Posts Tagged ‘budget’


Is Our Children Learning? Not For Long!

April 13th, 2008 by Oskar Kennedy

Dear Little Bald Bastard,
  Hey LBB, did you hear that Bush’s 2009 budget kills the funding for the RIF [Reading Is Fundamental] program? Doesn’t that suck?
- Wonk-a Wonk

Dear Wonk-a Wonk,
  Thank you, President Bush. Every time I think it’s impossible to despise you and your disastrous presidency any harder, you find some way to become even more loathsome and horrible. It’s as if you sense outrage fatigue setting in, and you make up your mind to prevent us from giving up on hating you.

  The latest salvo in the arms race of unconscionableness that is the Bush executive is an item in the President’s 2009 budget. More accurately, it’s something that’s not included in the $3.1 trillion plan. The Bush Administraitor’s proposal eliminates federal funding for the Reading Is Fundamental program, which has been part of every budget since 1975. From their website:

RIF is the oldest and largest children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. 

  I applaud you, sir. It’s as if you scoured federal spending for the cutest, cuddliest puppy you could find, and then clubbed it to death on the south lawn as a sacrifice to the Gods of War (Iraq Regional Office).

  Here’s an idea, loosely adapted from a lame bumper sticker. RIF is asking for $26 million in federal funding in fiscal year 2009. Each F-22 fighter costs in the neighborhood of $177 million. Maybe the Air Force could get by with one less this year, so some poor kids could get some free books? If you want, you can even use the leftover $151 million to fund some ridiculous and ineffective social program, like abstinence-only sex education.

  Fortunately, the curtain hasn’t quite closed on this farce. There’s still time to contact your legislators and urge them to restore RIF’s funding. President Bush has been at the helm for the ruin of our economy, the trashing of our civil liberties, and the deaths of thousands of American soldiers. Don’t let him threaten millions of American children with illiteracy.

[x-posted from Ask The Little Bald Bastard]

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Everybody Wiis

March 30th, 2009 by Foo-Foo McKinley

I’m going to come right out and say it. I am addicted to video games. I have been for a fairly long time, but never so much as since I got a Wii for my birthday last year. I’ve played a million games, owned and rented, but I think I just found my favorite: Mario Kart. I know, I know… It’s been out for a while now, with the nifty wheel-shaped Wiimote holder, but I just got it today, so I’m excited. (In case you were wondering, my second favorite is Lego Star Wars. Who wouldn’t want to be able to actually swing their lightsaber to destroy The Dark Side?!)

Aside from the desire to race cars (in real life… I dream of rally racing through the woods), I got it as a way to play games with my friends who are spread out across the US and in other countries. How fucking cool is that? With the magic of the Internet, I can race as Princess Peach against people in the Midwest, California and the UK, all at the same time. I never got into the whole Xbox head-set thing, so this is a new and amazing concept to me.

If you’re on Twitter, join the hashtag conversation, “#skeptwiit.” A few of us nerdy skeptics have decided to go head-to-head in a battle royale. Join us, or just follow the silly banter.

I know not everyone has a Wii yet, and that they are slightly out of some most peoples’ budgets these days. However, I whole-heartedly suggest that for those of you who have the money to drop on it (or a special gift to ask for), you acquire one ASAP. Join our league of skeptical video game addicts.

I Wii. Do you Wii?

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