Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Hard to believe but true
The fastest boat around the world is a sailboat and not by a small margin. The Orange II circumnavigated in 50 days, the powerboat record is 75 days. Nearly an extra month. A photo of Orange II
I Love Flashlights !
$149
Our portable wunderkind illuminates objects hundreds of yards away with a halogen spotlight for up to 11 hours
The equivalent of 15 million candles
Swiveling 1W LED spotlight and soft area lamp
Nylon carrying belt included
Dual recharge: 110V AC/DC or 12V DC car adapter
Dimensions: 17-3/4"L x 5"W
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Moral Hazard
The Republican Party Fail
- Whack Jobs (Black Helicopter Types, Paranoids, Militia Members etc.)
- Fundies
- Crackers
- Jingoists
- Biggots
- Free Marketeers
- Wrinklies, Foggies, Duffers & Plain Old Farts
These groups do have several things in common which have held them together in the short term.
- Selfishness (Me First, My Money, Go Fuck Yourself)
- Insecurity (Manifesting in Bogus Macho Jingoism, Homophobia and Bully Worship)
- Profound Tolerance for Cognitive Dissonance (about the only thing profound and tolerant about them)
- Fear of the Other (Commies, Homo's, Immigrants, Media Elites)
Not that it makes them bad people - Even good people have times where the appeal of our weaker instincts takes precedence. The important part is the Cognitive Dissonance and this is IMHO why the religious right is so drawn to the dark side. This is also why even with it's current contradictions in place the party would slowly disintegrate rather than fly apart. The ability to maintain cognitive dissonance varies among individuals, but everyone has a limit. When they hit that limit they will drop out of the party. I do not think the ability to sustain disbelief is a requisite for membership in the Democrat(sic) party, but it is absolutely essential to being a Republican. Let's look at some of the Cake and Eat it planks of the Red
Smaller Government (Less Taxes, Regulation & Oversight) - This is a fairly often touted Republican position but it conflicts to some degree with every one of their constituencies. Farmers want subsidies and tariffs and an efficient transportation system to bring the product to market. Satisfying the Farmers takes Taxes, Regulation and Oversight, Three things the Free Marketeers don't want. Whack Jobs and Crackers want fewer restrictions placed on them in the form of laws, Fundies want moralities federally regulated. Jingoists want a strong military which means taxes the others don't like. Free Marketeers need illegal immigrants to work for them so they can maximize shareholder return, the rest of them are scared shitless of Illegal Aliens. I could go on forever, but the point is you cannot satisfy all their core constituencies and to believe otherwise requires the maintenance of Cognitive Dissonance, something very few people can do long term. These conflicts are structural and part of the party and as they have become obvious peoples ability to mentally maintain them has collapsed.
The End