altara

Saturday, April 18, 2009

THE TEXAS SECESSION

Ever since Texas Governor Rick Perry suggested that his state might well secede in protest against oppressive federal policies, pundits have pointed out that secession has been discredited since the 1860's and that the agreement upon Texas' entry gave it no right to secede. (The agreement did give Texas the right to morph into five separate states, but no one wants that)

I say, let Texas secede. Not only would secession rid us of those annoying Dallas Cowboy fans and obnoxious politicians such as Tom Delay, but it would help with the illegal immigration problem.
Texas may well become once again part of Mexico, but even if not we no longer have to monitor that long southern Texas border. We'll find it easier to seal the border with Arkansas. And if Texans try to sneak across, they'll be easier to catch since they're larger and louder than Mexicans.


NEWS AND COMMENT

The disarray highlights what threatens to be a lose-lose situation for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner: If all the banks pass, the tests’ credibility will be questioned, and if some banks get failing grades and are forced to accept more government capital and oversight, they may be punished by investors and customers. Bloomberg News

So - complete and accurate information for investors is bad?



NEWS AND COMMENT

WASHINGTON — Consumers who buy minicars to economize on fuel are making a big tradeoff when it comes to safety in collisions, according to an insurance group that slammed three minimodels into midsize ones in tests.


So - in big car/small car collisions, the big car wins. Size matters. This information qualifies for inclusion in Andy Borowitz' fictional magazine, "Duh".

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Happy Teabag Day! April 15, 2009

NEWS AND COMMENT

WASHINGTON — Consumers who buy minicars to economize on fuel are making a big tradeoff when it comes to safety in collisions, according to an insurance group that slammed three minimodels into midsize ones in tests.


So - in big car/small car collisions, the big car wins. Size matters. This information qualifies for inclusion in Andy Borowitz' fictional magazine, "Duh".

HAPPY TEABAG DAY! - April 15, 2009

Gay marriage again. Recent legislation and court decisions upholding same-sex marriages in Vermont and Iowa (yes, Iowa) have brought this issue into political contention again. So I'm posting again the view I noted many years ago. One positive development is that I recently heard one politician voicing the same thought.


The solution - take marriage off the table. Get the word "marriage" off the statuate books.

Let marriage be the private commitment that it really is. Those who wish can choose marriage, and label it as such, in accordance with their faith, spiritual values, ethics, or other personal beliefs. It may or may not be church or religion related; that depends of the tenets of the church and the wishes of the couple.

On the other hand, the state should have nothing to do with the institution of marriage. Its concern should only be civil union and the regulation of the legalities of formation and dissolution, basic rights and obligations of the parties, and economic benefits attendant to the union. The state's role as protector of children remains unchanged.