Conspiracy Afoot: Right, Like My Electrical System is Really Overloaded My home was built in 1928. Somewhere along the line it had electrical installed. The service panels are small, but what do I care. I noticed recently that when my oven was on, and both my daughters were using the blow dryer, and I was arc-welding all at the same time that the breakers would blow. I had an electrician come over and his report was that the wiring in my home was installed in the 1950’s and was not designed to handle such large loads at one time. He said that the whole house was heating up from the inside out when such large draws of current were made on the system. In fact, the panel got hot to the touch during such usage. He said that if I did not change the way I used electricity in my home that it would eventually catch fire and burn to the ground. Yeah right! What is this guy’s problem, what is his agenda? I suppose he just wants the job of re-wiring my home. But I’m no fool. I called a second, then a third, then a fourth, and finally a fifth electrician who each came to examine my house. What the heck is up? Is there some database somewhere that collects these idiots’ opinions and this is what guides them to all report the same? They are probably in a union that gets a split for each dollar they make. Each of these guys said that they were sure they were right, but for the simple price to pay of not using all my electrical devices at once I could have the comfort that my house would not burn down. They said it is a “small price to pay for safety.” Horse manure—my house is fine, dammit! And by the way, this is America—I should be able to do what I want, when I what, to hell with the so-called consequences made up by quacks with an agenda! So I called up a guy I know who knows what a plug looks like and he said his brother-in-law used to work for an electrician. The guy called me and I explained the nonsense I had been told by those five previous quacks. I told him that I wanted a report that said my house was fine and which also said that I could use whatever amount of electricity I wanted to, anytime I wanted. After some negotiation we agreed on a price. For only $500 I got the report. Ah ha! See, I knew those previous electricians were nothing but quacks, after all, I got a report! Now...

Another Letter to My Daughters: Gay Marriage is Not an Attack on Religion July 3, 2015 Dear Kids: Gay marriage and homosexual behavior are not choices I would make for myself.  Frankly, I don’t see the appeal.  But I also do not see the appeal in clog dancing, pickles, cauliflower, menudo, sky diving, tube socks, or scary movies.  It is fair to say, though, that there are others to whom all these things do appeal.  There is no right or wrong, there is merely personal appeal which should be zealously guarded in the name of individual freedom. The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision recognizing the freedom to marry whomever you like is a fabulous example of preserving freedoms, not oppressing religion as some would have you believe.  It is a red herring to argue that allowing gay people to marry will infringe on the religious beliefs of others who oppose it.  Just think about it logically.  How does a couple’s choice to marry affect you at all?  It doesn’t!  It merely ratifies others’ ability to make their own decision about how they live their life.  If you don’t want to marry someone of your own gender, or eat cauliflower for that matter, then don’t.  But telling someone that they cannot marry a person of their choosing is certainly imposing religious beliefs upon another—unacceptable! There are too many real issues in this world to focus on without wasting energy trying to “fix” the “wrong beliefs” belonging to other people.  To do so would be oppressive.  In the words of the great Aldous Snow, “I was going to do that but then, um, I just carried on living my...

Consider the following:  a man complains that his drinking water smells like oil and the fumes coming from his faucet can literally be lit on fire.  As soon as it is reported, the disapprovers come out of the woodwork with several fallacious and immaterial statements.  Has common sense really taken a sabbatical in the United States?  Okay, I am not going to argue the science, because people who live their lives “inside the bubble” aren’t impressed with science.  Instead, let’s boil it down to nothing more than good ole fashioned common sense. Crazy Statement No. 1: “Plenty of articles have been written which disprove that fracking fluid is bad.  In fact, just watch the movie ‘Frack Nation’ which explains it all.” Common Sense Response: Not surprisingly, when you have the billions of dollars that the oil magnate Koch brothers have, hiring a film crew to preach your own version of the gospel isn’t that hard.  But even more to the point is this little factoid:  Movies do not always equal reality.  Giving credence to a position merely because you saw it on Netflix is silly—nay, asinine.  Now, excuse me while I go prepare for the arrival of ET.  And, for what it’s worth, have you seen the movie Gasland?  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) Crazy Statement No. 2: “The guy just wants money and will file a frivolous lawsuit.” Common Sense Response: I don’t know if he will sue or not, but he is a fool if he doesn’t.  Go find a private corner someplace where no one from FOX News can hear you and honestly ask yourself if you wouldn’t also sue if your kids were bathing in petroleum laced water, which has also significantly de-valued the homestead that has been in your family for centuries.  Yes, you would—and you should!  Claiming otherwise is disingenuous.  Oh, and for the record—such a lawsuit would be incredibly merit based—not frivolous. Crazy Statement No. 3: “There is no evidence that ground-injected fracking fluid actually leaks into our drinking water.” Common Sense Response: No evidence?  How about the guy’s flaming water faucet!  Get real—choosing to ignore the evidence is not the same thing as evidence not existing. Crazy Statement No. 4: “Even if fracking fluid did leak into our drinking water, there is no evidence that it is harmful to humans.” Common Sense Response: Really?  This is almost laughable, but since it has actually been uttered, we will tackle it with common sense.  The time tested adage goes like this: Absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence.  Now, let’s apply it. For many years it was claimed that Japan had sent mini submarines toward Pearl Harbor to sink American ships on...

Wyatt interviews journalist and author Stephanie Mencimer about her book, Blocking the Courthouse Door. As a reporter for Mother Jones, Ms. Mencimer covers legal affairs and domestic policy in the magazine’s Washington, D.C. bureau. This former investigative reporter has earned many awards and critical acclaim for her insightful stories about injustice. Join Wyatt and Ms. Mencimer as they discuss the methodology behind keeping Americans out of the courthouse. GUEST: Stephanie Mencimer Author and Journalist Tweet Listen To The Audio Podcast: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your...

Wyatt interviews attorney Jose Garza, legal counsel for the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus, about the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling striking down portions of the Voting Rights Act. Mr. Garza’s history of public interest service places him a unique position to explain the ruling’s ramifications. GUEST: Jose Garza, Attorney from San Antonio, Texas Tweet Listen To The Audio Podcast: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your...