborate identification, even though this same person is clearly registered and may have been voting legally for the past 60 years.  For them, this is a Big Issue, even though the number of people convicted of voter fraud  

The facts paint a quite different picture.  According to a report by the public-integrity section of the Justice Department found that from October 2002 to September 2005, the department charged 95 people with “election fraud”; 55 were convicted.

Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/us/politics/27fraud.html?pagewanted=all
 {Please note:  The Republicans were in charge of the White House during those years!}

Listening to the GOP candidates, you would think that voter fraud is really a Big Deal. (as opposed to the Republican engineered election fraud that stole the 2000 election from Al Gore) Apparently, voter fraud is a danger to the United States on the same level as flag burning!  Of course, making it very difficult to vote keeps the voter turnout of many of the traditional Democratic and independent voters down.  This includes the elderly, who may not drive or have a birth certificate handy, the poor, who may not have the “proper” i.d. or the time to get it or the disabled, who have mobility and communications problems.

When it comes to purchasing a gun, the Republicans have no problem.  There is no national registry check to insure that the gun buyer is not a criminal, a citizen, a psycho or even blind!  Anyone with the dough can buy firearms through gun shows, dealers or “private sales.”  No i.d. is required in many cases.  In 2009, guns took the lives of 31,347 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings.

Reference: http://www.lcav.org/statistics-polling/gun_violence_statistics.asp#3

 Apparently, the GOP can live with this, as the most rabid gun owners, who go apeshit at the idea of firearms registration, most are likely to vote Republican.  Anyway, many of the victims of gun deaths are minorities, so it’s no big deal, but, God forbid, just don’t try to vote! 
Ok, Granny, bring your loaded AK-47 to church, but just be sure you have your officially issued new voter i.d. when you go to the same polling place you have gone to for the past 20 years or the righties will get you!



http://progressivenorthwest.blogspot.com

Five Preposterous, Persistent Conservative Myths

From the USA and about the USA. I am totally impartial regarding US politics but this is another point of view to that which I have been receiving in droves of late from the USA. Published on Monday, April 2, 2012 by Common Dreams by Paul Buchheit With the mainstream media in the hands of the mostly conservative wealthy, it's difficult for average Americans to learn the truth about critical issues. The following five conservative claims are examples of mythical beliefs that fall apart in the presence of inconvenient facts:1. Entitlements are the Problem Beyond the fact that we're 'entitled' to Social Security and Medicare because we pay for them, these two government-run programs have been largely self-sustaining while supporting the needs of millions of Americans. Medicare is much less costly than private health care. Social Security, which functions with a surplus, would not be in danger of a long-term shortfall if the richest 10% (those making over the $106,800 cutoff) paid their full share. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently reported that 91% of entitlements go to the elderly or disabled, or to members of working households needing supplemental assistance. Only 9% of entitlement dollars go to non-working but employable individuals, and most of that is for medical care, unemployment, and survivor benefits. 2. Charter Schools are the Answer Free-market adherents have a lot of people believing that the public school system needs to be 'saved' by charter schools. That belief is not supported by the facts. A Stanford University study "reveals in unmistakable terms that, in the aggregate, charter students are not faring as well as their traditional public school counterparts." A Department of Education study found that "On average, charter middle schools that hold lotteries are neither more nor less successful than traditional public schools in improving student achievement, behavior, and school progress." Charter schools also take money away from the public system. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District loses nearly $7,000 in state money for each student who transfers to a charter. In Florida, the entire $55 million budgeted in 2011 for school maintenance went to charters. Governors in several states plan to direct money to schools that serve upper-middle-income families. Furthermore, charter school teachers have fewer years of experience and a higher turnover rate, and according to one study were less likely to be certified. Perhaps most damning are studies by the University of Colorado and UCLA which found that some charter schools segregate students by race and income. Said researcher Gary Miron of Western Michigan University, "Parents are selecting schools where their child will experience less diversity." 3. Corporate Taxes Are Too High This one is easy. The facts can be found in U.S. Office of Management (OMB) figures, which show a gradual drop over the years in Corporate Income Tax as a Share of GDP, from 4% in the 1960s to 2% in the 1990s to 1.3% in 2010. That's one-third of what it used to be. Also coming from the OMB is the percent of Total Tax Revenue derived from corporate taxes. The corporate share has dropped from about 20% in the 1960s to under 9% in 2010. Finally, in a U.S. Treasury report of global competitiveness, it is revealed that U.S. corporations paid only 13.4% of their profits in taxes between 2000 and 2005, compared to the OECD average of 16.1%. A similar PayUpNow.org analysis of 100 of the largest U.S. companies found that less than 10% of pre-tax profits in 2010 were paid in non-deferred U.S. federal income taxes. Corporate tax avoidance is rampant at the state level, too. A new study by Citizens for Tax Justice, which evaluated 265 large companies, determined that an average of 3% was paid in state taxes, less than half the average state tax rate of 6.2%. 4. Jim Crow is Dead Even though white Americans are the nation's most frequent drug users and dealers, the people in jail for these offenses are overwhelmingly black. In some states, African Americans make up 80-90% of all drug offenders sent to prison. As a nation, we lead the world in rates of imprisonment, and drug offenses have accounted for two-thirds of the increase in federal inmates. Once drug users are in prison, they're stigmatized for life. As stated by Michelle Alexander, author of "The New Jim Crow": "Rather than rely on race, we use our criminal justice system to label people of color "criminals" and then engage in all the practices we supposedly left behind...Once you're labeled a felon, the old forms of discrimination - employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, and exclusion from jury service - are suddenly legal. As a criminal, you have scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow." 5. Poverty Is Declining Everywhere There's something disturbing about World Bank researchers using mathematical functions to determine who's living in poverty. But free-market fanatic The Economist liked the results, proclaiming that "poverty is declining everywhere." That's easy to say when the World Bank gets to set its own poverty threshold, at $1.25 per day. The organization admits there was little change in the number of people living below $2 per day between 1981 and 2008. And almost half the world lives on less than $3 a day. Another fact is that the rapid growth of China accounts for most of the global poverty changes. China is where hundreds of millions of starry-eyed young people went from zero income on the farms to a few dollars a day under oppressive factory working conditions. The GDP may show a decline in poverty, but a "quality of life" index wouldn't make that mistake. 6 and 7. Evolution and global warming don't exist. These are just too preposterous for words. Progressive activists continue to work toward the day when poverty is down everywhere, and minorities receive equal treatment, and education is properly funded, and tax subsidies rather than entitlements are minimized. But that day is being delayed by make-believe messages from the American conservative. Paul Buchheit is a college teacher, an active member of US Uncut Chicago, founder and developer of social justice and educational websites (UsAgainstGreed.org, PayUpNow.org, RappingHistory.org), and the editor and main author of "American Wars: Illusions and Realities" (Clarity Press). He can be reached at paul@UsAgainstGreed.org

The Self-Made Millionaire

The Republican candidate claimed to be a self-made millionaire.
It turns out he had inherited 25 million dollars and, with hard work and connections, had turned it into $26 million!

Republican Strategy Explained in one sentence

Please keep this link from Mitch McConnell in mind when you see all of the crap put out there by the Republican disinformation machine.  It explains everything.

Mitch Mcconnel explains their whole mission

They hate Obama more than they love America.

Mitt Who??

Well?

Two Great Quotes

From  the Stephanie Miller Show

4/4/2012

“I’d rather be the guy repairing the ladder than the guy sawing the rungs out of the middle.”

and from time.com

Martin Sheen Calls Out The Fear Mongers

"Martin Sheen Calls Out The Fear Mongers In Under Two Minutes | MoveOn.Org" can be viewed at:
http://bit.ly/HaVE2S


Hey, he WAS president on TV of 7 years or so!

"Elizabeth Warren’s 30-Second Destruction Of Mitt Romney

"Elizabeth Warren’s 30-Second Destruction Of Mitt Romney | MoveOn.Org" can be viewed at:
http://bit.ly/HaV6ty

It makes it very simple 

Who speaks for God?