Saturday, April 4, 2015

Whose the Winner? Iran, or USA in Nuke Deal?

Good Day World!

When America and Iran agreed on the framework of a deal regarding the use of nuclear energy who emerged victorious?

Should American’s be stomping their feet in approval? Do the Iranians feel like they pulled a fast one on stupid Westerners? Or, is it the perfect deal where both sides are happy with the result?

And while I’m asking questions, what was the real result of this political breakthrough with our sworn enemy?

President Obama has been confronted with skepticism and hostility by Republicans in Congress who say that he's being conned by Iran. Expect to hear from them next week.

Obama contends the inspections – which are part of the deal - are the toughest in history.

 "If Iran cheats, the world will know it. If we see something suspicious, we will inspect it," Obama told reporters. "So this will be a long-term deal that addresses each path to a potential Iranian nuclear bomb."

Translation: We’re not going to let them build a nuclear bomb. Iran is supposed to be okay with that in exchange for the US dropping economic sanctions that have been crippling the country.

It all sounds very simple. So, why do I suspect there’s another story that’s not being told concerning this “historic” arrangement/framework?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Friday, April 3, 2015

Rock On! Rolling Stones Announce Tour Dates

Good Day World!

Back when I was a teenager, The Rolling Stones were in the vanguard of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in America in 1964–65.

This year marks 53 years of continuous entertainment provided by the original “Bad Boys” of rock. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are considered legends in the industry.

GET SOME SATISIFACTION

Their first international number 1 hit was "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", recorded in May 1965 during the band's third North American tour. "Paint It, Black" is one of my favorite songs of theirs.

I have to admit that I’m amazed at the “Stones” staying power. The fact that they are appreciated by generations of new young fans is proof enough of their greatness.

The "Zip Code" tour will make stops largely in the middle of North America this year. This is the first time the band will have toured in North America since 2005-07's "A Bigger Bang Tour."

In addition, a re-mastered edition of 1971's "Sticky Fingers" album will be released May 26.

Here's the list of planned shows:

May 24 San Diego, CA Petco Park
May 30 Columbus, OH Ohio Stadium
June 3 Minneapolis, MN TCF Bank Stadium
June 6 Dallas, TX AT&T Stadium
June 9 Atlanta, GA Bobby Dodd Stadium
June 12 Orlando, FL Orlando Citrus Bowl
June 17 Nashville, TN LP Field
June 20 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Field
June 23 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest / Marcus Amphitheater
June 27 Kansas City, MO Arrowhead Stadium
July 1 Raleigh, NC Carter-Finley Stadium
July 4 Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Motor Speedway
July 8 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
July 11 Buffalo, NY Ralph Wilson Stadium
July 15 Quebec, QC Le Festival D’Été de Québec

For more information, check out the band's website.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Conservative Christians: ‘Relax, No One’s After You in America’

                                  Good Day World!

There are countries in this world – Pakistan for instance – where it’s not safe to be a Christian. Christians are marginalized and treated like criminals across the middle east.

Thank God then, if you’re a Christian in America where you’re treated with respect and protected. The First Amendment protects Christians, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindu’s, Buddists, etc. al.

When I see a law passed that pretends to defend the Christian faith by rationalizing injustice against people that are not approved of by the church, the hypocrisy sickens me. Somehow, I don’t see Jesus as being that judgmental. 

When Indiana’s Gov. Mike Pence signed the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act he effectively sent out the wrong message to the world, “Indiana is NOT an all inclusive state welcoming everyone – just the opposite!”

The new law has the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality.

Social conservatives say their fight to preserve their beliefs is to protect what they say is religious freedom, arguing that Christians or people of other faiths who oppose same-sex unions should not be required to take actions that could be seen as condoning gay marriage.

"Christian businesses and individuals deserve protection from those who support homosexual marriages and those who support government recognition and approval of gender identity (men who dress as women)," reads a message praising the new law on the website of the Indiana group Advance America, whose executive

Pence and Indiana lawmakers rejected the idea of inserting provisions into the law that would have specifically added protections for people who are gay.

The interstate backlash to Indiana's new religious freedom law is growing even as state lawmakers move to clarify the legislation, with Seattle Mayor Ed Murray vowing to issue an executive order this week banning city workers from taxpayer-funded travel to the state.

The Seattle mayor's statement is the latest boycott threat to emerge over claims that the law has the potential to discriminate against gays and others.

MORE ON THE SUBJECT

Tim Cook: Pro-discrimination ‘religious freedom’ laws are dangerous

What the 'religious freedom' law really means for Indiana

Indiana law: Does freedom of religion mean freedom to discriminate?

Connecticut bans state-funded travel to Indiana over anti-gay law

One last thought: If Christians can get away with discriminating against the LGBT community because it goes against their religion, what about the other religions, and their laws? Like Sharia Law. Muslims who don’t want to obey the secular laws in our country could fall back on this new law.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Independent Party Invitates Stancliff to Run for President

Vote For Dave

Good Day World!

I’m truly honored to accept the Independent Party’s nomination for President of the United States.

It’s not every day an old Vietnam veteran with PTSD is picked to lead the country. One of the first things I’m going to do is legalize marijuana. My VP, Tommy Chong, will be the point person for that process.

Send any donations for my campaign to my personal PO Box in southern Oregon.

Thank you, and don’t forget to vote for me – Dave Stancliff. That’s Dave Stancliff. Sounds kinda catchy doesn’t it?

Here’s 17 morning pranks to start April Fools' Day right.

If you want to get into the spirit of the day check out:

The Top 100 April Fool’s Day Hoaxes of All Time

If your curious about the origins of such a silly day then go here and get the full story.

Meanwhile, why not take a peek at April Fools' Day 2015: The best spoofs and pranks, in pictures

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

3 things you should know about Carly Fiorina before she announces her bid for the presidency

Good Day World!

It’s about time a woman has cast (or will soon) a hat into the GOP primary for president.

Former technology executive Carly Fiorina says she is more than 90 percent likely to seek the Republican presidential nomination.

Here’s 3 things you should know about her:

1) The Los Angeles Times noted that Fiorina has conservative positions on certain social issues. She personally opposed abortion and, as a private citizen, stated that she voted for Proposition 8, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, overturning a court ruling that same-sex couples had a right to marry.

2) Fiorina has called climate change a "serious issue" but claimed that the science surrounding global warming is inconclusive, saying "I think we should have the courage to examine the science on an ongoing basis."

She also accepted large contributions from the coal industry as well as Koch Industries and opposed the cap and trade legislation supported by Boxer.

3) In 2008, Fiorina worked for Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. On September 3, 2008, Fiorina defended the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. Yet, in response to questions about her during a radio interview, she stated that Palin lacks the experience to run a major company like Hewlett-Packard, "…but that's not what she's running for.”

Running a corporation is a different set of things." Fiorina later amended her comment, stating that none of the candidates on either ticket had the experience to run a major corporation.

That’s about it. A mixed bag to be sure. There’s certainly very little buzz about her right now. Perhaps by the time she announces her candidacy we’ll get an opportunity to learn more about what she currently stands for.

Based upon her past politics and corporation ties, I think it’s apparent she’s already sleeping with such luminaries as the Koch brothers; which doesn’t speak well for her character, or intentions. 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, March 30, 2015

No Regrets About Stigmatizing LGBT Community

Good Day World!

Religious tolerance is an oxymoron in Indiana.

Organized religion there is not tolerant.

Indiana’s Gov. Mike Pence, a self-avowed protector of the faith, certainly didn’t show tolerance towards the LGBT community by signing a discriminative law into effect last Thursday. 

Pence said he was proud of the law and "absolutely" did not think it was a mistake to sign it.

Critics have spoken out against Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act since Pence signed it, but he stubbornly claims he’s protecting people's religious freedoms. 

Pence tells his critics that the new law was not intended to make it easier for people to discriminate against same-sex couples. Yet, what happened when he was questioned by a reporter?

Asked repeatedly whether the new law would make it legal for a merchant — a wedding florist, for instance — to refuse service to gay couples, Pence declined to answer yes or no.

As far as I’m concerned that’s a cowardly yes, by remaining silent. How else can a logical person take that kind of response?

Which is why Pence’s claims ring false.

This law doesn’t strengthen the foundation of our constitutional First Amendment rights. It threatens to stigmatize a segment of our society by not treating everyone equally.

There’s been no threat to our religious freedoms in recent years that require a new law to protect them. We can still worship whatever entity we wish without fear of persecution, as per the 1st Amendment.

For the record, The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It doesn’t say anything about stigmatizing a section of the population.

In response to the new law Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle said it has caused his company to put on hold an expansion of the company's headquarters in Indianapolis.

Time for me o walk on down the road…

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Your poop can yield gold and other precious metals

gold in poop

Good Day World!

EEeeuuuuuuu!

Researchers have been playing with poop lately and they think they’ve struck it rich.

Instead of flushing millions down the toilet, humans could be mining their poop for gold!

That's at least what some researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) think. They're looking for ways to squeeze metals like gold and silver out of solid waste.

When poop arrives at a wastewater treatment plant, it is separated into biosolids and treated water. Inevitably about half of the biosolids (3.5 million tons in the United States alone) is sent to landfills or incinerated, while the other half is used as fertilizer. [The Poop on Pooping: 5 Misconceptions Explained]

Kathleen Smith, a USGS geologist, thinks people could make more of these biosolids; they're full of tiny particles of metals that find their way into waste through beauty products, detergents and even odor-resistant clothing.

There are two good reasons to try to pull these metals out of poop, according to Smith, who's presenting her research on the subject at an American Chemical Society meeting this week. (Condensed version – read full story here)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Saturday, March 28, 2015

‘You’re Crashing My Party!’ Congresswoman’s Facebook Page Gets Surprise Guests!

                                    Good Day World!

What if you had a party and the “wrong” people showed up?

You might ask Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers what to do.

She recently posted an attack on the Affordable Health Care Act’s 5th Anniversary and invited viewers to join her in slamming it.

The problem was, it was an open invite. Instead of getting horror stories about the ACA, she was deluged with positive comments about Obama’s signature healthcare act.

Can you imagine what she felt like?

As a rabid anti-ACA warrior, she must have been frothing at the mouth when confronted with the reality that millions of Americans really like it. A dose of reality is never easy to swallow for haters or Conservatives.

Below are a small sample of the comments constituents left on her page:

  • My story is that I once knew 7 people who couldn't get health insurance. Now they all have it, thanks to the ACA and President Obama, and their plans are as good as the one my employer provides--and they pay less for them. Now, that's not the kind of story you want to hear. You want to hear made-up horror stories. I don't know anyone with one of those stories.

  • I work for cancer care northwest. We actually have more patients with insurance and fewer having to choose treatment over bankruptcy. Cathy, I'm a die hard conservative and I'm asking you to stop just slamming Obamacare. Fix it, change it or come up with a better idea! Thanks

  • With Obamacare, I saved 300 bucks a month premium.. I have more coverage.. I like ObamaCare and can't wait til we go to the next step... Medicare for ALL.

  • And now my daughter, diagnosed with MS at age 22, can have insurance. What do you plan to do with her?

  • My daughter is fighting for her life with stage 3 breast cancer! We are about to enter a second go round of diagnostic procedures and possibly more treatment after two full years of treatment! So yah! The ACA is more than helping! I resent that our rep thinks the only problems involve her personal story!

  • My whole family now has coverage. The ACA is the cause for this, I work in health care, I have seen the increase in covered patients first hand. The next step is universal coverage, this will truly lower costs and provide the best care. Cathy, you barely work, spend most of your time catering to special interests so you can be re-elected.. All while receiving a large wage and the best health insurance and care. Stop telling us how it doesn't work while enjoying your tax payer funded care and life.

Jump below the fold to continue reading these heartfelt messages.

  • And now my daughter, diagnosed with MS at age 22, can have insurance. What do you plan to do with her?

  • My daughter is fighting for her life with stage 3 breast cancer! We are about to enter a second go round of diagnostic procedures and possibly more treatment after two full years of treatment! So yah! The ACA is more than helping! I resent that our rep thinks the only problems involve her personal story!

  • My whole family now has coverage. The ACA is the cause for this, I work in health care, I have seen the increase in covered patients first hand. The next step is universal coverage, this will truly lower costs and provide the best care. Cathy, you barely work, spend most of your time catering to special interests so you can be re-elected.. All while receiving a large wage and the best health insurance and care. Stop telling us how it doesn't work while enjoying your tax payer funded care and life.

  • Instead of trying to repeal it why don't you improve it? Our local rural clinics are packed daily with people who have needed healthcare for years!! it is a godsend. It is pitiful this nation does not have healthcare for all and that doesn't mean the EMERGENCY room!!

  • Thanks to the ACA, my cousin was able to get affordable insurance despite her preexisting condition. So grateful.

  • I think we should repeal Obamacare, and replace it … with universal socialized medicine - like the rest of the industrialized nations of the world.

  • My plans are intact, premiums have increased as always, but what seems to be a lesser rate, my plan was not cancelled, I did not lose my doctor, I have not experienced reduced work hours, and it's actually freed me from the chains of employer based being the ONLY path to coverage. #FEARMONGER

Those are just a small sample of the hundreds or even thousands of comments left on her Facebook page.

It is damn clear that her constituents are loving the Affordable Care Act. Will she take their comments to heart and abandon attempts to take insurance coverage away from her constituents? (condensed version – article first appeared in the Daily Kos)

Stay tuned.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Friday, March 27, 2015

Where Tobacco is Still King and 6-Year Olds Get as Addicted to Smoking as Adults

Good Day World!

I know where you can still get a pack of cigarettes for about a dollar.

Visit Indonesia.

While you’re there, don’t be surprised if you see six-year old boys chain-smoking cigarettes. In the past 20 years, 6-9 year-old smokers have tripled, according to the World Health Organization.

A few years back, a video of an Indonesian toddler smoking 40 cigarettes a day went viral worldwide, and prompted heartfelt official declarations in the country.

But not much has changed.

In fact, things are getting worse. Lisda Sundari, deputy director for education and advocacy at the local children NGO Lentera Anak, said the number of children aged 10 to 14 who smoke has doubled over the past 20 years.

Sixty-seven percent of Indonesian men and 41 percent of 13 to 15 year-old boys smoke. Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world that hasn’t signed the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The ads are on Television, in newspapers and magazines, and plastered on trees lining the roads. Indonesian cities are choked with giant billboards promising “pleasure, style and confidence.”

Cigarette companies sponsor almost all of the country’s concerts and sports events, not to mention refugee camps.

While selling cigarettes to minors is officially forbidden, it’s never enforced.

About 240,000 people died in Indonesia in 2013 because of tobacco, meaning that 660 people died every day, or 27 people per hour.

Indonesia is one of the biggest tobacco markets in the word, cigarette companies are powerful, and politicians easily corruptible.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has launched a campaign against narcotics, and made the execution of drug dealers a priority.Since he arrived in power in October, Widodo has tirelessly repeated the claim that 40 to 50 people die every day because of drugs.

Compare that with 27 people dying every hour and you’ll understand why activists find the double standard hard to take.

As far as I know, no other country in the world allows children to smoke cigarettes so openly. Indonesia is a good example of government corruption endangering it’s people and future generations for the love of money.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Opps! Jeb Bush ‘unaware’ that he had secret email address

Good Day World!

Anyone that doesn’t think Jeb Bush is cut from the same cloth as his Dad and brother are either kidding themselves, are incredibly misinformed – or completely uninformed.

Take the recent email controversy over Hillary Clinton’s email server while she was in office. During the height of the contrived controversy she was was attacked by rabid Republicans demanding some sort of an accounting.

Jeb Bush was right their with the hounds, and at one point declared he’d shared all of his emails from the time he was in office. Like Daddy Bush and brother Bush, Jeb is a hypocrite and liar. 

When Bush released thousands of emails from his tenure as Florida's governor as part of his preparations to run for president next year, he did so from the email account he shared openly, jeb@jeb.org.

But those emails also include references to another secretive email address, jeb@gencom.net.

Bush said through a spokeswoman that he was unaware of the account, although records showed that people wrote to him there more than 400 times between 1999 and 2004.

Busted.

If Hillary did something wrong by having her own email server – and that hasn’t been determined yet – then how about Jeb’s gaffe? Not only did he have a “secret” email address, he claimed he didn’t even know it?

Related Stories

  1. Jeb Bush Emails Detail Relationships With Top Donors Huffington Post
  2. Jeb Bush used private email on sensitive issues AFP
  3. Jeb Bush rejects Democratic claims he has Clinton-like email problem Reuters
  4. Jeb Bush calls Clinton's State Department email storage 'baffling' Reuters
  5. Hillary Not The Only 2016 Hopeful Ducking Scrutiny With Emails Huffington

Time for me to walk on down the road…

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