I am a bit puzzled why you would even ask such a thing. Aside from my belief that we have an intrinsic responsibility to preserve a balance in nature as best we can on a more basic level it's completely abhorrent to think that someone could justify wiping an entire species out of existence merely for capital gain or because their presence in an inconvenience. And no, I don't have a problem with eradicating diseases like polio and small pox.

8/8/2011 4:38:45 PM

Quote :

"Been meaning to ask this...why the obsession of keeping species from going extinct? Is it the idea that maybe they hold disease cures or just because...well, just because?"

This might be the most ignorant thing I have ever heard. I can't even form a response because my brain isn't equipped to simplify things that much.

8/8/2011 4:42:54 PM

I'm with Chance actually. I couldn't care less about some yellow headed woodpecker dropping off the earth. But there's always the law of unintended consequences, so I generally try to avoid permanently eradicating things I don't fully understand. Then again I also have a hoarder personality.

Anyway, just by living a western lifestyle you're tacitly agreeing to the eradication of at least a few hundred acres of habitat per person and all species within(count your house, your yard, your parents yard, your share of the highways you use, your share of the megastores all around you, the farmland and forest cleared and mined to supply you, etc)

I'd say the average person kills millions of other organisms in their lifetime. And that's just counting the ones that feel pain.

[Edited on August 8, 2011 at 6:04 PM. Reason : .]

8/8/2011 6:01:16 PM

If they were able to bring the mastodon back from extinction my immediate first instinct would be to find one and kill it.

8/8/2011 6:10:34 PM

saw an OweBama bumpersticker today, made me laugh.

8/8/2011 6:17:16 PM

Quote :

"abhorrent to think that someone could justify wiping an entire species out of existence merely for capital gain"

Pay a fucking tention. I didn't say wipe out the species for capital gain you eco nut. I said this:

Quote :

"the obsession of keeping species from going extinct"

We at times bend over backwards for animals and I've yet to hear good reasons in some of these cases other than "well, just because". Tell me...for any species that has gone extinct...how has life on Earth been materially different because of that?

8/8/2011 6:20:28 PM

In fairness, that's kind of a tough question to answer. That said, I don't think most species are worth what we pay to keep them around, but on the other hand, it really doesn't cost that much to keep them around, and it's tough to completely calculate the cost of not having them here.

8/8/2011 6:28:30 PM

Quote :

"saw an OweBama bumpersticker today, made me laugh."

sophisticated sense of humor you got there

8/8/2011 6:30:42 PM

morans

8/8/2011 6:32:05 PM

Quote :

"you eco nut"

How do you expect to have a mature dialogue with language like this? Actually, being referred to as an "eco nut" would be rather flattering if I didn't suspect a serious tinge of malice behind your words.

Plants and other animals exist in nature for a reason and while this concept my blow your mind it isn't solely to serve humans. I know there is a pervasive narcissism and apathy throughout human culture these days but I have faith in the existential paradigm of human understanding that recognizes the need to value more than just wealth and the acquisition thereof.

As per the topic, I see the president as being one such advocate for environmental preservation, protection and conservation even if it's merely for political gain thus maintaining his credibility. The alternative are those who are openly and expressly hostile towards such measures insofar as the front runners are concerned. The right won't embrace sensible candidates like Gary Johnson which is a bit of a travesty honestly.

8/8/2011 6:44:46 PM

Quote :

"Plants and other animals exist in nature for a reason"

False.

Organisms exist in nature because they have found a niche that allows them to meet their own reproductive needs. If one species dies, another will take its place, but not because of any grand reason, other than conveniently exploiting an opportunity.

8/8/2011 6:49:43 PM

Filling a niche is in and of itself a reason.

8/8/2011 7:00:10 PM

I wonder how long it will take for the Flavor-Aid drinkers on TWW to finally realize/admit that Obama is a horrible President.

Actually, I don't wonder. I don't care.

8/8/2011 7:25:00 PM

Yes, because it was Obama that came to a bipartisan agreement in congress that was worse than the one Obama pushed for where spending cuts weren't actually cuts and sent it to the President to sign.

8/8/2011 8:07:17 PM

Quote :

"How do you expect to have a mature dialogue with language like this?"

I have no expectations in this section.

Quote :

"if I didn't suspect a serious tinge of malice behind your words"

Malice? Don't take yourself so seriously. When I close this window I don't think of your kind...ever.

Quote :

"Plants and other animals exist in nature for a reason"

This sounds like religion.

Quote :

"and while this concept my blow your mind it isn't solely to serve humans."

To be certain, none of us had a choice in the matter. If I'm moments away from being eaten by a lion, will my pleadings with him that I am here for a reason keep me from being mauled?

Quote :

"but I have faith in the existential paradigm of human understanding that recognizes the need to value more than just wealth and the acquisition thereof"

This is a lot of words to say so little.

8/8/2011 8:31:34 PM

Obama Requests $671 Billion for Wars Next Year

That's $1.8 Billion dollars per day.

8/8/2011 8:31:56 PM

Only about $150 billion are for the wars.

8/8/2011 10:42:54 PM

Honestly, after all this debate, Obama seems like a Republican. Either that or he is a huge pussy.

8/8/2011 11:11:56 PM

Defense=Offense=War

8/8/2011 11:15:48 PM

I dont think there is little debate that we need to cut defense and entitlements to make a dent in our fiscal problems. Entitlements will be the hardest to cut and the fastest growing. Im SURE that this admin doesnt have the stones to pull it off, and I dont think others will either until the music stops and we are out of chairs.

Quote :

"sophisticated sense of humor you got there "

Just found it clever. I also liked the "End of an Error" stickers too. Both good play on words.

[Edited on August 8, 2011 at 11:20 PM. Reason : .]

8/8/2011 11:19:03 PM

Most Powerful Man on Earth?" http://wapo.st/pPzz3c

8/9/2011 10:28:10 AM

Quote :

"Honestly, after all this debate, Obama seems like a Republican. Either that or he is a huge pussy."

Correction: he seems a lot like Dubya, but Dubya was no Republican. At least, he was no conservative

8/9/2011 11:10:42 AM

Still watching for the credibility.

+1 today. Instead of going to some trucking business saying they needed to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, he cancelled that speech so he could go to Dover to receive the remains of DEVGRUTWO.

8/9/2011 1:26:39 PM

Obama appointed a bunch of ex-megabanker-CEOs to his staff of statist czars. He's an authoritarian piece of banker-trash just like the last few presidents.

You've been so duped, progressives. Duped with no lube and a middle finger towards all social issues. I feel so much more free with this pseudo-liberal in charge!

Flying under the radar is this committee of 12 +1 (obama) SuperCongress. WTF is that? Unconstitutional, and an outright mockery of our political system.

Look up Ermächtigungsgesetz, you willing subjects to tyranny.

8/9/2011 10:44:49 PM

Not this again...

8/9/2011 10:54:55 PM

The Constitution got thrown out a long time ago. They make rules on the fly now. If the people were going to get truly mad about constitutional issues, it would have happened long ago. The people are largely a product of state schools, and they can be convinced that anything is a legitimate function of the government as a result.

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 11:01 PM. Reason : ]

8/9/2011 10:58:50 PM

Yeah, the truth again. It does hurt. I will show you the proof to how much of a crony Obama actually is if you would like to see the evidence.

Look, I'm sorry you want to submit all of your rights and decisions to a central authority, but they mostly do not care about you peasants.

8/9/2011 10:59:53 PM

I think we should find a way to have Barney Frank be the entire supercongress. I'm pretty sure that's what the founders envisioned for the supercongress they often spoke of.

8/9/2011 11:03:24 PM

Really, I do not mind some socialism. I'm willing to help my fellow man, especially my fellow countrymen.

We are not being fed socialism, we are being fed feudalism. Go ahead and free something, Baraka. I'm willing to bet that more civil liberties have been outlawed under this fraud.

8/9/2011 11:12:14 PM

Quote :

"I'm willing to help my fellow man, especially my fellow countrymen."

Then do that. Don't hold a gun to your neighbor's head and say they have to help out too.

8/9/2011 11:49:48 PM

Ooooooooh! Fresh meat!

8/9/2011 11:54:49 PM

Quote :

"Yes, because it was Obama that came to a bipartisan agreement in congress that was worse than the one Obama pushed for where spending cuts weren't actually cuts and sent it to the President to sign."

with all of his demagoguing beforehand, saying how granny wasn't gonna get her check and we were gonna default, what the fuck did he expect? When you are in negotiations, you don't go out and bad-mouth the other side like that. He got what he deserved. We all got fucked, and we can blame him for some of it.




-10000000. Giving details about the OBL raid to a movie company for release right before the 2012 election, and possibly even giving them access to classified material.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/opinion/sunday/Dowd--The-Downgrade-Blues.html?_r=1&ref=maureendowd



them, after demanding civility in public discourse, he ignores the recent heated rhetoric of his buddy Van Jones talking about the Tea Party "holding a gun to people's heads". Then he unveils a strategy to "destroy Romney" and "kill Romney". -10

[Edited on August 10, 2011 at 1:35 PM. Reason : ]

8/10/2011 1:31:37 PM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-politics/8692054/Democrats-doubt-Barack-Obamas-reelection-chances.html

8/11/2011 8:12:21 AM

8/11/2011 7:28:46 PM

oh look, we can post the same graph again

8/11/2011 10:25:38 PM

^ ignorance is bliss ?

[Edited on August 11, 2011 at 11:12 PM. Reason : .]

8/11/2011 11:11:51 PM

I am loving watching all of the neo-conservitards bitch about Obama being on vacation

8/12/2011 12:18:15 AM

thoughts of Perry winning this next election make me quiver. Starting to want McCain to run again.

8/12/2011 7:03:15 PM

Indeed

8/12/2011 9:56:44 PM

GOP only has right wing crazies running, Obama will win because of this...we already have the right wing crazies that have accomplished nothing in Congress (lowest approval rating ever)....oh, they almost shut down the gov and almost caused the USA to default...wow....and now for the budget battle for next year...as FY ends 9/30....havent heard a thing other than the Ryan's budget that is dead on arrival (goes with the right wing crazy group). Just think having these crazies in charge of all three....at least with Bush the right wing crazies didnt have all that much power (when the GOP was in control of all three). I am voting for O just to prevent the GOP from being in charge of all three...divided gov is the best.

[Edited on August 13, 2011 at 7:22 PM. Reason : w]

8/13/2011 7:21:58 PM

for now ill just tell you to kindly stfu.

obama is pissing off the left already and theyre starting to hate him.

youre a little farther out than them, but given enough time he will lose you as well.

i bet you wish you had ol' hillary right about now.

8/13/2011 8:21:45 PM

U MAD?

8/13/2011 9:32:31 PM

on vacation again

8/17/2011 5:01:01 PM

oh look, roddy's spewing talking points. because, if we had defaulted, it would have been Obama's fault because he would have been the one deciding who got paid. so shut the fuck up with the talking points, douchebag

8/17/2011 5:10:54 PM

8/31/2011 1:52:51 AM

Quote :

"on vacation again"

Quote :

"So far, President Obama has taken 61 vacation days after 31 months in office. At this point in their presidencies, George W. Bush had spent 180 days at his ranch where his staff often joined him for meetings. And Ronald Reagan had taken 112 vacation days at his ranch."

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/08/17/presidential-vacations-how-does-obama-compare-very-well/

8/31/2011 1:58:12 AM

its not just the raw time spent.

its the extravagance and the backdrop.

quit being such a simpleton.

8/31/2011 8:41:53 AM

LOL. "Extravagance and backdrop?" You've lost.

8/31/2011 8:47:59 AM

ok

8/31/2011 8:54:32 AM

pryderi, your graph is kinda wrong. fiscal year 2009 was Obama. He signed the 2009 budget and the stimulus all in his first month as president. As such, the run-up to 2009 should be blue, not red.

[Edited on August 31, 2011 at 9:17 AM. Reason : .,.]

8/31/2011 9:16:26 AM