Atlanta Out Loud

Politics and rantings and just stuff that catches my attention.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Just one more reason why I love John Bolton

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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Bush nominates gay man to head global AIDS office | Washington Blade Online

Why is this news buried as a little blub under "(Other) National News"? I guess because it doesn't play into the "Bush Hates Fags" mantra of national gay organizations. A quick check of the Human Rights Campaign and The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found not a single mention of the appointment. And they claim to be "non-partisan"?

Anyway...
President Bush nominated gay physician Mark R. Dybul July 17 to be United States Global AIDS Coordinator, a post at the State Department that has the rank of ambassador. If the U.S. Senate ratifies his nomination, Dybul would replace pharmaceutical industry executive Randall Tobias as head of a $15 billion program initiated by Bush and approved by Congress to combat AIDS in developing countries, with a focus on Africa. Bush appointed Tobias to another administration post. "[Dybul] is widely recognized as someone highly qualified for this position," said Carl Schmid, a gay Republican activist who serves as federal affairs director for the AIDS Institute, a national AIDS advocacy group. Dybul currently serves as acting U.S. global AIDS coordinator and chief medical officer at the State Department. He would become the third openly gay person to hold a U.S. ambassadorial position. President Clinton appointed businessman and philanthropist James Hormel as ambassador to Luxemburg. In his first term in office, Bush appointed gay career Foreign Service Officer Michael Guest as ambassador to Romania.
So the evil pharmaceutical execs are out of the henhouse and Bush has appointed more gay ambassadors than Clinton and the story is totally ignored by our gay "leadership."

Amazing.
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Saddam: If Convicted, Just Shoot Me | NewsMax

Saddam Hussein wants an elitist high-falutin' execution, if it comes to that.
He asked the court to execute him by firing squad - "not by hanging as a common criminal" - if it convicts him of all charges and sentences him to death.

"I ask you being an Iraqi person that if you reach a verdict of death, execution, remember that I am a military man and should be killed by firing squad," he said.
"...not by hanging as a common criminal." Indeed! No common criminal here. Perhaps we should inflict some of Saddam's more gruesome torture of his victims upon him so that he has an appropriately un-common execution.
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The Anti-Jet Lag Plane | Guardian Unlimited Travel | News

The battle between Boeing and Airbus has changed dramatically in a very short period of time. All the hype surrounding the A380 has faded against delay after delay. Airlines are bailing on their already diminutive purchases.

Boeing's, on the other hand has already sold over 400 Dreamliner 787s. This is going to be a COOL plane.

~ New materials for the fuselage, allow a higher inflight cabin pressure, thus dramatically reducing the effects of jetlag.

~ Panoramic windows extend above the seat height, giving views even from the center of the plane.

~ The windows are made of electrochromic glass, meaning no blinds... just darkness at the flick of a finger.

~ The celiing becomes a "simulated sky" with hundreds of light-emitting diodes that can turn the cabin into daylight or a starry night sky. The idea is to set the interior to resemble the time of day at the destination.

All that, AND it uses 20% less fuel!
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

U.S. family: Get us out of Lebanon | cnn.com

Make 'em pay... it's the law!

I am DISGUSTED by this family that has gotten so much media attention with their message of "Come Get Us" from Lebanon.

Lebanon has been on the State Department's list of places Americans should NOT go for ages. And it was not so long ago that Lebanon was occupied by Syria. The country has been war torn for decades and his a cess pool for terrorists. So what family in their right mind would take their children on a "vacation" to Lebanon?

Even if I think they are idiots, the Esseilly's certainly have the freedom to go to Lebanon. But, why should I, the American taxpayer, foot the bill to rescue their butts?

Word has it that we have rescued them, without charge. I hope they get a proper welcome home by the taxpayers.

In related news... Democratic stumblings get more and more delicious! From the FoxNews Political Grapevine:
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is calling on the president to immediately declare that the U.S. will start bearing the costs of evacuating its citizens from Lebanon, instead of charging them, saying, "A nation that can provide more than $300 billion for a war in Iraq can provide the money to get its people out of Lebanon."

BUT the president isn't authorized to reverse the policy - which requires citizens to pay commercial fare plus a dollar for government evacuation - since it's encoded in the 2003 Foreign Relations Authorization Act. That law was approved by the House and the Democratic controlled Senate in 2002.

Pelosi herself voted for the measure.
LOVE IT!

SEC. 208. EMERGENCY EVACUATION SERVICES.

Section 4(b)(2)(A) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2671(b)(2)(A)) is amended to read as follows:

`(A) the evacuation when their lives are endangered by war, civil unrest, or natural disaster of (i) United States Government employees and their dependents, and (ii) private United States citizens or third-country nationals, on a reimbursable basis to the extent feasible, with such reimbursements to be credited to the applicable Department of State appropriation and to remain available until expended. No reimbursement shall be required which is greater than the amount the person evacuated would have been charged for a commercial air fare at the lowest rate available immediately prior to the onset of the war, civil unrest, or natural disaster giving rise to the evacuation.'.
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FairTax Wins!

For the most part, I'm pretty darn happy about the election results in Georgia yesterday. Cathy Cox lost as she should have. Ralph Reed lost, thank the lord almighty! Cynthia McKinney may be sent home packing as she heads into a runoff with a supporter of the FairTax. All-in-all good results, and few surprises.

But honestly, one of the votes I was most interested in (and most nervous about) was this question on the Republican Ballot in Cobb, Gwinnett, and Fayette Counties:
"Do you support the 'Fair Tax' plan which is a federal national sales tax to replace the income tax?
The results...


















CountyTotal Votes% YES% NO
Cobb39,45885.2%14.9%
Fayette11,51785.3%14.7%
Gwinnett35,75586.9%13.1%

Granted, these numbers would be more meaningful if it were on both ballots. And, granted it was a litmus test for the Republicans. But, damn, anyone paying attention here would realize that FairTaxers vote and the FairTax wins votes.

Rep. John Linder said during the FairTax Rally that he was meeting with House Republican leadership to present the FairTax as THE issue they should run on this fall. This, along with similar polls, and all the economic data available should really seal the deal.
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