This is how the discussions go at the Texas Board of Education
1: Let’s see, the text book should talk about evidence of the prevailing theory of the creation of the universe, the evidence for the big bang, and how we determine the relative age at around 13-15 billion years. This should open the door for creating discussion on why there is debate about the age of the universe.
2: Could this possibly lead to debate including the strict biblical interpretation?
1:Yes. We can vote now.
vote results: 11-3 in favor.
2: (Facepalm)
Texas is a big danger because it is the only state to create education guidelines in this way, and it is compounded by creating these guidelines statewide. This makes it the single biggest market for textbooks. Publishers actually plan textbooks for the Texas guidelines and then adapt them for use in areas with more common sense (i.e. just about anywhere). I wish we could make an agency to create guidelines like this for a larger area to force Texas into accepting somebody else’s ideas for once.
Ah, what am I thinking, we’d probably find some ex terrorist to lead it or something.
White house wants $60 billion for healthcare
That’s a big number, and the jackass republicans will throw a fit over it as a new socialist entitlement brought on by radical islamist aliens from the oceans or something, but I “betcha” that they won’t mention that’s $60 billion dollars more worth of profit it will allow American corporations to make. Instead, they would rather do nothing and complain about how companies are being strangled by Democratic policies. They’ll do it just so that they have something to complain about, too.
I’ll come back to this in a minute.
GM, overseas production, and union concessions
GM thanks the unions for making concessions which may allow the company to live. They give their thanks by increasing offshore production, when the money we have given them is to create American jobs.
Let’s think about this: Michigan is practically a failed state for its poverty and job loss. They hand out tax breaks to anyone looking to start a company there (I just filed papers for my company there instead of my own state) So here is my thinking: What if Michigan, with all its unused industrial capacity, told companies that instead of giving tax breaks, it would cover the health care obligations of the workers employed in the state? Since much of the debt and burden of GM right now is health care and retirement, this could eliminate a significant burden, and make an even better incentive to bring production back. This would also make Michigan a small scale test bed for the Obama health plan. If it can bring prosperity back to a state in as dire a situation as Michigan, it would create a major boost to the Obama plan. I don’t know, I usually criticize instead of throwing things out there like this. Maybe it’s time I got my own butt kicked.
Can you Spare a Feeling for the Perpetuators of Hate Crimes?
The Daily Show takes a look at deliberations over hate crime legislation. Watch the Republicans fear that this may lead to double jeopardy for people who hate other groups of people (like the Republicans do, they’re just protecting their own). Really, if I can try people who commit hate crimes for more, or again, good. Let’s do it. Oh, I’m sorry, I’m a liberal. I’m supposed to be soft on crime and compassionate. I forget myself sometimes. Oh, and they’re complaining more that State and federal charges can be brought to bear, when it has already been deemed constitutional for this to happen in other cases.
Michael Steele on the constitution and Supreme Court
1) not only have we barely begun to speculate on a nominee, much less heard a so-far-off-the-record-it-might-as-well-be-in-Swaziland comment, but Michael Steele has already judged Obama’s (nameless) choice.
2) Isn’t radio dead? How can we take a party seriously when their message comes to us by AM radio? they might as well be campaigning by cave painting.
3) Michael, this hip-hopification of the GOP isn’t going to work until you realize that hip-hop uses rhymes and beats.
Obama cuts funding for Yucca Mountain site
Great, we’ll just keep it in those leaky temporary containers in 39 temporary sites while we think of somewhere else to put it.
Salazar keeps Bush rules about Polar Bears in place
Polar bears are kind of the canary in the coal mine for the arctic circle. I can only hope this is temporary while something better is put together.
