AndyTiedye

AndyTiedye's Journal

April 30, 2013

The Spending that Needs to be Cut is Defense Spending

To call defense spending the elephant in the living room is something of an understatement.

It doesn't fit in the living room anymore, it has burst through the walls into the kitchen and the bathroom and the floor is starting to go.

April 20, 2013

Cooperatives Are an Antidote to Both the Greed and the Apathy of Capitalists

Capitalism does some things very well, and some things very badly.
Some things are not profitable enough for it to do at all.

Sometimes a cooperative can do it better.

I was one of the original members of the Cambridge Food Co-op when it started back in the 1970s. There was one supermarket in the neighborhood, known for high prices and produce that had always travelled 3000 miles in a truck, even when it was in season locally.

We built the Cambridge Food Co-op in a basement a few doors down and brought much fresher produce (and everything else), better prices, and a lot of healthy stuff that the supermarket simply didn't carry. The co-op was still there when I left the area some years later, I hear it has combined with another food co-op now.

November 30, 2012

Ryan thrust into central Republican role

Source: Financial Times

Paul Ryan lost his bid for the vice-presidency, but the conservative congressman from Wisconsin returned to Washington as a potential game-changer in the tense negotiations over the fiscal cliff.

John Boehner is his party’s chief negotiator in talks between Republicans and Barack Obama in the White House over a budget deal. But Mr Ryan’s public support or rejection of any compromise reached by Mr Boehner and the president will be key to a deal passing muster with rank and file members.

Mr Ryan has maintained his influence among the conservative base of Republicans in the House, many of whom view defeat in the presidential election as a consequence of the Republican ticket not being conservative enough.

“I think he is probably the most powerful person you haven’t heard anything from,” says Chris Krueger, an analyst at Guggenheim Securities.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51e9d7a6-3a4b-11e2-a32f-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2DfyyeCla
(may be behind a paywall)

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51e9d7a6-3a4b-11e2-a32f-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2DfyyeCla

I posted the following in the ft.com comments section:

Ryan's "solution" to the "cliff" is to throw granny off it.

http://www.youtube...atch?v=OGnE83A1Z4U

November 16, 2012

Amateur Radio Operators Understand the Need to be Able to Communicate in an Emergency

If the cellular carriers are going to take such a cavalier attitude towards keeping their networks up
then we need to take matters into our own hands.

Amateur radio is radio for the people.

http://www.arrl.org/getting-your-technician-license

September 27, 2012

GOP = Grandma Over the Precipice

August 6, 2012

Voter ID laws could sway US elections

Millions of US voters could be turned away at the ballot box in this November’s presidential election as new rules impose tough requirements for identification that observers say could lead to minorities and young people – traditionally more likely to vote Democrat – being excluded.
Almost all the new rules have been enacted in states with Republican governors and GOP-led legislatures. From Wisconsin to Texas, they have passed strict legislation requiring voters to present certain forms of government-issued identification instead of the usual voter registration cards.

…

In hotly contested swing states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Hampshire, the changes could affect the outcome. Pennsylvania’s authorities says more than 750,000 registered voters in the state – 9.2 per cent of voters – do not have the required forms of ID, such as a driving licence or other government-issued photo ID, to vote in November. President Barack Obama won the state by 600,000 votes in 2008 and polls show the vote hangs in the balance this year.

…

The changes in many states effectively mean legislators are trying to “cherry pick” voters, Ms Gaskins said. For example, in Tennessee, faculty members at the state university can use their college-issued ID cards to vote but students at the same university cannot.
Students in Texas would not be able to use their state university ID cards either, but the state would accept voters with permits to carry concealed weapons.

…

Mike Turzai, the Republican leader in Pennsylvania’s house of representatives, admitted as much recently, rattling off a list of his party’s accomplishments. “Voter ID, which is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done,” he said in a speech to fellow Republicans, according to local reports.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c50b1f7a-df0f-11e1-97ea-00144feab49a.html#ixzz22jigPR41 (may require subscription)

March 28, 2012

What Will Those Nukes Do When the BIG ONE Hits?

Let's decommission San Onofre and Diablo Canyon before an earthquake does it for us.

It would be far worse than Fukushima, since there is so much spent fuel on-site,
and the prevailing winds would blow the fallout into the most heavily populated parts of California.

February 14, 2012

The Election Was Rigged

December 6, 2011

"Made in USA" Forum

I proposed a "Made in USA" forum a while back, it got plenty of votes, but I was asked to wait for DU3.

DU3 is here.

A "Made in USA" forum would help DUers find stuff that is made in the USA, which has become remarkably difficult these days.

This would be particularly useful at this time of year.

Profile Information

Member since: 2003 before July 6th
Number of posts: 23,500