So, I just heard that Rumsfeld called critics of the Bush administration "morally or intellectually confused". I got to hear a little snippet of the speech, too.
I must be the worst person in America. I criticize the Bush administration constantly. Actually, I criticize anyone in power constantly. According to Rumsfeld, this makes me a Nazi. Someone here is morally and intellectually confused. But it's not me.
Morally: Correct me if I'm wrong (there's a nice little comment form on every article here, after all): this administration has consistently identified itself as Christian and appealed to Christian values. Isn't that the religion with a commandment, "Thou shalt not kill?" I don't remember any qualifications, but perhaps it's morally OK if it's for revenge, or to teach someone a lesson.
Intellectually: When we started bombing Iraq, it was because they had Weapons of Mass Destruction. We never found any, so then we changed the reason to "Sadaam was a bad man." When I change my reasoning to support the situation, it's intellectually dishonest; I'll allow "confused" as close enough.
This is all very Orwellian. How did criticism become "unpatriotic?" How does wanting to verify that my leaders are doing the right thing make me a Nazi? If I'm confused, that kind of language manipulation and ad hominem attack is why.
Well, it looks like I'm overruled. The girls want a pet, and not a fish, either. They want something they can cuddle. I won't take a puppy or another cat.
So of course they go straight for the rodents. They want a guinea pig. I thought I could put it off: I tried explaining that they're too mean to each other to cooperate over a pet. But they started cooperating. Now, if they just get their rooms clean, three days later I have to get them a guinea pig.
Disassembled Motor (2160x1440)
Today Nathan and I banged and pried until we could get the armature out of the motor. The adapter hub is still attached, unfortunately. However, this lets us get a good look at the field coils. And it should be cheaper to ship in two pieces, instead of one insanely heavy piece.
Of course, maybe we can get it shipped for free...
So today I went out and talked to people about why they can't buy an electric car in America. We were hoping to raise awareness of the issues and maybe get a few people to go watch the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?". It's a documentary about why auto manufacturers no longer produce the EV1 and other mass-produced electric cars. GM actually refused to extend the leases or allow owners to purchase the cars, repossessed them all, and crushed every last one.
Luckily, Toyota was a little more understanding about the RAV4 EV. We even had one on site to show off!
