Today’s the day… Cast my ballot at 6:15 this morning, and was glad to do so. With all but one exception, I voted Democratic (yes, Dad, you can rejoice.) Yes, I’m naive. Yes, I’ve started to believe at least some of what I read with respect to Iraq, torture, foreign policy, and the covert operations of our current executive. Yes, I believe in checks-and-balances, and the blank check Hastert and Frist gave Bush over the past 2-3 years is criminal. ...
So, on the news today this story: BP said that it would have to shut down a segment of the pipeline for a period of up to six months to replace 16 miles of the structure. Okay, why does BRITISH PETROLEUM own the Alaska pipeline? Why doesn’t an American company (or better yet, the federal gov’t!) own it?
Washington Post Article Rarely has our system produced a more naked exercise in opportunism than this measure. Most conservatives oppose the minimum wage on principle as a form of government meddling in the marketplace. But moderate Republicans in jeopardy this fall desperately wanted an increase in the minimum wage. So the seemingly ingenious Republican leadership, which dearly wants deep cuts in the estate tax, proposed offering nickels and dimes to the working class to secure billions for the rich. Fortunately, though not surprisingly, the bill failed. ...
Ah, I yearn for my firebrand, idealogue days, when being a Republican didn’t mean you parrotted everything that Ernie Fletcher & George Bush said. The days when I could hold my head high and say how much the democrats were ruining my state and my country. Ooops. The Republicans are doing just as badly. Amazing how the view from the top isn’t as clear-cut as the view from beneath. I ask myself why this is, and I return to what I thought in 2004: Conservatives can stomach a Liberal leader, but Liberals can’t stand a conservative, especially one as hapless as Bush. Why oh why didn’t we elect John McCain? ...
Random thought I had in church yesterday: Lawyers and their derivatives (Judges, etc.) are the apex people of our society. There is no one more powerful, ultimately, than a lawyer in American society, because these are the people who mediate disputes between two or more equal parties. Without lawyers and a judiciary, democracy couldn’t exist with our current code of laws–people would get frustrated and start killing one another, and society would break down. ...
Random thought I had while walking to the coffemaker: Socialism and American Capitalism are converging. Think about it: The central tenet of Socialism is public ownership of the Means of Production. In modern America, most workers own stock in companies (via their 401(k), etc.), so in essence, the workers (the public) do own the means of production. Now, granted, in our system, the top 1% of the bougeoisie never have to work a day in their lives (Paris Hilton?), but yet own most of the means of production by way of their influence on corporations as shareholders. ...
Well, crap. There goes Colin Powell I have no way of knowing, of course, but I believe C.P. hs been the only one preventing massinve “group think” inside the Whitehouse. He was a voice of dissent on the invasion of Iraq, and he’s the only one in the Bush high command with real international and military experience (Dubya’s non-appearance at Nat’l Guard training notwithstanding). He’ll be missed.
Why Bush Won Say what you like—that at least Bush finally got elected, that the Red Sox swept the World Series because Kerry had to borrow the curse, that America deserves what it gets—but, in my humble opinion, this perceived American crisis of masculinity is the real cause of what happened November 2. Like watching action movies or professional sports, participating in the Bush victory was a psychic restorative, giving back some semblance of a sense of manly honor that has been stolen away by time clocks, Dr. Phil, and Zoloft. Bush’s message speaks directly to the heart of the emasculated modern man: stick with me, and we’ll stand tall, provide for our families, and kick terrorist ass. ...
Watching the debate tonight: “The solution to all our problems is getting people retrained for the jobs of the 21st century.” -- George Bush You know what? Not everyone needs to be a programmer, or a database administrator, or a .com CEO. Not everyone needs a college diploma. Forcing adults to endure another 4 years of school just for the sake of getting an entry-level job belittles both those unfortunate students and the for-pay institutions that must digest them. ...
Quick reactions to the Vice Presidential debate last night: Edwards: Sharp, smooth, and effective throughout, thought at times he came across as the Southern Snake Oil Salesman. He spoke directly to Cheney, toe to toe, and his closing remarks were moving and they’ve stayed with me. He scored several blows, particluarly on health care, Iraq, Halliburton, and jobs, but none was a knockout. Honestly, I’d like to live in the America he described, a place of strong middle-class, consensus, health-care, good environment, and progress. ...
fascinating summary of the liberals -v- conservative perspectives: Red Brains vs. Blue Brains: In my mind, the main difference between liberals and conservatives is a preference for nature or nurture. This ties in to your idea abou the loss of free will. Disclaimer: I consider myself a conservative, athough I think I have a good understanding of how liberals think because a lot of my friends are liberals and I like to talk about politics. I’d love to hear feedback on this idea to see how valid it is. ...
The Big Mo’ I don’t know why I think this, but I believe John Kerry’s Presidential campaign is gathering steam. Bush is static, while Kerry and Edwards (particularly Edwards) seem dynamic and vibrant. Kerry has done well to include Edwards on the campaign. Vigorous, engaging, and personable, Edwards softens Kerry enough to make the ticket appealing in the heartland. Combine that with Americans worried their jobs are going overseas, and we may have a repeat of 1992: People voting their pocketbooks. ...
Let’s face it, Morning Drive is a time of extremes for radio listeners in America today: You’re stuck in your car for a few fleet minutes or monotonous hours as you and 10,000 of your closest friends who eschew public transportation wind your way to work. To escape, you flick on your radio and you get the complete spectrum from Howard Stern to Bible-thumping Baptists to Classic Rock. And so much of it is just crap, isn’t it? Most of the Howard Stern wannabes continue to disgust us, and shows like Bob and Tom feature the same tired jokes and made-up group dynamics year after year. NPR is a respite from the canned laughter and naked lesbians, though it seems broadcast from Communist China. ...
Well, it’s official: Kerry/Edwards ‘04 is off and running. Meh. Best suggestion I’ve heard all day: “Why doesn’t Cheney resign and let John McCain jump on the Republican ticket.” Heck yeah! Remove the greatest objection to the Bush/Cheney ticket (Cheney’s corporate connections + general creepiness), then add the most compelling Republican since Ronald Reagan. Makes sense to me…
it seems odd to me, but George W Bush is seeming more and more the sacrificial lamb of America. Caught betwixt corporate interest, ultra-conservative isolationists, and his fundamentalist Christian supporters, his policies can’t cover all the bases. If oil prices and inflation rise, he’s one misstep away from being the Republican Jimmy Carter: Well meaning but inept, swept aside for the politician of the moment. In Carter’s case, that was Ronald Reagan, who seduced the people with his eternal optimism, hard-line Cold War tactics, and military reinvigoration. The Good Son of the moment would seem to be Kerry, who appeals (if secretly) to many in the electorate, for several reasons: ...
Extreme Overclocking �-�Samsung ML-1710 Monochrome Laser Printer Review - Page: 1 - Tweaking PC Hardware To The Max: “Lasers, Not Just For Removing Unsightly Hair:” Gotta love a true laser printer for like $150. 17 pages per minute. Not color, but DANG! $150 for the printer, plus a 6000 page toner cartridge (and toner cartridges don’t dry-out like ink cartridges do). If you printed that much w/a conventional inkjet printer that’s probably $1k worth of printer + ink cartridges.
In deference to someone very close to me, I’m moved to speak again on the Special Election: I was flip before. I apologize. I am not glad that Chandler won. In the grand scheme of things, Forgy-Kerr’s platform suits my political leanings closely, and it would’ve been better had she won. THAT BEING SAID, if political candidates continue to treat their potential constituents as imbeciles, running negative campaign ad after campaign ad, the process is going to grind to a screeching halt. Given the tenor of the ads, I’m surprised that Ben Chandler’s penis size wasn’t called into question. (Though, generally, I’d argue Alice Forgey-Kerr has bigger balls, regardless). I’m normally immune to the mud slung betwixt the aisles, but in this instance, it got to me, mainly because I realized how much of it was coming from the Washington Political Machines of both parties. Call me old-fashioned, but House races are all about constituents and issues close to home. Few if any were raised between these two similar puppets. ...
On the special Election: Looks like Ben Chandler won the special election for the 6th Distict Congressional seat. I’m a Republican, but I’m glad Chandler won. Forgy-Kerr ran a negative, despicable campaign that reeked of Washington influence, particularly that of Rich Mitch McConnell. Didn’t distinguish herself as a candidate, nor did she deem it necessary to show up for the only formal debate on the issues. BTW, I voted Libertarian, a vote in protest of both of these losers.
Quite alot to ‘blog about today… First, saw an excellent debate last night on KET (Kentucky Educational Television) regarding the issue of Same-Sex marriage. Honestly, I’m not for it. Barring the religious, moral implications of redefining marriage as a union between consenting adults, sanctioned by the gov’t, it seems like a willful attack on an institution that works: Union between a man and a woman that they might raise children with influence from both the male and female, the Yin and Yang, the Venus and Mars. Forgive me for being trite, but seems like there’s nothing like the nuclear family (or, even the Eastern Kentucky version, the Thermonuclear 12-member-plus-35-member-extended-family family). I’m glad to have grown up with the influence of a mother and a father, and think any child would benefit from such. ...