BENGARLAND!com

Breathe. We Won.

Ben — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:58:05 +0000

This was the first time that Laura and I had ever donated volunteer time and hard-earned money to a political campaign. It was well spent. Now we’re keeping our fingers crossed for tickets to the inauguration. Congratulations to everyone who worked hard to make this happen.

Barack Obama: How He Did It

Final Implosion

Ben — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:17:48 +0000

I don’t want to prognosticate too much, but at this point it seems Obama can’t lose. McCain is circling the drain and about to (finally) get flushed. Palin lost the debate — hard.

The only people considering voting for McCain-Palin at this point are idiotic religious ideologues who care more about their bastardized interpretation of a fantasy book than what actually happens in the real world. Hell, I’m never having kids but at least I do care what kind of society, nation, and world we are leaving for the next generation.

It blows my mind that some people who do have kids or grandkids seemingly care more about their wacky, misguided interpretations of religion than education, healthcare, clean energy, or the environment. These are things that are affecting us now and will surely get worse if government continues down the same path as the last 8 years. How can you live your life in such a state of utter, complete, deep denial?

Here’s my favorite money quote about last night’s debate. From Arianna Huffington:

Throughout the entire 90-minute debate, Palin came across as an over-wound windup doll, sporting a pasted-on-smile expression that never varied, except when she winked. Which she did repeatedly — and pathetically. It was the folksiest appearance since Hee-Haw went off the air.

Origins of the Financial Meltdown

Ben — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:19:53 +0000

This post over at DailyKos explains, in the most thorough detail I’ve yet to see, exactly why the financial meltdown is happening and how John McCain and his advisors (lobbyists) are intricately connected to the philosophy behind it all. It’s a long read but worth every word.

Three Times is Enemy Action

In 1982, the same year John McCain entered the Senate, a bill was put forward that would substantially deregulate the Savings and Loan industry. The Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act was an initiative of the Reagan administration, and was largely authored by lobbyists for the S&L industry — including John McCain’s warm-up speaker at the convention, Fred Thompson. The official description of the bill was “An act to revitalize the housing industry by strengthening the financial stability of home mortgage lending institutions and ensuring the availability of home mortgage loans.” Considering where things stand in 2008, that may sound dubious. It should.

Sarah Palin, Religious Wackjob

Ben — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:21:40 +0000

WOW. Just wow. Words cannot describe this.

If you are McCain-Palin supporter, PLEASE watch this video. Make sure you know exactly who you are voting for. Even if you’re religious and go to church every Sunday, this video should scare you.

Sarah Palin is not a Christian. She is a nutcase.

Sarah Palin’s Churches and The Third Wave from Bruce Wilson on Vimeo.

Examples of Republican Corruption

Ben — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:34:29 +0000

These, just from the past few days:

Lose Your House, Lose Your Vote

The chairman of the Republican Party in Macomb County Michigan, a key swing county in a key swing state, is planning to use a list of foreclosed homes to block people from voting in the upcoming election as part of the state GOP’s effort to challenge some voters on Election Day.

Wow, blocking voters who are predominantly black, and also likely to be pissed about the economy? Just standard operating procedure for the GOP.

Mississippi’s Ballot Trick

Mississippi’s [Republican] governor, Haley Barbour, and its secretary of state have come up with a particularly cynical dirty trick for the November election. Let’s call it: “Where’s the Senate race?”

Defying state law, they have decided to hide a hard-fought race for the United States Senate at the bottom of the ballot [below less significant elections, such as state and county races], where they clearly are hoping some voters will overlook it. Their proposed design is not only illegal. It shows a deep contempt for Mississippi’s voters.

Republicans have long had a lock on the state’s two Senate seats. But this year, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat, has been running close to Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican, in the polls. Mr. Wicker was appointed to the seat by Governor Barbour in late December after Trent Lott stepped down.

So what’s their plan if (when) this deception gets shot down? They want to remove party affiliations from the ballot. That’s right, the Republicans don’t want Mississippi voters to know exactly who is the Republican candidate.

Be VERY Afraid of Sarah Palin

Ben — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:08:28 +0000

Sarah Palin doesn’t even know what the Bush Doctrine is, and she wants to be Vice President? When questioned about it, all she could say was something to the effect of “terrorists, kill us, terrorists, destroy America, terrorists, they will eat your babies, terrorists.” Plus she can’t even answer a simple yes/no question without spewing a bunch of senseless shit.

I really hope that this person is not the next Vice President of the United States of America. She is completely clueless. It still amazes me that this election remains split 50/50. After all of the various ways the Bush administration and the whole lot of complacent Republicans in government have ruined our country, I can’t believe that there are actually people out there who want it to continue. Republicans lie, they cheat, they steal, and they subvert the justice system and the Constitution without remorse. If you don’t believe me, just spend some time looking it up for once. Republicans are responsible for the great majority of scandals, corruption, coverups, and lies in government. Educate yourself. It is a fact. Saying “All politicians are the same, so it doesn’t matter” is not an excuse. It matters.

Our country is devolving into an aristocracy, but most people are too stupid to figure it out because (if they’re lucky), they still have their job, their car, and their big suburban house — as if this is all that matters to make them happy. People, there is more to life than this. I thought this election would be a huge wake-up call, but apparently not. Sometimes I actually hope McCain wins so that everything can get even worse, then I can go up to every dumbfuck who voted for him and say “I told you so.”

Is being pro-life really worth the destruction of everything that people have sacrificed and died for over the years? Is it worth the erosion of our civil liberties, our educational system, our rights to justice, our environment, our healthcare, our economy, and everything else just to uphold a narrow-minded religious belief that is completely unproven by science? Really? Are Republicans trustworthy enough to fix the problems that they themselves created? Get real.

Maybe I should quote this poem. It’s inscribed on the Holocaust memorial in Washington, D.C. The writing is on the wall, both literally and figuratively. WAKE UP.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me -
and there was no one left to speak for me.

Why I’m Voting for Barack Obama

Ben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:00:51 +0000

In no particular order, here is my list of things that Obama understands, but that McCain (and the entire GOP) seem to either not understand, or just conveniently ignore:

I believe in the separation of church and state and the principles that this country was founded upon. Religion has no place in government or education. The world is not 6,000 years old. There is no such thing as intelligent design or creationism. You’re a fucking idiot if you think that, because science has proven you wrong using 1,000 different metrics (fossils, radiocarbon dating, ice cores, Gregor Mendel, just to name a few). Also, what’s the deal with opposition to stem cell research? They are CELLS. Not babies. Stop being a neanderthal idiot, these things can help save lives!

I believe in the separation of power for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president is not a king or “the decider”. It is his job to listen to congress because they represent the will of the people. He should pick the best and most qualified persons to lead government agencies — not an unqualified friend, family, or business partner to whom he owes a favor (hello, Bush administration). [See: Michael Brown, longtime chairman of the International Arabian Horse Association, whom Bush appointed to lead FEMA. Like I said… WHAT? And that’s just one example.]

I don’t think the government has a right to tell me or my friends what we can and can’t do, within reason. This includes smoking marijuana, gay marriage, abortion. If it makes me happy and doesn’t negatively impact your life, who are you to tell me I can’t do it? Isn’t that what true freedom is anyway? It infuriates me how Republicans say “I don’t want the government to tell me what doctor to go to!” when discussing healthcare, yet it’s ok in their eyes for the government to tell a gay couple that they can’t enjoy the same rights as everyone else. If it doesn’t affect YOU, why the hell do you care?

I believe in the middle class, workers’ rights, and a fair wage. It is a travesty that most of our manufacturing capacity and untold billions of dollars have gone overseas to China and elsewhere instead of investing at home in American hard work and ingenuity. Don’t you just love the Republican hypocrisy that says Cuba is such an evil communist dictatorship, but hey, China? Let’s send them all of our money, no problem. It’s not like they aren’t building one of the fucking biggest, most well-disciplined, militaries in the world, right? I fear that this will bite us in the ass sooner than later.

I believe that everyone, no matter what their status, has the right to affordable healthcare. It’s no different than the right to an education, yet nobody complains that the government taxes us to pay for schools. Just because you aren’t a millionaire, or aren’t lucky enough to have a job with good benefits, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve the chance to fight cancer. My mom died of cancer, after being able to give it a good fight… thankfully she had good healthcare because she was a teacher — but what if her situation was different?

I believe that the the United States is in a perilous position with its addiction to oil. We needed to have most of our energy come from alternative sources yesterday, but nobody listened to Jimmy Carter. Now we’re in trouble. The last thing we need to do is waste more time drilling for the tiny few drops that are out there, that wouldn’t be in the marketplace for 10-15 years anyway (you can’t build oil wells and infrastructure overnight). The writing is already on the wall. We are running out of oil, whether it is in 5, 10, or 15 years. Conservation and alternative energy sources are the future, so why not make the future, today?

I believe in public transportation, New Urbanism, biking, and train rides. Cause it all beats living in a desolate, cookie-cutter, suburban neighborhood and being dependent on driving dozens of miles to work everyday. Cars are loud, traffic sucks, you’re polluting the air that you breathe, and you’re not exercising or being productive. Trains are quiet, you can work, read, walk around, sit down to eat, and talk to strangers. Bikes are nonpolluting, good exercise, and fun. Living in a place where you have your school, grocery store, movie theater, restaurants, bars, greenway trails, and a nature park and lake within walking distance RULES — and I don’t even live downtown. I seriously fail to understand why so many people just choose to accept the crummy places where they live instead of insisting that their city or federal government do something about it.

I believe the environment and planet Earth is not here for us to treat like a garbage bin. Unless you’re just a backwards nutjob who doesn’t believe in science, you know something must be done about global warming. But what steps have YOU personally taken to mitigate your contribution to it? Laura and I are doing all we can. We recycle everything and even petitioned our apartment complex to install bins, we bought a Prius (50 MPG) and drive it only once or twice per week, we ride our bikes to the farmer’s market and grocery store, we ride Amtrak when possible, we installed a shut-off valve on our shower so we don’t waste water while shaving, we do the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down” the toilet, to name a few. These are SIMPLE things to do and they DO add up. You just have to decide to do it and not look back. I took the Earthday Carbon Footprint Calculator and scored a 3.1, the lowest score in my Permaculture class. What are you doing and what’s your score?

I believe the military is a necessity but primarily as a defense measure only. We must openly communicate with those whom we have disputes, and those that threaten us directly, using military action as a last resort. We used to be the most revered nation in the world. Now we’re a disgrace. There’s a reason that the Middle East hates us, and it’s not “freedom” it’s “imperialism”. Look it up. Honestly though? I can’t say for sure, but it seems to me that if Al Gore were president we would have found bin Laden and gotten it done with in less than a year. Iraq was a diversion by the Bush administration. The Republicans don’t really care about the terrorists. They just want to scare the shit out of you so you’ll vote for them. They want to start wars that reward their buddies at KBR and Halliburton with billion dollar contracts. They want to flush our national treasury down the drain, instead of keeping our money here at home where we can invest it in education, health care, alternative energy, and public transportation — things that matter (or will soon) to most Americans. I guess if you’re the party for the rich, by the rich, you don’t care, because after all when you’re filthy rich you can buy all of the gas, health insurance, and college education that you want.

I believe in organic food, permaculture, small family farms, and sustainable farming practices. Conventional farming wastes unbelievable amounts of energy and water, gives us sub-par quality food, destroys our health, and pollutes the environment. Organic farmers have the right to be on a level playing field with the large megafarms. We should be able to buy unprocessed, unpasteurized, fresh milk and cheese (there goes the government telling me what I can and can’t do, ostensibly for my health, but really to promote megafarms who can afford to send milk through a factory).

I believe everyone deserves a chance at a good education, not just those who live in affluent areas of the country or who are fortunate enough to afford it. That kid in the ghetto, she might be the next Einstein — but you won’t know if you don’t give her a chance. College tuition has gotten out of hand as well. The government should provide college education for free to those that deserve it (good grades, community service, etc) because in the end, a smarter citizen will get a better job, make more money, contribute more to society, and eventually pay it all back in taxes anyway.

I believe that the Democrats fight for the middle class — people, not corporations. The Republican motto seems to be “If you’re rich, you’re with us. If you’re not: Fuck you.”

Like McCain said during his acceptance speech:

I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost… (APPLAUSE) … lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market.

That’s right, John McCain fights for people who lost their real estate INVESTMENTS. Not for people who, you know, actually lost their home.

Best Intersection Ever

Ben — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:18:31 +0000

Found in Greensboro, NC.

Barack Obama

Ben — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:10:06 +0000

Last night, L and I watched the DNC Convention. It was amazing, in the technical sense: the whole thing was streamed live over the internet in High Definition. I knew it was possible but I really didn’t expect it, given how large the audience must have been. It never skipped once during the 2 hours we watched and it was very bright, crisp, and professional even at full screen. Finally, someone understands that not everyone has a TV but we do have an internet connection. Next week is the RNC Convention… which I expect to be broadcast in poor quality Flash video or somesuch, since hey, what can you expect from a bunch of Republicans who just don’t Get It?

[Update: Looks like the Republican Convention is not streaming a live feed, and their videos are in awful YouTube quality. What a joke!]

Anyhow, Obama’s speech was inspiring. How refreshing it was that he iterated his goals and promises for what he will do when he takes office, instead of being vague and pandering to the masses (like most politicians). In doing so, he didn’t pull any punches about where he stands on the issues and what he is fighting for. It was truly moving and I am more excited to cast my vote in this election than ever before.

Seriously, at this point, with our economy wrecked, prices skyrocketing, and a looming energy crisis (just to name a few things) all brought on by the last 8 years of the Bush administration, how could anyone, anyone who cares about their family, friends, and the future of this country even think about voting for John McCain? Seriously, what is wrong with these people?

1988 Centurion Ironman “Dave Scott” Expert Road Bike

Ben — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:59:03 +0000

Got a new (old) bike. $180 from Craigslist. I think it was a good deal, even though the bike needed considerable cleaning and servicing after not being used for 10 years. I’m done with all of the external fixups, all that remains is for the front and rear hubs to be serviced (which I will probably do next week).

Who needs 20+ gears when 12 can do the job just fine? This thing is fast as hell. Plus it’s pink. Love it.

Laura and I are going to go on a lot more bike trips now, maybe even with some local groups. Yay!

Be sure to CLICK THE PICTURE below to see the Notes.