4th of July Open Thread

25
  by: Colorado Pols Wed July 4, 2012 at 8:17 AM MDT

“For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson


Full story: 4th of July Open Thread

25 Community Comments, Facebook Comments

  1. DavidThi808DavidThi808 says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 3:59 PM MDT

    Please alert the conservatives that they need to stop this as all hiring should be purely on merit. We should not be taking into account people’s beliefs. Details at The other NTSNBN

  2. parsingreality says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 4:10 PM MDT

    Freedom to make a society more fair and less concerned about profits.

    Freedom to not have unpaid medical bills, medical bankruptcy, or just free to get (not “free!”) health care, unlike thee 26,000 Americans who died last year since they had the “freedom” to no have health care.

    Freedom to help choose my government, and not have it chosen by Big Money.

    Freedom to easily register to vote and to vote, and not be disenfranchised by laws based on unfounded fears, mostly coming from the hacks proclaiming “Freedom!” all the time.

    Freedom to not live in a anarchistic state, which is of course, where everyone is “free,” but in fact no one is, except for the one big warlord on top. I gladly give up phantom “rights” for a good night’s sleep.

    I could go on.  Maybe some of you will.  

  3. IndyNinjaIndyNinja says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 4:11 PM MDT

    According to Sara Castellanos of the Aurora Sentinel, Terry Todd was hospitalized a few days after last weeks primary election for a prostate-ectomy.

    Apparently he was diagnosed with Prostate cancer sometime during the campaign.

    My initial reaction is sympathy for him and his wife and the rest of their family. I just had a cancer death in my family recently and I know how hard the struggle can be on the loved-ones.

    But I have to admit that I also feel some anger. Why continue such a contentious primary election with such a major health problem? Why continue to divide a district after losing at the assembly? And why did he not feel that the voters had a right to know about it before they made their choice in the election?

    We’ll probably never know the answers to those questions. He lost the election, so I bet he doesn’t feel a great obligation to justify himself.

    But this kinda stuff really bothers me. I talked to some people who are more familiar with the area last night and they told me that he was in and out of the hospital multiple times during the campaign but never said why. Didn’t it ever occur to him that he might be doing the people of his district a dis-service if he got elected and then had to miss large portions of the session for medical reasons? Or was his plan to resign after a short time so that the Williams-Todd dynasty could name the next in the line as they have for the last 16 years?

    I’m sorry. I’m feeling testy today and this isn’t even my part of the state, so I shouldn’t care. But it hit me close to home and I needed to vent, so there ya go.  

    • ProgressiveCowgirlProgressiveCowgirl says:
      Wed July 4, 2012 at 9:17 PM MDT

      But (and as you said, we probably will never know) it may be that he knew he would be having surgery and be recovered by the start of the session. Prostate cancer is pretty treatable. The five-year survival rate for all stages combined is nearly 100%, and in the last five years (because obviously those statistics refer to patients treated five years ago) treatment has improved even more. The vast majority of prostate cancer patients are treated and go on to live long enough to die of something else. Cancer’s never a good thing, but if you’re going to have cancer, it’s a pretty safe one to get.

    • Pam Bennett says:
      Thu July 5, 2012 at 1:11 PM MDT

      Your reaction to Todd’s medical issue is why electeds and candidates become very uncommunicative about medical issues. You question his motives for running after learning he had some medical condition. Is it because you want to bash “Williams-Todd”? Or is it because you prefer only healthy people to run for office, whatever healthy means to you.

      I know many men who have prostate cancer along with having their prostates removed; and they are doing quite well 20 years post diagnosis. Many members of Congress have this and are not in peril of losing their seats or lives.

      But, if this concerns candidates releasing their medical records for non-medical people to review, then I am on the side of no release.  

  4. DavidThi808DavidThi808 says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 4:21 PM MDT

    One of the things many economists and others say is that the world cannot support everyone being raised to live a first world existence. Because the resources required for that are more than the earth can deliver.

    However, in many cases the trick is not to duplicate what we have in the first world, but to find a better way to get the same end result. Really interesting example here of bringing the equivalent of banking – without banks being built.

  5. DavidThi808DavidThi808 says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 4:24 PM MDT

    Microsoft’s Downfall: Inside the Executive E-mails and Cannibalistic Culture That Felled a Tech Giant

    “Every current and former Microsoft employee I interviewed-every one-cited stack ranking as the most destructive process inside of Microsoft, something that drove out untold numbers of employees,” Eichenwald writes.

    The one thing I would add is that this was going on for more than 20 years, it just apparently got a lot worse over the last 10.

  6. ClubTwittyClubTwitty says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 4:46 PM MDT

    Tries to ‘fix’ ticket with email to Chaffee County sheriff.  Classic Craig and a repeat offense on this particular tactic.  Wonder how many he’s gotten away with?

    It’s a long article, but behind a pay wall. Still, the story undoubtedly has some legs, so hopefully you will see it elsewhere soon.  He better hurry and get it fixed I mean, taken care of, his reign ends in a few months.

    http://www.gjsentinel.com/news…

    In his latest exchange with police over petty tickets, Mesa County Commissioner Craig Meis was cited last weekend on suspicion of violating a fire ban in Chaffee County when his camping party lit up a small charcoal grill.

    Meis denied suggestions he tried to “fix” a ticket written Saturday by Chaffee County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Matthew Goodwin, who cited the commissioner on suspicion of building, maintaining or attending an open fire during Stage 2 fire restrictions, a violation of county ordinance carrying a possible $500 fine.

    …

    A miffed Palmer said the language in the emails speaks for itself.

    “I don’t understand this guy,” the sheriff said. “This isn’t Chicago, this is Colorado, for God sake.”

  7. DavidThi808DavidThi808 says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 6:31 PM MDT

    Stanford’s Most Popular Major Is Now Computer Science

    In the muscular years of 1955 and 1965, when any liberal arts degree qualified a white male to work in business, History was the school’s most popular major, with Economics and Political Science lurking behind. In 1975, Psychology ruled. Then Reagan won the presidency, finance took over, and by 1985, most students studied Economics. In 1995 – just before the rise of the web – the most popular majors were Biological Sciences and Human Biology. Economics held the third spot.

    …

    “A quarter of all undergraduates and more than 50% of graduate students [at Stanford] are engineering majors. At Harvard, the figures are 4 and 10%; at Yale, they’re 5 and 8%.”

    • BlueCat says:
      Wed July 4, 2012 at 7:47 PM MDT

      Try to forget about software for a bit and have fun engaging in the non-virtual world.  Go outside.  Eat a hot dog.  Just checking in before getting started on the holiday myself. Going to a party with BBQ (don’t foresee that coming out of a 3d printer instead of a smoker any time soon), kids, dogs, beer, potato salad, pie, etc. Hope you are too :)

  8. Ralphie says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 8:43 PM MDT

    From the July 4, 1969 WOR radio show of the late Jean Shepherd.

    This link should fire up your media player.

  9. Algernon MoncriefAlgernon Moncrief says:
    Wed July 4, 2012 at 10:05 PM MDT

    Strange that our PERA trust fund dollars will be used for “blogging,” anyway, I wanted to pass this along . . . you know, help Colorado PERA to achieve its communication goals.  How many bloggers does the State of Colorado employ?  Will this be the first?  I see this PERA employment expansion as clear evidence that no “actuarial emergency” exists relating to PERA’s funding . . . apparently, Colorado PERA has sufficient funds to pay for “blogging.”

    Here is a link to the job posting:

    http://andrewhudsonsjobslist.c…

    “Colorado PERA is actively seeking a highly organized, highly motivated writer to work with the day-to-day execution of social media and blogging efforts. This will include social media monitoring, such as: tracking our social communities, initiating and maintaining online conversations, and monitoring issue escalation (putting out any fires with diplomatic flair). This will also include writing for a newly launched blog, so experience writing for the web is a must.”

    “This position requires a highly motivated and intelligent individual who can identify social media best practices, monitor and analyze how brand is perceived and strategize ways to improve perception and stay in touch with community conversations to recognize key online influencers as they pertain to the financial industry and constantly growing realm of financial advice blogs. The ideal candidate will have strong creative writing skills, and must be able to assess community insights to plan, build, and improve social media efforts. Strong knowledge of the financial industry is a plus.”

  10. parsingreality says:
    Thu July 5, 2012 at 8:09 AM MDT

    …..and we’ve had discussion here about best methods and such, I offer my two recipes:

    First, a dry rub that works with beef, pork, and even chicken.  Most rubs either can do mammal meat or chicken, but not both. I call it “Bayou #14″ cuz I finalized it on the 14th of December last year. On the bayou here, of course.  If all you put on the meat is this, it’s great!

    (And Bayou #14 plus lemon pepper for oven baked chicken is…is…is…beyond description.)

    Of all the many regional styles, I’ve long held KC tomato/sweet cooked on as my favorite.  Years of ‘sperimenting, and my “Kansas City Boss,” (Name not finalized) is IT.  Dark, deep flavors, rich, ohmigod. Cigar equilvalent is oscuro. After a hiatus and then revisiting, I’m still genuflecting.  As are assorted friends, “The Best!”

    My best ribs are Bayou #14 laid down with animal based oils because the spices only come out in a lipid base. Later, put down The Boss.

    Anyone wants, I’ll either put it up on the open forum tomorrow or put up a link.  

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