The T-Dude: A Growing Discontent Since 1965

Oh Yeah...and Me!

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:29:00 +0000

On this day in history - April 30th
(lifted from Wikipedia)

My personal favorite is 1945 - Hitler and Eva Braun committ suicide and Russia raises the victory banner over the Reichstad.

311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends.

313 – Battle of Tzirallum: Emperor Licinius defeats Maximinus II and unifies the Eastern Roman Empire.

1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged on the public gallows at Montfaucon.

1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration.

1513 – Edmund de la Pole, Yorkist pretender to the English throne, is executed on the orders of Henry VIII.

1557 – Mapuche leader Lautaro is killed by Spanish forces at the Battle of Mataquito in Chile.

1598 – Juan Oñate makes a formal declaration of his Conquest of New Mexico.

1671 – Petar Zrinski, the Croatian Ban from the Zrinski family, is executed.

1789 – On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.

1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.

1812 – The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.

1838 – Nicaragua declares independence from the Central American Federation.

1863 – A 65-man French Foreign Legion infantry patrol fights a force of nearly 2,000 Mexican soldiers to nearly the last man in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico.

1871 – The Camp Grant Massacre takes place in Arizona Territory.

1885 – Governor of New York David B. Hill signs legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New York's first state park, ensuring that Niagara Falls will not be devoted solely to industrial and commercial use.

1894 – Coxey's Army reaches Washington, D.C. to protest the unemployment caused by the Panic of 1893.

1900 – Hawaii becomes a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.

1900 – Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the Cannonball Express.

1904 – The Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opens in St. Louis, Missouri.

1907 – Honolulu, Hawaii becomes an independent city.

1920 – Peru becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

1925 – Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to Dillon, Read & Company for $146 million plus $50 million for charity.

1927 – The Federal Industrial Institute for Women opens in Alderson, West Virginia, as the first women's federal prison in the United States.

1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

1937 – The Philippines holds a plebiscite for Filipino women on whether they should be extended the right to suffrage; over 90% would vote in the affirmative.

1938 – The animated cartoon short Porky's Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit (a prototype of Bugs Bunny).

1938 – The first televised FA Cup Final takes place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End.

1939 – The 1939-40 New York World's Fair opens.

1939 – NBC inaugurates its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Franklin D. Roosevelt's N.Y. World's Fair opening day ceremonial address.

1943 – World War II: Operation Mincemeat: The submarine HMS Seraph surfaces in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain to deposit a dead man planted with false invasion plans and dressed as a British military intelligence officer.

1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for one day. Soviet soldiers raise the Victory Banner over the Reichstag building.

1947 – In Nevada, the Boulder Dam is renamed the Hoover Dam a second time.

1948 – In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established.

1953 – In Warner Robins, Georgia, an F4 tornado kills 18 people.

1956 – Former Vice President and Senator Alben Barkley dies during a speech in Virginia. He collapses after proclaiming "I would rather be a servant in the house of the lord than sit in the seats of the mighty."

1961 – K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, is commissioned.

1963 – The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company's refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom.
1966 – The Church of Satan is established at the Black House in San Francisco, California.

1967 – The Aldene Connection opened in Roselle Park, NJ, shutting down the CNJ's Jersey City waterfront terminal and transferring commuters to Newark Penn Station.

1973 – Watergate Scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that top White House aides H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and others have resigned.

1975 – Fall of Saigon: Communist forces gain control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Duong Van Minh.

1980 – Accession of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

1982 – Bijon Setu massacre

1993 – CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free.

1993 – Monica Seles is stabbed by Günter Parche, an obsessed fan, during a quarterfinal match of the 1993 Citizen Cup in Hamburg, Germany

1994 – Formula One racing driver Roland Ratzenberger is killed in a crash at the San Marino Grand Prix run at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari outside Imola, Italy.

1995 – U.S. President Bill Clinton becomes the first President to visit Northern Ireland.

1999 – Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bringing the number of members to 10.

2004 – U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

2008 – Two skeletal remains found near Ekaterinburg, Russia are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia and Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, one of his sisters.

2009 – Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

2009 – Seven people are killed and 17 injured at a Queen's Day parade in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in an attempted assassination on Queen Beatrix.

2009 – Azerbaijan State Oil Academy shootings 12 people were killed(students and staff members) by an armed attacker.

2013 – Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicates and Willem Alexander is invested as King of the Netherlands.

Births

1245 – Philip III of France (d. 1285)

1331 – Gaston III, Count of Foix (d. 1391)

1553 – Louise of Lorraine (d. 1601)

1623 – François de Laval, French bishop (d. 1708)

1651 – Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, French educational reformer and Catholic saint (d. 1719)

1662 – Mary II of England (d. 1694)

1664 – François Louis, Prince of Conti, French general (d. 1709)

1710 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (d. 1795)

1723 – Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French naturalist (d. 1806)

1770 – David Thompson, Canadian explorer (d. 1857)

1777 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician (d. 1855)

1803 – Albrecht von Roon, Prussian soldier and statesman, 10th Prime Minister of Prussia (d. 1879)

1812 – Kaspar Hauser, German mystery boy (d. 1833)

1829 – Ferdinand von Hochstetter, Austrian geologist (d. 1884)

1850 – George Gibb, British transport administrator (d. 1925)

1857 – Eugen Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist (d. 1940)

1857 – Walter Simon, German philanthropist (d. 1920)

1864 – Jean, duc Decazes, French aristocrat and sportsman (d. 1912)

1864 – Juhan Liiv, Estonian poet (d. 1913)

1865 – Max Nettlau, German anarchist and historian (d. 1944)

1869 – Hans Poelzig, German architect, painter, and set designer (d. 1936)

1870 – Franz Lehár, Austrian composer (d. 1948)

1870 – Dadasaheb Phalke, Father of Indian Cinema (d.1944)

1874 – Cyriel Verschaeve, Flemish clergyman (d. 1949)

1876 – Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist (d. 1937)

1877 – Alice B. Toklas, American businesswoman (d. 1967)

1877 – Léon Flameng, French cyclist (d. 1917)

1880 – Charles Exeter Devereux Crombie, Scottish cartoonist (d. 1967)

1883 – Jaroslav Hašek, Czech novelist (d. 1923)

1884 – Olof Sandborg, Swedish film and theatre actor (d. 1965)

1893 – Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Nazi foreign minister (d. 1946)

1895 – Philippe Panneton, Canadian physician, diplomat, and writer (d. 1960)

1896 – Hans List, Austrian inventor and entrepreneur (d. 1996)

1896 – Reverend Gary Davis, American singer and guitarist (d. 1972)

1897 – Humberto Mauro, Brazilian director and screenwriter (d. 1983)

1900 – David Manners, Canadian-American actor (d. 1998)

1901 – Simon Kuznets, Ukrainian economist, Nobel laureate (d. 1985)

1902 – Theodore Schultz, American economist, Nobel laureate (d. 1998)

1905 – Sergey Nikolsky, Russian mathematician (d. 2012)

1908 – Eve Arden, American actress (d. 1990)

1908 – Bjarni Benediktsson, Icelandic politician, Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1970)

1908 – Frank Robert Miller, Canadian airman and politician (d. 1997)

1909 – Juliana of the Netherlands (d. 2004)

1909 – F. E. McWilliam, Irish sculptor (d. 1992)

1910 – Srirangam Srinivasarao, Telugu poet and lyricist (d. 1983)

1910 – Levi Celerio, Filipino composer and lyricist (d. 2002)

1914 – Dorival Caymmi, Brazilian singer-songwriter, actor, and painter (d. 2008)

1916 – Claude Shannon, American engineer and mathematician (d. 2001)

1916 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (d. 1999)

1920 – Duncan Hamilton, English racing driver (d. 1994)

1921 – Tove Maës, Danish actress (d. 2010)

1923 – Percy Heath, American jazz musician (Modern Jazz Quartet) (d. 2005)

1923 – Al Lewis, American actor (d. 2006)

1923 – Francis Tucker, South African race car driver (d. 2008)

1923 – Kagamisato Kiyoji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 42nd Yokozuna (d. 2004)

1925 – Corinne Calvet, French actress (d. 2001)

1925 – Johnny Horton, American singer and musician (d. 1960)

1926 – Shrinivas Khale, Indian composer/music director from Maharashtra, India (d. 2011)

1926 – Cloris Leachman, American actress

1928 – Hugh Hood, Canadian author (d. 2000)

1930 – Félix Guattari, French philosopher and theorist (d. 1992)

1933 – Dickie Davies, English television presenter

1933 – Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and activist

1934 – Jerry Lordan, English singer-songwriter and composer (d. 1995)

1934 – Don McKenney, Canadian ice hockey player

1938 – Juraj Jakubisko, Slovak director

1938 – Gary Collins, American actor (d. 2012)

1938 – Larry Niven, American author

1940 – Burt Young, American actor

1941 – Stavros Dimas, Greek politician

1941 – Johnny Farina, American musician and composer (Santo & Johnny)

1943 – Frederick Chiluba, Zambian politician, 2nd President of Zambia (d. 2011)

1943 – Bobby Vee, American singer

1944 – Jill Clayburgh, American actress (d. 2010)

1945 – Annie Dillard, American writer

1945 – Mimi Fariña, American singer-songwriter, musician, and activist (d. 2001)

1945 – Michael J. Smith, American astronaut (d. 1986)

1946 – Lee Bollinger, American lawyer and educator

1946 – Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

1946 – Don Schollander, American swimmer

1946 – Bill Plympton, American animator

1947 – Leslie Grantham, English actor

1947 – Finn Kalvik, Norwegian singer and composer

1947 – Tom Køhlert, Danish footballer

1947 – Manousos Manousakis, Greek director and producer

1947 – Mats Odell, Swedish politician

1948 – Perry King, American actor

1948 – Alexander Onassis, American Greek socialite, son of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis (d. 1973)

1948 – Pierre Pagé, Canadian ice hockey coach and executive

1949 – Phil Garner, American baseball manager

1949 – António Guterres, Portuguese politician, Prime Minister of Portugal

1952 – Jacques Audiard, French director

1953 – Merrill Osmond, American actor and singer (The Osmonds)

1954 – Thom Bray, American actor

1954 – Jane Campion, New Zealand director

1954 – Frank-Michael Marczewski, German footballer

1955 – Nicolas Hulot, French journalist

1955 – Dimitra Liani, Greek air hostess, widow of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou

1956 – Lars von Trier, Danish director

1957 – Aviva Chomsky, American historian, daughter of Noam Chomsky

1958 – Charles Berling, French actor, director and screenwriter

1959 – Paul Gross, Canadian actor, director, and writer

1959 – Stephen Harper, Canadian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada

1959 – W. Thomas Smith, Jr, American author and columnist

1960 – Kerry Healey, American politician

1960 – David Miscavige, American leader of the Church of Scientology

1961 – Isiah Thomas, American basketball player

1963 – Stefan Kisyov, Bulgarian novelist

1963 – Michael Waltrip, American race car driver

1964 – Tony Fernandes, Malaysian entrepreneur

1964 – Ian Healy, Australian cricketer

1964 – Kent James, American singer-songwriter, actor, and actvist

1964 – Barrington Levy, Jamaican singer and musician

1965 – Adrian Pasdar, American actor

1965 – The T-Dude, American blogger and general whiner

1966 – Jeff Brown, Canadian ice hockey player

1966 – Dave Meggett, American football player

1967 – Steven Mackintosh, English actor

1969 – Paulo Jr., Brazilian musician (Sepultura)

1969 – Warren Defever, American musician and composer (His Name Is Alive)

1971 – John Boyne, Irish novelist

1971 – Darren Emerson, English DJ (Underworld)

1972 – JR Richards, American singer-songwriter, and musician (Dishwalla)

1973 – Kinna McInroe, American actress

1973 – Jeff Timmons, American singer and producer (98 Degrees)

1975 – Michael Chaturantabut, Thai-American actor

1975 – Johnny Galecki, American actor

1975 – Tomi Joutsen, Finnish metal vocalist (Amorphis)

1975 – Elliott Sadler, American race car driver

1976 – Amanda Palmer, American singer-songwriter, and musician (The Dresden Dolls and Evelyn Evelyn)

1977 – Jeannie Haddaway, American politician

1977 – Alexandra Holden, American actress

1977 – Pell James, American actress

1978 – Tom Fulp, American video game programmer

1979 – Gerardo Torrado, Mexican footballer

1980 – Jeroen Verhoeven, Dutch footballer

1980 – Luis Scola, Argentinian basketball player

1981 – Nicole Kaczmarski, American basketball player

1981 – John O'Shea, Irish footballer

1981 – Emma Pierson, English actress

1981 – Kunal Nayyar, Indian-English actor

1982 – Lloyd Banks, American rapper (G-Unit)

1982 – Kirsten Dunst, American actress

1982 – Cleo Higgins, English singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (Cleopatra)

1982 – Drew Seeley, Canadian singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor

1983 – Tatjana Hüfner, German luger

1983 – Marina Tomić, Slovenian athlete

1983 – Troy Williamson, American football player

1984 – Shawn Daivari, American wrestler and manager

1984 – Lee Roache, English footballer

1985 – Ashley Alexandra Dupré, American call girl, columnist, and singer

1985 – Gal Gadot, Israeli actress and model

1985 – Brandon Bass, American basketball player

1986 – Dianna Agron, American actress, singer, and dancer

1987 – Alipate Carlile, Australian rules footballer

1987 – Rohit Sharma, Indian cricketer

1987 – Nikki Webster, Australian singer

1988 – Andy Allen, Australian chef and winner of Masterchef Australia season 4

1989 – Jang Wooyoung, South Korean singer (2PM)

1992 – Marc-André ter Stegen, German footballer

2002 – Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón

Florist, Hairdresser, Dancer, Fashion Designer...

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:55:00 +0000

Why couldn't it be a big, mean, scary defensive end with a reputation for hurting people?

Nope, just like so many other entertainment products, the NFL may cast itself with a stereotype. The first openly gay player could very well be former Middle Tennessee State kicker Alan Gendreau. That's right, a kicker.

Most of the players in NFL don't even regard kickers as football players. Hell, there is only one player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who got in as a place kicker. That's right, of the more than 265 players in the Hall of Fame, Jan Stenerud is the only inductee who played solely as a place kicker.

Most football players see kickers as an unfortunate necessity, the little guy with the wierd name whose uniform never seems to get dirty and spends most of his time on the sideline with the cheerleaders but never talks to them.

In other words, they are the super neat, better dressed guy who never really seems to sweat and who doesn't seem to notice the hot chicks right next to him.

If that isn't playing to a stereotype, I sure as hell don't know what is.

Openly gay former college kicker Alan Gendreau trying to get in NFL

Boston

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:58:00 +0000

What the Fuck? I hope they catch the cowards and put them in a cell with a 12-inch ass monger and throw away the key.

"We are conservative around here. That's just the way of this town."

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Just because you are a small town doesn't mean you have the right to discriminate against gays. The only place in the country where you have the right to be a bigot is in your creepy, conservative compound where you clean your guns and wait for the Rapture. Inside those walls, you can be as big an asshat as you want. But out here in the real world, the rest of us demand to be treated equally, regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation.

Plans for prom barring gays rocks Ind. community - Associated Press

Can't Win? Change the Rules, it's the Republican Way!

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Regardless of your political affiliation, if you are a supporter of fair elections, if you believe that the person with the most votes should win, if you are believer in democracy, then you have little choice than to condemn the recent actions of the Republican party.

Still reading?

Good.

The Republicans are unhappy with the last Presidential election. They wanted to win. Unfortunately for them, more people voted for President Obama. In fact, President Obama won the national popular vote by nearly five million votes. A pretty firm margin of victory by any accounting.

But that still doesn't satisfy the Republican party. You know those guys, the white dudes who love tax breaks for the rich and are constantly trying to keep traditionally Democratic voters from casting ballots.

But since those tactics didn't work, they want to follow Josef Stalin's advice ( "You know, comrades,... I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this — who will count the votes, and how.") and are now trying to change the way that votes are counted.

The tool they are using is the U.S. Constitution itself. In Article 2, Section 1, the U.S. Constitution states:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

That means the way that the electors are allocated to candidates in each of the states is determined by the states themselves, not the Federal Government. All but two states are "winner take all". You win the popular vote in that state, you win all their votes in the Electoral College.

The exceptions are Maine and Nebraska. In those states only two of their electoral votes go to the candidate who wins the popular vote. Each additional electoral vote goes to the candidate with the most votes in each congressional district.

The Republicans crunched the post-election numbers and suddenly fell in love with this idea. You know why? Because if this was the method used in the rest of the country for the 2012 election, we would all be talking about the recent inauguration of President Romney. That right, President Romney, even though he was nearly five million votes short in the national popular vote.

In its simplest terms, the Republicans want to take the Presidential election out of the hands of the voters and put it in the hands of those gerrymandering hacks who redraw congressional districts every 10 years to gain political advantage. In the end I honestly don't care what political party you belong to just as long as you have the sense of fairness, the moral fiber to proclaim that in a democracy, the person with the most votes should win. These guys a shameless and need to be stopped.

GEEK ALERT --

A footnote: Am I the only one who heard/read about the Republican's attempts and thought of the Kobayashi Maru simulation and Captain Kirk's unique approach to solving it?

Saavik: "Sir, may I ask you a question?"

Kirk: "What's on your mind, Lieutenant?"

Saavik: "The Kobayashi Maru, sir."

Kirk: "Are you asking me if we're playing out that scenario now?"

Saavik: "On the test, sir. Will you tell me what you did? I would really like to know."

McCoy: "Lieutenant, you are looking at the only Starfleet cadet who ever beat the no-win scenario."

Saavik: "How?"

Kirk: "I reprogrammed the simulation so it was possible to rescue the ship."

Saavik: "What?"

David: "He cheated."

Kirk: "I changed the conditions of the test. Got a commendation for original thinking. I don't like to lose."

Hey Republican Party! I know Jim Kirk. Jim Kirk is a hero of mine. Let me tell you, you are no Jim Kirk.

To Quote Colonel Potter...

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:45:00 +0000

“Here’s to the new year. May she be a damn sight better than the old one..."

I Be Judge...

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:39:00 +0000

As we come to the end of the year, just like the new car models, some new laws will soon be taking effect.

For example, in Georgia, abortions after 20 weeks will be outlawed unless the pregnancy is determined to be medically futile, meaning it would result in the birth of a child unlikely to survive because of a serious defect. Georgia became the seventh state in the country to approve the so-called "fetal pain" act.

In California, clergy members who oppose gay marriage will be exempted from performing said ceremonies. (A quick aside, this might be one of the dumbest things I've heard in a while. Were they required to perform them before? And who would want to be married by a clergy who didn't believe in their union? Only in Cali man, only in Cali.)

With that in mind, I thought of a few laws that I think should be enacted. Heck, if these states can regulate church activities and a woman's reproductive system, then I - Governor of the great State of Inebriation - should be allowed to sign a few laws into the statute books.

1) No Texting While Talking

When I think of the number conversations I've had to repeat because the person I was talking to had to have their "smart phone" out while we were talking, it just makes me want to piss on poor Steve Job's grave. I honestly don't care if your cat is on fire or if @HottiePants432 just tweeted a new pic, it's just plain rude to talk to someone and text/tweet/post at the same time.

2) A Ban on Electronic Voting Machines

Since before the days of voting, man has known how to rub one object onto another in order to make a mark. Even people who couldn't write their own name could "make their mark" on a contract. Voting is too precious, too important to leave any real doubt as to the voter's choices.

Electronic voting is vulnerable to hacking, computer viruses, and sneaky foul play. Your vote shouldn't depend on a machine as easy to manipulate as a computer when an old fashioned paper ballot does the job just fine. To put it simply, I've never seen a paper ballot magically change a voter's vote, but it has happened every election with the electronic voting machines.

3) Removal of all Red Light Cameras

They are nothing more that a way to screw motorists out of money. There is conflicting data as to whether they reduce accidents or increase them, they leave no real room for judgement. For example, I watched a camera go off because a person stopped their car a little past the wide white stop line. Why? Because they were about ot make a legal right on red but the gigantic SUV in the left lane was blocking the view of on coming traffic. The driver stopped, made a legal turn but still generated a ticket.

If you were the man in charge, what would you make the law of the land?

Great Pic Mr. President

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Some of the reasons I like President Obama have nothing to do with his policies. It has to do with his obvious love of children and his sense of humor. Just take a look at this slide show on Yahoo! for photographic evidence of what I mean.

I particularly like the one of him with the guy on the scale. Classic.

Evil by Design

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 16:19:00 +0000

A friend of mine posted this to their Facebook page yesterday. I honestly thought it would take longer for this type of stuff to come out again.

Silly of me I guess.

The NRA, their supporters, and the rest of their ilk really have no shame and the tragic events in Connecticut aren't going to make them change their tune one single note.

There is just one problem, this pithy little saying which rings so true for so many of the gun-lovers and libertarian types out there is wrong.

That's right, just plain wrong.

Evil does exist in a gun. It is placed there intentionally. It is purposefully incorporated into its very design. Guns were first invented to kill and guns are being designed to kill more effectively and more efficiently than ever before. Like the atomic bomb, the hand grenade, sarin gas, or anthrax powder in an envelope, the very nature of a gun is evil.

Take a look at this picture. This is the Bushmaster .223 Rifle. One like it was used in that school in Connecticut. It is a semi-automatic assault rifle with a standard 30 round magazine. That magazine can be replaced with another full magazine by simply pushing a button, removing it and slamming another one in. It takes seconds at most. The very description of this rifle reveals the evil that is intentional in its design. It is an "assault rifle". It is intended to be used for assaulting...assaulting humans. And as we have discovered over and over again, this gun and guns like it are exceptionally good at their job.

But even if you didn't know the name of this particular machine, just look at it. It is designed to be menacing, it is designed to intimidate, it is intentionally built to appear as evil as its design truly is.

Don't lie to me and tell me that evil lies only in the hearts of man. Evil lives in the killing machines that man has built. Just as a piece of art can be beautiful, just as written words can show us truth, the design of a machine can be evil.

Don't believe their pithy messaging. Don't let the arms merchants and gun makers convince you that their products are benign. They are not, they are evil by design, evil in their intent and evil in their use. They are killing machines and their primary purpose is to violate the 1st Commandment as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Isn't that the definition of evil?

Because the University of Iowa Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 01:06:00 +0000

It was a double great day for the University of Iowa.

Not only did they become the first major public university to adds optional LGBT question to its application, but my brilliant and talented daughter decided to change her already accepted application to the School of Liberal Arts to the Engineering School.

Iowa, you totally rock.

Not Voting Hurts

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 03:43:00 +0000

A pregnant Arizona woman, Holly Solomon, despondent about President Obama's reelection, ran down her husband with the family Jeep when she discovered he hadn't voted. Now I'm a firm believer in voting, but even I draw the line at vehicular homocide.

Woman Runs Down Husband For Not Voting

The Voting Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:27:00 +0000

Voting, the simplest act of defiance, an act of revolution itself. When America became America it was an act of revolution. Our forefathers tossed the yoke of the monarchy from their shoulders and declared themselves free to govern themselves. And we have been doing just that for over 200 years.

It wasn't that way for everyone. In the beginning, many people were excluded from our democracy. Those of color, the poor, and women were told they had no voice, they had no opportunity to shape the future of our country. But slowly, over time, enlightenment overcame prejudice and the disenfranchised were allowed to participate in the greatest democracy in history.

But yet, even today, there are still people who want to stop you from voting.

CNN Opinion: GOP's push to suppress vote threatens democracy

Don't let them. Don't be discouraged by long lines, by scare tactics. Voting is your right. It is a simple act that reaffirms the convictions on which this country was founded, that all men are created equal. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, whether you are a Tea Party conservative or a bleeding heart liberal, you need to add your voice to the discussion of our future as a nation. If only for this one day a year, participate in our democracy, help us all realize the dream of freedom and equality for all.

If you are unsure of where to vote, go here: CanIVote.org

Election Prediction and Foot Wear

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:09:00 +0000

I have stared into my crystal ball and am now ready to make my predictions for next Tuesday’s presidential election. In a race that is tight from a popular vote standpoint, but not as tight from an Electoral College accounting, I predict President Obama will win re-election.

I predict that the swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nevada and Virginia will give the President more than the 270 electoral votes needed.

What brought me to this conclusion? I believe that the Romney campaign made a couple of critical errors late in the race that have cooled whatever momentum his campaign may have had. I think they burst through the hole that the President left open after his sub-par performance in the first debate only to stumble over their own two right feet.

First, the disastrous ad where the Romney campaign implies that production of the very American vehicle the Jeep would be moved to China. Romney himself went even farther telling a crowd of supporters in Ohio, “I saw a story today that one of the great manufacturers in this state Jeep — now owned by the Italians — is thinking of moving all production to China.”

Chrysler and Fiat (the majority stakeholder in Chrysler) both refute this bogus claim.

The Obama camp has jumped all over this gaffe, not just because it is untrue, but also because it re-enforces one of their primary messages about Romney: You can’t trust this guy.

TheBlaze.com: Romney Jeep Ad

Credit: MSNBC.com

The second mistake came not in the final days, but early in the primary season when during a debate Gov. Romney suggested that disaster relief was something better left to the states or the private sector and not the Federal government.

Then the New Jersey shore and a good bit of New York City were power-washed by hurricane Sandy and nearly 100 American’s died. Before Sandy hit, the President went to the White House to oversee the coordinated disaster response. Afterwards, he was on the ground with Republican poster child Governor Chris Christie, receiving the praise of the New Jersey governor for the swift federal response.

Where was Gov. Romney? He was in swing states collecting paper towels and diapers at campaign stops where the Governor’s meal for the day was a big helping of crow.

He later swallowed hard and his campaign released a statement that in part read, “I believe that FEMA plays a key role in working with states and localities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. As president, I will ensure FEMA has the funding it needs to fulfill its mission, while directing maximum resources to the first responders who work tirelessly to help those in need, because states and localities are in the best position to get aid to the individuals and communities affected by natural disasters.”

NY Times: Romney on FEMA

Both of these events were just the latest of a series of on-the-fly flip flops and direction changes taken by the Republican candidate. From first fighting for and then denouncing health care reform, from supporting and signing into law an assault weapons ban in Massachusetts to later denouncing any form of gun control, from supporting a woman’s right to choose to proclaiming himself anti-abortion, Governor Romney has flip-flopped his way to the losing end of this election.

American’s like to know what they are buying. They want an honest deal at an honest price. However, a vote for Romney is a transaction strictly governed by the adage “Buyer Beware” and the persuadable, Independent voters are seeing that loud and clear in these final few weeks.

In their eyes, Romney has become the stereotype of a bad used car salesman who will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to make the deal.

“Yep, it’s fast!"

"Sure, it’s safe!"

"Of course it will save you money. Would I lie to you?”

To be honest Governor Romney, I don’t think you are lying per se, I just think you will tell people pretty much whatever they want to hear. A lie implies you have a nefarious master plan, I think that might be giving you too much credit. I suspect you are just the latest dupe put up by the financial elite. I think their sole purpose is to get you elected so you can protect the rich and the powerful and their money-grabbing, tax-evading, union-busting ways. I guess when this thing is finally over, if my prediction is correct, Romney and the Republicans might finally learn the lesson that so many children have learned the hard way:

You really shouldn’t run in flip flops.

Quick Hits: Now with Warm Puppies and Cold Bats

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:10:00 +0000

I'm Sorry, What Was That?

Ms. Angela McCaskill, the chief diversity officer at Gallaudet, the nation's leading university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, sure stepped in it when she signed a petition in support of putting Maryland's Gay Marriage law on the ballot this November. As a result of her signing, the university put her on administrative leave.

Regardless of her position on the issue, should an employer be allowed to punish an employee for participating in the democratic process? I don't think so. It may have been a stupid choice for a chief diversity officer to sign a petition that puts Maryland's gay marriage law at risk of being rescinded, but she has the right to an opinion.

The funny part is, she is getting support for her right to sign that petition from both sides of the issue. The conservative Family Research Council as well as the pro-gay-marriage group Marylanders for Marriage Equality have both called for her reinstatement saying that she has the right to her opinion. Who can argue, isn't that what diversity is all about?

Yahoo News: Deaf university roiled by gay marriage controversy

Is That A Puppy In Your Pocket...?

Every winter, when I was a kid growing up in the wilds of Iowa, my parents would put an emergency kit in the trunk of the car. For those who have never been to Iowa in the winter, it can be pretty dicey out on the roads in the middle of nowhere. Winds kick up, roads drift shut and you can quickly find yourself stranded in sub-zero temps with many hours (or even days) before you might be found. It had a candle, some granola bars, a coffee can, blankets...that sort of thing.

But as far as I can remember, the kit never contained puppies. Apparently it should have: Yahoo News: Lost boy kept warm by puppies, officials say

Just Because You're Benched, Doesn't Mean You Aren't A Player

The New York Yankees' are paying Alex Rodriguez $275 million dollars to play baseball. To put that in perspective, with that kind of cash he could cover the entire city budget for the town of Burlington, Iowa (pop. 25,564) for five years and still have over $10 million dollars leftover for himself.

Despite his gawdy career hitting numbers, ( BA: .300, HR: 647, RBI: 1950 ), he hit a slump of epic proportions in the playoffs this year and found himself riding the pine as the Yankees got handed their hats and sent home. But did that stop A-Rod from playing? Hell no! If he couldn't hit baseballs, he was certainly going to hit on chicks and that is exactly what he did, DURING THE GAME!

I guess he found the game as uninteresting as the rest of New York and decided to try and get the phone number of Australian bikini model and swim suit designer Kyna Treacy who was sitting in the stands near the dug out. (Am I the only one with Paradise by the Dashboard Lights playing in their head right now?)

I know what I would do if I was the Yankee's manager, I'd replace my first base coach with a hot chick who stripped down to a bikini and waved at A-Rod every time he came to bat. For $275 million dollars, I'd need to do everything I could to get A-Rod's head (and bat) back in the game.

Report: A-Rod's flirting fan identified

Five Things We Don't Tell You

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:02:00 +0000

As a straight married guy who has been around the block once or twice, I just what to share a few things with my female friends. You see, we lie now and then. Mostly out of self-preservation. Regardless of how insensitive we may seem, we do get the basics and these little lies help us stay both sane and safe. Now, before you have a cow, be warned: This post is full of generalizations. Not all women or men act the same way. Your man may not think exactly this way and you maybe more enlightened than your neighbor. So take this post with a grain or two of salt and save your disgust for more important things, like youth violence or world hunger.

Without further ado, the top five things married men don't tell their wives.

5) "Yes, we think she's pretty."

Depending on the day, we know there's an excellent chance you aren't really asking about her, you are really asking if we think YOU are pretty. We do. We also think she's pretty. It isn't a zero sum game for us. I think Maggie Gyllenhaal is pretty, I think Mila Kunis is pretty, I think Sara Ramirez is pretty and I think my wife is pretty. Tall or short, fat or thin, blond, brunette or redhead, they can all be pretty. But we aren't likely to admit it when we think the question is really, "Do you think I'm pretty."

Just listen to women talk to each other in private and you will soon learn that they are constantly comparing themselves to other women. This a fairly foreign concept to a man. That is why a man will tell a woman something like "You look beautiful in that dress." while a woman will say, "Your dress is so much prettier than hers." The only things that your average married man will compare to other men are obviously measurable things like golf scores and penis length.

4) "It didn't really take an hour to buy that fertilizer, I just needed the time away."

You dilly-dally at the grocery store and we meander at the hardware store. We aren't really shopping, it is just a good place to clear our heads and have some quiet time. The smell of fresh cut lumber and paint just make us feel comfortable. Remember, we are just like you, we need to have a little respite from the daily grind too. In simplest terms, we just want a break from searching the house for the note that came home from school or listening to a lecture on why our way of doing the dishes is fundamentally flawed.

3) "Actually, we don't have to be there for another 20 minutes."

We lie to you about when things start because you can't help but push the envelope on departure times and it makes us crazy. Whenever possible we fudge the needed time of arrival so we aren't flying out of the house just to get to get there 15 minutes late. It makes you crazy when the kids do it, it makes us crazy when you do it.

2) "No, that baby isn't the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Honestly, babies just aren't that interesting to us. They look like big cash black holes whose single purpose in life is to eat, shit, scream and make their parents into sleepless, broke zombies. We like kids, hell, we love them. But we prefer them after they have passed the house plant stage. Once they start to really talk and move and reason and hit baseballs, then we can't get enough of them. But the whole baby/toddler thing is really just a phase we have to endure to get to the good part.

1) "Yes, that makes you look fat."

Honestly, you know it does. If we made more money we would let you buy nothing but specially tailored clothes hand picked by a professional stylist that make you look like a movie star, but we don't so you have to make do with what you have. Besides, half the time we're pretty sure you aren't looking for our opinion, you are really looking for permission to wear it anyway because you don't really want to get redressed. Bottom line: You look great as far as we are concerned. (See Item Number 5) We just want to get the hell out of the house so that we can get there on time.

Well, there you go. I have spilled the beans. Try not to judge your man to harshly, he can't help it really. It is just the way he is made. He still loves you, he still thinks you are pretty, he still wants to go places with you. He just doesn't want the drama that the truth is going to cause. He does it to keep you happy and him safe from your wrath. Can you blame him?

The New Gig

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:37:00 +0000

I have started a new gig.

This is very good because I was soon going to have to accept that my new career was going to include the phrase, "Do you want fries with that?"

But it isn't all roses and puppies. Not that I dislike the job or am unthankful, neither of those things are even close to the truth. But a part of me is sad. I spent the entire summer at home and I got to spend quality time with my kids, I got to do more coaching of youth sports, and shaving was often an optional activity.

You know that game of "What Would You Do If You Won The Lottery?" I think I would bank most of it, go back to school and study to be a coach. Probably softball or soccer, maybe even basketball. I have more fun watching kids grow as athletes than I do doing pretty much anything else.

Oh well, I didn't win the lottery so I guess it is back to work for me.

So I Was A Year Early...

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:03:00 +0000

In January of last year, I predicted that an openly gay General would be promoted to the Joint Chiefs. While she isn't a member of that elite club, she is the first openly gay General. You go girl!

Tammy Smith - First Openly Gay General - MSNBC

Top Five Stories of 2011 - The T-Dude

The Moments of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:28:00 +0000

My youngest is 11. She plays three different sports and loves joining a group of girls in an athletic contest of skill and heart.

Today, she showed the heart part.

We had a basketball double header. (I can say we, I'm the head coach.) That's right, back to back games. She woke up with a sore throat and the general crummies. Despite that, she played super hard. She was diving on the floor, chasing down girls on the fast break. When she came off the floor she was gasping for air, but despite the pain, she would rest up and ask to go back in. She's one tough cookie and I'm very, very proud of her, her commitment to her team and her huge heart.

Bronte, you rock.

RIP Etta, I'll Miss You

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:07:00 +0000

We have lost a true American treasure in the passing of Etta James. I, for one, loved her music. I think I'll throw some on and say thanks for the musical gifts she shared with the world. I think I'll start with the one below. Not as well know as "At Last", this is a good one.

Etta James Dead at 73 - CNN.com

Newt Wanted to Share His Newt

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:36:00 +0000

ABC NEWS

According to Gawker.com, CNN and I'm sure others, ABC News will be airing an interview tonight with Newt Gingrich's ex-wife where she tells the world that Newt asked her to "share" him with his then mistress.

As I have said before, I don't care what politicians do between the sheets. I think it is only fair. I don't ask them when and how they bump uglies and I don't think they should ask/legislate us on the same subject. But I have a hard time ignoring it when those politicians make themselves out to be some sort of moral compass or preach "moral values".

When President Clinton got caught diddling the help, Newt was center stage calling for Clinton's impeachment. Well, my friend, if that is the standard you set for being President, then you have to accept that screwing around on your wife and then asking for a divorce after you find out she is sick becomes fair game for public scrutiny.

Karma; she sure is a bitch, ain't she Newt?

Newt's Ex-Wife Says He Wanted An Open Marriage (with video) - Gawker.com

Some Legislators Favor SOPA/PIPA But Violate Copyright Themselves

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:45:00 +0000

Check out this great post on BoingBoing about legislators who are supporting the draconian tenets of the Internet censorship bills now pending in Congress. It would seem that they themselves are in violation. It begs the question, do they truly understand the legislation they are supporting?

Senators behind PIPA are a bunch of copyright infringers - BoingBoing.net

Sign the Petition - Oppose Censorship

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:47:00 +0000

Do you want Google or Yahoo or Wikipedia deciding what you can and cannot view? They don't want to, but the big media companies want THE GOVERNMENT to force them to act as censors and protectors of copyright and intellectual property. That is the gist of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate.

Stop Censorship!

The issue is simple. Some websites, particularly those outside the US, put pirated content online. They are not subject to US intellectual property protections. This pisses off groups like The Motion Picture Association of America, Wal-Mart, Major League Baseball, the National Association of Broadcasters and many, many more.

I get it, they get pissed because some people are virtually getting into the movies/concert/ball park for free and that hurts their bottom line. But this is exactly the wrong way to go about solving their problem. Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia and other websites should not be given the responsibility for restricting access to information to protect the interests of these trillion dollar industries.

This is like telling the highway department that they are responsible because someone drove your stolen car on their road. It is stupid, it is overly broad and in the end, it is censorship.

To add your voice to the debate, to tell Congress to vote NO on these measures, go to americancensorship.org and sign the petition. Act fast, votes are scheduled as early as January 24th.

One of the many reasons I like President Obama

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:25:00 +0000

I See Your True Colors Shining Through and That's Why I Dislike You

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:53:00 +0000

The proposal was pretty straight forward: Maintain the payroll tax cut, extend it to new hires and pay for it with a small increase in taxes on millionaires and billionaires.

Everyone agrees that maintaining the payroll tax cut is the best thing for the economy. It would mean an extra $1,500 in the pockets of people making $50,000 a year. Not a ton of money, but enough that they can be a bit more active on the consumer side of the economy.

But the Republicans in the Senate blocked a vote on the measure. Why? No matter what you hear the answer is really simple; they don't represent the average American, they represent the richest Americans.

God forbid we actually do things that help the Average Joe, particularly if the richest among us have to pay a little more than the historically low tax rates they now enjoy.

Senate Republicans reject measures to extend payroll tax break - LA Times

Political Brain Fart - A Painful Stinker to Witness

noreply@blogger.com (The T-Dude) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:59:00 +0000

It's sad really.

There are all kinds of reasons not to vote for Rick Perry. His flawed tax plan. His mean-spirited anti-choice stands. His smoke and mirrors job creation record as Governor of Texas. All of these are perfectly good reasons not to vote for Rick Perry.

However, in the end, a gigantic brain fart during the latest Republican debate may end up taking down this undefeated campaigner. While spouting the old and worn Republican chant for smaller government and calling for the elimination of federal agencies, Perry just plain forgot. He had a nearly terminal case of tip of the tongue syndrome. Watching him flounder, watching him scour his brain for the name of the third department he would eliminate is one of the most painful things I've seen during a presidential debate.

Howard Dean had his demented scream, now Rick Perry has his iconic moment, the moment he blew a big, stinky, visible cloud of a brain fart in front of America.

Of course, one man's stink is another man's perfume. (Just watch the joy in Ron Paul's eyes if you doubt me.)

As the pig farmers in Iowa say when they catch a whiff of their operation in action, "Smells like money to me." That's what the rest of the Republican field is smelling right now, the sweet scent of failure from the former front runner and the robust musk emitting from the pool of Perry campaign donors who will soon become available.

See ya Rick... and enjoy this complimentary years supply of Gingko Biloba as a parting gift just for playing our game.