Category Archives: Geography

Pssst … right-wing protesters are not the most important thing : Damned Pundit :: Las Vegas CityLife

This needed said. Too much is being said about fringe psychopaths trying to ruin our nation because they lost an election. Yes, the Secret Service should pay a visit to the most extreme of them, but there is a certain truth that they would likely just go home and fume quietly if we quit giving them air time.

So rather than getting nervous about slipping (yet still strong) approval ratings for Obama and his policies or fretting because Beltway pundits have now changed their minds and decided that it may be possible after all for a Republican to win an election outside of rural Mississippi, Democratic politicians should focus on governing. Moreover, they should govern not so as to placate the often-irrational fears of the right or in a play-it-safe manner calculated to offend the fewest number of ill-informed independent voters. They should govern to secure and promote social and economic justice. Because they are Democrats. That is what they were elected to do. They can’t control the media. But they can control their policy agenda. Besides, the old adage bears repeating: Good policy is good politics.

Titus’ star rising as Ensign struggles – Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 | 2 a.m. – Las Vegas Sun

Here’s hoping this is a trend that will continue.

Ensign has to go. He won’t, but it is nice to see his influence diminished.

Titus needs to gain more clout. Harry Reid is spineless. Shelley Berkley’s anti-Obama speil during the primaries last year really turned me off to anything she has to say anymore. Honestly that goes for the whole damn crowd who went beyond being for Hillary and into character assassination just for laughs.

This means nothing for you outside of Nevada, but just liked the article.

Mongolia In Transition : NPR

I don’t know what it is about Mongolia that’s always interested me. I’ve linked more than a few stories about the country over the years, but this series has done a lot to flesh out the place as more than just some child’s mythological place.

That said, reading – and watching – The Long Way Round did a lot for the process as well.

Mapping America

I remember linking a few map links and figured now was the time to lay down a post about them.

First off, from Wired, American Vice: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins. What is most interesting to me in this is how the “Bible Belt” is chock full of Envy, Wrath, Lust, and Pride.

Wrath: Number of violent crimes (murder, assault, and rape) per capita.

Here is a writeup in the Catholic Globe, plus more maps reprinted in the Las Vegas Sun, including Nevada state breakdowns.

Worried about climate change? If you are a citizen of the Plains/MidWest you’d better be. Not only are Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa in the crosshairs of major change, they are also represented by Republican global warming deniers that won’t be doing a damn thing to help out the Americans that will be hardest hit.

At the same time, resistance to climate change legislation by Republicans is costing their supporters jobs. Don’t believe me? Check out the following map:

Meanwhile, politically, a map that gives hope that we may eventually silence the Talibangelicals and Rethugs and at least get the GOP back to “just” racists and trickle-down theory idiots again. I mean, if THIS is what the Angry White Right for Jebus has to offer, the Republicans will find another way. Won’t they?

Think Progress » Woman yells ‘Heil Hitler’ to Jewish man praising Israel’s national health care system.

Folks, the Reich Wing has come to Vegas.

Here’s the video to the event:

Basically, since John Ensign is hiding from the public and Harry Reid doesn’t have a spine – and Lord knows what our Reps are doing – we haven’t had any of the town hall bullshit here. At least until a local racist radio shitheel decided to hold one – in a country/western dance hall.

No, I’m not kidding.

While there, a proper Rethug begins launching into Hilter chants while trying to shout down a Jewish man speaking.

That, in a nutshell, is the Republican Party folks. When something doesn’t go their way, call everyone a commie, bring out the Nazism, and kick in the racial slur machine. Add a dose of angry religion even Jesus wouldn’t recognize as anything he’d ever said and turn the volume up to 11.

Somehow this works. I don’t know why. You’d think people would raise their children to learn that throwing a tantrum is not adult behavior. You’d think people would raise their kids to not be bigoted jerks either. Then again, I guess you’d call those folks anything but Republican.

UPDATE: According to DailyKos, the lady is ironically wearing an Israeli Defense Forces t-shirt. So much for that pro-Israel policy. Or as the posting goes:

Apparently the wingnut love affair with Israel goes only as far as getting Israelis killed in the race to the Rapture.

When an Israeli wants to talk about health care, it’s right back to “Heil Hitler.”

….Now, why does an American wingnut wear an IDF t-shirt to a health care event? To prove wingnut bona fides, of course. But… first thing out of her mouth when she meets a real Israeli? “Heil Hitler!”

A Jew disagrees with her. The mask comes off.