Pardon My Global Warming

Huntington Beach, California must be so proud. Republican representative Dana Rohrabacher not only disagrees with the recent IPCC report on Global Warming but offers a potential alternate explanation. Dinosaur flatulence. Think I'm kidding? Watch the video.

An Impressive Legislator

Yesterday in my interview with Wilson Smith, I mentioned people should not give up hope in the legislative process because there will always be courageous lawmakers. Idealistic words one could easily sweep away with a wave of post-modern cynicism. Then, you read about David Adelman (D-Decatur).

Earlier this session he showed he is one of the few true leaders is solving Atlanta's balkinazation problem.

Now, he is reintroducing his stem-cell bill that was quashed last year. The bill would simply allow people to donate excess embryos created during fertility treatment to the research facilities at the Medical College of Georgia. Without this type of system, the embryos would be discarded. Now, before the pro-life crazies jump all over me, go back and re-read three words. Would. Be. Discarded.

So the choice is very simple. Toss them in the garbage or store them where in the future they can be used to potentially cure deadly diseases. Seems an easy choice if you are one of those who claim to care so much about the sanctity of life.

Gettin' Strangled In Pike County

Hearing the news of a case in Zebulon, Ga where the Department of Agriculture seized 170 horses and dogs sparked my interest for a couple of reasons. My family has raised livestock including horses all my life. Also, I have a good friend who is a state livestock inspector. I casually wondered if the friend was working the case, then my mind passed on to other things.

Last night, sitting at a bar, an acquaintance brought the case back up. Apparently while I was out of town the incident continued to burble and now has escalated to the point where Commissioner Irvin is suggesting arrest warrants be issued.

My bar buddy suggested the government had gone too far. With an air of authority, he explained he had raised horses and the pictures he had seen showed healthy animals. I pointed out I heard some of the horses had "strangles", a highly contagious respiratory disease which requires immediate quarantine and usually destruction of the animal. He said he didn't know about that but it still seemed they had gone too far.

Apparently, one of the farm's neighbors, Cherry Richards, agrees with my friend.

"This isn't even about the animals," Richards said. "This is about communistic government overrunning human rights. It's political.

Well, now. I don't know the details of the case so I am willing to keep an open mind. It's an inflammatory situation but if someone as reserved as Tommy Irvin is calling for warrants, I suspect there may be some fire with that smoke. Y'all down Zebulon way feel free to change my mind.

I will say one thing definitively. If anyone were to ever call my Ag Inspector friend a communist? They would shortly find a cowboy boot up their ass.

The Gals Are Back!

New episode of True Gritz! Lawrsy help us they done been held down at the cathouse!

My Morning Wooten

What kind of Democrats does Jim Wooten like?

I’m rebuilding a national Democratic Party to my liking. So far, its leaders are U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and … well, I guess it’s just Joe.

In other words, the only Democrats worth a damn are ones that agree exactly with Jim on the War In Iraq. All the rest are dirty, dope smoking, hippie, anti-war, unpatriotic thumb suckers. What color is the sky in the world you live in, Jim?

Three Thoughts On The Blogger Scandal

So John Edwards hired some bloggers to perform outreach and then was shocked, SHOCKED these gals may have used some inflammatory language. Including cussing!

First thought. Right wing bloggerati? He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.

Second thought. I agree with Sara. Why the hell are campaigns hiring bloggers? I will skip past the why the hell aren't they giving at least a casual vetting of bloggers question for a second. But hiring bloggers? Hey! Where can I sign up for one of these wheelbarrows full of cash? Oh wait a minute. I say bad words, tell people exactly what I think about them and pretty much piss off everybody in sight. Guess that's why I'm still poor.

Final thought. Apparently this little "scandal" was all the rage of the internet crowd over the last few days. And because I was in the country I missed it all. Gawsh, Wally. I guess being "wired" in just ain't all it's crack up to be.

Griftdrift Is Goin' On!

Tomorrow morning, on my way back to the ATL, I'll make a stop in lovely Vidalia, Ga to visit with What Is Goin' On's Wilson Smith. Mr. Smith has graciously requested an interview. We'll be talking politics and the subjects might be far and ranging. No telling what will happen when you get two south Georgia boys together. I can guarantee one thing though. You'll hear accents you may not hear every day. I'll make every attempt to not let Wilson influence my eloqution causing me to drop back into my honey dipped, marbles in the mouth southwest Georgia accent.

UPDATE: Things I learned. It is absolutely necessary to differentiate between Vidalia and Lyons. Given the current state of the BBQ market in Vidalia, I may consider taking my heavy duty cooker down there and opening shop. I need to take a basic marketing class as I am pretty sure I mentioned Peach Pundit about a dozen times and my own blog only once. I think by the end of the interview I asserted Erick had mental powers that controlled the legislature. I'm pretty sure I came off sounding like a raving socialist on public education. I'm also pretty sure I took a shot at Gwinnett and now have to mark it on the list of counties where I am no longer welcome. Despite my usually craziness, I had a blast. Check back for a link to the podcast when it's up. Many thanks, Wilson!

Air of Superiority?

Just heard on the news we lost another helicopter near Baghdad. That makes five in the past three weeks. In the past, the one arena untouched by Iraqi militants has been the air. Are we now being confronted on this battlefield as well? Anyone still believe we aren't facing organized armies? Anyone still think we aren't just targets for both sides in a civil war?

Nothin'

I got nothin today. Too much to do outside. Check blogroll.

On The Road Again

Headed south for a few days. Library blogging tomorrow!

The Longest War

The evolution battle never ends.

Fortunately, one side has fought a continuously losing battle for decades. But just because they always lose doesn't mean you ever let them up. Stomp every brush fire before it becomes a conflagration.

So Much For Statesmenship

Georgia state Senator Eric Johnson on global warming in the AJC:

It's really hard to ask politicians to think about the election next year and think about what the coast is going to look like in 100 or 200 years.

Points for being honest, but, wouldn't it be nice to expect our leaders to be able to see beyond their nose.

h/t: Atlanta Political Party

Saturday Stupids

Too many people on the same old road

Loaded down with the same old load

To live a good life you can't do it that way

Cause every day is different and it's different every day. ~ Words of Earnest

Songs In My Head

You Put Your Candy In It

Georgia Legislator Judy Manning wants to ban marijuana flavored candy.

Time to roll in the clue machine. Rep. Manning? No one smokes pot because of the flavor. Now if some mad scientist were to gin up some candy flavored marijuana...

My Morning Wooten

Is it no longer a requirement to fact check the opinion pages?

Let's look at some gems from Jim Wooten's Thinking Right column.

This week’s AJC look at how drivers cope with long commutes identifies the problem of creating a useful mass transit system: Briarcliff Road to Sandy Springs, Alpharetta to Duluth, Barrow County to Alpharetta, Locust Grove to Morrow, Cobb County to Atlanta, Cherokee County to Perimeter Mall, East Cobb to the airport. You get the picture. A handful here, a handful there. Now design an affordable transit system. We missed that bus about 60 years ago.

Actually Jim it was only about 40 years ago and it was anti-mass transit crusaders such as yourself who killed MARTA entering Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton. In the 60s, Atlanta had a chance to create a world class mass transit system and due to latent racism, anti-government hysteria and the short sighted belief that places like May-retta and Duluth would always be rural, we are now stuck with few answers to a destructive transportation problem. Irony I name thee.

Hmmm. “Macaca,” when used by a U.S. senator with presidential ambitions, is a crime warranting public execution. When a U.S. senator with presidential ambitions declares Barack Obama to be the first African-American candidate who is “articulate and bright, and clean, and is a nice-looking guy …,” the excuse-makers pour forth. Imagine the reaction if a Republican, say former U.S. Sen. George Allen of Virginia, had used the same language as Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

Well, Jim, in my unscientific survey, I discovered yesterday that most people snarled at the idiot Joe Biden. Including those notoriously forgiving people at Daily Kos. Lots of people think Biden's an idiot. You could uses the google to find just as many as you want. Of course it's much easier to follow the old demagogue maxim of "if I say it, it must be true".

My only explanation for Jim getting away with these howlers is his editors assume readers are also laughing. Sadly, many are not.

Florida To End Touch Screen Voting

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is requesting the legislature provide funding to convert all of Florida's counties from touch-screen voting to optical scanners.

More paper does mean more accountability. The only problem? The HBO documentary "Hacking Democracy" demonstrates optical scanners are just as vulnerable to tampering.

The only real solution?

Open source. Now.

What If...

What if Joe Biden were a sportscaster?

Barak Obama = Very athletic and can improvise on the scramble

Joe Biden = Very smart and masters the playbook

Songs In My Head

Texas Woman

From The Rookie:

I'm a Texas woman, which means I don't need the help of a man to keep things running.

Godspeed Molly.