One Utah

I’m so goddamned disgusted with Republicans I could spit. Bunch’o rich white ASSHOLES!
I’ve never seen Ted so pissed. Go Ted!

What is it with Republicans and their refusal to help the working class?
“Do you have such disdain for hard-working Americans that you want to pile all your amendments on this? Why don’t […]

Testimony before the Divine Strake hearings at the Utah State Capitol Jan 24, 2007
If you were to awake tomorrow, with no previous knowledge of the event, to learn that someone had detonated 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil directly under an area of the West where tons of radioactive debris still scars the […]

Welcome to the Jungle, Holly Mullen. The former Salt Lake Tribune columnist who resigned last month rather than submit to censorship has started her own blog “Mullentown.” Mullen left after nine years at the paper and 25 years as a journalist when editor Terry Orme pulled one of her columns about the rescue of a […]

Bill Moyers spoke very deliberately about the “plantation mentality” in his recent speech; a speech which would have gotten him hauled up before the House Unamericans Activity Committee in an earlier time.
But he is right, sadly. Its more than a mentality though, its a strategy that keeps national wealth (and power) in the hands […]

No need to rush, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq that Congresss asked for back in August may be almost here. For those who remember, in September 2002 the 90-page secret NIE on Iraq’s supposed weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs was prepared in just a couple of weeks, with an unclassified version […]

You know how sometimes you hear something that rings true? This certainly did for me.

Here’s a video response from a real Marine.

There are so many tragic stories about the occupation of Iraq, involving Iraqis and Americans as well as people of other nationalities. I’m mentioning this one because of the Utah connection and the need to look at the role of private contractors in a war zone. KSL-TV has covered this because Dan Laguna, […]

We are in the depths of the annual circus of the State Legislature and I find myself pondering the need for a better system.
Utah is one of a group of states that have part-time legislatures.  Having been at the State Legislature as a citizen advocate every year for 7 sessions in a row, I’m increasingly […]

Unlocking the secrets of the Zeitgeist is hazardous for the untrained humanist. But this one was easy. The controversial experiment on “gay sheep” is a firestorm that, of course, was started by bloggers and was eventually picked up by corporate media. As NYT discovered, the reality of the story is less interesting than what it […]

I know that you guys get a raw deal sometimes. Most of humanity’s problems (rightly or wrongly) get laid on your doorstep. I’ve been quick in my life to point out the wrongs done to me and mine by men.
So, I just wanted to give credit where credit is due. I’ve noticed lately that there’s […]

Ken, Don’t let the Mormons scare you. They are but a stumble away from the rest of us deep down.

Anyone who gets offended with be disfellowhipped before Sunday.
P.S. See Ken’s first post below.
P.S.S. This one’s for Frank.

Apologies to Mick and Keith, but “Sympathy for the Devil” is an appropriate backdrop for the mission Cliff Lyon has tapped me for: taking on environmental issues with a focus on Utah governments and certain powerful and influential elements, among them: gold, copper, carbon and Mormonium, which I believe is #263 on the periodic table. […]

What does the Utah legislature’s annual attack on queer students have to do with a fight in Arkansas to remove books from school libraries? The answer is everything.
Yet again, the rocket scientists in the legislature have decided that gay-straight alliances must be bad for students and have decided to write a law that would […]

First, allow me to thank Richard for a superb assessment of one aspect of the situation on the ground under the “Surge Strategy.” I was on-line a week or so ago and came across an news report that honestly made me sick to stomach. Perhaps, the PTSD and suicides of returning Iraq Veterans ought to […]

This morning, I watched the confirmation hearing for LTG Petraeus, who will be taking over the command of ground forces in Iraq. Although the plan to secure Baghdad is not as new and original as it has been presented, there will be a change in tactics that threatens to increase casualties because more American […]

I have a relative who ran a successful small business for many years.  At one point, this relative was struggling in the business and asked me what I thought should/could be done.  After a couple hours of talking, I said, “You know, you keep saying ‘This is tax deductible’, and ‘That saves me money on […]

Hat tip to atrios. 
According to a CBS poll out yesterday, George W. Bush has a 28% approval rating.  Historically the only president to get into that range is (drum roll please) . . .
Richard M. Nixon. 
Nixon was at 24% when he resigned.
For historical comparison:
His job approval is also far below those of other modern two-term […]

Flicking through the channels tonight on the idiot box, I caught the nuclear bomb explosion in Valencia, CA on some “hot” new FOX program called 24 (I think) but landed on a PBS program about John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, and the beginning of the American Revolution.
And it occurred to me our embarrassingly patriotic Milblogger […]

This appeared in my email box today as part of a mass emailing (portions of it are omitted):
Standard of Liberty Foundation

Dear Friends,
Protect Minors from Gay Clubs in Schools
The Utah legislature is taking up a bill about gay clubs in schools. Tomorrow, Tuesday, January, 23, 2006, the Utah House Education committee will be meeting to consider […]