Fuck its silent in here.......

[Gilgamesh]

Don't Mess With Texas:

38 percent said human beings developed over millions of years with God guiding the process and another 12 percent said that development happened without God having any part of the process. Another 38 percent agreed with the statement "God created human beings pretty much in their present form about 10,000 years ago."

Asked about the origin and development of life on earth without injecting humans into the discussion, and 53 percent said it evolved over time, "with a guiding hand from God." They were joined by 15 percent who agreed on the evolution part, but "with no guidance from God." About a fifth — 22 percent — said life has existed in its present form since the beginning of time.

Most of the Texans in the survey — 51 percent — disagree with the statement, "human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals." Thirty-five percent agreed with that statement, and 15 percent said they don't know.  Did humans live at the same time as the dinosaurs? Three in ten Texas voters agree with that statement; 41 percent disagree, and 30 percent don't know.

http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/feb/17/meet-flintstones/

[Jon]

Oh Texas. You continue to exceed my expectations.

[Quality Start Machine]

Oh Texas. You continue to exceed my expectations.

Easy there, South Carolina.

[Jon]

Oh Texas. You continue to exceed my expectations.

Easy there, South Carolina.

Don't advise me on moderation, Shecky.

[Wheezer]

Oh Texas. You continue to exceed my expectations.

Easy there, South Carolina.

Don't advise me on moderation, Shecky Tincy.

Texas SBOE'd.

[R-V]

The real problem in this country today is that our "leaders" don't lead.  Hell, they don't even serve.  They see their offices as jobs they are entitled to.

Evan Bayh echos yours truly:

"But running for the sake of winning an election, just to remain in public office, is not good enough," Bayh said. "And it has never been what motivates me. At this time I simply believe I can best contribute to society in another way: creating jobs by helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor."

Good for him.

Ezra Klein is ice cold enough on Bayh to be quoted in full...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/02/evan_bayh_an_ordinary_politici.html

My impression of Evan Bayh was that he was a major deficit hypocrite. Despite spending all his time talking about the need to reduce spending, he'd voted for all the major spending increases in recent years. When I looked into it, that wasn't true: He voted against the Bush tax cuts, and against the Medicare prescription drug benefit. But he voted for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, opposed sensible tax increases like President Obama's proposed cap on itemized deductions, and sponsored legislation to spend more than $440 billion exempting rich people's estates from taxation.

So: Evan Bayh's not a major deficit hypocrite. He's a minor deficit hypocrite. But a deficit hypocrite all the same. In his exit speech, he describes himself as "a lonely voice for balancing the budget and restraining spending." Of course, there's no such thing in Washington as a "lonely voice" for a balanced budget. There is a cacophony of such voices, and a dearth of such votes. But votes are the only things able to do the job. If voices balanced the budget, treasury bonds would never rise.

Accusing a politician of deficit hypocrisy isn't a particularly serious slur. Pretty much every politician is guilty of it. It's a bit like trumpeting the fact that some politician or another wears a suit. But if Bayh's sins are ordinary, so too was his career. Which is why I was surprised to see my colleague Jonathan Capehart term this a "brain drain." I've talked to Bayh before, and like Jonathan Chait, found him special only in his ability to formulate platitudes on the fly. The guy missed out on a terrific career as a fortune cookie author ("Your country will be assured of greatness! Your lucky deficit number is zero!"), but the sciences will not weep for their loss.

Take Bayh's dramatic exit. "I have had a growing conviction that Congress is not operating as it should," he says. "There is too much partisanship and not enough progress -- too much narrow ideology and not enough practical problem-solving." All true enough. You'd expect that he'd then diagnose the problem and explain how he'll help fix it. But nope. Instead, he simply laments it and then says he'd like a job "helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor."

Respectable goals all, but small ball for a senator who has concluded that the American legislative system is so crippled that he can no longer bear to participate in it. Even in this, his most dramatic hour, Bayh was unable to be more than a perfectly typical politician, seeking praise for raising his voice while doing nothing to solve the problem.

He also links to James Fallows...

http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2010/02/evan_bayh_why_the_no-class_mov.php

Here's a constructive suggestion: Do you really care about the partisanship that is ruining public life and that, as you said, has driven you from the Senate, Mr. Bayh? Then why not use the fact that you are still in the U.S. Senate for most of another year -- a platform 99.999% of Americans will never occupy -- and apply all the power you can to advance causes you care about. What is holding you back?

I'm way behind here, but I find it amusing that Chuck would champion the useless banalities of someone as completely full of shit and completely lacking of substance as Evan Bayh. The streak of wrong continues!

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itYrXhhnHRE

Guess what? Guess what? You're an asshole.

And you're about to get buttraped by some gay Republicans.

[Chuck to Chuck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itYrXhhnHRE

Guess what? Guess what? You're an asshole.

And you're about to get buttraped by some gay Republicans conservatives.

Litmus test'd

[Gilgamesh]

So, the State of Illinois, in its infinite wisdom, has asked the public writ large to offer solutions to the State's budget crisis.  www.budget.illinois.gov.

However, they are compiling a list of the public comments recieved.  Boy howdy, is it interesting.

http://www2.illinois.gov/budget/Pages/PublicComments.aspx

You want to talk about meatballs, go there.

Here's Marybeth, from Riverside, channeling her inner MikeC:

IF HOSPITALS ARE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE STATE THEY SHOULD OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS , IF DOCTORS ARE MAKING OVER $150,000.00 A YEAR THEY CAN DONATE MONEY/TIME FOR MAMOGRAMS. HAVE A DAY A MONTH WHERE THEY OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS. IT'S CALLED GIVING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND/OR YOUR STATE!!!! ....OUR ROADS NEED TO BE FIXED AND OBVIOUSLY THAT KEEPS OUR ECONOMOY GOING.....MONEY FOR SCHOOLS IS NEEDED TO KEEP THEM OPERATING, HOWEVER, A REVIEW OF SALARIES FOR SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS NEED TO BE REVIEWED B/4 DOING SO. A SUPERINTENDENT MAKING $275,000 PLUS A YEAR IS RIDICULOUS!!! THIS IS WHAT UPSETS PEOPLE....HOW CAN THERE BE ALL THIS MONEY TO PAY ONE PERSON WHOM THEY RARELY SEE OR HERE FROM... AND TEACHERS NEED TO ACCEPT CUTS ALSO IF THEY ONLY WORK 9 MONTHS A YEAR THEY SHOULD BE PAID ACCORDINGLY. IF THEY HAVE THEIR BACHELORS DEGREE THEY HAVE ONE SET SALARY IF THEY HAVE THEIR MASTERS THEY SHOULD HAVE A HIGHER SALARY BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY....NO MORE - TAKE, TAKE, TAKE!!!! MAKE THE NECESSARY CUTS IN SALARY SO THEY'RE NOT ROBBING THE STATE FOR FUNDS WHEN THEY COULD MAKE CUTS WITHIN. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE IN A RECESSION ....IF IT HELPS TO RAISE TAXES 3-4 PERCENT FOR THE YEAR SO BE IT....SHOULD I HELP THOSE IN NEED.....SORRY THIS IS A REAL SORE SPOT WITH ME .....BUT IF THEY'VE LIVED IN THEIR HOME FOR OVER 10 YEARS, HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL AND/OR RECENTLY LOST THEIR JOB OF 5 PLUS YEARS AND ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB ....I'M OKAY WITH IT .....SENIORS ARE ON FIXED INCOMES THEY'RE BARELY MAKING IT NOW..WE HAVE TO HELP THEM...BUT IF THEY'RE IN WAY OVER THEIR HEADS SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL THEM. MY OWN MOTHER SOLD HER HOME BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS BECOMING WAY TO MUCH....CHILDREN NEED TO HELP THEIR PARENTS..AND TAKE CARE OF THEM. EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY HERE!!! SO YES TO RAISING TAXES 3-4%, YES TO ROAD REPAIRS, MAYBE TO SCHOOL FUNDING IF THEY'VE CLEANED UP THEIR OWN HOMES, HOSPITALS NEED TO PROVIDE FREE MAMOGRAMS NOT THE STATE, THE STATE FUNDS THEM ENOUGH, HAVE EVERY DOCTOR MAKING OVER 150,000 A YEAR DONATE A MAMOGRAM, JUST LIKE THE FIREMEN, POLICMEN GIVING UP FURLOUGH THE DOCTORS NEED TO DO SOMETHING IF THEIR WORKING IN ILLINOIS...TIME TO GIVE BACK!! HERE NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE. YES WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Alot of robust "Union fatcat state employees!!  ZOMG!!" talk too.

Good times.

[CT III]

So, the State of Illinois, in its infinite wisdom, has asked the public writ large to offer solutions to the State's budget crisis.  www.budget.illinois.gov.

However, they are compiling a list of the public comments recieved.  Boy howdy, is it interesting.

http://www2.illinois.gov/budget/Pages/PublicComments.aspx

You want to talk about meatballs, go there.

Here's Marybeth, from Riverside, channeling her inner MikeC:

IF HOSPITALS ARE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE STATE THEY SHOULD OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS , IF DOCTORS ARE MAKING OVER $150,000.00 A YEAR THEY CAN DONATE MONEY/TIME FOR MAMOGRAMS. HAVE A DAY A MONTH WHERE THEY OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS. IT'S CALLED GIVING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND/OR YOUR STATE!!!! ....OUR ROADS NEED TO BE FIXED AND OBVIOUSLY THAT KEEPS OUR ECONOMOY GOING.....MONEY FOR SCHOOLS IS NEEDED TO KEEP THEM OPERATING, HOWEVER, A REVIEW OF SALARIES FOR SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS NEED TO BE REVIEWED B/4 DOING SO. A SUPERINTENDENT MAKING $275,000 PLUS A YEAR IS RIDICULOUS!!! THIS IS WHAT UPSETS PEOPLE....HOW CAN THERE BE ALL THIS MONEY TO PAY ONE PERSON WHOM THEY RARELY SEE OR HERE FROM... AND TEACHERS NEED TO ACCEPT CUTS ALSO IF THEY ONLY WORK 9 MONTHS A YEAR THEY SHOULD BE PAID ACCORDINGLY. IF THEY HAVE THEIR BACHELORS DEGREE THEY HAVE ONE SET SALARY IF THEY HAVE THEIR MASTERS THEY SHOULD HAVE A HIGHER SALARY BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY....NO MORE - TAKE, TAKE, TAKE!!!! MAKE THE NECESSARY CUTS IN SALARY SO THEY'RE NOT ROBBING THE STATE FOR FUNDS WHEN THEY COULD MAKE CUTS WITHIN. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE IN A RECESSION ....IF IT HELPS TO RAISE TAXES 3-4 PERCENT FOR THE YEAR SO BE IT....SHOULD I HELP THOSE IN NEED.....SORRY THIS IS A REAL SORE SPOT WITH ME .....BUT IF THEY'VE LIVED IN THEIR HOME FOR OVER 10 YEARS, HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL AND/OR RECENTLY LOST THEIR JOB OF 5 PLUS YEARS AND ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB ....I'M OKAY WITH IT .....SENIORS ARE ON FIXED INCOMES THEY'RE BARELY MAKING IT NOW..WE HAVE TO HELP THEM...BUT IF THEY'RE IN WAY OVER THEIR HEADS SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL THEM. MY OWN MOTHER SOLD HER HOME BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS BECOMING WAY TO MUCH....CHILDREN NEED TO HELP THEIR PARENTS..AND TAKE CARE OF THEM. EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY HERE!!! SO YES TO RAISING TAXES 3-4%, YES TO ROAD REPAIRS, MAYBE TO SCHOOL FUNDING IF THEY'VE CLEANED UP THEIR OWN HOMES, HOSPITALS NEED TO PROVIDE FREE MAMOGRAMS NOT THE STATE, THE STATE FUNDS THEM ENOUGH, HAVE EVERY DOCTOR MAKING OVER 150,000 A YEAR DONATE A MAMOGRAM, JUST LIKE THE FIREMEN, POLICMEN GIVING UP FURLOUGH THE DOCTORS NEED TO DO SOMETHING IF THEIR WORKING IN ILLINOIS...TIME TO GIVE BACK!! HERE NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE. YES WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Alot of robust "Union fatcat state employees!!  ZOMG!!" talk too.

Good times.

Nixon was right.  Computers may be twice as fast now as they were in 1972, but the average voter is as drunk and stupid as ever.

[BBM]

So, the State of Illinois, in its infinite wisdom, has asked the public writ large to offer solutions to the State's budget crisis.  www.budget.illinois.gov.

However, they are compiling a list of the public comments recieved.  Boy howdy, is it interesting.

http://www2.illinois.gov/budget/Pages/PublicComments.aspx

You want to talk about meatballs, go there.

Here's Marybeth, from Riverside, channeling her inner MikeC:

IF HOSPITALS ARE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE STATE THEY SHOULD OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS , IF DOCTORS ARE MAKING OVER $150,000.00 A YEAR THEY CAN DONATE MONEY/TIME FOR MAMOGRAMS. HAVE A DAY A MONTH WHERE THEY OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS. IT'S CALLED GIVING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND/OR YOUR STATE!!!! ....OUR ROADS NEED TO BE FIXED AND OBVIOUSLY THAT KEEPS OUR ECONOMOY GOING.....MONEY FOR SCHOOLS IS NEEDED TO KEEP THEM OPERATING, HOWEVER, A REVIEW OF SALARIES FOR SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS NEED TO BE REVIEWED B/4 DOING SO. A SUPERINTENDENT MAKING $275,000 PLUS A YEAR IS RIDICULOUS!!! THIS IS WHAT UPSETS PEOPLE....HOW CAN THERE BE ALL THIS MONEY TO PAY ONE PERSON WHOM THEY RARELY SEE OR HERE FROM... AND TEACHERS NEED TO ACCEPT CUTS ALSO IF THEY ONLY WORK 9 MONTHS A YEAR THEY SHOULD BE PAID ACCORDINGLY. IF THEY HAVE THEIR BACHELORS DEGREE THEY HAVE ONE SET SALARY IF THEY HAVE THEIR MASTERS THEY SHOULD HAVE A HIGHER SALARY BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY....NO MORE - TAKE, TAKE, TAKE!!!! MAKE THE NECESSARY CUTS IN SALARY SO THEY'RE NOT ROBBING THE STATE FOR FUNDS WHEN THEY COULD MAKE CUTS WITHIN. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE IN A RECESSION ....IF IT HELPS TO RAISE TAXES 3-4 PERCENT FOR THE YEAR SO BE IT....SHOULD I HELP THOSE IN NEED.....SORRY THIS IS A REAL SORE SPOT WITH ME .....BUT IF THEY'VE LIVED IN THEIR HOME FOR OVER 10 YEARS, HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL AND/OR RECENTLY LOST THEIR JOB OF 5 PLUS YEARS AND ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB ....I'M OKAY WITH IT .....SENIORS ARE ON FIXED INCOMES THEY'RE BARELY MAKING IT NOW..WE HAVE TO HELP THEM...BUT IF THEY'RE IN WAY OVER THEIR HEADS SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL THEM. MY OWN MOTHER SOLD HER HOME BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS BECOMING WAY TO MUCH....CHILDREN NEED TO HELP THEIR PARENTS..AND TAKE CARE OF THEM. EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY HERE!!! SO YES TO RAISING TAXES 3-4%, YES TO ROAD REPAIRS, MAYBE TO SCHOOL FUNDING IF THEY'VE CLEANED UP THEIR OWN HOMES, HOSPITALS NEED TO PROVIDE FREE MAMOGRAMS NOT THE STATE, THE STATE FUNDS THEM ENOUGH, HAVE EVERY DOCTOR MAKING OVER 150,000 A YEAR DONATE A MAMOGRAM, JUST LIKE THE FIREMEN, POLICMEN GIVING UP FURLOUGH THE DOCTORS NEED TO DO SOMETHING IF THEIR WORKING IN ILLINOIS...TIME TO GIVE BACK!! HERE NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE. YES WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Alot of robust "Union fatcat state employees!!  ZOMG!!" talk too.

Good times.

Nixon was right.  Computers may be twice as fast now as they were in 1972, but the average voter is as drunk and stupid as ever.

And that's why Al Gore left the earth to become the first emperor  of the Moon

[Brownie]

So, the State of Illinois, in its infinite wisdom, has asked the public writ large to offer solutions to the State's budget crisis.  www.budget.illinois.gov.

However, they are compiling a list of the public comments recieved.  Boy howdy, is it interesting.

http://www2.illinois.gov/budget/Pages/PublicComments.aspx

You want to talk about meatballs, go there.

Here's Marybeth, from Riverside, channeling her inner MikeC:

IF HOSPITALS ARE RECEIVING FUNDING FROM THE STATE THEY SHOULD OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS , IF DOCTORS ARE MAKING OVER $150,000.00 A YEAR THEY CAN DONATE MONEY/TIME FOR MAMOGRAMS. HAVE A DAY A MONTH WHERE THEY OFFER FREE MAMOGRAMS. IT'S CALLED GIVING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND/OR YOUR STATE!!!! ....OUR ROADS NEED TO BE FIXED AND OBVIOUSLY THAT KEEPS OUR ECONOMOY GOING.....MONEY FOR SCHOOLS IS NEEDED TO KEEP THEM OPERATING, HOWEVER, A REVIEW OF SALARIES FOR SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS NEED TO BE REVIEWED B/4 DOING SO. A SUPERINTENDENT MAKING $275,000 PLUS A YEAR IS RIDICULOUS!!! THIS IS WHAT UPSETS PEOPLE....HOW CAN THERE BE ALL THIS MONEY TO PAY ONE PERSON WHOM THEY RARELY SEE OR HERE FROM... AND TEACHERS NEED TO ACCEPT CUTS ALSO IF THEY ONLY WORK 9 MONTHS A YEAR THEY SHOULD BE PAID ACCORDINGLY. IF THEY HAVE THEIR BACHELORS DEGREE THEY HAVE ONE SET SALARY IF THEY HAVE THEIR MASTERS THEY SHOULD HAVE A HIGHER SALARY BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY....NO MORE - TAKE, TAKE, TAKE!!!! MAKE THE NECESSARY CUTS IN SALARY SO THEY'RE NOT ROBBING THE STATE FOR FUNDS WHEN THEY COULD MAKE CUTS WITHIN. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE IN A RECESSION ....IF IT HELPS TO RAISE TAXES 3-4 PERCENT FOR THE YEAR SO BE IT....SHOULD I HELP THOSE IN NEED.....SORRY THIS IS A REAL SORE SPOT WITH ME .....BUT IF THEY'VE LIVED IN THEIR HOME FOR OVER 10 YEARS, HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL AND/OR RECENTLY LOST THEIR JOB OF 5 PLUS YEARS AND ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB ....I'M OKAY WITH IT .....SENIORS ARE ON FIXED INCOMES THEY'RE BARELY MAKING IT NOW..WE HAVE TO HELP THEM...BUT IF THEY'RE IN WAY OVER THEIR HEADS SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL THEM. MY OWN MOTHER SOLD HER HOME BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS BECOMING WAY TO MUCH....CHILDREN NEED TO HELP THEIR PARENTS..AND TAKE CARE OF THEM. EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY HERE!!! SO YES TO RAISING TAXES 3-4%, YES TO ROAD REPAIRS, MAYBE TO SCHOOL FUNDING IF THEY'VE CLEANED UP THEIR OWN HOMES, HOSPITALS NEED TO PROVIDE FREE MAMOGRAMS NOT THE STATE, THE STATE FUNDS THEM ENOUGH, HAVE EVERY DOCTOR MAKING OVER 150,000 A YEAR DONATE A MAMOGRAM, JUST LIKE THE FIREMEN, POLICMEN GIVING UP FURLOUGH THE DOCTORS NEED TO DO SOMETHING IF THEIR WORKING IN ILLINOIS...TIME TO GIVE BACK!! HERE NOT SOMEWHERE ELSE. YES WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Alot of robust "Union fatcat state employees!!  ZOMG!!" talk too.

Good times.

Nixon was right.  Computers may be twice as fast now as they were in 1972, but the average voter is as drunk and stupid as ever.

There's enough WRONG in marybeth's screed to make us all miserable!

[R-V]

This is amusing...the Sunlight Foundation is running a live feed of the Health Care Summit, with a list of the biggest industry donors next to whoever is speaking.

http://sunlightfoundation.com/live/

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

This is amusing...the Sunlight Foundation is running a live feed of the Health Care Summit, with a list of the biggest industry donors next to whoever is speaking.

http://sunlightfoundation.com/live/

Tom Coburn thinks we should talk about why health care costs so much.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

http://www.collegenews.com/index.php?/article/twitter_users_tell_cnn_anchors_to_stfu_during_health_care_summit_022520101038352/

@thisisrobthomas: cnn speaking about the health care summit like they're watching football. hey people, this is not a fucking game. people are dying.

@attila: The spin by the talking heads responding to the Presidential Health Care Summit is totally ruining the moment. Just STFU @CNN

@JamesCHarwood: I flipped over to FOX News because CNN and MSNBC are going to their own talking heads instead of showing the Health Care Summit.

@bondcliff: Watch Health Care Summit on Cspan. CNN, MSNBC and others breaking in with "Scores" every few minutes. They can't help themselves.

@meatnbread: CNN, why you gotta keep showing this when you break from the Health Care Summit?

@thegriff: Watching the Health Care Summit on Fox News because CNN and MSNBC have chosen to break it up with commercials and commentary. #fail

@DinaMeis Health Care Summit : MEDIA channels need to STOP getting into Commentary & Commericals !!! I want to watch this - @cnn @msnbc

Amen.