Lieberman Party Chair Asks Lieberman To Resign!

It's getting pretty bad when the guy who heads up your own party is calling for you to get the hell out. Seems Connecticut for Lieberman Party Chairman John Orman wants Joe to step down after making reckless and inflammatory statements about using force against Iran. Even his own party ideologues can see this could start a global conflict and is just plain wacko.

Blogging From Tampa Again

Day three in Tampa an I have realized why there aren't more folks wearing leather here. IT'S TOO DAMNED HUMID!

Here in the land of steam, I really think it's always a bad hair day and a bad day for anything but shorts and Hawaiian shirts. No wonder all the retirees here look alike, it's self preservation.

The event is fun and my workshops have been well received. Lots of friendly folks and good company. More later.

Oil Execs Find Little Problem With Turning Humans Into Fuel

Want proof that BIG OIL has no soul, take this case in point. At the recent GO-Expo, Canada's largest petrochemical conference representatives who claimed to be with Exxon and the National Petroleum Council introduced Vivoleum, a new synthetic fuel made from organic waste. In this case the waste they propose using was human bodies. The logic went as follow. Natural disasters kill thousands of people in developing countries, and rather than waste their bodies, they can be turned into fuel through a revolutionary new process. The alleged representatives made their case in front of 300 oil men who simply nodded and listened.

They even lit candles made from (allegedly) Vivoleum, or human flesh. Seems nobody caught on to the guerrilla theatre that was taking place until a video ran with a video tribute to the janitor who requested his body be turned into fuel for research. Turns out it was a prank played by activists.

Grim joke. Yes, but seems the oil execs didn't think it was a joke at first and blythly listened to the scheme. Proof they have no soul and little regard for human life? Seems like it to me. Of course had Dick Cheney been there he would have already made a deal to corner the Vivoleum market.

Blogging In Tampa

I guess it's a sign of my age, but I remember when air travel was fun. They served food, had polite flight attendants and the seats were roomy enough to actually not have to be in intimate contact with the person next to you. Ah the good old days. Of course it was more expensive, but still it was more fun.

I am in Tampa, FL for the Bash on the Bay. Got in late last night and I am still recovering. I thought my workshops were Saturday, but nope, Friday morning at 10:00am! In the vernacular of the locals, "oy!"

Should be a fun day. I am doing the "Playing With Taboos" workshop this morning and it is always fun to do. With luck the group will enjoy it and find something in it they can use.

Off To Tampa For Bash On The Bay

I fly out to Tampa, Florida this afternoon for the Bash on the Bay. It's a gathering of BDSM and leather folk from around the county that has gained momentum in recent years. I will be presenting workshops on a variety of topics all of which involve carrying way too much luggage.

My only hope is that in the future I can find a way to do my speeches and workshops with only the clothes on my back and perhaps a laptop computer. Makes me nostalgic for my days in corporate America. PowerPoint may be boring but it's very compact!

Mr. Wizard, Don Herbert Dead At 89

I grew up watching TV, and aside from Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Wizard was my favorite. Don Herbert had a profound effect on me, and though I never became a scientist, I have had a lifelong interest in science because of him.

Don died today at 89. He will be remembered and missed. I only wish kids today had someone on TV like him to watch and spark their scientific curiosity. I suspect if more kids were raised on Mr. Wizard or someone like him there would be a lot fewer people who dispute evolution today.

In Don's memory, I am making a volcano of baking soda and vinegar in my kitchen sink. Long live science! (Picture Copyright Mr. Wizard Studios)

America More Liberal Than We Realize!

I have long suspected that the majority of Americans don’t know what to call themselves. Some say they are conservative, others claim they are moderate and some say liberal or progressive. In reality when polled about their views most Americans would fall on the left side of the equation. In other words they are much more progressive and/or liberal than they know.

I just finished reading a great report from MediaMatters.org and find their conclusions fascinating. It supports my belief, but much more than I expected. On issue after issue, Americans come down on the liberal side, they just don’t want to call themselves that “L” word. The relentless marketing effort by the Republican party to vilify the word “liberal” has worked pretty well. OK, I understand that not everyone is as open minded as me, but let’s settle on the word “Progressive” for now. When you look at the figures, America is a pretty progressive country.

Here are a few tidbits from the responses mentioned in the report:

• 69% say Government should be responsible for health care coverage for all Americans.
• 75% are willing to pay higher prices for wind or solar generated electricity.
• 83% want stricter laws to protect the environment.
• 65% favor attacking social problems that cause crime as a cure for the problem.
• 60% favor more controls on the guns the public can buy.
• 81% favor a mandatory police permit before buying a gun.
• 89% favor equal rights for gays and lesbians in employment and housing.

Doesn’t sound very conservative to me!

Read the report (pdf)

Protecting America? Army Dumps Toxic Waste & Radioactive Waste Off Atlantic Coast

Who needs terrorists to use WMDs on Americans, the Army is doing it for them. The US Army, US ARMY, admits to dumping thousands of pounds of nerve gas and other toxic agents into the Atlantic off the east coast of the US. Included in this is 500 tones of radioactive waste stuffed in scuttled ships as well as old missiles, land mines and bombs.

Now dolphins and other sea creatures are washing up on shore with signs of mustard gas poisoning. Great job US Army! Protect us from those terrorist dolphins, and while you are at it how about polluting the Atlantic Salmon fisheries as well? This is beyond anything I could have dreamed.

Nuremberg Prosecutor Calls Guantanamo Trials Unfair

When one of the surviving prosecutors at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials speaks, it’s important to listen. Here is a man who not only saw but made history in those trials of the Nazi regime and it’s lackeys. More than once defendants there argued they were only following orders as their defense. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now.

Nuremberg prosecutor Henry King Jr. told Reuters in a interview that the U.S. war crimes tribunals at Guantanamo violate both the spirit and law of the Geneva Convention. In a quote he says, “Robert Jackson, who's the architect of Nuremberg, would turn over in his grave if he knew what was going on at Guantanamo."

I for one take his comments very seriously. For anyone who claims to just be following orders of our President there is no defense. Crimes are crimes, and eventually I have to hope the people instigating them will be brought to justice. The Bushies and their lackeys are not Nazis, but they certainly have taken the dictatorial playbook to heart. Rights are being stripped away daily and for a detainee at Guantanamo, it’s a living hell. No fair trial, no charges and in many cases no shred of evidence of any kind.

As a nation we must stop this and get our elected leaders to do their duty and bring down this regim through impeachment. Enough is enough.