Nature

Yeah, the big picture up top is nature too, but hey, you gotta take the bad with the good.

Krugman - A Heckuva Job

The GOP is becoming a parody of itself. The less you know and the more outrageous you are, the more popular you are in the GOP. If we could only get thru to the Republican moderates (some do still exist) and have them desert their once-rational party, we might actually get something done in this country.  Right now, the GOP is simply the party of "no" and I know that a sizeable number of Republicans are getting fed up with it. Trump might just be the ticket to shake them out of their wishful thinking.

A Heckuva Job

by Paul Krugman

There are many things we should remember about the events of late August and early September 2005, and the political fallout shouldn’t be near the top of the list. Still, the disaster in New Orleans did the Bush administration a great deal of damage — and conservatives have never stopped trying to take their revenge. Every time something has gone wrong on President Obama’s watch, critics have been quick to declare the event “Obama’s Katrina.” How many Katrinas has Mr. Obama had so far? By one count, 23.

Somehow, however, these putative Katrinas never end up having the political impact of the lethal debacle that unfolded a decade ago. Partly that’s because many of the alleged disasters weren’t disasters after all. For example, the teething problems of Healthcare.gov were embarrassing, but they were eventually resolved — without anyone dying in the process — and at this point Obamacare looks like a huge success.

Beyond that, Katrina was special in political terms because it revealed such a huge gap between image and reality. Ever since 9/11, former President George W. Bush had been posing as a strong, effective leader keeping America safe. He wasn’t. But as long as he was talking tough about terrorists, it was hard for the public to see what a lousy job he was doing. It took a domestic disaster, which made his administration’s cronyism and incompetence obvious to anyone with a TV set, to burst his bubble.

What we should have learned from Katrina, in other words, was that political poseurs with nothing much to offer besides bluster can nonetheless fool many people into believing that they’re strong leaders. And that’s a lesson we’re learning all over again as the 2016 presidential race unfolds.

You probably think I’m talking about Donald Trump, and I am. But he’s not the only one.

Consider, if you will, the case of Chris Christie. Not that long ago he was regarded as a strong contender for the presidency, in part because for a while his tough-guy act played so well with the people of New Jersey. But he has, in fact, been a terrible governor, who has presided over repeated credit downgrades, and who compromised New Jersey’s economic future by killing a much-needed rail tunnel project.

Now Mr. Christie looks pathetic — did you hear the one about his plan to track immigrants as if they were FedEx packages? But he hasn’t changed, he’s just come into focus.

Or consider Jeb Bush, once hailed on the right as “the best governor in America,” when in fact all he did was have the good luck to hold office during a huge housing bubble. Many people now seem baffled by Mr. Bush’s inability to come up with coherent policy proposals, or any good rationale for his campaign. What happened to Jeb the smart, effective leader? He never existed.

And there’s more. Remember when Scott Walker was the man to watch? Remember when Bobby Jindal was brilliant?

I know, now I’m supposed to be evenhanded, and point out equivalent figures on the Democratic side. But there really aren’t any; in modern America, cults of personality built around undeserving politicians seem to be a Republican thing.

True, some liberals were starry-eyed about Mr. Obama way back when, but the glitter faded fast, and what was left was a competent leader with some big achievements under his belt – most notably, an unprecedented drop in the number of Americans without health insurance. And Hillary Clinton is the subject of a sort of anti-cult of personality, whose most ordinary actions are portrayed as nefarious. (No, the email thing doesn’t rise to the level of a “scandal.”)

Which brings us back to Mr. Trump.

Both the Republican establishment and the punditocracy have been shocked by Mr. Trump’s continuing appeal to the party’s base. He’s a ludicrous figure, they complain. His policy proposals, such as they are, are unworkable, and anyway, don’t people realize the difference between actual leadership and being a star on reality TV?

But Mr. Trump isn’t alone in talking policy nonsense. Trying to deport all 11 million illegal immigrants would be a logistical and human rights nightmare, but might conceivably be possible; doubling America’s rate of economic growth, as Jeb Bush has promised he would, is a complete fantasy.

And while Mr. Trump doesn’t exude presidential dignity, he’s seeking the nomination of a party that once considered it a great idea to put George W. Bush in a flight suit and have him land on an aircraft carrier.

The point is that those predicting Mr. Trump’s imminent political demise are ignoring the lessons of recent history, which tell us that poseurs with a knack for public relations can con the public for a very long time. Someday The Donald will have his Katrina moment, when voters see him for who he really is. But don’t count on it happening any time soon.

Original.

Lee on Kim Davis

My uncle, Lee T of San Antonio, a very religious man, has some choice words for Kim Davis, the fundamentalist who hates gays so much she refused to issue them marriage licenses. I had a feeling he'd have something to say about her. As usual, I agree with Lee.  If Davis were working in a church, she could discriminate to her hearts content, but as a civil servant, she is bound to obey and uphold the law. Otherwise, get the fuck out.

When this exceptionally dumb woman made the initial decision a few weeks ago to deny marriage licenses to those she did not approve of due to her religious beliefs, she basically decided to impose her religious values on the citizens of Kentucky in Rowan county.  She wants to practice her civil  job, whether appointed or elected, based on religious beliefs. She is a civil servant not a religious servant. If she cannot perform her duties based on civil law due to her religious laws, than she should never have accepted the job. 

The county is an extension of the state, the state is an extension of the United States and the United States by agreement of all 50 states is ruled by the laws of the land, the Constitution. Under our Constitution, our Supreme Court has the authority to rule on disputed issues involving our constitution. The ruling by the High Court becomes the Supreme Law of the Land to which all federal, state, county, and local officials are obligated by law to follow.

Most of us in the US have a religion of one kind or another, however, we live in a Democracy not a theocracy. 

If this gal wants to impose the laws of God on the citizenry, she should move to Iran. I am certain she would do quite well there with the clerics.

These religious freaks, the crazies, as Pres. Bush likes to call them, need to understand that we are a secular country under our constitution  Our constitution is our bible, for the purposes of government.  That is why I very strongly oppose religious fanatics from entering the political arena. The Separation of church and state is very clearly embedded in our constitution and has been there since 1791.  A few years ago the Chief Justice of the Alabama State Supreme court refused to obey a federal judicial order to remove a religious icon from his Judicial bench in Montgomery. His refusal violated a federal judicial order and his other eight colleagues (Justices) on the Alabama Supreme Court voted unanimously  to remove him as Chief Justice. 

In order to clear the impasse in Rowan County, Kentucky, I think the legislative body of Rowan County (County Commissioners or a similar authoritative body authorized by the Kentucky state constitution) should remove the county clerk from her position and appoint a new person who will abide by the laws, all laws, of the land, Kentucky law and all federal laws. Federal law supersedes state laws.

I heard Rand Paul's objection to the Judge's orders and saying he had no right to put her in jail. Preacher Huckabee said that the federal government was criminalizing Christianity. By making those statements these two men have disqualified themselves as Presidential candidates. The judge was following the U.S. constitution as judged by the U.S. Supreme Court.

That is the law of the land.

Let me close with this: in a democracy we agree to abide by the laws of the land as stated in our constitution, and laws passed by our legislators, (the Congress and the states). If any law, state or federal, is challenged in a state or federal court, those laws which the courts rule are constitutional and the Supreme Court of the United States is the ultimate authority as to what is constitutional and what is not, that law becomes the law of the land. The only way to overturn a Supreme Court ruling is to change (Amend) the constitution and there isn't an easy way for that process.

By denying to issue a marriage license to gay people, the county clerk violated a direct order from a federal judge to do her civil job as determined by law. A county clerk is a civil servant and must obey the laws of the land.  In her own words she was/is "obeying the word of God". A marriage license is an Act of the State, it has nothing to do with God. Performing a marriage ceremony can be either an Act of God if it takes place in a religious setting or it can be an Act of the State if it is performed by a city, county, state, military, or federal official. 

This gal gets her paycheck from the County/State/people of Kentucky, not from God. 

Federal law applies to Confederate Hillbillies also.

Lee T.

blasphemy generator

How did I ever miss this?!?!

The Multi-Faith Blasphemy Generator!

An equal-opportunity offender.

Divine Allah spanker

Cracked Flying Spaghetti Monster fuck-sticks

Butt naked Krishna breath

Bollock naked Jeebus almighty

I love the internet! Go here.

cactus flowers

Wow. Nature is really awesome. Humanity can be very cool too.

September Stargazing

Whew! The time it does fly by. Kinda like our savings. Right out the window. Eh! Hard come, easy go.

Neptune at Opposition

Cloud bands and an oval storm swirl through the atmosphere of Neptune in this photo from the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Neptune is in view all night long in September, and shines brightest for the year. If you have strong binoculars or a telescope, look for a small, faint blue "star" near the center of Aquarius, which is low in the southeast at nightfall.

Stargazing Summary

The stars of autumn begin to push those of summer out of the way as the nights grow longer and cooler. Pegasus is in view in the east as night falls, with several related constellations following the flying horse into the sky over the next few hours. Venus and Mars team up as the month begins, with Jupiter climbing toward them by month's end. And an event sure to grab your attention highlights September's wane: the Bloody Super Moon.
More stargazing information »

Radio Program Highlights

If you want to start hearing the StarDate program in your area, you can request a station to carry our program by emailing the request to stations@stardate.org.

September 1-6: Two Stars from One. Two stars may sometimes merge to form a single star, triggering a spectacular outburst in the process. We'll have details on these brilliant mergers, plus the story of the first female astronomy professor and much more.

September 7-13: Close Neighbor. Our closest neighbor star was discovered a century ago this month, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about searches for planets around the star, and a planet that's been found around a companion star. Join us for Proxima Centauri and more.

September 14-20: Giant Neighbor. The Andromeda galaxy is a beautiful giant — a cosmic spiral that's probably bigger than our own galaxy. It's also closer to us than any other major galaxy. Join us for the Andromeda galaxy, plus a beautiful dawn lineup and much more.

September 21-27: Lunar Eclipse. There's a total lunar eclipse coming up soon — a blood harvest super Moon — and we'll have details. We'll also talk about the changing of the seasons, a bright morning lineup, and much more.

September 28-30: The Princess. The constellation Andromeda is climbing into the eastern sky, and we'll talk about the princess and some of her stellar charms other than the famous Andromeda galaxy. Join us for Andromeda and more.

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This Month in StarDate Magazine

In our September/October issue, take a look at some beautiful antique telescopes and find out where you can use them at observatories across the U.S. Then learn about the National Park Service's efforts to preserve dark skies.

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News From the Observatory

Dying Stars Suffer from 'Irregular Heartbeats'
Some dying stars suffer from 'irregular heartbeats,' research led by astronomers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Warwick has discovered. The team discovered rapid brightening events — outbursts — in two otherwise normal pulsating white dwarf stars. Ninety-seven percent of all stars, including the Sun, will end their lives as extremely dense white dwarfs after they exhaust their nuclear fuel. Such outbursts have never been seen in this type of star before.

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