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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Nov 15, 2010 - 09:09pm PT
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...btw the operators of full body x-ray backscatter scanners at airports
can increase the power with a simple twist of a dial to see inside your body.
How would you know if it was at low power or high power?
Maybe when the tumors start growing?
The real images are so highly detailed that they can actually see the pores
on your skin! If that isn't enough, every image that is taken of everyone
who passes through these x-ray scanners will create a biometric digital
image of your body and map it just as they do with digital biometric face
scans. Your biometric "digital thumb print" of your body will then be
entered into a federal database where it will be added to your record and
stored permanently. Do you mind having your naked body photographed and
digitally stored by the government? For free!
And the competing technology that uses Terahertz radiation otherwise
known as submillimeter radiation..
First thought to be used as a new weapon, resonant effects allow THz waves
to unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand, but
now it has developed into a scanning devise now used at major airports
all across the country.
http://bestotc.com/735/uncategorized/full-body-scanners-inhibit-dna-replication-results-serious-health-risks/
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/02/are_airport_full_body_scanners.html
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bookworm
Social climber
Falls Church, VA
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Nov 16, 2010 - 10:30am PT
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November 16, 2010 12:00 A.M.
The Liberal Mind Rejects Sad Facts
Reality may cause sadness and pain, but it is reality nonetheless.
I recently devoted my biweekly column in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles to analyzing why most Jews believe that people are basically good despite the fact that this belief is neither rational nor Jewish. In a lifetime of teaching and writing on Judaism, I have never encountered a single normative statement in 3,000 years of Jewish writing that asserted that man is basically good.
As I expected, the reaction — apparently all from Jewish liberals — was entirely negative. Almost an entire page of the journal was devoted to letters attacking me. One of the seven letters — from a prominent Hollywood screenwriter — bordered on hysteria.
The question is, why?
Why would liberals in general, and Jewish liberals in particular — given the Jews’ singularly horrific history at the hands of other human beings — react so strongly against someone who wrote that people are not basically good?
In my original article, I offered one explanation: Since the Enlightenment, the secular world has had to believe in man (or “humanity”), because if you don’t believe in God and you don’t believe in humanity, you will despair.
But one critic opened my eyes to an even deeper reason most liberals do not acknowledge that people are not basically good.
This is what he wrote:
“What a sad world it would be if we all believed as Dennis Prager that mankind is inherently evil.”
And this is what I responded: “I did not write that man is inherently evil. I wrote that he is not basically good. And, yes, that does make the world sad. So do disease, earthquakes, death and all the unjust suffering in the world. But sad facts remain facts.”
“A distinguishing characteristic of liberals and leftists,” I concluded, “is their aversion to acknowledging sad facts.”
Years ago a woman writer, whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, first made me aware of this. She wrote about liberals’ rejecting many facts about male and female natures. She used the French expression Les faits de la vie, “the facts of life.”
The Left, she wrote, rejects les faits de la vie.
I believe this is so for two reasons.
First, as with my correspondent above, people on the Left tend to be unwilling to accept the sadness and pain that recognition of such facts creates. Leftism is often predicated on avoiding pain. That is a major reason why the Left dislikes capitalism and free markets. Free markets create winners and losers, and the Left does not like the fact that some people lose and some win.
This antipathy to having losers expresses itself on the micro level as well. Many liberals oppose letting children play competitive sports because they can lose — sometimes by a lot. That is why many schools now emphasize “cooperation instead of competition.” They do not want children experiencing the pain of losing, let alone losing by many points. That is also why liberals introduced the absurd idea of giving sports trophies to all kids who play, win or lose. God forbid that only the winners receive trophies; the kids who didn’t win may experience pain.
Second, the Left lives by theories and dogmas into which the facts of life must fit. That is why left-wing ideas are usually wishful thinking.
Though either explanation suffices, the two explanations reinforce one another.
Here are four descriptive statements rejected by the Left for these two mutually reinforcing reasons.
1. People are not basically good.
Leftists tend to reject this because a) it is too painful to accept, and b) it undermines the leftist dogma that people do bad because of outside forces — poverty, capitalism, racism, etc.
2. Men and women are inherently different.
Leftists have rejected this idea because some of the differences are too emotionally upsetting to accept. Men are variety-driven by nature? Too upsetting. Women may have less yearning for, and ability in, math and engineering? Only a sexist like former Harvard president Lawrence Summers would say such a thing. Moreover, the belief that men and women are inherently different violates the Left’s foundational principle of equality. Many liberals admit that they reject talk of male-female differences because it can easily lead to gender inequality.
3. Black males disproportionately commit violent crime in America.
Leftist reactions to this truly painful fact are to label one who notes it a racist and to decry American society as racist because there are more black males in prison than in college.
4. The United Nations is a moral wasteland.
Since before the U.N.’s founding in 1945, liberals placed much of their hope for a peaceful world in the United Nations. That the U.N. has turned out to be an abettor more than a preventer of violence is a fact that the Left finds too painful to acknowledge. And it violates the left-wing belief that nationalism is evil and internationalism is the solution.
It is generally believed that as people grow older. they reject much of the liberalism they believed in when they were young. This is true, and one reason is relevant here: As we get older, we tend to make peace with painful faits de la vie.
— Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. He may be contacted through his website, dennisprager.com.
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Skeptimistic
Mountain climber
La Mancha
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Nov 16, 2010 - 10:41am PT
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As we get older, we tend to make peace with painful faits de la vie.
Bullshite.
As people age, many turn conservative because they cannot accept change. They develop romantic notions of what life was like when they were young and long for the days back. They blame their ennui on the people who came into the picture after this "golden" period- youth, immigrants, politicians.
Just look at the constituency of the tea baggers and the GOP. Largely old white people, predominantly bible belt christian types.
They want to return this country "back to its roots and founding principles" but they aren't taking into consideration the forces that brought the changes that got us to this point. Yes, let's reinstate slavery, rich wasp male-only voting, etc.
Wake up from your deluded dream and embrace progressive change. Then just maybe you won't turn into a bitter old man.... oops, too late...
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:20pm PT
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Cheating on taxes is a violation of house rules?
What would happen to any one of us if we failed to declare a bunch of rental property income?
GIve the lousy sob the boot!
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:26pm PT
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I agree.
Sure seems like Rangle violated by House and IRS rules and laws.
The House will likely find that to be so.
Don't know what their procedure is for sanctions but he should resign immediately.
Democratic or Republican, you break the rules and you should go.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:27pm PT
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WASHINGTON — A House ethics panel has found Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York guilty on 11 counts of breaking House rules.
The full ethics committee will next conduct a hearing on the appropriate punishment for the former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. The committee will then make a recommendation to the House.
Possible punishments include a House vote deploring Rangel's conduct, a fine and denial of privileges.
The eight-member ethics panel had sat as a jury to judge Rangel's conduct. The 80-year-old congressman from Harlem was charged with 13 counts of financial and fundraising wrongdoing
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:32pm PT
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F*#k the "violating House Rules", put the IRS collections on his ass. A censure or some other meaningless wrist slap is BS. Fine and/or jail him.
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Skeptimistic
Mountain climber
La Mancha
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:36pm PT
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I wonder when they'll get around to charging Bush/Cheney with looting the 2 trillion dollars from the economy and routing it to their cronies & PAC contributors...
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:42pm PT
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My understanding is that Rangle has already paid the back taxes on the unreported
income from a rental property he had outside the US, along with the IRS penalty.
He has acknowledged this.
US citizens are not put in jail unless they are found guilty of IRS regulations
and the refuse to pay back taxes. That is not the case here.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Nov 16, 2010 - 12:53pm PT
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What would happen to any one of us if we failed to declare a bunch of rental property income?
Failed to declare, to whom?
The House has their own rules requiring disclosure of income, which is the rule that he violated. If you were a House member, and did not declare, this is what would happen. If you were not a House member, there is no such disclosure requirement (except, perhaps, to your spouse)
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Nov 16, 2010 - 01:31pm PT
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Come on all you libs, you should do what the cons do and say this is all a smear campaign against Rangel by the conservative media. He's innocent just like Tom Delay!
By railing against him and saying he should go you are far too reasonable, even handed, and honest!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Nov 16, 2010 - 01:52pm PT
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As people age, many turn conservative because they cannot accept change.
If you aren't liberal when you are young, you have no heart. If you aren't conservative when you are older, you have no brains. -- Winston Churchill paraphrase (but almost quote).
Strongly disagree with you, skep. It's the reactionaries (called by themselves progressives) who have the romantic delusions. Their desire to turn back the clock to a time when we didn't compete in a world market, and when the sovereign was directly responsible for our lives and directed all economic activity, reflects a rejection of human experience. The problem with left-wing reactionary ideology isn't theoretical, it's empirical.
John
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 16, 2010 - 02:30pm PT
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Nov 16, 2010 - 02:38pm PT
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Saw an AMAZING movie last night, it's a MUST SEE for anyone involved in this thread's
discussion. The movie talks about honest and serious events, without taking partisan "sides."
I'd be interested in hearing comments and discussion about the contents this movie.
Inside Job is about the Wall Street collapse, and is the best documentary of this sort
that I've seen. Excellent editing give a good view from 100', outlining the moves that investment
banks (and bankers) pulled and how those moves lead to the crash.
Odd, the movie gets a bit long in one spot, there is so much information and content in the film.
At the same time, it can only scratch the surface of what actually happened--such is
the complexity of the hack job. Still, well worth the price of admission and the time spent watching.
Even if just to see the famous players making their famous plays.
Joe Bob says Check It Out.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Nov 16, 2010 - 02:56pm PT
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Is such an extreme level of hyperbole really necessary for you to make your point?
No, but it sure is fun!
Oh, and I really do think that much of the self-described "progressive" agenda is really more a throwback to the past than progess toward the future.
John
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shut up and pull
climber
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Nov 16, 2010 - 03:52pm PT
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ALWAYS REMEMBER TO ASK -- JUST WHAT KIND OF "CHANGE" DO YOU MEAN, MR. LIBERAL? IT MEANS SOCIALIST/BIG GOVERNMENT FOLKS:
Remember, in Hopenchange, everything not expressly permitted will be outlawed. In an attempt to deal with the supposed epidemic of distracted drivers, especially younger drivers, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the Obama administration will review its options in blocking cell phone use in cars:
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said using a cell phone while driving is so dangerous that devices may soon be installed in cars to forcibly stop drivers — and potentially anyone else in the vehicle — from using them. “There’s a lot of technology out there now that can disable phones and we’re looking at that,” said LaHood on MSNBC. LaHood said the cellphone scramblers were one way, and also stressed the importance of “personal responsibility.”
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Nov 16, 2010 - 03:58pm PT
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http://www.salon.com/news/healthcare_reform/index.html?story=%2Fpolitics%2Fwar_room%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fgop_congressman_healthcare
Incoming GOP congressman wants his free government healthcare now!
Representative-elect Andy Harris, a Maryland Republican and anesthesiologist, beat his incumbent Democratic opponent by campaigning against the terror of universal socialized medicine. Despite the fact that his opponent voted against healthcare reform, Harris insisted that once elected he would vote to repeal healthcare reform. Now he is elected! And he was shocked to learn that his free, taxpayer-funded, government-run healthcare won't kick in until 28 days after he's sworn in. This made him upset!
“He stood up and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care,” said a congressional staffer who saw the exchange. The benefits session, held behind closed doors, drew about 250 freshman members, staffers and family members to the Capitol Visitors Center auditorium late Monday morning,”.
Then he came up with a pretty good idea: "Harris then asked if he could purchase insurance from the government to cover the gap...." Yeah -- why can't people just purchase health insurance from the government? Oh, right, because of Joe Lieberman and every Republican in Congress.
"'This is the only employer I’ve ever worked for where you don’t get coverage the first day you are employed,' his spokeswoman Anna Nix told POLITICO." It's funny because lots of people have worked places where you don't get coverage any day you're employed.
God bless the random anonymous aide who exposed this guy as a tool a month before he was even sworn in.
Give the parasite a cup of tea and tell him to bag it.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 16, 2010 - 04:05pm PT
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shut up and pull
climber
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Nov 16, 2010 - 04:06pm PT
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WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!!
A foolproof way to end the TSA screenings: “Have Arizona pass a law saying that illegal aliens will be subject to these procedures as well! The federal government would immediately ask a judge to ban full-body scans.”
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