I seem to have found an answer to my own question

From Foxnews, I've found another thought crime (entitled "Even Kids Know the Old Parsley-Pot Switcheroo"). The story states

A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office says it's a crime in Florida to claim that a substance is a drug.

Even if it is a drug? What if it is obviously not a drug? Will I go to jail if I claim that my shoe is a drug?

Meh.

What's Next?

This guy got arrested for thinking the Holocaust didn't happen. I LOVE THOUGHTCRIME! I personally have no evidence that it did or didn't. Lacking any hard evidence, however, I do believe it happened.

But I'm curious what the next thoughtcrime will be. Global warming, evolution, taxes?

As Orwell rolls over in his grave, Galileo asks, "What are you in for?"

No Nerds, No Birds!

Speea and Boeing have reached tentative agreement on new contract language. Still waiting to see what that language is...

I will, of course, be voting exactly opposite of whatever direction Speea suggests.

UPDATE: PR Newswire has details before the company or union release them to us lowlifes.

Fun with Tax Numbers

I clicked on one of Blogger's "Blogs of Note" and found Citizens for Tax Justice. I knew right away that it was a liberal blog, but nothing much really fried me until I found this post, the 2003 analysis to be specific. It makes claims such as

This explosion in debt is a burden on all Americans. Over the six years, Bush’s policies will impose an average of just over $13,000 in additional debt on each man, woman and child in America—or more than $52,000 in added debt per family of four.

So I combined their raw numbers with some from The Tax Foundation.

The CTJ numbers lead one to believe that every "man, woman, and child" will have to pony up this money and that "all Americans" will bear the weight of this debt. In truth, the IRS received about 127.5 million returns with 42 million reporting no taxes owed.

[T]he rest of us will pay dearly for those upper-income tax cuts, as we confront
our share of the giant debt that Bush is building up.

From the Tax Foundation's wonderful report (its a pdf), the top two quintiles of Americans pay 91.7 percent of the income tax. They're rich of course. They should pay more. Did you know, however, that the bottom of the second highest quintile starts at $42,617? Here in King County, Washington, the median family income is over $66,000. I guess that means we're all rich here. The truth of the matter is we're all rich as far as the IRS is concerned.

As for the "giant debt" that "the rest of us will pay dearly for" again see the Tax Foundation Report. After running the numbers, each income tax filer in the lowest 20% of earners carries a burden of $298.04. Second and third lowest quintiles come in at $3278.43 and $8792.16. Bad, but not even close to the doom intimated by the CJT. The second highest quintile works out to $19074.51. While the highest quintile reaches $117576.47.

For comparison, the lowest 20% earns between $0 and $14280 per year. Second falls between $14280 and $25757. Third is between $25757 and $42617. The second highest falls between $42617 and $71028, while the highest is $71028 and above.

So, following the math, those poor people making less than $42617 a year do have it bad. They're responsible for as much as 23% of their income to pay off their share of the debt. I feel bad for them, I really do. Especially when I see that the hardest hit are those making just over $14280 paying 23%.

Of course I won't point out that those making just over $71028 are responsible for 165% of their income to pay their share of the debt. They're rich. Screw 'em.

Send a shout out with Scotty

You can now send a message along with James Doohan aka Scotty when his ashes get blasted into space. If you feel like giving him one last Vulcan greeting go here.

I suck yet again

Just found out that Stephen Hawking is in Seattle at the Paramount tomorrow. SOLD OUT! Found tickets on Craigslist for $250, but have wife and child to feed. This is way worse than when I missed Bruce Campbell.

Han Solo Meets Godzilla

Does anyone else think the newly discovered 'Godzilla' is slightly reminiscent of the space slug that the Millennium Falcon almost got eaten by in Empire?

ANWR Antics Part Deux

Back in March I did a post on Maria Cantwell's "attempt" to stop drilling in ANWR. Basically she proposed an amendment that didn't really do anything to prevent the drilling. She only proposed to eliminate a section requiring the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to reduce their outlays. It never touched the section authorizing drilling in ANWR.

Again, the Seattle P-I is giving her kudos for proposing an amendment that wouldn't necessarily stop drilling in ANWR.

If you can get past the legal mumbo-jumbo, you can see the big hole that still allows drilling. The amendment to Section 401 states in Section (2) subparagraph (B) that if the State of Alaska files suit under subparagraph (A), until a non-appealable order is issued by the courts that no production or effort to begin production of oil in ANWR is allowed.

Subparagraph (A) states that the suit blocking ANWR production must involve increasing the percentage of revenues from adjusted bonus, rental, and royalty from the oil and gas leasing and operations.

Section (2)(b) also states that if the court rules to increase that percentage going to the State of Alaska, no production or effort to begin production of oil in ANWR is allowed.

This amendment did not alter in any way the manner in whick the revenues were laid out as you can see from the original document (see page 6 lines 4 through 11).

Again Maria leaves a pretty big out. If Alaska chooses not file suit regarding the percentages, drilling can commence. Should Alaska file suit and the court rule against and increase, drilling can commence. Won't see that in the MSM...

A true effort to stop drilling in ANWR would have called for deletion of all of Section 401. But this time, as last, you won't hear that. Even from the Defenders of Wildlife.

Go West Young Man

Two hundred years ago today, Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific. Note that 'Ocian' was how Captain William Clark spelled 'Ocean' despite what it says on your shiny new nickel.

A Rant on Being "Tired"

I hate hearing people say, “I’m SOOO tired!” Fuck off. You have no idea what tired is. I have Sleep Apnea. I figure I’ve had it for about ten years. Based on my test results, I was waking up about fifty times an hour. I was waking up EVERY MINUTE AND TWELVE SECONDS every night. You don’t know tired. Whaaaaaaaaa, you only got four hours of sleep. Congradulations. I wish I got that much.

In addition to Sleep Apnea, I have Narcolepsy. Basically it means my sleep cycles are all fucked up making me tired all day. Instead of a steady period of low restful non-REM rest, my brain goes straight into REM. Most people’s brain and body get about four hours of rest before REM kicks in. I get as little as twenty minutes. So instead of my body and my brain resting together, my body rests while my brain goes crazy. As a result, both my physical rest and mental rest during sleep are degraded.

My dreams are extremely vivid. I easily and frequently read things in my dreams, while most people don’t. I always dream in color, and often experience physical sensations such as the banking of an airplane, feeling the wind or rain, and bumps in the road. I always remember my dreams in the morning and usually recall bits and pieces days afterward.

To give you a sense of how chronically tired I am, I’ll give you the results of my Nap Study for my Narcolepsy. I had a full night’s sleep (actually about 8.5 hours) with a CPAP to negate the effects of the Sleep Apnea. About 3 hours after waking I was instructed to take a nap. In five minutes I was asleep and was awakened by the attendant after about twenty minutes. Two and a half hours later I was told it was time for another nap. Six and a half minutes later I was asleep. Again I was woken up after about twenty minutes. About three hours later it was time for another nap. At this point I’ve had plenty of sleep during the night and two comfy twenty minute naps. I’m not going to fall asleep again…Asleep in four and a half minutes. Twenty minutes of sleep and another two and a half for a fourth nap time. Again five minutes to fall asleep.

Four naps averaging 5 minutes and 15 seconds to fall asleep. For comparison, a “normal” person usually won’t fall asleep at all for the fourth nap. And for the other three, “normal” typically average about 17 minutes to fall asleep (the techs stop the attempt between 20 and 30 minutes).

Lately, I’ve also been having bouts of insomnia. So instead of 6.5 or 7 hours of fucked up, crappy sleep I’ve been getting 4 to 5 hours.

It could be worse. I could have cataplexy accompanying my Narcolepsy. I don’t know how those poor people even function.

So next time you “feel tired” remember this and think about how good you’ve got it.