An open letter to cowards

To all and sundry Democratic Senators and Representatives,

Man up.
Apologies to the female members.

You don't have to play nice anymore. For the past 12 months you have allowed the Republicans to spread fear and dissension. You have allowed the Republicans to stand in the way of needed progress. You have allowed the Republicans to halt your agenda with the threat of saying no.

Enough is enough.

Like Jon Stewart said, "You have a bigger majority than Bush when he did whatever the fuck he wanted." Use it. You have tried to play nice. You have tried to involve the other party. It isn't working. They have nothing but fear and the word NO to fall back on. Use your majority. Make them filibuster. Or vote the filibuster out.

Do what is right, not what is safe. If you use the whip hand, some of you will pay the price in November. Not many, you have the lowest turnover job in the country. But some. I understand the decision to take what is the right path for the future is hard when faced with the realization of the present that some will lose their positions of power and authority by taking that right path.

But you were elected to serve. Sometimes service requires sacrifice. Please, for the future of our nation, make that sacrifice.

The Universe

A thought occurred yesterday. I know, shocking.

Hubble has observed the death of stars more than 13 billion lightyears distant. How many directions has it observed these stars in? Is it in every direction? Is the light redshifted in every direction? If it is does that mean every non-local point is expanding away from every other point? Or is it just expanding away from our point? If the universe is expanding from every non-local point does this change how we view relativity?

More is different.

Been gone a long time, so something off topic

I haven't posted in a long time. The title even says so.

Baseball and steroids.

Yesterday Mark McGwire finally admitted to what most of us with functioning brain cells already knew. He used steroids.

I don't care.

Sportswriters are calling for his head, or forgiveness, or something in between.

I don't care.

I am tired of hearing about how these player sullied they game, how they ruined its pristine image.

This is the same sport that put a man who beat another man to death in its hall of fame.

Mark MaGwire and all the other 'roided out players made baseball popular again. They entertained us and made a lot of money doing it. Good on them. I'm glad they did. Now I'm glad everything is coming to light.

Just don't be angry at them for giving us exactly what we wanted.