cautionbug's Comments (52)

“DADT is an executive order pertaining specifically to the military. It's not a law. It can be withdrawn at any time, and there are reports that the military is actually prepared to handle it any time Obama gives such an order.

The president is sworn to uphold the law, but is not sworn to prevent improving it. And if civil rights, which trump a specific definition of marriage any day, are better served by his effort to repeal DOMA and keep religious definitions of marriage separated from civil ones, then he should be doing so.

By refusing to act on either of these, yes, he has betrayed a large group of people who supported him and the idea that he could help them have legal equality. Not SPECIAL rights, but EQUAL. Upholding the Constitutional foundation of equality is more important, and he should know that.”

“Does Obama's over-passive role in the health care debacle mean that Lieberman is somehow absolved from his manipulation of the system? Yes, Obama could do more to insist that fellow party leaders take a more aggressive path with drama queens like Lieberman and other Dems who know how crucial they are. The Senate is not a democracy when a small group can game the rules in this fashion. Obama has nothing to do with that except to voice his distaste for it. Unfortunately, he seems fairly content with it.”

“"I'm mad at the administration for not wielding power. "

Isn't this the exact concept that made so many Americans angry with Bush's administration? Wielding too MUCH power in the legislation?

See, the job of the legislation, as i understand it, is to legislate. They're supposed to find the most effective way to create the laws, regardless of whose agenda the bills serve or where they come from. Obama is infuriatingly optimistic about a bill that is obviously going down the tubes. He's desperate for any bill to pass, so he's willing to urge the Senate majority to bend to one man's will. But he's not in charge of the process.

Lieberman is single-handedly destroying the majority, and he's become the personification of hypocrite by leveraging a filibuster threat after trying to get it eradicated from the rules. No one should have that kind of power. Senate Dems are almost as bad for not waking up months ago to the fact that Republicans + 1 would block it, and pass it through reconciliation.

Those who still support the bill claim it's a solid foundation for future improvements. The analogy is wrong. It's a terrible foundation with pretty doors and siding. The public option is the foundation, and it's all but gone.”

“That same YouTube member has many excellent videos regarding deniers of other scientific theories, like evolution and life's chemical origins. His videos are definitely worth broader exposure. Thanks for bringing this one out in the open!”

“i agree with CollinJE. If you're closed to the possibility of being wrong when shown an objective view of events around you, you're not opening discourse, just seeking comfort/commiseration.

If i claim that my small miracle is that i didn't spontaneously burst into flames, by what measure do we elevate that claim to miracle? Ignore the statistical improbability and jump straight to divinity? After all, my not bursting into flames was a real experience. i defy you to demonstrate otherwise (see how this faith thing looks from the outside?).

In order to see God in my daily life, i have to choose it and reconcile it against facts that point to God's absence. That reconciliation requires acceptance of glaring contradictions. Then picking the right deity, lest the others punish me for getting it wrong. (If you know which deity i should thank for intervening to prevent me suddenly flaming-on, let me know - but remember, my unproven eternal soul is at stake to get it right.)

i admit in my personal case, there is some low-level bitterness. My reason is this: believers have had the luxury of control for millennia and have never been held accountable for denying (and suppressing) evidence that contradicts the existence of God. Now there's a push for that accountability, believers simply continue to avoid verifying their claims while insisting that they're factual. This is a deliberate choice of ignorance, and does not make society better.”

“Miracle: an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

"Small miracles" is an oxymoron. Miracles by definition are HUGE - something completely impossible by natural means becomes possible. Asking God for the occasional 2 out of 7 successful matches on a Lotto ticket while you get one other isn't a miracle. Asking God to make two consecutive traffic lights green to your favor is not a miracle. These are desperate efforts to find a divine crutch where one should not be necessary.

\And frankly, i find it troubling to pray for a miracle that their family doesn't fight for one night. Should you really rely on God for that miracle, or maybe put in some effort to provide a loving and peaceful home that doesn't require divine intervention? Families are dysfunctional, yes, but to let "God will tend to it" be the excuse for not affecting change is weakness. C'mon, make your world better through your own action, not praying and waiting for The Copilot to do the work.

And there's not a single thing wrong with asking God for direct verifiable evidence of Its existence (show Thyself to more than the loony with the invisible dragon in his garage!), especially when having faith and religion means denying evidence to the contrary. For that kind of evidence would TRULY be a miracle.”

“i have a pretty good feeling what his coaching "style" will be. He shouldn't be allowed within the distance of that 62nd homer of a pro baseball job on ANY level until he fully admits what everyone already knows.”

“"Full-throated"? Hmm?”

“Perhaps it's not a matter of financial standing that should be considered; but i'm all for restricting people too stupid to recognize their inability to support a child financially, emotionally, educationally, etc.”

“Y'know what's kind of funny, and in a bigger-picture way, very scary about this? He's becoming the model for a return to not-for-profit "news". Obviously "news" is used with the thickest sense of irony.”

“Excellent remarks.”

“No discussion of gratuitous film violence should omit the most bloodthirsty film i can think of: The Passion Of The Christ. Christians applaud Mel Gibson for such an "accurate" depiction of Christ's death, so what does that say about the foundation of their religion as a whole?”

“Inevitably, ad money > integrity.”

“The irony would be the discovery that Ahmadinejad listens to Miley in his bedroom while playing with Rainbow Brite and My Little Ponies. In footy pajamas.

A great post though. No argument there. :)”

“By the way... Miley Cyrus? With all the sociopolitical impact of a water balloon on the sun?”

“Ooh! i forgot one...
Napoleon XIV: "They're Coming To Take Me Away (Ha ha!)"”

“"Terrible Lie" - NIN
"Liar" - Rollins Band
"Under Satan" - KMFDM
"Race Of Doom" - Devo”

“Maybe it's not politically correct to ask this, but what happened to appointment based on a full spectrum of qualifications? What's all this filtering based on race, gender, sexuality, etc? Isn't that what happened with Alberto Gonzales, and look how that went...”

“i say let him ride!! He's the best thing that's ever happened to atheism!”

“So first there were Hoovervilles... might we dub these Bushburgs?”

“When Microsoft first took over Hotmail, they slipped the same phrasing into a revision of Hotmail's ToS, claiming any intellectual property exchanged through your email could be used to their benefit without compensation blah blah blah.

It lasted about a month, and they had the good sense to publicly apologize for crossing the line.

Google also has similar phrasing but that didn't last a week and they were very apologetic.

If this isn't retracted in a week, i'm done there.”

“Better suggestion to shorten the show: Mail the winners their statues, and reduce the broadcast to a reading of the winners list. The Oscars, Grammys, etc, are a ridiculous waste of air time. Yeah, good music and films and those involved with them deserve recognition. But seeing a mindless, endless parade of showbiz people blab on and on about who they owe debts of gratitude to is such a waste of time. And then there are those who deliberately say "Screw the rules!" and talk beyond their time anyway.

It's not the musical performances that need a change. The whole format is bogus.”

“"Religion breeds hypocrisy, self-delusion and wishful thinking."

Don't forget fear, subjugation, and bigotry.

"Do as you're told or spend eternity burning in hell!"
"Commit all your energy to ignorant devotion to complete irrationality!"
"Those who do not agree with us are damned, and must be punished!"”

“Just used my B&N Christmas gift card to buy the book. Thanks for presenting it to us.”

“Wow, and i thought all that absurdity had faded 25 years ago with the PMRC trying to sue heavy metal bands. Will we start seeing kids disappear to "religious rehab" camps again?

While this nonsense is amusing to anyone with even the smallest capability of rational thought, it's unnerving that stuff like this can and does gain traction in America.”