Head Wind

Wanna know why "public schools are failing"?  Lotsa of reasons actually, but here's a good one (kentucky.com):

Another committee member, Rep. Ben Waide, R-Madisonville, said he had a problem with evolution being an important part of biology standards.

“The theory of evolution is a theory, and essentially the theory of evolution is not science — Darwin made it up,” Waide said. “My objection is they should ensure whatever scientific material is being put forth as a standard should at least stand up to scientific method. Under the most rudimentary, basic scientific examination, the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny.”

And another'n:

"I think we are very committed to being able to take Kentucky students and put them on a report card beside students across the nation," Givens said. "We're simply saying to the ACT people we don't want what is a theory to be taught as a fact in such a way it may damage students' ability to do critical thinking."

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/08/14/2298914/gop-lawmakers-question-standards.html#storylink=cpy

(hat tip = Little Green Footballs)

It just amazes me that we feel the need to send armies halfway around the world to fight The Taliban, when we have our own homegrown version right here in places like Kentucky.

And while I'm on the subject of Theocracy, here's what I wonder:  If your religion is so great and your god is so powerful, why do you need an earthly government to force it on us?

Whoa

When you've got big bad evil Phil (Mr Librul) Donahue arguing in favor of religion and against the "arrogance of atheism"; while the spiritual mentor and intellectual idol of the Theocons' darling du jour is telling us how stupid religion is - well shoot; the whole world is no longer just a half-bubble off plumb, Bubba.  It's up-fuckin'-side down.



This could get really interesting.

Ryan's Medicare "Plan"

Repub spokesnut goes on and on about how people over 55 right now shouldn't even be part of the discussion, because Ryan's plan doesn't affect us at all.  It's all about how Repubs give younger people a choice in their coverage plans, and gee golly, isn't having a choice a wonderful thing? Wait just a fuckin' minute - if having a choice is the be all and end all, how come I don't get a choice, asshole?



And then, she lurches into the "un-elected 15-member panel that gets to decide whether or not her dad gets a particular procedure"...? What the fuck was that? Are we trying to dog-whistle the Death Panels again?

It's A Wonderment

Ever stop to think why Repubs are always trying to cut the funding necessary for the CDC to study Gun Violence as a Public Health issue?

...because the NRA is lying - all the fucking time.

If Barack Obama...

Workin' In The USA

The Pro-Life Candidate

via Addicting Info:

In an article published by the National Catholic Reporter, an independent news source, civil and canon attorney and Duquesne School of Law Professor Nicholas Cafardi deems President Obama the most pro-life candidate in the 2012 Presidential election. Sorry Romney supporters.

--and--

...even though President Obama is pro-choice, by providing hundreds of millions of dollars through the Affordable Care Act to help poor women, Obama is actually giving more women the ability to decide against abortion, therefore cutting the number of abortions.

--and--

...Romney is running on what he calls a pro-life platform. But any honest analysis of the facts shows the situation is much more complicated than that. For example, Obama’s Affordable Care Act does not pay for abortions. In Massachusetts, Romney’s health care law does.

--and--

But let’s not stop there. Obama does not financially profit from the abortion industry. Romney does. Bain Capital, in the time Romney was listed as its legal head and even when he was attending Bain board meetings, was an owner of Stericycle, a major disposer of the dead bodies of aborted children in the United States.

Repubs claim they stand for a lot of things - claims that prove almost totally false almost every time anybody looks too closely.

They're against Government Expansion?
For 35 years, Government has grown more when Repubs are in charge than it's done under Dems.

They're in favor of spending cuts?
Spending has increased every year - even when they've held majorities in both houses; and even as they've jammed thru their giant tax cut schemes.

They're Pro-Family?
They vote nearly unanimously against anything that's designed to help families.
--Medical and Family Leave Act
--Planned Parenthood
--Minimum wage
--Affirmative Action
--Head Start
--WIC
--Lilly Ledbetter Act
--ACA
--Unemployment Insurance
--Pell Grants
--Student loan guarantee
--Public school funding

and on, and on, and on

These people have no soul and no honor.  Fire them.

Today's Pix

Uh Oh

hat tip = Juan Cole

July was the hottest month ever in the continental U.S., and the past twelve months have been hotter than any such period on record.

Half of all counties in the country have been declared disaster areas, mainly due to drought.

A Word From Juan Cole

You Might Be Paul Ryan If...
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment
13 August 12

f you admitted that you got into politics because of the impact on you of the philosopher of personal greed and egotism, Ayn Rand, but later had to deny it because it was bad publicity, you might be Paul Ryan.

If you want to destroy social security for others, but after your father died when you were 16, you used your father's social security survivor benefits to help pay for your education at Miami University of Ohio . . . you might be Paul Ryan.

If you say your budget plan was inspired by Roman Catholic teachings, but nearly 60 prominent Catholic thinkers and leaders condemned it as heartless, cruel and un-Christian . . . you might be Paul Ryan.

If you claim to be a free marketeer but want to keep $40 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil in the budget, you might be Paul Ryan. When it comes to green energy, the Right says it has to be profitable on its own, but won't give it a level playing field.

If you would raise taxes on the middle classes; but your budget would allow your wealthy running mate Mitt Romney to pay almost nothing in taxes, you might be Paul Ryan.

If you are against deficits in an economic downturn and during a Democratic administration, butvoted for all the measures that ran up the deficit under Bush and erased Clinton's budget surplus, you might be Paul Ryan.

If you say you are pro-life, but supported to the hilt an illegal and unjustified US invasion and occupation of Iraq, which killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, you might be Paul Ryan.

If you accused climate scientists of conspiring to "intentionally mislead the public on the issue of climate change," but are yourself a Koch brother-backed conspirator for the 1%, you might be Paul Ryan.

If your proof that climate change is an illusion is that it still snows in the winter, you might be Paul Ryan.