Republicans Heckle Disabled Woman in Wheelchair at Town Meeting
I think what the guy says in this video pretty much says it all. Keep in mind that this is coming from someone who was against health care reform:
Archive for the ‘Rants’ Category
Glenn Beck is freakin' crazy
Earlier this week, I listened to the following little bit from Glenn Beck’s radio show:
The lady that Glenn Beck ends up yelling at made some very, very valid points. Yes, you can go into any hospital and receive care but be prepared to pay for it afterwords. Glenn Beck claims that we have the best health care in the world. And yet that still does not explain why there are still so many people in this country who do not have health insurance. It doesn’t explain why so many people have to file bankruptcy due to their insurance companies refusing to pay for certain treatments.
The problem I have with this is that it’s obvious that Glenn Beck is unwilling to listen to any opposing opinion even if the opposition is right. In fact, Glenn Beck doesn’t listen period. Instead, Glenn Beck sticks to his ideology and talking points and refuses to use any logic and reason. Glenn claims to use logic and reason and yet he still avoids the most obvious facts. Guess it’s easier for him to simply yell at anyone who doesn’t agree with his version of logic and reason.
The topper came this morning though when I saw this on the TV:
Holy shit, is that ever a complete and total lack of logic and reason! President Obama is a racist? Umm…right. Obama is as much a racist as I am a Nazi. If this doesn’t mark the end of Glenn Beck’s career then I don’t know what does. What an idiot.
Palin gets Shatner-ized
Earlier this week, Vanity Fair has a little fun with Palin’s resignation speech. Well, the fun just keeps coming! Enter William Shatner!
Palin’s Resignation: The Edited Version
Oh man, looks like Vanity Fair just dissed Palin in a whole new way! I’m only into the second page of their version of Palin’s resignation speech and I’m laughing my ass off. Poorly written speech indeed!
Apple's new next door neighbor: Microsoft!
Macworld just published a post on their site about Microsoft opening retail stores near Apple stores. My initial thought was, “Huh?” I mean, I’m a little flummoxed by this. Who’s bright idea was this? I mean, there’s the old adage that if you can’t beat them, join them but this is ridiculous.
There are a couple of reason why I think Microsoft is going to fail in this venture.
First of all, how does Microsoft expect to compete with Apple’s stores? I mean, it’s not like they’re gonna be selling HP, Dell, Compaq, Sony, or any other brand of computer in their stores. I suppose its safe to assume that Microsoft will be focusing on their software as well as other items like the Xbox, Zune, and other stuff like that.
Unlike Apple, Microsoft has to rely on third-party vendors to provide a complete computing solution. So how do they plan on connecting customers to a complete solution if they’re not even selling computers? I fail to see the logic in how they think this is going to help Windows in any meaningful way.
Most people don’t buy Windows off the shelf. If it’s not pre-installed on the computer they are buying then they are not likely to fork over $100+ or more for a Windows upgrade. I guess Microsoft is hoping that the existence of exclusive Microsoft stores will attract a greater number of people who might be willing to pay for a Windows upgrade. Personally, I think Microsoft is going to have quite an uphill climb in getting a greater number of people to purchase Windows upgrades.
Lastly, opening stores in close proximity to an Apple store is futile. Opening one near an Apple store is bad enough, but opening a Microsoft store right next door to an Apple store? That’s suicide! The reason is that by allowing customers to draw a direct A-B comparison with your competitor you run the risk of further alienating yourself with the competition.
I’m willing to bet that you’ll have a lot of customers who will first enter the Microsoft store only to end up in the Apple store just so they can see what all the fuss is about with Apple. Some customers will leave and go back to the Microsoft store unconvinced that an Apple computer is right for them. But a good number of them will likely consider switching after being exposed to both due to the short proximity of experience.
So, is the news of Microsoft stores opening up good for Microsoft or Apple? Likely, it’ll be good for both. But I honestly think that it’s much better for Apple. Competition is a good thing and it’ll be interesting to see just how Microsoft plans to compete with Apple in their own territory. I say to Microsoft: “Bring it on!”
Sarah Palin can't finish what she started
By now you’ve probably heard that Sarah Palin has chosen to resign as Alaska governor. She has stated many reasons for why this decision was made and, while they are likely all highly legitimate reasons, the main question that still has not been answered is this: Does this mean you’re out of politics?
Right out of the gate, even before the crux of this announcement has been reached, Republican pundits are already defending her decision to resign as governor. Now, I don’t know if there are other circumstances surrounding her resignation because it’s too early to tell. Regardless, why others within her party would be so quick to defend her is rather perplexing. Seems a little hypocritical to me because, let’s face it, if any Democratic governor decided to do the very same thing you can be sure they would be criticized to the hilt by Republican pundits.
Aside from any reason for the resignation, the fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin has proved that she can’t finish what she started. As an elected official, unless there are extenuating circumstances, you have an obligation to do your job and finish your term. By failing that obligation, Palin is breaking her promise to the Alaskan citizens who voted for her. Any way you slice it, there is no positive spin to this resignation. It’s a bad decision through and through.
What makes this decision so bad is that it makes it difficult to see her realistically run for President in 2012. If she does plan on running for President then she has a lot of explaining to do. How can anyone expect her to run the country as President when she can’t even finish the job as Governor of Alaska? As far as I’m concerned, this is the death of Palin’s political career. Yet another grand example of how the Republican party is retreating into insanity.
Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot
When I read this story it just pissed me off. Here’s the part that really did it for me:
….Late in the hearing, [Bart] Stupak, the committee chairman, put the executives on the spot. Stupak asked each of them whether he would at least commit his company to immediately stop rescissions except where they could show “intentional fraud.”
The answer from all three executives: “No.”
Lord forbid that executives will be required to reduce their compensation to ensure that patients can actually pay their medical bills. All it does is further support my argument that a public healthcare option isn’t optional. Personally I’m more for a single-payer system. Sorry execs but my body isn’t a commodity. More on that soon.
Obama is closing GOP Chrysler dealerships? WTF?
Been a while since I’ve posted anything on my blog. It’s not that I haven’t had time or had anything to write about. Honestly, I’ve been dealing with some health issues lately and have found it hard to really write anything. I’m getting back in the swing of things though.
Just today, I stumbled on a few videos with right-wing neo-cons Michelle Malkin and Rush Limbaugh claiming that Obama might possibly have something to do with Chrysler closing down mostly Republican dealerships:
What a crock of shit! These guys lack any common sense whatsoever. Why on Earth would Chrysler allow Obama or anyone on Capital Hill to dictate to them who they can and cannot allow to sell their cars? That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. It’s not Obama’s job anyways to dictate how Chrysler runs their business. The only thing Obama asked for was a business plan before he allows for bailout funds. That’s just common sense.
No one really knows exactly what the criteria was for which dealership contracts Chrysler was renewing and not renewing. My guess is that they went down the line city by city and picked the ones that provided the most consistent sales and profitability. Chrysler is a business first and foremost. As such, they’re not going to cancel the contract on a successful dealership on the basis of their political affiliation. That’s just stupid.
As usual, this is just the usual crap Malkin and Limbaugh spit out. Their spin consists of taking an array of disparate facts and coincidences and throwing them out there as proof that Obama and liberals suck. These guys really need to get a grip. Jeez!
Memo: Two al Qaeda leaders waterboarded 266 times
Thanks to memo released by the Obama administration, we now learn that at least two suspected al Qaeda leaders were waterboarded at least 266 times. Here’s how I feel about torture…
I don’t believe that torture should be used no matter what the circumstances. This is real life dealing with real human beings. This isn’t an “us vs. them” issue. It’s an issue of humanity. This isn’t the TV show “24“. People really need to get that kind of destructive thinking out of their heads.
The so-called “War on Terror” isn’t about fighting terrorists as much as it is about fighting an ideology. In order to fight an ideology you have to refrain from activities that the enemy is accusing you of doing. By committing any acts of torture we are only adding fuel to the flames.
Think of it like this: Allowing torture in certain circumstances is the equivalent of Mahandas Gandhi saying that there are times when it’s ok to shoot someone with a gun in self defense. To fight terror you have to change the way you think and take a much more worldly view of the problem. This isn’t an issue that you can make go away by simply torturing and bombing suspected and/or known terrorists.
Knowing that the Bush administration allowed for this level of torture does nothing but illustrate just how much of a failure the Bush administration was on the war against terror.
Conficker worm hits University of Utah computers
What occurred at the University of Utah is scary. I mean, the Conficker worm could be a lot worse that it is. Even now, nobody is really sure what kind of damage the worm is capable. Here’s the really scary part:
University health sciences spokesman Chris Nelson said the outbreak of the Conficker worm, which can slow computers and steal personal information, was first detected Thursday. By Friday, the virus had infiltrated computers at the hospitals, medical school, and colleges of nursing, pharmacy and health.
It infiltrated computers at a hospital? Holy shnikes, that’s scary! Can you imagine all the problems that would occur if patient data and medical records were compromised? I’m sure it wouldn’t be that big of a problem, but I bet some patients wouldn’t find it funny.
The staggering reality of the Conficker worm is that at least one in every three Windows-based PC’s are susceptible to the worm. Why? It all boils down to people not keeping their computers up to date. Either they’re not installing the updates or they’re ignoring them. How many times have you looked on someone’s Windows machine only to see that yellow shield glaring at you in the system tray? Also, how many times have you noticed that someone’s antivirus software is out of date? It’s ridiculous considering the sheer number of people who don’t keep their systems up to date.
The Conficker worm is just one more thing that shows just how much Windows is due for a serious overhaul. Those that don’t know well enough to keep their systems up to date would fare better with a Mac or Linux system. Granted, no system is 100% safe but at least with a Mac you don’t have to worry as much about this stuff.
