Everybody's Working For the Weekend (and if they are rich)

Rich people still have jobs, poor people don't

Is this a surprise to anyone? I mean, with the amount of "free marketism" in the labor categories that these lower income groups usually represent, and a lot of those jobs being shipped elsewhere, is anyone really surprised? Meanwhile, there is still plenty of protectionism exhibited in "white collar" jobs in this country, which would partially explain such a low unemployment rate within the higher income brackets.

(See: http://www.conservativenannystate.org/cns.html#2)

Between this and increasing wealth gap, is it OK to call it class warfare (when the rich folks and the govt they control do it)?

The Eikenberry Cables

U.S. Envoy’s Cables Show Worries on Afghan Plans

Being that Eikenberry is a "retired Army lieutenant general who once was the top American commander in Afghanistan", it's hard to argue he doesn't understand the military aspect of the Afghanistan war, yet these cables show how strongly he was against a troop buildup because of how it would increase the dependence of t...he Karzai regime on the U.S. and would lead to a never-ending role for the U.S. in Afghanistan.

We need an honest debate in this country about our role in Afghanistan before we bankrupt the country and lose even more of our soldiers. Leave the "we gotta fight them there" rhetoric at the door.

The Wrong Side of History

Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen supports right of gays to serve in military

So Mullen and Gates are for repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Colin Powell is on board for a review. But McCain, the majority of his fellow Republicans, and a few conservative Democrats think they know better than the highest ranking member of our armed forces. Talk about hypocrisy. Does anyone remember when Obama was weighing the troop increase in Afghanistan and the Republicans wouldn't stop bashing him for "second guessing" McChrystal?

People need to realize that opponents of equal rights will always come up with excuses as to why now is "not the time". It happened in the civil rights movement during the 60's, and it's happening now in regards to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and gay marriage. If history has taught us anything, it is that people don't give up the fight for equal rights, and eventually, the day will come when they get them. I wish people would take a hard look at which side of history they want to be on.

What the hell is wrong with that guy?

Is what most people probably think when they see you riding a motorcycle in the high 20's with 30 mph winds. I guess it comes with the territory when you buy a new motorcycle 2 days before Christmas in the North East. You don't exactly want to put it in a garage until it gets nice enough to ride comfortably.So after coming close to freezing a few times, but still not being smart enough to store the new motorcycle for the winter, I decided I needed to invest in some cold weather riding gear. However I wasn't trying to pay the arm and leg they want for the off-the-shelf heated jackets for sale out there ($150+). After searching the internets, I found some good resources for making an existing jacket into a heated jacket and decided to give it a shot.

This is the result. All in all, it probably cost me roughly $15-$20 for the wires and connectors needed to add the heat, and probably about 2 hours to thread the wire through the jacket.

I just took it for a test ride, and it does the trick. It feels like you're wrapped in a heated blanket. Absolutely beautiful. Next up... running some wire and adding some heated glove liners. Then I'm in business...




For anyone interested in trying to make one themselves... here's some resources I found helpful. All you really need is a crimping tool, maybe a voltmeter to test the resistance of the wire, some shrink tubing/soldering iron, and a larger needle to thread the wire. I just wired mine up with wire nuts and some electrical tape before finalizing the connections so I could make sure it worked and didn't need to be altered.

http://home.mebtel.net/~rbutterfield/Heat.html
http://www.hastie.org.uk/heatedjacket.html

...and another

Is it unpatriotic to have this little confidence in your country?

Hilarity in Fox News Polls

I think this might become a regular feature... the laughs are too good...

I don't know if it's the ridiculous question posed, or the even more ridiculous handful of answers you can choose. Three of the answers are clearly meant to be disparaging towards Obama, and one is just indifferent. I mean, I have a whole lot of my own qualms with Obama lately, but please Fox, please, at least try and feign balance and objectivity. You're not even trying, and it's just sad.

What the Foxtrot?

How Would You Grade President Obama's First Year in Office?

Given that Obama has an approval rating of about 50% right now, you would think this poll would be fairly diverse. However, the results are clearly skewed toward the negative. Now although Fox's polls aren't scientific, I think one thing that can be drawn from this data set, is that consumers of Fox News are mainly from one side of the political spectrum.

The next question that follows from that is... why? If Fox News was really the most truthful, accurate, and timely news, wouldn't people from all over the political spectrum be trying to get them some Fox News? Or.... maybe it skews one way so overtly because people like having their beliefs re-affirmed. It's comforting, like a warm blanket and mug of hot cocoa on a cold, bitter day. Healthy for our nation? No, definitely not. But comforting, and you know how Americans love their convenience.