Why Has the U.S. Forest Service Purchased $600,000 Worth of Tasers?

Two articles:
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=18223
http://www.jbs.org/node/6615
( the story )

Is it important to you for your vote to be kept confidential?

What I'm really asking is this:

If you were asked, as you walked out of a polling place, which presidential candidate you voted for, would you answer truthfully? Would you feel it was wrong for someone to ask you?

Do you know of another way to establish what people are actually voting?

What if there was a box and little slips of paper, and you were asked to write on a slip of paper the name of the candidate you chose and drop it in there?

Thinking about exit polling......

Word #2 (Associate Freely)

After reading the word or phrase behind the cut, please write your very first thought(s) and send it to me in a comment. Thank you very much!
( cut )

Mussolini on Fascism

He was quite a writer and philosopher, that Mussolini. Much brighter than our Shrub. He expounds on his philosophy here and says "The Fascist conception of life is a religious one."
http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Germany/mussolini.htm

Anusara Intrigue

Well tonight I went to another yoga class, same studio, different teacher. I had not been to this teacher before and she immediately checked me for all the same pet peeves that the other teachers from this school focus on. Are my knees hyperextended? I made sure that they were not. Are my hips level? Yes they are. I passed the first 10 tests or so before we made it to the crux of the matter. At TYE I was taught to use the rhomboids to pull the shoulder blades onto the back to toward each other in the middle of the back. At Amrita the staff is in rebellion against John Friend regarding this teaching, and they are not teaching it. Rather than saying "melt your heart" they say to keep your back "broad" and not allow the pinching between the shoulderblades. Tonight I had a social work nurse and a physical therapist, both yoga teachers, try to authoritize me into believing that they way is right. I don't believe anything just because somebody said so! And I told them this. I tried to open the conversation about the anatomy involved. The main teacher of the class said that she thinks Americans overuse their rhomboids and in such is the essence of our postural problems. I so disagree with her. We did this partner stretch that involved having one person hold another person's wrists behind their backs and lean forward to open the chest. I was instructed to do this without my shoulderblades coming together. When I resisted the stretch and exerted my pecs to hold my shoulders forward, she was satisfied. When I allowed the pose to open my heart, my shoulderblades were too close and she was dissatisfied. I am so far not impressed with the level of awareness of this school. There is too much pedantry, too much authoritarian zeal. I will do what I choose based on what I decide based on the assimilation of teachings, studies and body knowledge. This is my yoga. One rebel school can disagree with one brand new master about the ultimate truth, and I will synthesize my own truth.