Picnik is closing

“Since joining Google in 2010, we have been creating editing magic in Google products while continuing to keep Picnik awesome. But now we get to focus on even awesomer things. Picnik will be closing on April 19, 2012.

Your photos liberated
Amazing photos are created in Picnik, so we have launched a new feature, Picnik Takeout, that easily downloads your photos to your desktop in convenient zip files. You may also elect to copy your photos to Google+ where you can store and share your creations. You may request your photos at any time and use this handy tool as many times as you like until our closing date of April 19, 2012. Learn more.

Premium Refunds
To our primo Picnik Premium members, we'll begin processing a full refund of your current membership fee within a week of this announcement. By "in full" we mean the whole darn thing. Yep, this means even if you are on your very last day of an annual membership, we will refund you the entire $24.95. Just because we want to say thanks.

Now the Good News - Free Premium for ALL!
To express our gratitude for your support over the past 5 years, Picnik Premium is free for everyone! Use Picnik in all of its premium glory, for free, from now until our actual closing day. Touch-up, Textures, Advanced, and more are all free for you to use!

We have been incredibly proud of building a product that is used and beloved by so many of you. We continue to be amazed and humbled by the photos you create and we are immensely grateful for all of your support, creativity, and passion.

We are excited by the photo-editing fun we have already brought to Google products, like Google+, where you can find many of your favorite Picnik effects in Creative Kit. We encourage you to visit Google+ and give it a whirl.

Please visit the Help Hub for more information on our wind down, and check the Picnik blog for updated information on our April closure.

It's been awesome,
Team Picnik”

The GOP debate audiences

  I have commented before here about the GOP debate audiences. 

  Here is a part of a great Huffington Post article about them:


”…The audiences have been loudly patriotic and enthusiastic about the campaign. But their outbursts have also uncovered a GOP id that cheers for Texas' vigorous use of the death penalty; cheers repeated attacks on the national media, even when it is embodied by Fox News moderators; boos at the suggestion that the federal government, not the states, should enforce immigration laws; boos at anything less than a send-them-all-back immigration policy; boos a gay soldier who asks a question about gay rights; cheers at the mention of waterboarding and torture as a means of interrogating terrorism suspects; and boos at an African-American reporter who asks repeated questions about race, poverty, inequality and racial stereotypes…”

 

    I did not watch the debate yesterday but I saw much of the debate from re-broadcasts and clips on the news.
    The Republican audiences, I think, are a real turn off.  If I was an independent voter and watching I would say I do not want any part of the people that these people like and support.
     I get the feeling that these people are the same sort of people that were in the Roman Colosseum to watch people fight and die.  They same sort of unreasonable mob.  They remind me the sort of people that would turn up for a public hanging.  
    
     By the way… I am not a fan of the news media.  In fact I do not think they have many fans now days.  But I am not in a blood lust to kill them or tar and feather them and run them out of town on a rail.
     The news media is not the cause of all our problems.  The news media is not some left-wing Jewish communist organization.  There is no “liberal media bias.” 
      Are more reporter “liberal?”  Yes, they are because most of the American people are “liberal.”  I posted about that before.  Most Americans do not think they are liberal.  But when you ask them issue by issue they are for all the liberal issues. 
       If you are a Republican “sorry Charlie” the United States is NOT conservative. 

---

                                                               I am a liberal Democrat.  I believe that government needs to work to achieve equal opportunity for all.  Our nation is to big to leave it up to a local community or church to do the right thing and take care of the people that need help.
       I think that government needs to be a check on big business and corporations.  They do not act in the best interest of the people or the nation.
    

  I do not think that “human” life begins at conception.  I think it begins at some point before birth but I am not sure at just what point.  It maybe when if birth took place at the point it could live.  It is is not at conception when it is a couple of cells.
       I do not think the government should tell a woman what she can do with her body.  The government should not say you must have an abortion or you can not have one.

       I discussed how when affirmative action came up I felt it was wrong to give blacks a extra boost in the hiring or in getting into schools.  I felt that everyone should just be treated the same.
       But later after a few years there were reports about how much better things had gotten in many areas for blacks, woman and others and I changed my mind. 

       I have never been for the death penalty.  I do not think that anyone should ever take a human life.  I also do not think the state should be killing people.  God gives life and God should take life in His own time.
        I think if someone kills they should be in prison for life and never get out.
        I feel that the death penalty is not fair.  If you are black or poor you die.  If you are white or have money you may live. 
        I also feel that innocent people have died at the hands of the state.  If you kill someone and they were innocent you can not try and correct the error.

        I think the government needs to regulate.  That is why we have government.  That is why we need government.  Capitalism is dog eat dog.  We need it but it must be regulated.  There is no real “free market.”  Corporations, big business and money are set up to make you and I slaves and to have us end up at the mercy of the one percent. 

       Gun violence in the United States is very bad.  But the Second Amendment does give citizens the right to own fire arms.  We have got real problems with all the guns and with their use in this nation.  I do not want to take away guns from people.  I do want some sane gun control laws.
       
        Many people on the right think that Americans have no right to health care.  Many on the right think the only reason for a national government is for having a military. 
        I think one of the reasons for a government is for the protection, health and well being of the American people.  I also think that improving the health and welfare of the American people is very important in the defense of the nation. 

        In the past we have seen the red scare.  We have had other things that have been used to control us and get power.  Now we have the Muslim scare.  There is always something that the right wants to use to control us and scare us.
        The things that make this nation great are the freedoms that we have in this nation. 

         We have a border and immigration problem in this nation.  Both sides need to work with each other to fix the problems and return this nation to the America of land of the Statue of Liberty.  Except for the American Indians we are all immigrants.

         Religion in this nation is tearing us apart.  It has done that in the past in other nations and is still doing it in other nations.  We need to make sure that does not happen here.
         The United States was NOT set up as a Christian nation.  Our nation was set up so that there would be no state religion.  We were setup to prevent the type of problems that the old world had with religion and government. 
         The Christian right needs to stop trying to re-write history.  They need to learn the real history of the nation and respect it.  They may wish that the founding fathers had set up a nation like Iran or some other nation with a state religion and a government that pretends to act in God’s name but that is not the United States.  It never was the United States.

          I am going to have family, friends and many others disagree with me.  But keep in mind I am old.  I think “marriage” should be between a man and a woman.  But I think others should have the right to some sort of civil union that would have all the rights of a “marriage.”
          I think that the way to fix the problem is have “marriage” be when a couple have the “marriage” take place in a church.   Other people that do not have the service in a church would not be “married” but would have had a civil union.
          Now the problem with my idea is that you are going to have many people that say they are “married” but they did not have it done in church.
          Like I said I am old.  Just let me die off and the others like me and then you can say a marriage is anything you want it to be.

  There is more to follow below

Occupy the Courts: January 20, 2012

“Inspired by our friends at Occupy Wall Street, and Dr. Cornel West, Move To Amend is planning bold action to mark the second anniversary of the infamous Citizens United v. FEC decision!

Occupy the Courts will be a one day occupation of Federal courthouses across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Friday January 20, 2012.

Move to Amend volunteers across the USA will lead the charge on the judiciary which created — and continues to expand — corporate personhood rights.

Americans across the country are on the march, and they are marching OUR way. They carry signs that say, “Corporations are NOT people! Money is NOT Speech!” And they are chanting those truths at the top of their lungs! The time has come to make these truths evident to the courts…”    

Ron Paul no longer a joke

  For years Ron Paul has been a joke.  This time he is running second in the primary.  He is having a powerful effect.  He is keeping the anti-Romney people from having the ability to stop Romney. 
  Ron Paul will have enough supporters at the Republican convention that he can have some effect on the platform of the GOP. 
 
  What scares the hell out of evil empire (the Republican Party) is that Ron Paul might run on a third party ticket.  Everyone agrees that he would pull most of  his votes from the GOP and that would give the election to President Obama.
 
  What happens between now and the 2012 election is going to the last hurrah of Ron Paul.  He is not going to be the Republican candidate.  He is not going to be on the ticket as vice president.
  If Romney is elected I do not see any office he could give to Ron Paul.
  Ron Paul has never got one thing done in Congress.
  But right now Ron Paul is the number one reason that Romney is going to the the Republican candidate.

  If Ron Paul runs on a third party ticket he would be the man that made Romney the GOP candidate and the man that prevented him from winning.
 
  The smart money right now says that Ron Paul will not run as a third party candidate.  They say that because his son is a Republican United States Senator and that it would hurt his son.
 
  I do not think you can be sure what Ron Paul will do.

Penis sizes worldwide: there’s a map for it!

  God, I love the Internet.  A reader sent me a link to Globalpost.  It has an article “Penis sizes worldwide: Yeah, there’s a map for that.” 

  The following from Globalpost:

“Well, finally. Thank you targetmap.com, a website with customized data maps, for a long overdue look at penis sizes around the world.

(Hat tip to the Shanghaiist blog for first pointing it out to us).

But before you get all excited, let me just tell you that Asia does not fare exceedingly well.

According to this interactive map, all of the world's least well-endowed countries are located there, with South Korea bringing up the rear at 3.8 inches.

India and Thailand and Cambodia go head to head (to head), each coming in at a solid 4 inches.

China's little soldiers, ranking 4.3 inches on average, are a good match for the average Japanese Capt. Winkie (also 4.3).

But the real weenies seem to be in the Congo (7.1 inches), with Ecuador not far behind (6.9 inches).

And in case you're still unsure of which country you'd like to visit next, get a load of this:

Another map that attempts to correlate penis size with IQ — two things that, in the case of China and Africa, appear to be inversely correlated. Titillating…”

 

  Here is the link to The Penis Size Worldwide Map

  Here is the link to National IQ Scores vs Average Penis Size

 

  I have not had time to even look at the maps yet but I think it is going to be interesting.  What do you think?

The Important Election

  I do not agree with many Republicans that the most important election is not the 2012 Presidential elections but the recall election of Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin!

  But I do think that recall election is very important.  I will jump with joy if Governor Scott Walker is recalled.
  He took office and attacked workers and union members and pulled every dirty trick he could.  He saw himself as on the way to the White House.

  The people of Wisconsin turned against him and the people of the United States.  Two of his buddies already got recalled.
  Soon they will be voting to recall him.  He has put on his nice face but I do not think he can fool the people of Wisconsin.

  It is an important election.  Let us end his dream of being elected President of the United States and send a message to other right wing worker hating Republicans.

  I am not sure I will be jumping with joy after the 2012 Presidential elections.

  But right now the Republicans are fighting with each other. 

GOP Reacting to Obama NLRB Appointments

Cenk Uygur discusses the Republican reaction to President Barack Obama's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board. Cenk breaks down the story and talks about the history of recess appointments.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/04/obama-nlrb-recess-appointments-labor...

 

Leave me my fellatio please

  Right now, in Iowa, Romney and Santorum are in a tight race for the lead.  So it is going to be Romney, Santorum and third place will be good old Ron Paul.
  God I love the Republicans.
  Romney has been running for years and years for President.  His organization has money and everything.  Republicans say he can beat President Obama.  (Of course he has never had more than 25% of the Republican votes and can not get more than 25% now.  This is the man that can beat President Obama?)
  Rick Santorum I never head of him!  Has he been vented?  Have we looked at his background?  I know … I know.. He is a born again evangelical Christian!  Warning Warning how many of those have had information come out?
  But just on his positions alone they need to worry.  He thinks that states should be allowed to make any laws that they want.  The United States Supreme Court should not be allowed to rule on those laws. 
  Of course since he is such a moral “evangelical” Christian what state law does he mention and does he think about all the time?  He can not stop thinking about the Supreme Court’s Lawrence vs Texas case.  The United States struck down a ban on Sodomy in Texas and 13 other states.
  Do you know what sodomy is people?  It is something that same sex adults do in private AND that heterosexual people do in private.  You mean to tell me that Rick Santorum has never had a blow job? 
  Rick Santorum says that Sodomy is not a protected constitutional right!  So the state has a right to say what I can do in my own home and in my own bed?  If someone happens to see you getting a blow job from your wife in your home and they call 911 the police should be allowed to arrest you?
  Rick Santorum says the states can make any laws that they want  about birth control, abortion and sex acts and the courts have no right to say or do anything!
  That also means that the states can make any laws they want about anything and the governor can enforce what the state law says.  The governor can have the state guard block a school and prevent black kids from going to the school.  He can have the state guard block the school and check and see if the kids speak Spanish.  The state guard can block the entrance to family planning clinics. 
  Sort of sounds like we would not need a United States Supreme Court. 
  Of course Rick Santorum is not as strong and right as Newt Gingrich.  He says he will ignore Supreme Court rulings and arrest judges.  He will shut down courts that make rulings that he does not agree with.
  Sounds like the Republicans have the men they want.  How about a Republican ticket of Newt Gingrich for President and Rick Santorum for “Vice” President.

  Well you all better get all the fellatio you can right now gang.  You were worried that the Republicans were going to take away your porn right?  No you got more to worry about than just your porn baby.  The Republicans are going to make it a crime to get fellatio, a blow job or for you to be given head or to have your wife suck you off.
 

  So if you are a Republican what are you going to do baby?  Who you going to call?  How about Ron Paul?  He wants to do away with Social Security, Medicare and just about everything else that the government does. 
  But Ron Paul will say you can do anything you want in your own home and your own bedroom.  Ron Paul will say you can do porn and you can do drugs. 
  Sounds like Ron Paul is our man. Sure he is racist but at least if he is President he can get down on his knees in the White House and give fellatio to some well hung black stud and not worry about some state law.

Concealed Carry Crimes

Uploaded by TheYoungTurks on Dec 31, 2011

Do concealed carry laws in the United States make sense? Should convicted felons have guns? Where does the NRA stand? Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks discuss.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/27/us/more-concealed-guns-and-some-are-in-the-...

 

Ubuntu 11.10

  I got around to updating Ubuntu to 11.10 on my computer.  I got my laptop setup to do a dual boot.  I can boot up into Windows 7 or into Ubuntu (Linux).  About 95% of the time I use Windows 7.
  But Ubuntu is now, I think, ready for prime time.  It is very nice.
  It is still not for everyone.

  If you have an old computer that does not have the power for Windows 7 and you need to do the very basic Internet stuff then Ubuntu will do it for you.  You can surf the Internet, you can do email and the other things you need to do.

  I run Skype on both Windows and Ubuntu.  So I can get and make phone calls using Skype.

  Some webcams will work with Ubuntu.
  Version 11.10 is nice. I may start using Ubuntu more.  I am using it right now to post this to Howard's Notebook.