Now many of our Christians have what I call the goo-goo syndrome--good government. They want everybody to vote. I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.

• your local law-enforcement agencies; and
• People For's freecall hotline of 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

No doubt there are elements who would stop @ nothing to ensure that, true to maxim, "bad leaders are elected by good people who don't vote."

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THE DALAI LAMA, TIBET'S EXILED RELIGIONATIONAL LEADER, HAS GONE ON RECORD in describing Chinese actions against Tibetan nationalists seeking the restoration of Tibet's antient and pecuilar soverignty and soverign identity as nothing less than, in his words, "cultural genocide."

But then again, how much longer before the Archie Bunker/Alf Garnett crowd starts picking up the term and perverts it for their own sick and dangerous delusions of White Christian Supremacy and Honour being "in clear and present danger of being compromised"?

Such is something as bears watching, especially because of its dangerous possibilities among Those Who Should Know Better.  

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glitter-graphics.com

1. To make some productive use of your time while reading these items in the first place--especially when you have online shopping that needs to be done.
2. To encourage you to make this blog a regular habit in more ways than one.
3. To supplement Your Correspondent's limited and limiting disability benefit-derived income; as he's no doubt mentioned time and time again, he suffers emotional disorders aggravated by past abuse as precludes his being able to get a steady and stable job in the more traditional sense. What's more, Your Correspondent is unlikely to come into money within measurable distance; hence, the commissions he can get from your online shopping adventures, as well as Virtual Tip Jar donations (which are fully secure and encrypted, in case you have any concerns), will greatly help in the interim.
4. To encourage energy conservation vis-a-vis your shopping habits by shopping online, especially with gas well over $3/gallon in many areas of the country and many pressed for time.
5. With several e-tailers such as I have, such allows you to better comparison shop for what you're looking for, and find it @ the price that you find best.

So what stands in the way of serious online shopping for once here @ The Exaggerator on your part, reader?

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

FORMER WISCONSIN GOVERNOR TOMMY THOMPSON HAD THIS PENCHANT FOR DISPLAYING ON HIS OFFICE DESK a sign which asked "What part of No don't you understand?"

Such is a question as ought be asked Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, perhaps the closest thing the so-called "Club for Growth" has as a Good and Loyal Drookie among the 50 state governors expected to parrot its "low taxes=jobs=social order" line.

The Winona Daily News, a gazetta here, asked as much in the following editorial the other day:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and two-year-olds have a lot in common. They both seem to pout and they're both fond of using the word "no."

While the governor dropped his "no new taxes" pledge in 2006, he has not dropped it as a slogan, neither has he changed the way his administration does business.

Now, look at what six years of saying no has bought us: A state that has become mediocre in education; a state that struggles to keep up with health and human services; a state that has crumbling bridges and roads; a state that has used up what goodwill and good governance had put up for store in the cupboard of government, and now, those shelves are bare.

When Pawlenty unveiled his budget [last] Friday, contained within it were a lot of "nos." The Pawlenty administration appears to be saying "no" to higher education, even though just a couple of years ago Pawlenty had been touting free higher education in the state of Minnesota as a means to combating the "brain drain" that seems to pull Minnesota's best and brightest high school students out of state for good.

He's said no to health and human services, even though the number of uninsured continues to rise, making healthcare less and less affordable for everyone. And, he's said no to the already backlogged, overworked court system.

When the budget rolled out, everyone knew there'd be some belt-tightening and cuts. What we didn't expect is the governor to make a bad situation even worse. As Rep. Ken Tschumper, DFL-La Crescent, rightly suggested, it seems like Pawlenty is playing revenge politics after the transportation bill override. Hanging in the balance are the state agencies.

Pawlenty asked the Legislature to ease up on the state sales tax — reduce it by one-eighth of 1 percent. If passed, this would mean the state would be another $77 million in the hole.

In this case, the governor would also do well to remember the word "no."

No one has asked nor is anyone calling on reducing the state sales tax.

And, no one will notice the reduction, which means about three cents on every $20 spent. It means about two-tenths of a mile of gas in a car that gets 30 miles per gallon. It means you'd have to spend $800 before you'd see your savings move from the cents to the dollar category.

No one—except for Pawlenty—seems to believe that you can get out of an economic hole by digging deeper. And, reducing the sales tax would only be driving the state farther into debt.

But we also like the word "no."

We say "no" to the governor's idea of how to cure the state shortfall. No to the idea of using one-time state reserves to balance a budget. That money won't be there next year and it only delays what could be the inevitable one more year. By that time, with Pawlenty's rumored vice-presidential run, Tim could be long-gone, but we'll be in the same old mess.

We say "no" to cutting a tax that no one feels. To believe the insignificant one-eighth of 1 cent will somehow ease pressure on families is a dream of an overactive imagination. It means that a household spending $80,000 a year would get $100 in return. Not exactly big relief.

It's no way to deal with the present and even less of a way to fund the future.

What we're seeing around the state is not just the product of cooling economic times. What we're seeing is the legacy of no. No new taxes really means no new roads, no new education funding, no new help to those who really need it and no new innovative ideas from the state that seemed to coin the word progressive and define quality of life. 

I ask you, Governor Pawlenty: Have you no shame?

Have you no scruples?

Have you no sense of Decency, for that matter (let alone Morality and Common Sense)?

ANOTHER WORTHWHILE POETICAL SUGGESTION FROM THE GREAT ROBERT BURNS (1759-1796) as could have benefit in deflating the ego trips of the so-called "Westboro Baptist Church" (as in their demonstrations @ the funerals of suspected homosexuals and Other Deviant Elements being subjected to pranking and disruption) would have to be Rabbie's "Address to the Unco Guid, Or the Rigidly Righteous:"

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 68 YEARS, ST. PATRICK'S DAY (17 MARCH) CONFLICTS WITH HOLY WEEK, the final week of the Lenten season of reflection heading into Easter.

Under canon law, no feasts, fasts or other solemnities can be celebrated as conflict with the observance of Holy Week, even if some of the more important celebrations are on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (the latter a day of Fasting and Abstinence in deference to the Christus having suffered and died for Our Sins).

And for this year, that affects observances of St. Patrick's Day in cities across the world with substantial Irish Diaspora communities or their descendents: Under pressure from Catholic bishops, organisers of St. Patrick's Day parades are moving same to today, for the most part. (In Ireland proper, where St. Patrick is regarded as Patron, Monday's official observance, as well as the parade in Dublin, will go on as usual.)

The situation, no doubt, being the byproduct of the Council of Niacea's edict in 325 CE which fixed the observance of Easter as being on the Sunday following the first full moon following the Vernal Equinox on 21 March (i.e., Easter can fall on any Sunday between 22 March and 25 April, inclusive)--and this year's crucial full moon is on Friday, 21 March.

Which, it turns out, coincides with Good Friday this year ... and the Jewish feast of Purim, commemorating Queen Esther's using trick and deception to prevent a plot by the Persian King Hamman to kill off the Jewish people in Old Testament times (as explained in the Book of Ruth, if you want the details).

(Never mind where Jewish holiday observances begin the evening previous @ sundown.)

Fortunately, though, things will return to normal next year, when Easter falls on April 12th.

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APRIL 12, 2009 HAPPENS TO BE THE SECOND SUNDAY IN APRIL, which an Act of Parliament in Great Britain from 1928 established as a fixed day of observance for Easter--in theory.

Officially, though, the notion doesn't take official effect until and unless the major Christian denominations from Land's End to John O'Groats concur on observing Easter on the second Sunday in April after 1,683 years of using the first full moon following the Vernal Equinox to calculate the observance of Easter.

What would you think, reader? Comments welcomed in the usual section; queue forms to the right.   

IN THEIR MISGUIDED DESIRE TO KEEP COSTS DOWN AND INCREASE CONSUMER VALUE FOR MONEY (PERHAPS IN KEEPING WITH HIS FRAUDULENCY'S WARPED DELUSIONS), companies and retailers have fallen for the delusion of moving production to China, with their low costs and all that.

And it turns out that consumers are paying the price in all-too-frequent product recalls because of health and safety risks discovered after the products reach retail channels--as in toys found to have lead-based paints and toothpastes containing ethylene glycol (as in antifreeze).

Now, it's emerged that Chinese-manufacture MP3 players, GPS navigation systems, mobile phones, Blackberry-emabled PDA's and other portable electronics may be infected with viruses.

As in computer viruses. Worms. Trojan horses. Malware.

Which, for the most part, can be traced to use of computers in the quality-control sections of Chinese manufacturing facilities as themselves contain viruses/or and malware programmes, the risk of which is aggravated by the all-too-likely use of pirated or otherwise counterfeit versions of Microsoft Windows picked up on the cheap just to keep costs down all the further (as in, say, "spam" e-mails promoting "not-expensive, high quality OEM software" as itself turns out being an infected "clone" copy).

And when the appliance(s) are synchronised with your own PC, things can get all the more nasty when the viruses picked up during quality-control checks back in China migrate onto your own PC.

(In other words, deliberate sabotage on the manufacturing end being a bit unlikely--or is it?)

All this because of our own complacent acceptance of Wally World just to keep costs down for the Greater Glory of G-d, Country and Capitalism with American Characteristics.

Which begs the question of whether reliable programmes exist to identify "infected" portable consumer electronics before reaching point of sale--and how best to disinfect same to prevent damage on your own end.

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STAYING WITH CHINA FOR A MOMENT, IT SEEMS THE TIBETAN PEOPLE HAVE BECOME RESTLESS to the point of rioting in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa as has caused the looting and fire-bombing of anything suggesting Chinese influence and the local People's Liberation Army garrison firing CS gas--but not before smoke has been observed over the rather thin atmosphere of beautiful downtown Lhasa.

Inevitably, Xinhua will pin blame on the Dalai Lama as some class of an agent provocateur for "misguided Tibetan elements" behind the same.

It's no wonder the Great Hall of the Peoples is getting rather paranoid to the point of ballistic, fearing the "enlightenment" of the rabble to the point of "social disorder" ensuing--which could get all the worse thanks to rumoured mass socioeconomic dislocation thanks (in its turn) to His Fraudulency's misadventures in ur-RAHOWA form which he's stated will be "forever," and were "divinely ordained."

(Which begs the question of what exactly His Fraudulency has been smoking of late....)

*************

TALK ABOUT WARPED AND ILLOGICAL POLITICAL PRIORITIES AND ARTICLES OF FAITH as are so detached from The Big Picture, those behind such misguided priorities are forced to take all manner of Extreme Measures just to save themselves from further scandal--only to realise all may be in vain.

Down With Tyranny notes where a onetime GOP legislator from Oklahoma has noted a "dangerous" paradigm shift in their agenda and articles of faith--dangerous enough to be a serious wake-up call for the GOP if it expects to maintain public trust and confidence by avoiding dangerous and potentially destructive measures:

Yesterday [13 March] we ran a post about Sally Kern, the state legislator who is on a personal jihad against gay people, probably because of the emotional breakdown she suffered after disowning a gay son. She happens to represent an Oklahoma City district. Several friends from Oklahoma-- progressive allies-- were offended because they felt the piece was a knock against their beloved state. It most certainly wasn't. We emphasized that another Oklahoma City-based state legislator, state Senator Andrew Rice was appalled by Kern's hate-filled outburst.

I have since heard that a number of conservative Republicans in Oklahoma, although unwilling to do anything to discipline or even censure Kern publicly, have distanced themselves from her and her crackpot positions. The Democratic governor of the state, Brad Henry told local media that he doesn't think Kern's remarks represent Oklahoma, "and I would just urge all public officials in Oklahoma to cool the rhetoric. Think before you speak, and be respectful of all people," Henry said.

Today [14 March] another conservative Oklahoma Republican says he has noticed a radical--and dangerous--shift in his political party. Edwards represented OK-05 (most of Oklahoma City) for 16 years starting in from 1977 and was part of the House GOP leadership and a founder of the right-wing Heritage Foundation and the Chairman of the American Conservative Union. Speaking today at the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight, Edwards chastised Republican rubber stamps who have abdictated their constitutional responsibilities to march lockstep behind Bush's extremist and degenerate agenda. Feel free to watch him on this eight and a half minute video. He is very harsh on his fellow conservatives' unwillingness to do their most fundamental jobs.

"When the Constitution was adopted in 1787, when it was written in 1787 rather, we faced both Britain and France with the power, had they decided to focus on the United States, of strangling this country in the crib. They could have wiped us out. And we had a great man about to become president, George Washington. And with George Washington about to assume the presidency, and two countries ready to wipe us out if they so chose, the Founding Fathers said we are still going to withhold from the presidency the powers that kings have traditionally held. So that's why the Constitution is not vague about who declares war, not vague at all. In fact, if you look at the Constitution and I'm sure you do, it even includes giving the Congress authority over treatment of prisoners, which people here seem to have forgotten. So let me just close with this: I'm partisan. I'm a Republican, I was Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee when I was in the House, part of the Republican Leadership. I prefer Republican policies. But political party loyalty cannot trump the Constitution. Loyalty to a president of your own party, when it violates the Constitutional principles, is acquiescence in something that violates the oath of office every Member of Congress takes. There is no excuse for taking the oath, saying 'I’m going to uphold the Constitution'--we all did that right?--'I’m going to uphold the Constitution.' You take loyalty to the United States and this Constitution, not to a president. And we have seen to often a tendency of Members of Congress to line up with the quarterback instead of lining up with the Constitution."

Oklahoma should be proud. In fact, Oklahoma Republicans should be proud. Mary FallIn, who holds Edwards' old seat should think long and hard about his words, as should James Inhofe, probably the absolute worst rubber stamp for Bush and Cheney in the entire Senate, even willing to put in grave jeopardy the well-being of America's military personnel so he can keep his voting record in sync with Bush Regime policies. We asked Andrew Rice, the Blue America-endorsed candidate running for the Senate seat held by Inhofe-- and an admirer of politicians who can put the good of the country ahead of the good of a political party--to comment on Congressman Edwards' testimony.

Former Congressman Edwards belongs to the reasonable and principled wing of the Republican party in Oklahoma that Jim Inhofe has done his best to marginalize and shove underground for many years. There is no better way to describe Inhofe other than "he puts party before good government," again and again and again. Oklahoma would be much better served if, like Edwards said today, we had people who were loyal to the constitution rather than just to the donkey or elephant. As the next junior Senator from Oklahoma, I will always do what I feel is best for Oklahoma, whether it is politically popular or not. Converesely, Jim Inhofe has always done what is best for his political party, regardless of whether it is consistent with the constitution or not.

Regardez, readers--the video can be seen right here for yourself: