Category Archives: abqjournal

abqjournal, Ah, Wilderness!, WTF?!

The Game Commission must go – fire every one of them

This is the second time in a week that the Albuquerque Journal has opposed Game Commission actions. (Previously, it was the approval of mountain lion traps that any decent human being would oppose.)

This is the same Game Commission whose head participated in the slaughter of a cornered mountain lion by a disgustingly privileged Texas attorney for a wheel barrel full of cash. These spoiled frat boys need to go. Fire them. Chase them down the street with sticks. Find someone with heart and sense to serve on the commission.

Editorial: Game board unfairly takes aim at gray wolf protector | Albuquerque Journal News

Unlike the Bill Richardson administration, which supported the program, Gov. Susana Martinez has not been friendly to it – even though it has been popular with many New Mexicans. A 2008 survey by Research & Polling found 69 percent either strongly supported or somewhat supported the program. In 2011, the governor-appointed Game Commission suspended state participation.

Editorial: Game board unfairly takes aim at gray wolf protector | Albuquerque Journal News

abqjournal, Election

“Don’t bother to vote,” declares the Albuquerque Journal at the top of A1

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It’s hardly news that Democrats all over the country will experience setbacks in November. It has been widely reported for months now — it’s a done deal, right? Don’t expect the Journal to tell you something you don’t already know, like how a state that has a majority of Democrats elects Republicans to top posts. (OK, we do already know that answer: discouraged voters. What role does declaring the winners before the election have on the outcome?)

abqjournal, Election, NADA, WTF?!

Keystone XL pipeline would be a disaster

Keystone is NOT about energy independence or security for the US. (Oil is NOT about the future.) Keystone makes money for Canada, China, and somebody in the US who is already sickeningly rich. This columnist has a puzzling tone for a union rep. He might as well argue that there will be jobs cleaning up the spills, pollution, and dead wildlife. KILL Keystone!

Keystone XL pipeline derailed by billion-dollar man | Albuquerque Journal News

By Terry O’Sullivan / Special To The Washington Post
PUBLISHED: Monday, April 28, 2014 at 12:05 am

Upon the latest exasperating delay of the Keystone XL pipeline project, our union – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – suggested that the Obama administration grow a set of antlers or take a lesson from Popeye and eat some spinach.

After all, the evidence points to federal approval of the pipeline. After nearly six years of delay, thousands of pages of research, five environmental impact statements confirming the evidence and millions of public comments, a pipeline that could put thousands of Americans to work and help ensure our nation’s energy security remains stalled.

The evidence is clear: It’s the politics that are tricky. And that’s where courage comes in. [mjh: barf] 

No one seriously believes that the administration’s nearly-dark-of-night announcement last week, on Good Friday, that the pipeline would again be delayed was anything but politically motivated.

For the record, our union was among those that twice supported the Obama-Biden ticket, and we continue to support many of the president’s initiatives. But that does not negate our right and obligation to speak out when, because of politics, the administration fails to stand up for working people and the men and women we represent.

It’s not the one-person, one-vote politics that underpins the administration’s actions on Keystone. Public opinion surveys have consistently found strong majority support for the project, while not a single poll has shown majority opposition. Rather, the kind of politics the administration claims to disdain has taken control.

Keystone XL pipeline derailed by billion-dollar man | Albuquerque Journal News

A majority of the US favors a lot of stupid and dangerous things, especially when they are lied to about benefits and risks. KILL Keystone!

abqjournal, Election, NADA, WTF?!

Supreme Court gives “democracy” to the rich

I’m sure they’ll be rewarded. Now, the Koch Brothers, ad nauseum, can profit from “the general gratitude” of every single member of Congress. I hope to live long enough to piss on Roberts’ grave.

Supreme Court says political influence isn’t corruption | Albuquerque Journal News By Thomas Cole / Of the Journal, PUBLISHED: Friday, April 4, 2014

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote:

“In a series of cases over the past 40 years, we have spelled out how to draw the constitutional line between the permissible goal of avoiding corruption in the political process and the impermissible desire simply to limit political speech. We have said that government regulation may not target the general gratitude a candidate may feel toward those who support him or his allies, or the political access such support may afford.”

Roberts also wrote, “Money in politics may at times seem repugnant to some, but so too does much of what the First Amendment vigorously protects.” …

Campaign finance restrictions should be seen as a means to strengthen the First Amendment, rather than weaken it, the [Justice Breyer] wrote. “Where enough money calls the tune, the general public will not be heard,” he said.

Breyer also said:

“Taken together with Citizens United … today’s decision eviscerates our Nation’s campaign finance laws, leaving a remnant incapable of dealing with the grave problems of democratic legitimacy that those laws were intended to resolve.”

Supreme Court says political influence isn’t corruption | Albuquerque Journal News

abqjournal

Then new and “improved” Albuquerque Journal epaper

I have a love-hate relationship with the Journal. I’m old-school enough to need a local newspaper, even in electronic form. I subscribe to much of the Journal’s content through RSS, which usually doesn’t include photos (people might *steal* them!). I can’t get the Sudoku puzzle in RSS, so that, at the very least, leads me to the “ePaper” (worse, the “eEditiion” — barf). Months ago, I discovered that I could use the Mobile URL to get an older form of the epaper which Merri and I both found easier to use (and print) that the fancy version, at that time. Today, my old trick stopped working and this appeared:

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Of course, if one doesn’t care about format, just content, then go RSS. As for format, how should the Journal recreate the layout of a paper on a screen? This is a pretty faithful facsimile, albeit impossible to read and surrounded by wasted space and way too many tools.

To read this, one first locates the Page Width menu tool (you see it, right?) and selects Page Width. With that, the largely superfluous tools left and right vanish and one can read about half of a page. To see the bottom half, drag the scroll bar (not the browser’s scroll bar but a skinny little one). Would it kill the programmer to enable Page Down and Page Up buttons? Or continuous scrolling?

Read individual articles by clicking the headline, avoiding the extra tools that pop up over each headline. A small window opens ala AOL (never a positive comparison). Don’t bother to make it bigger because the next one will be small again. Scroll through your article and close that window and proceed.

This strikes me as the kind of thing you show someone who has no idea how other websites or content-apps work. The clueless check-writer eats up the sales pitch and says, that outta satisfy them! Wrong.

Now, the Albuquerque Journal app for Windows 8 is looking more interesting, especially in portrait mode. Recommended. Or try the Albuquerque Journal RSS feed (all articles; you can also subscribe to content areas).

abqjournal

Civil discourse needed in education debate | ABQJournal Online

I’m one of the noise-making, rabble-rousing bystanders in many debates, but I admire Quigley’s calm and clear manner. Nobody clarifies a situation like Quigley. All of his columns are worth reading. http://www.abqjournal.com/author/wquigley

Civil discourse needed in education debate | ABQJournal Online

by Winthrop Quigley / Journal Staff Writer | 8 hours ago

Like many people I know, I have strong opinions about education but know very little about it.

Therefore, I would love to witness a reasoned, evidence-based, honest, civil and open discussion of education issues affecting our state. What I am witnessing is Wrestlemania: lots of growling, posturing, chest-beating and showboating

Civil discourse needed in education debate | ABQJournal Online

abqjournal, Viddy

Spoiling Bad

I have a stiff middle digit for “superfan” David Layman and his cohort for spoiling the end of Breaking Bad for “ordinary” fans who have to wait until the episodes are released to us. Thanks, Dick! And thank you to the Albuquerque Journal for tooting its own horn on the front page about how much impact something in the Journal can have on Social Media. The fact that it was an ad, not an article, just gives the owner a bigger boner. Finally, thanks to reporter Rick Nathanson for his fair and balanced observation that in all the world one person was unhappy with this spoiler(it’s at least two, you tool).

Thank god social media was non-existent when the Empire Strikes Back and the Crying Game came out.