Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
'breathtaking inanity'
According to a recent study conducted by the National Science Foundation, one in eight U.S. high school biology teachers presents creationism or intelligent design in a positive light in the classroom, despite a federal court's recent ban against it.
temple of doom
Interesting article on Otto Rahn, the Nazi archaeologist who inspired the real Indiana Jones.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
quote of the day
"The density of the cloud can make no difference in the right to have it removed."
Whitney v. Port Huron, 50 N. W. 316, 317
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Alabama's Gourmet Beer bill has been ignored again
Last year the Gourmet Beer Bill was given the "Shroud Award" for the "deadest bill of the session".This year members and supporters of Free the Hops rallied around magnificently and carried out a sustained effort of education on the issues, such that every single legislator in the Alabama Legislature heard about Gourmet Beer and knew what the real issues were.
We were failed by the Senate. They spent the entire session in petty bickering, being too busy scoring political points to do the job we pay them to do. An entire legislative session squandered in point-scoring instead of dealing with the very grave legislative issues that were before them.
The senate didn't deal with the education budget. They didn't deal with removing the 4% grocery tax. They didn't deal with the smoking ban. They didn't deal with a bill to prevent large corporations avoiding paying Alabama taxes. They didn't deal with a bill to exempt the Federal Stimulus Check from Alabama taxation.
It is time for you, the people of Alabama, to feel outraged at this. The senators behaved in a way that brings shame on the state, and they need to learn that their actions have consequences on their own political careers.
Let me be blunt here: the issue is not that the senators failed to deal with Gourmet Beer. The issue is that they failed you, the people of Alabama - and that failure needs to be punished.
Call, email, or write your senator. Tell them how you feel about their dismal failure to achieve anything this year. Tell them how you feel about their poor representation of you on the national political field. Tell them how you feel about them confirming everyone's prejudices about our great state.
Tell them you will remember that all they achieved in 2007 was to vote themselves a huge pay rise.
Above all, tell them that in 2010 you will remember their failures in 2007 and 2008. And that voluntary failure is not acceptable.
Find your senator: http://capwiz.com/state-al/dbq/zs.dbq
Stuart Carter, President, Free the Hops | Alabamians for Specialty Beer
Monday, May 19, 2008
hahahah
San Diego Zoo, Prison Merge
SAN DIEGO—Plagued by a lack of funding and growing staff shortages, the San Diego Zoo and Ironwood State Prison were combined earlier this week, bringing local inmates and wildlife together for the first time under the same roof.The new state-of-the-art facility—which will house 12 separate cell blocks, a reptile house, two weight rooms, and a primate sanctuary—is expected to save the state of California up to $5 million in operation costs over the next year.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
wiley
Are you a coyote starving in the desert with no food around except a very fast roadrunner? Call ACME Products for a full color catalog.
quote of the day
"Fundamentally, the Bible is not a book of science... It's a love letter written by God to his people in the language of two or three thousand years ago... So one cannot ask the Bible for scientific responses."-- José Gabriel Funes, Pope Benedict's official astonomer.
Whoever made this video needs to keep that in mind.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Free the Hops update
Dear member or supporter of Free the Hops,Unfortunately, an unexpected controversy in the Alabama Senate Thursday caused several hours of stalling tactics and the Gourmet Beer Bill was delayed until Monday, May 19. The controversy had nothing to do with us. We were just caught in the crossfire. May 19 is our last chance to pass Gourmet Beer this year as it is the last day of the regular session.
We should continue to look at the positive. This gives you more time to keep the pressure on your state senator and encourage your friends, co-workers, family, and everyone else to do the same. You have done great work so far. Thanks to your phone calls and emails last week and over the years, we now have 16 senators who have publicly stated their support for our bill, 7 more who are "probable" Yes votes, and several more who are undecided. Only a couple of senators are absolutely opposed to us, which is incredible work in Alabama.
We need to keep up the good work. We believe we already have the votes to pass, but we need to make sure they realize this is an important issue to their constituents, with broad support, that needs to be addressed this year. Because of the rules of the Senate, any senator can delay our bill in a variety of ways. Time is running out, and I want to make sure we're voted on as soon as possible. Even if your senator is a definite Yes vote, continue to communicate with him or her. When we passed the House of Representatives this year, some of our supporting legislators worked behind the scenes to keep their colleagues from delaying the vote. The more support we have, even among senators who already plan to vote Yes, the better.
Several people who have contacted me after calling their senator said it took around 2-3 minutes at most and most of them talked to a secretary. It's really very simple and it's our best weapon. We don't have millions of dollars in campaign money or a powerful union, but we do have a lot of dedicated voters.
Here's a suggestion if you don't know what to say:
"Senator, my name is (name) and I live in your district. I just wanted to call to let you know I would like you to vote yes on HB196, the Gourmet Beer Bill. Thank you, and have a great day."
Some of you have been able to engage in more conversation, but letting them know that you are a constituent and you support the Gourmet Beer Bill is all that I'm asking for. Thank you for all you've done so far, and for continuing your advocacy.
Together, we can Free the Hops!
Stuart Carter
President
Free the Hops | Alabamians for Specialty Beer
assistance requested
OK folks, I need your ideas/genius/brainfarts. So I'm really enjoying this beer-brewing silliness and have decided it might be fun to come up with some labels to put on the beer I force my friends to drink. The labels will need a super-cool logo, and that's where you come in.
The name of the beer is "Crooked Brew" and I need a suitable logo to match the kickassery of this name. Do you have any ideas? When my dad ran for circuit court judge a few years back he made some signs that included a shepherd's staff (or 'crook') cleverly hidden in the design. Maybe something like that would be cool. Anyway, send me your ideas. Beer will reward the idea I end up using.
Logo ideas that include skulls, power tools, weapons, or my dog Scout will be considered first. Logos that include all four may be accepted sight unseen. Logos that include references to amoebic dysentery, cryptosporidium or any other water (or beer)-borne illness will not be considered.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
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