Matt Damon’s clear-headed speech to teachers rally - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

You can read the full text of the speech and the video here. Welcome back to work teachers! Matt Damon’s clear-headed speech to teachers rally - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Government is in the business of helping everyone, not just poor folks

Half of Americans Getting Government Aid Swear They've Never Used Government Programs according to some research uncovered by GOOD. Matthew Lesko is probably reading this article right now... And thinking, "WTF! Half of America still hasn't bought one of my books?"

Short Rest Makes Short Temper

This sounds like something from Poor Richard's Almanac but the quote doesn't show up in my searches. Did I make it up, or what? Anyway, it seems to fit my mood today.

Names of 10 Firework Effects

I didn't know the name until today, but my favorite firework is called the Fish.  You can see 9 others at the link below.

mental_floss Blog » The Quick 10: The Names of 10 Fireworks Effects

 

Unbalanced... The Beginnings of Fox News

I really enjoyed reading the history of how Roger Ailes created a propaganda machine.  He worked for decades to promote the Republican Party before hitting on a winning formula with Fox News in 1996.

Though it died in 1975, TVN was obviously an early trial run for the powerhouse Fox News would become. The ideas were the same - to route Republican-friendly stories around the gatekeepers at the network news divisions. In Nixon's day, the only way to do that was to pump stories directly to local stations. By 1996, cable television offered a much more powerful alternative. And the whole project began - on the taxpayer's dime - in the White House under the direction of a Watergate felon.

http://gawker.com/5814150/roger-ailes-secret-nixon+era-blueprint-for-fox-news

I'm NOT doing this on July 4th.

 

No Comment: iPad vs 300 Black Cats | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

 

War is expensive, part 2.

U.S. cost of war at least $3.7 trillion and counting | Reuters

For every person killed on September 11, another 73 have been killed since.

Astounding... I think it's fair to say America has overreacted a little bit.  That is only a rough (low) estimate since the Pentagon doesn't make official death toll announcements for Afghan and Iraqi civilians.  Or indirect dying as a result of PTSD, illness, or other trauma.

The report underlines the extent to which war will continue to stretch the U.S. federal budget, which is already on an unsustainable course due to an aging American population and skyrocketing healthcare costs.

Again, 3.7 trillion is given as a conservative estimate.  That will go higher if America doesn't get out of the war business.  It is time to reevaluate our priorities and end the culture of armed conflict.