Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Hitler liked oatmeal; Bob likes oatmeal, therefore: Bob = Hitler. Whatever we might say about this experiential learning activity, it certainly isn't hazing. Does someone allege that the students were endangered? (The article makes no such allegation, does it?)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
In my original comment on SITD, I mistakenly attributed the piece to Alison Lapper. In fact, the sculpture was created by Marc Quinn.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
"A message to our Vietnam veterans"
[Entirely] BY PEGGY BAKKEN • SUN NEWSPAPERS
[ Published June 11, 2009 http://www.mnsun.com/ ]
Saturday, June 13, 2009, will be a special day in Minnesota. Thousands of veterans, their families and friends will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol to honor those who served during the Vietnam era. It’s being billed as Minnesota’s biggest Vietnam veteran event ever.
Those of us old enough to remember Vietnam still ache from the turmoil that ripped our nation into pieces. As a young teenager, news from Vietnam dominated our conversations, our music and our politics.
Weekly death tolls were routinely in the hundreds. Each night’s television newscast began with the number of soldiers killed that day. We were outraged. Hundreds, even thousands of our young men were dying in a jungle we did not know, in a war we did not understand. Our country was consumed by internal violence. Protesters were beaten and killed; cops were killed. Innocent bystanders died as riots erupted throughout the country.
January 1968 was the TET offensive. The Viet Cong launched a tremendous attack during the Vietnamese New Year. Over 500 American soldiers died that week alone. Our tiny farm towns in southern Minnesota lost three soldiers that week.
Among the dead was a neighbor — my best friend’s brother. I will never forget the image of the flag-draped coffin. At the cemetery, the flag was folded into the traditional triangle and handed to my best friend’s mother.
When my cousin came home from Vietnam in 1970, people would insult and mock him and his fellow veterans. He quickly learned to say nothing. It became common practice for our soldiers to remain silent about their service.
The anguish had led to a terrible, regrettable situation. We directed our anger over the war toward our returning soldiers.
When the killing and counting was done, nearly 58,000 American soldiers had died. Some 1,072 were from Minnesota. More than 300,000 soldiers had been injured. Some 2.5 million served in our Armed Forces. These individuals deserved our nation’s gratitude and admiration, but so many did not receive it.
Saturday, June 13, 2009, will be a special day in Minnesota. It is time to issue a long overdue greeting to every Vietnam-era veteran:
“Welcome home, and thank you.”
Peggy Bakken is the executive editor of Sun Newspapers. She welcomes readers’ comments on this topic and any other local issue at any time: pbakken@acnpapers.com, or 952-392-6822.
[ Published June 11, 2009 http://www.mnsun.com/ ]
Saturday, June 13, 2009, will be a special day in Minnesota. Thousands of veterans, their families and friends will gather at the Minnesota State Capitol to honor those who served during the Vietnam era. It’s being billed as Minnesota’s biggest Vietnam veteran event ever.
Those of us old enough to remember Vietnam still ache from the turmoil that ripped our nation into pieces. As a young teenager, news from Vietnam dominated our conversations, our music and our politics.
Weekly death tolls were routinely in the hundreds. Each night’s television newscast began with the number of soldiers killed that day. We were outraged. Hundreds, even thousands of our young men were dying in a jungle we did not know, in a war we did not understand. Our country was consumed by internal violence. Protesters were beaten and killed; cops were killed. Innocent bystanders died as riots erupted throughout the country.
January 1968 was the TET offensive. The Viet Cong launched a tremendous attack during the Vietnamese New Year. Over 500 American soldiers died that week alone. Our tiny farm towns in southern Minnesota lost three soldiers that week.
Among the dead was a neighbor — my best friend’s brother. I will never forget the image of the flag-draped coffin. At the cemetery, the flag was folded into the traditional triangle and handed to my best friend’s mother.
When my cousin came home from Vietnam in 1970, people would insult and mock him and his fellow veterans. He quickly learned to say nothing. It became common practice for our soldiers to remain silent about their service.
The anguish had led to a terrible, regrettable situation. We directed our anger over the war toward our returning soldiers.
When the killing and counting was done, nearly 58,000 American soldiers had died. Some 1,072 were from Minnesota. More than 300,000 soldiers had been injured. Some 2.5 million served in our Armed Forces. These individuals deserved our nation’s gratitude and admiration, but so many did not receive it.
Saturday, June 13, 2009, will be a special day in Minnesota. It is time to issue a long overdue greeting to every Vietnam-era veteran:
“Welcome home, and thank you.”
Peggy Bakken is the executive editor of Sun Newspapers. She welcomes readers’ comments on this topic and any other local issue at any time: pbakken@acnpapers.com, or 952-392-6822.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
MN DFL Gubernatorial Candidates - Events
Please send me updates & corrections -- gavin6@gmail.com
Matt Entenza
Tom Bakk
Susan Gaertner
Mark Dayton
Paul Thissen
John Marty
Not officially in:
R.T. Rybak
Chris Coleman
Steve Kelley
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Matt Entenza
Tom Bakk
Susan Gaertner
Mark Dayton
Paul Thissen
John Marty
Not officially in:
R.T. Rybak
Chris Coleman
Steve Kelley
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Erik Paulsen's 3/13/09 email to me
Dear Friend:
Thank you for letting me know of your opposition to the so-called stimulus bill.
I strongly share your opposition to this legislation, and you will be pleased to know that I voted against it when it was considered by the House.
As I said on the floor of the House during the debate on the original bill, we need a real stimulus that will put people back to work - that preserves, protects and most importantly creates jobs. But this big government spending bill does not accomplish this.
An analysis by the nonpartisan CBO found that just 7-8 percent of the infrastructure spending in the plan would be delivered into the economy by the end of this year - and less than half is spent in the first 2 years.
In addition, an extremely low percentage of the plan is aimed at job creation. Instead, the bill essentially turned into a supplemental spending bill and became a grab bag of special interest spending on unrelated items that will not save or create jobs. The bill will fund requests such as $2 million for neon signs in Las Vegas, $4.5 million for an eco park featuring butterfly gardens and gopher tortoises, $500,000 for a dog park, $3 million for a municipal golf course clubhouse, $886,000 for a 36-hole disc golf course, $1.8 million for replacement tennis courts, $6 million for three aquatic centers with water slides .. the list goes on and on. Clearly, we should not be spending more on these programs than on helping small businesses create jobs.
I supported an alternative stimulus plan that would provide relief for Minnesota families and create jobs. The proposal contained a variety of incentives for small businesses to create jobs, including a 20 percent tax deduction for small businesses; a health insurance premium deduction for those who do not get health insurance from their employers; an improved homebuyer tax credit; an exemption to make unemployment benefits tax free; and a variety of other initiatives that would help jumpstart our economy. In fact, analysis showed it would create twice the jobs at half the cost.
I believe both parties in Congress need to work together on real solutions to jumpstart the struggling economy and put people back to work. Congress also needs a "new era of responsibility" in how it spends the taxpayers' money. This stimulus package does not achieve those goals but only adds to the budget deficit.
You can be sure of my continued efforts to grow our economy, put people back to work and restore fiscal responsibility to Congress.
Thanks again for sharing your concerns, as I appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know whenever I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Erik Paulsen
Member of Congress
Thank you for letting me know of your opposition to the so-called stimulus bill.
I strongly share your opposition to this legislation, and you will be pleased to know that I voted against it when it was considered by the House.
As I said on the floor of the House during the debate on the original bill, we need a real stimulus that will put people back to work - that preserves, protects and most importantly creates jobs. But this big government spending bill does not accomplish this.
An analysis by the nonpartisan CBO found that just 7-8 percent of the infrastructure spending in the plan would be delivered into the economy by the end of this year - and less than half is spent in the first 2 years.
In addition, an extremely low percentage of the plan is aimed at job creation. Instead, the bill essentially turned into a supplemental spending bill and became a grab bag of special interest spending on unrelated items that will not save or create jobs. The bill will fund requests such as $2 million for neon signs in Las Vegas, $4.5 million for an eco park featuring butterfly gardens and gopher tortoises, $500,000 for a dog park, $3 million for a municipal golf course clubhouse, $886,000 for a 36-hole disc golf course, $1.8 million for replacement tennis courts, $6 million for three aquatic centers with water slides .. the list goes on and on. Clearly, we should not be spending more on these programs than on helping small businesses create jobs.
I supported an alternative stimulus plan that would provide relief for Minnesota families and create jobs. The proposal contained a variety of incentives for small businesses to create jobs, including a 20 percent tax deduction for small businesses; a health insurance premium deduction for those who do not get health insurance from their employers; an improved homebuyer tax credit; an exemption to make unemployment benefits tax free; and a variety of other initiatives that would help jumpstart our economy. In fact, analysis showed it would create twice the jobs at half the cost.
I believe both parties in Congress need to work together on real solutions to jumpstart the struggling economy and put people back to work. Congress also needs a "new era of responsibility" in how it spends the taxpayers' money. This stimulus package does not achieve those goals but only adds to the budget deficit.
You can be sure of my continued efforts to grow our economy, put people back to work and restore fiscal responsibility to Congress.
Thanks again for sharing your concerns, as I appreciate hearing from you. Please let me know whenever I can be of assistance.
Sincerely,
Erik Paulsen
Member of Congress
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My Public Opinion Research Thingamabob
For six years, Hamas had been firing rockets aimed at civilians in Israel. These illegal rockets killed almost twenty Israelis and wounded about 440, damaging property and causing great anxiety in Israel during that six-year period.
The Israel Palestine conflict dramatically escalated on December 27, 2008; fighting has continued since then between Israel and Hamas.
Who is to blame for the escalation that started in late December? Using your best judgment, please assign a percentage of the blame for the recent escalation to each party. So you're going to write down 2 numbers. The 2 numbers must add up to 100.
Hamas is ______ to blame.
Israel is ______ to blame.
The Israel Palestine conflict dramatically escalated on December 27, 2008; fighting has continued since then between Israel and Hamas.
Who is to blame for the escalation that started in late December? Using your best judgment, please assign a percentage of the blame for the recent escalation to each party. So you're going to write down 2 numbers. The 2 numbers must add up to 100.
Hamas is ______ to blame.
Israel is ______ to blame.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The "Dec. 26, 2008 hypothetical"
Had you known everything we now know about the various results of Israel's Gaza assault--even adding the beneficial ones--and Ehud Olmert asked you on Dec. 26, 2008 'Should we go forward with this plan, or not?'
Would you say yes or no?
Would you say yes or no?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
*
Hyperlink by no means indicates endorsement. But have you noticed that war supporters are actively avoiding getting information from Al Jazeera? (If you're minimally serious about following this thing--you've got to follow Al Jazeera--if for no other reason than to learn what the rest of the world is watching.)
100%-0%
H. Res. 34: Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United...which Erik Paulsen supported on January 9, 2009, includes:
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(5) calls on all nations--
(B) to lay blame both for the breaking of the ‘calm’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza precisely where blame belongs, that is, on Hamas;
Negative Effects of Israel's Assault on Gaza
Not in any particular order:
1) Thousands of Hamas fighters will be killed;
2) Hundreds of Gaza civilians will be killed;
3) Thousands of Gaza civilians will be severely maimed for life;
4) A media blackout will not prevent Al Jazeera from broadcasting factual, photographic coverage of many dead children and other civilians;
5) Global public opinion will strongly hold Israel and the USA responsible for the carnage;
6) Muslim disgust with the action will result in the widespread radicalization of currently-moderate Arab opinion leaders;
7) Hamas will become much more respected, among Palestinians and in the region;
8) Economic costs will be huge--to Israel, to the US and to Gaza's infrastructure and people.
If you think additional negative effects should be added, please email them to gavin6@gmail.com
1) Thousands of Hamas fighters will be killed;
2) Hundreds of Gaza civilians will be killed;
3) Thousands of Gaza civilians will be severely maimed for life;
4) A media blackout will not prevent Al Jazeera from broadcasting factual, photographic coverage of many dead children and other civilians;
5) Global public opinion will strongly hold Israel and the USA responsible for the carnage;
6) Muslim disgust with the action will result in the widespread radicalization of currently-moderate Arab opinion leaders;
7) Hamas will become much more respected, among Palestinians and in the region;
8) Economic costs will be huge--to Israel, to the US and to Gaza's infrastructure and people.
If you think additional negative effects should be added, please email them to gavin6@gmail.com
**
Monday, January 12, 2009
Mitchbergian Aria
http://www.shotinthedark.info/wp/?p=3952#comments
Israel isn’t “causing” the suffering in Gaza. That’s caused by:
a) Arab governments telling people to flee Israel in the forties and fifties,
b) making sure that the camps stay poor and miserable - like keeping a tight lid on a pot of boiling water - even to the point of…
c) expelling “Palestinians” from their own countries (Jordan fought a small war to eject their refugees in 1971 - and Jordanians are ethnically closer to Palestinians than anyone else), because they needed the “Palestinian” camps to serve as…
d) incubators for terrorism against…
e) Israel, whose existence all of them have historically wanted to terminate by any means necessary, including four wars - and when those failed, by…
f) relentless terrorism launched from the camps started in (b).
Given Europe’s history and, indeed, present when it comes to dealing with minorities in their own countries (to say nothing of their history from, ah, six or seven decades ago, their opinion and “outrage” is of no value whatsoever.
Israel isn’t “causing” the suffering in Gaza. That’s caused by:
a) Arab governments telling people to flee Israel in the forties and fifties,
b) making sure that the camps stay poor and miserable - like keeping a tight lid on a pot of boiling water - even to the point of…
c) expelling “Palestinians” from their own countries (Jordan fought a small war to eject their refugees in 1971 - and Jordanians are ethnically closer to Palestinians than anyone else), because they needed the “Palestinian” camps to serve as…
d) incubators for terrorism against…
e) Israel, whose existence all of them have historically wanted to terminate by any means necessary, including four wars - and when those failed, by…
f) relentless terrorism launched from the camps started in (b).
Given Europe’s history and, indeed, present when it comes to dealing with minorities in their own countries (to say nothing of their history from, ah, six or seven decades ago, their opinion and “outrage” is of no value whatsoever.
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