More Insight

Monday, March 31, 2008

A Grave(l) Day for the Democratic Party


Yes folks, it seems Mike Gravel has finally dropped out of the Democratic race for the presidency.
Oh, you didn't know he was still running? Was it because he didn't get a single delegate? Or that he didn't even raise $500,000 for his campaign? Well, he still is!

And he's dropping that "D" after his name in favor of a Libertarian bid.
By and large, I have been repeatedly marginalized in both national debates and in media exposure by the Democratic leadership, which works in tandem with the corporate interests that control what we read and hear in the media...

I look forward to advancing my presidential candidacy within the Libertarian Party, which is considerably closer to my values, my foreign policy views and my domestic views...

It is a party that combines a commitment to freedom and peace that can't be found in the two major parties that control the government and politics of America...My libertarian views, as well as my strong stance against war, the military industrial complex and American imperialism, seem not to be tolerated by Democratic Party elites who are out of touch with the average American.



What got me in trouble is talking about the fact that the Democratic Party is very much for the war, just like the Republicans. What got me into trouble was the fact of saying the Democrats are imperialists just like the Republicans and that they're supported by Wall Street and the Military-Industrial Complex

I think Americans are fed up with what's going on with the partisanship between the Republicans and the Democrats and I think we're headed for a perfect storm where there's a chance where a third party could break this monopoly that the Republicans and the Democrats have on our government...Whoever the presidential nominee on the Democratic side will be, whether it's Hiliary or Obama, and John McCain, you'd better believe I'll campaign against them. Cause I don't think they represent what's in the best interest of the United States of America.


Well done sir!

Animals Using Tools

As this NeuroPhilosophy post notes, it was long thought that only primates and humans had evolved to learn to use tools to accomplish certain tasks. But as the video shows, a rodent species, degus, learned the use of a rake to get food.



And Birds have been shown to use tools for tasks as varied as
bending a wire into a hook to retrieve food in the lab


And in the wild


and devise clever ways to open hard-shelled nuts


But most astonishing is the video of this elephant using a paintbrush to paint a better picture of an elephant than I could certainly ever accomplish.


Regardless of whether any of these animals were "trained" to use these tools or not behind the scenes, the video proof of the elephant painting and the gasps of amazement from the crowd (and filmers) as it paints in real time show at the very least the intrinsic ability to use tools for special tasks like getting food or artistic expression outside the traditional realm of humans and primates alone.

What other special talents previously monopolized by humans lay unmasked in the animal world?

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Spring Cleaning

Everything must go!
That's right, the Florida state legislature wants to cut about $3 billion from its budget - 2/3's of the state's spending is on education and human services. Can you guess where the cuts are being made?


Public schools? Who needs 'em?!! Cut $1.5 billion






Pre-school for over 7,000 poor kids? If they can't afford to learn, then they can afford not to learn! Let's take back $16 million and let them deal with the additional $14.5 million in federally matched funds they won't have



Alzheimer's research? I can't even remember the last time they needed $8.5 million!





Driver's License offices? How 'bout the license to save $240,000 by driving you to the unemployment line?





What does the court system need with $42 million, anyway? Justice is blind, so she can't see the 941 court employees who are about to lose their jobs or the foster kids who just want a family.






Thanks for playing and tune in for more cuts!

Pink Tiger

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Progressive Nation

If not at the polls, then at least on stage

Dream Theater - "Instrumedly"




Opeth - "Bleak"




Between the Buried and Me - "Selkies: The Endless Obsession"




3 - "All That Remains"