8 Minutes On High

Yo, Leonidas: I’ma let you finish …

September 20th, 2009 by Max

http://imaletyoufinish.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/animated-kanye-west.gif

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The Hawk Migration in Oneonta NY

September 19th, 2009 by Max

News from Franklin Mt (from Thurs 17th)

Broad-winged Hawks have been moving at Franklin in good numbers with 4 triple digits days in the past week. A new seasonal record for the site was set yesterday with 1436 tallied so far.

Since it is relatively early in the season – they can continue into late September – this could be a very big year for us.

Showers are forecast for Thursday and Friday but right now the weekend weather looks excellent. Since broadwings can be high and hard to spot after mid-day, it is easiest to spot them in the morning. If there is fog, you should make an effort to be there before the fog rises.

Saturday’s counter is Steve Hall.
Sunday’s counter is Andy Mason.

Tom Salo

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Check out 365 Days of Astronomy

September 18th, 2009 by Max

We sponsor the September 22 episode of the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. Give it a listen. Give us a listen.

http://365daysofastronomy.org/

http://www.csapodcast.blogspot.com/

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My Healthcare Survey

September 11th, 2009 by Max

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What would the Republican’s say?

September 10th, 2009 by Max

He promised his health care bill wouldn’t add to the deficit.

He said it wouldn’t cover illegal aliens.

Congressman Joe Wilson from ??? Yes, that’s right. South Carolina yelled “You’re a liar!”

If a Democrat ever did that to President Bush, what would the Republican’s say?

Then, Rep Bustany of Louisiana came on and said that it would add to the deficit. Ok. He looked at the bill a house committee passed. That’s politics that’s fair. Is it fair to add that Rep Bustany of Louisiana was onced conned out of major $$’s because he was trying to buy a peerage in England? He wanted to be Sir Bustany!

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My thoughts on the upcoming healthcare bill

September 8th, 2009 by Max

I’m a liberal. I like saying it. Don’t tell me its a bad word.

So this may come as a surprise. Maybe not. Maybe I mentioned it before, anyway here goes.

I keep hearing that we need the public option for the sake of “competition”. I keep thinking, that’s why we have more than one health insurance company. In fact, we have a lot of them.
So why don’t we already have competition?

I’m a liberal but I believe in Capitalism. That belief is merely qualified. Business, left unchecked, will compete until one wins. Its called Monopoly. This is why we need regulation.

If the insurance companies are not competing, it seems to me, then what we need is either an investigation as to why they are not competing or regulation to make them compete.

I suspect the answer is both.

I don’t trust business. At least I am wary of BIG businesses. We know from all manner of media from Michael Moore to Richard Chriton that insurance companies do nasty things to people such as deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and drop health insurance coverage when people get sick.

We need insurance reform. That’s obvious. We need regulation and competition, but why do we need one of the competitors to be the federal government. The government should be the referee. And they should insist that the competitors get in there and compete!

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Gran Torino

September 6th, 2009 by Max

Unlike the savage satisfaction of Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood’s Walt Kowalski leaves us redeemed for our sins.

Gran Torino is a story of repentance and forgiveness set in a decaying Detroit suburb. Clint is, of course, the hard bitten old guy, now out of place in a world that once made sense to him. Turning away from the church his wife loved, Clint finds redemption in the fragile life of a Hmong boy who moves in next door. The conflict comes with the boy who is pulled by a gang toward a life bound for jail and pulled again by the strong women who rule his house toward an unknown but more peaceful and productive future.

After a failed attempt to pass a gang initiation by stealing the car, Thao is drawn to the powerful masculine role model that is Walt Kowalski.

Walt as a hard bitten Korean veteran almost climbs out of his cliche’ while the remaining characters fill only their role, leaving the film with a sterile, parable like feel.

We like Clint. We like the kid and his sister. We don’t like the bad gang members who have no depth at all nor do we like the bad black guys on the corner who serve the role of allowing Clint to be a hero to the girl.

Only the hard bitten Walt is worth remembering and frankly he was more enjoyable as an ass than as a Christ like … well … we don’t want to spoil it.

People will like this movie, but to this reviewer it felt too mechanical. It got from A to B but it failed to show us much that was new.

3 of 5 Smiling Maxes for Gran Torino. Go see it for Clint.

Director:
Clint Eastwood
Writers (WGA):
Nick Schenk (screenplay)
Dave Johannson (story) …

Release Date:
9 January 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama more

Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations more

Cast
Clint Eastwood … Walt Kowalski
Christopher Carley … Father Janovich
Bee Vang … Thao Vang Lor
Ahney Her … Sue Lor

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Why NY State Voters Should Vote Out the Whole Lot

September 5th, 2009 by Max

Oh Boy. This topic is so big.

Let’s start with last year’s report that New York had the second least effective legislature in the US.

Add to that that New York had some long string (15?) of years where the budget was late. WAY late.

Add to that, that our Governor left in shame, hoisted on his own petard of corruption busting, by spending thousands on prostitution.

That’s the good news!

Now. Here are excerpts from just one article in the Daily News online from July 10, 2009

It’s over – for now.

The month-long Senate fiasco seemingly came to an end much as it began – with a betrayal.

Turncoat Democrat Pedro Espada Jr., who participated in the June 8 Republican-led coup, held true to reputation by flipping back to the Democrats. He was promptly named the Senate’s new majority leader.

His return gives the Democrats a 32-30 majority. The Senate for the first time in more than a month returned to regular session Thursday night and at 9:35 p.m. started passing bills.
[snip]
The Senate has been paralyzed since the GOP-led coup, which occurred with just two weeks left in the legislative session.

Gov. Paterson tried to force them into action by requiring them to meet every day, withholding their pay and doing his best to embarrass them.

Espada’s return to the Democratic conference posed problems for many Democrats, who for weeks attacked him as an unethical political opportunist “thief” who may not live in his district and was once indicted. Fewer than half attended the press conference trumpeting Espada’s return.
[snip]
Espada, who for weeks said Democrats had to recognize the June 8 coup and his election as Senate president, yesterday insisted the coup was never about titles.

[snip]

“I never left the Democratic Party,” Espada said. “I never left my conference. We were in conflict; that conflict is resolved.”

Under the deal that brought him back, Malcolm Smith (D-Queens), the man toppled in the coup, returns as as Senate president.

[snip]

“To the 19.5 million people in the state of New York, we apologize,” Sampson said. “We are getting back to work.”

Just hours before the deal was sealed at midnight Thursday, Espada vehemently denied he was going back to the Democrats or wanted to be majority leader.

Some Democrats who initially opposed Espada’s return grudgingly recognized that it might have been necessary to end the stalemate with the Democrats in charge.

[snip]

A top Senate Democrat said Espada will have no real power as majority leader. He was not running the floor debate last night.

Republicans were taken aback by Espada’s betrayal after his repeated denials that he would go back to the Democratic conference.

Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos predicted the fractured Democratic conference will crumble within a few months.

“There are so many factions there that would like to . . . slit the other faction’s throats that I think it is going to be difficult for them to lead and govern,” he said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/07/09/2009-07-09_end_in_sight_for_senate_deadlock_rogue_democrat_pedro_espada.html#ixzz0QG5L9oIU

LATER we learned that Espada’s brother was given a $150,000 a year job, that he gave back after one week and without pay. What is not clear to me is if that was in addition to or part of the $350,000 in incentives that Espada earned for his betrayal of both parties. He among all the sellouts and incompetents should be the first to be removed. Then each member of a party that curried his favor should hang his head in shame and resign.

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The New CSA Podcast 2.0

September 3rd, 2009 by Max

Check out the new Countless Screaming Argonauts version DriveTime 2.0. We have a new clipped fast format and we’re really having fun with it.

You can find us at: http://www.csapodcast.blogspot.com/

Or better yet in comedy, on iTunes! [we're explicit though - so tell your parents]

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365 Days of Astronomy

September 3rd, 2009 by Max

Look for 365 Days of Astronomy on September 22

What
The First Female Radio Astronomer by Brains Matter
When
Tue Sep 22 – Tue Sep 22

Description: The first female in radio astronomy was the Australian physicist, Ruby Payne Scott. Not only was she a female pioneer in this area, but one of the first radio astronomers of either gender. Today’s episode pays tribute to Ruby and gives a bit of a background on who she was.

Organisation: Brains Matter

URL: http://www.brainsmatter.com

Short bio: The Brains Matter podcast has been producing and communicating science stories and interviews since September 2006. The show is based out of Melbourne, Australia, and takes an everyday person’s perspective of science in easy-to-understand language.

SPONSOR: This episode of 365 Days of Astronomy is sponsored by Countless Screaming Argonauts. We’re just two guys talking to anyone about everything and we’d like to dedicate this episode to the memory of John Glenn, who inspired kids like us to think about the stars. We can be found at csapodcast.blogspot.com . We’re on iTunes

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Vote out all of the New York State Legislature

September 2nd, 2009 by Max

Here in New York our legislature embarrassed the entire state this summer.

I was talking to my friend Dan last night and he said what I had been thinking. Regardless of who they are or what they’ve done in the past amounts to, we, New Yorkers should get rid of the entire state legislature after the selfish, self interested debacle that was this recent fight for power.

Please:

JUST VOTE THEM ALL OUT!

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