No Mr President

We're not buying your war Mr. President. We know a "narrow, limited attack", in your words, would not amount to much more than a slap to President Assad of Syria. He would not care what we do in response to his atttack on the people of Syria, and he'll keep on killing them.

As noted in the news stories, you are asking us to rely on the CIA and other "spy" agencies "proof" the attack was committed by the Syrian military but can't determine if President Assad knew about it and maybe even approved it.

The UN inspectors are only there to determine what chemical was used, if they can, not who used them. So selling us the culprit now reminds us President Bush selling us Saddham Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, sold by the same agencies who lied then.

And even though it's clear chemical weapons were used in Syria, you're still trying to convince us a retaliation is fair and just despite only France being the only ally willing to agree, but not help, with your war.

That's what's not going to work. We've been there before and there is no narrow and limited war in Syria in the midst of a two year civil war. We know your attack would only have a short-term impact on Syria and those in power, and you'll be back again for another attack.

And then what? You promised us no wars of our own choosing, and this is one of those wars of choice. You surround yourself with senior military officials as your advisors and then say you're getting a balanced range of options.

No, not when you only ask the military and your senior military advisors. You're being swayed into an attack that has no guarrantees of success and no promises of avoiding collateral damage, and that's the issue and real question, what if any of those missiles miss their intended targets or hit innocent civilians?

Where will that put this country in the eyes of the world? Right now the best decision is the old adage, "Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor." It's time to wait and see, and only attack when the concensus asks you than you ask them.

No Mr President

President Obama's logic that Syria's chemical weapons is a threat to the national security of the US is the same logic and reasoning Bush sold us the war in Iraq.

Sorry, Mr. President, we're not that stupid this time. Syria's chemical weapons are only a threat to the Syrian people by the Assad government and military, and not a threat to Americans or America.

Don't go down the road to involve us, you know the American people, in another mindless war in the Middle East with no possible exit or solution for us or them.

Century Link

Why in the world does Century Link decide to bring down their Internet connection for users on a weekday at 4:45 pm? I was in the middle of downloading an e-book which buyers have limited downloads in case of problems and which downloads take nearly an hour to finish.

And about 2/3rds into the download Century Link drops the connection, and when it comes back the download starts from the beginning, the nearly hour download all over again, along with all the other work that requires an Internet connection.

Century Link provides good service most of the time, but when they do down, it's almost always at the times users need it the most, from mid-morning to early evening, like how can they inconvenience users the most.

Yeah, it's a vent or rant, but sometimes it's warranted against things like this, to let a download work and come to find it quit because your Internet connection isn't working. And through all of these times Century Link has never credited users' account for the inconvenience.

Like we pay for this? And what's worse, try to find information about downtimes on their Website. Wait, you can't if it's on the Internet you can't use to check them.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

I can't help but notice how many news organizations through their media outlets are calling for Private Manning to receive proper medical care for a transition from male to female, including hormones, while in military prison.

They call it "cruel and unusual punishment" as defined in the Constitution, and rightfully so when it involves the protection of transgender individual from violence, rape and other physical abuse by other prisoners or guards.

Whether it's cruel or unusual punishment to deny non-life threatening medical treatments from a prisoner has been subject to a lot of discussion over the years, and if mandatory treatment should include medical care for transgender prisoners to transition.

Granted the DSM-V stipulates transgender, meaning someone who recognize they gender is differnt than their birth sex, is a condition which is treatable with therapy, drugs and surgery if desired. But whille Manning has received a preliminary diagnosis of being transgender, it hasn't been fully confirmed by other medical professionals.

And that's the question, should Manning get the therapy for that determination, and if so diagnosed, get the treatment of hormones at the government's, meaning the taxpayers', expense. But that's another issue and not the point I want to make here.

While a whole array of organizations and people have asserted the rights of prisoners who are diagnosed as transgender to receive treatment in prison, almost none of these same organizations and people have argued health insurance companies denying the same rights to paying customers is also cruel and unusual punishment.

If it's fair and right for prisoners, why isn't it fair and right for citizens? There are tens of thousands of transgender people being denied coverage under their health insurance for transgender healthcare and treatment, even well after a diagnosis.

Not only are they denied, their record, if they reveal it to the health insurance company by themselves or through the healthcare providers, is almost always flagged and other medical care denied or rejected as related to their diagnosis as transgender.

This is a case of legitimate needs of people paying for health insurance being subject to cruel and unusual punishment by corporations for the same condition. Where are the voices for them? Where is the outrage of the injustice?

Nowhere. And that too is cruel and unusual punishment by those voices aruging for prisoners' rights. Maybe they should be held to their own standards before they yell about the standards imposed on prisoners.

NBCSC Sucks

NBC's Sports Channel (NBCSC) sucks. When they bought the rights to air Formula One they promised more live coverage of the races from practice through the race. But then they announced the package to air Barclay's Premier Football league games, and Formula One now is playing second fiddle.

I woke up to watch the live qualifying for the Spa-Francochamps race today (5/24/13) at 5 am PDT and what do I see, European football. Not the live qualifying for the race as they promised. I like football but there will be far more football matches than Formula One race events.

At least they promise to air, according the the TV schedule, the actual race live starting with the pre-race show at 4:30 am. I will be up and expect them to live up to their promise, but from now on I'm not holding my breath about them and their promises.

I can see live listing of lap times for the practice and qualifying on Formula One's official channel, so what does NBCSC know about tape delay broadcasts that isn't already known that they suck? Nothing. They're as bad as ESPN and ABC was with their tape delay broadcasts of qualifying and races.

I hate networks who pull this kind of shit on viewers, promise more then forget the promise to deliver less. It sucks and they now suck, in the first season of broadcasts too. And what worse is the qualifying would be cool to watch live as it was raining and turned it in to an exciting event, one of the best qualifying this season, better than football.