Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Happy Birthday Mom
Today is my mom's 85th birthday. She's had a tough year regaining strength from a partial hip replacement, spending 8 weeks in a rehab facility, another 8 weeks at my house relearning how to walk...countless sessions of physical therapy and battling the memory problems that occur from having anesthetic at that age. She's back to reasonably good health now and deserves a good day.
Happy 85th mom!
Happy 85th mom!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veteran's Day
Thanks to this November 11th holiday being renamed to Veteran's Day, the American people lose sight of the history of this day.
To all of you that look at Iraq and Afghanistan as the most horrific foreign policy debacle in our country's history, you'd probably be surprised to know that 2 million of your untrained great grandfathers were sent to Europe to fight in a war that was almost already over. In about a year, over 116,000 U.S. soldiers were killed in Europe primarily so Woodrow Wilson could have a seat at the bargaining table as the war was ending.
As the war ended the United States helped hold Germany responsible for the war. The treaty ended with Germany being responsible for paying large sums of money to other European countries. Germany was never able to pay back this money and ended up borrowing it from the United States. When they weren't able to borrow anymore they inflated their currency and caused a complete economic breakdown that ushered in the need for nationalistic leadership and eventually a second world war.
The War ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. All other participant countries in this war call today Remembrance Day or Armistice Day.
Remember a Vet today and thank them for their service but also remember the pain and suffering caused when our leaders needlessly seek adventure abroad with our uniformed sons and daughters.
To all of you that look at Iraq and Afghanistan as the most horrific foreign policy debacle in our country's history, you'd probably be surprised to know that 2 million of your untrained great grandfathers were sent to Europe to fight in a war that was almost already over. In about a year, over 116,000 U.S. soldiers were killed in Europe primarily so Woodrow Wilson could have a seat at the bargaining table as the war was ending.
As the war ended the United States helped hold Germany responsible for the war. The treaty ended with Germany being responsible for paying large sums of money to other European countries. Germany was never able to pay back this money and ended up borrowing it from the United States. When they weren't able to borrow anymore they inflated their currency and caused a complete economic breakdown that ushered in the need for nationalistic leadership and eventually a second world war.
The War ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. All other participant countries in this war call today Remembrance Day or Armistice Day.
Remember a Vet today and thank them for their service but also remember the pain and suffering caused when our leaders needlessly seek adventure abroad with our uniformed sons and daughters.
Monday, November 09, 2009
30 Minutes
If you have it and care to listen...you can listen to Episode #88b of The Dangly Bits Show. Just stream it from the post. The The Dave and Steve Show is sort of my non-politics hobby on the interwebs. New shows every Tuesday and Friday.
No politics. PG-13. Have fun.
No politics. PG-13. Have fun.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Who won last night
The swing was to the right. NY 23 aside it was pretty obvious that where it could swing, it did swing. With this I have to say it's pretty obvious who won:
President Obama
His approval ratings are still at 50% and there's a chance that the 2010 off election could be a measured disaster for his party...and having seen this before I can tell you exactly what that means.
It means the country still likes Obama and they like his optimism for America. If the country has misgivings about everything he stands for they will keep him in office and protect themselves with a bit more gridlock. I still believe that the great unwashed of independent voters in this country are satisfied with gridlock. Hell, I'd settle for it too.
If the Dems lose in large numbers in 2010 it means that Obama will be reelected easily. And given what the alternative may be, it may not be such a bad thing. He's been widely blamed for being radical though he has allowed congress (or congressional lobbyists more correctly) to write the healthcare bill(s). He has not been heavy handed with big egos in either party. He has backed off from any real changes in foreign policy and still pursues much of the aims of the Bush administration, although more intelligently. So what's the big deal about a full eight years of President Obama? Is it really so different that we can't survive?
President Obama
His approval ratings are still at 50% and there's a chance that the 2010 off election could be a measured disaster for his party...and having seen this before I can tell you exactly what that means.
It means the country still likes Obama and they like his optimism for America. If the country has misgivings about everything he stands for they will keep him in office and protect themselves with a bit more gridlock. I still believe that the great unwashed of independent voters in this country are satisfied with gridlock. Hell, I'd settle for it too.
If the Dems lose in large numbers in 2010 it means that Obama will be reelected easily. And given what the alternative may be, it may not be such a bad thing. He's been widely blamed for being radical though he has allowed congress (or congressional lobbyists more correctly) to write the healthcare bill(s). He has not been heavy handed with big egos in either party. He has backed off from any real changes in foreign policy and still pursues much of the aims of the Bush administration, although more intelligently. So what's the big deal about a full eight years of President Obama? Is it really so different that we can't survive?
Monday, November 02, 2009
So, I voted.
...and wow...in general it was a waste of time.
Oh I know...I fulfilled my civic duty...casting a vote for the two flavors of intervention that have been sanctioned as choices for me. I suppose I should be proud.
I'm not an interventionist though. I don't believe only those on the left or only those on the right have a monopoly on intervention. Whether it be over my behavior in my own home or in my wallet, both interventionist parties claim they know how much freedom I should have and how I should behave with what freedom they leave me.
I can't even vote for non-interventionists since my state has locked them out of the ballot. Non-interventionists don't believe in participating in publicly funded primaries and therefore don't appear on the primary ballot. Since they don't appear on the primary ballot they also don't appear on the general election ballot. Nice huh?
I don't even have the right to vote for someone who I'm told over and over has no chance to win...and even if I'm "wasting my vote" I'm not allowed to anymore. I can only cast a vote for someone who wants to intervene in my life.
So aside from the voter Initiative and Referendum that was on my ballot I cast a vote for write-in and left the line blank...since they won't count my write-in either.
Seriously...unless you actually file as a write-in candidate, any vote cast for someone who is not a registered write-in candidate will not be counted.
This must be all the freedom soldiers are dying for these days.
Instead I vote for a blank write-in so that my ballot isn't taken and filled in for me fraudulently since it would be under-voted for almost all of the races. So it turns out the only thing I have power over is to protect my ballot from fraud.
So yeah, I voted. Big deal. I tip my hat to those of you who didn't bother.
Oh I know...I fulfilled my civic duty...casting a vote for the two flavors of intervention that have been sanctioned as choices for me. I suppose I should be proud.
I'm not an interventionist though. I don't believe only those on the left or only those on the right have a monopoly on intervention. Whether it be over my behavior in my own home or in my wallet, both interventionist parties claim they know how much freedom I should have and how I should behave with what freedom they leave me.
I can't even vote for non-interventionists since my state has locked them out of the ballot. Non-interventionists don't believe in participating in publicly funded primaries and therefore don't appear on the primary ballot. Since they don't appear on the primary ballot they also don't appear on the general election ballot. Nice huh?
I don't even have the right to vote for someone who I'm told over and over has no chance to win...and even if I'm "wasting my vote" I'm not allowed to anymore. I can only cast a vote for someone who wants to intervene in my life.
So aside from the voter Initiative and Referendum that was on my ballot I cast a vote for write-in and left the line blank...since they won't count my write-in either.
Seriously...unless you actually file as a write-in candidate, any vote cast for someone who is not a registered write-in candidate will not be counted.
This must be all the freedom soldiers are dying for these days.
Instead I vote for a blank write-in so that my ballot isn't taken and filled in for me fraudulently since it would be under-voted for almost all of the races. So it turns out the only thing I have power over is to protect my ballot from fraud.
So yeah, I voted. Big deal. I tip my hat to those of you who didn't bother.
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