... about POW camps and health care reform: http://www.themudflats.net/2009/08/21/nazis/
This is a pretty good post that I stumbled upon after following a link I saw on twitter. Have a look-see, if you're in the mood to read something thought-provoking. Plus, it'll keep you occupied until I manage to write another post.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Questions Answered By My Trip To Houston
(I spent last weekend in Houston, and it was delightful. I only took about 20 pictures, though, and all of them were taken during our day trip to Galveston, so I'm just going to intersperse a few of them throughout this post. Enjoy!)
Q. How long can babies scream?
A. One and a half hours, at least, bless their shrieking hearts. Coincidentally, this is the length of a plane ride from Nashville to Houston.
Q. How are things in the Dominican Republic these days?
A. Not so good, if we are to believe the eager young lady on my plane who was delivering a monologue to her seatmate regarding her recent mission work in "The D.R."
Q. What other information can young missionaries offer us?
A. Well, this one in particular is "a strong believer in the power of prayer." She also believes that the humidity level in locations like the gulf coast keeps people looking young.
Q. Are your views on public v. private education realistic?
A. No. As a matter of fact, I have it on good authority that I become "irrational" when talking about this issue in particular, and that what I need is "another 10 years in The Real World." (As an aside, may I just add: *sigh*.)
Q. Aside from the occasional good-natured heckling directed toward budding social workers, what is Lee's uncle like?
A. He is a very friendly and generous man who knows good meats and cheeses when he sees them. Also, tall.
Q. How much cheese is too much cheese to consume in one day?
A. This is a trick question. There is no such thing.
Q. What are Lee's views on fresh mozzarella cheese?
A. Apparently, it grosses him out that it's packed in water.
Q. What's all this I keep hearing about "death panels"?
A. I believe you have come to the wrong question-and-answer session. Perhaps you were looking for this?
Q. Can you swim?
A. No. Interestingly enough, I have not somehow become a good swimmer since the last time I tried.
Q. Can you at least tread water?
A. Listen, I have a lot of other very useful skills, OK?
Q. What do oysters Rockefeller taste like?
A. Like elastic mouthfuls of briny protein marinated in the joyous tears of angels and then covered in cheese.
Q. Seriously though, these questions have very little to do with your experience in Texas.
A. That's not actually a question, but nevertheless, I shall address it. I had a great time, and it was exceedingly nice of Lee's uncle to let me come stay at his place and hang out with him and Lee for the weekend. (Lee's been working for his uncle in Houston for the past month, I don't know if I mentioned that or not.) I got to wander around the biggest mall I have ever seen ever, I ate raw oysters (and oysters Rockefeller), and I got to see all the thrilling sights and sounds of Houston and Galveston.
Also, we went to this restaurant called Ragin Cajun that serves cajun-style fried food, and it was delicious. And, to activate the drink machine, all you had to do was kind of wave your hand in front of the beverage of your choice! I swear, the things you see in the big city. I don't know how people get used to it.
(By the way, my brain-damaged gerbil wasn't dead when I got home! He's still tilting his head to the side all the time, but he doesn't seem too bothered by it, so I've resolved to stop worrying and just think of it as a new endearing quirk. Hooray!)
Q. How long can babies scream?
A. One and a half hours, at least, bless their shrieking hearts. Coincidentally, this is the length of a plane ride from Nashville to Houston.
Q. How are things in the Dominican Republic these days?
A. Not so good, if we are to believe the eager young lady on my plane who was delivering a monologue to her seatmate regarding her recent mission work in "The D.R."
Q. What other information can young missionaries offer us?
A. Well, this one in particular is "a strong believer in the power of prayer." She also believes that the humidity level in locations like the gulf coast keeps people looking young.
Q. Are your views on public v. private education realistic?
A. No. As a matter of fact, I have it on good authority that I become "irrational" when talking about this issue in particular, and that what I need is "another 10 years in The Real World." (As an aside, may I just add: *sigh*.)
Q. Aside from the occasional good-natured heckling directed toward budding social workers, what is Lee's uncle like?
A. He is a very friendly and generous man who knows good meats and cheeses when he sees them. Also, tall.
Q. How much cheese is too much cheese to consume in one day?
A. This is a trick question. There is no such thing.
Q. What are Lee's views on fresh mozzarella cheese?
A. Apparently, it grosses him out that it's packed in water.
Q. What's all this I keep hearing about "death panels"?
A. I believe you have come to the wrong question-and-answer session. Perhaps you were looking for this?
Q. Can you swim?
A. No. Interestingly enough, I have not somehow become a good swimmer since the last time I tried.
Q. Can you at least tread water?
A. Listen, I have a lot of other very useful skills, OK?
Q. What do oysters Rockefeller taste like?
A. Like elastic mouthfuls of briny protein marinated in the joyous tears of angels and then covered in cheese.
Q. Seriously though, these questions have very little to do with your experience in Texas.
A. That's not actually a question, but nevertheless, I shall address it. I had a great time, and it was exceedingly nice of Lee's uncle to let me come stay at his place and hang out with him and Lee for the weekend. (Lee's been working for his uncle in Houston for the past month, I don't know if I mentioned that or not.) I got to wander around the biggest mall I have ever seen ever, I ate raw oysters (and oysters Rockefeller), and I got to see all the thrilling sights and sounds of Houston and Galveston.
Also, we went to this restaurant called Ragin Cajun that serves cajun-style fried food, and it was delicious. And, to activate the drink machine, all you had to do was kind of wave your hand in front of the beverage of your choice! I swear, the things you see in the big city. I don't know how people get used to it.
(By the way, my brain-damaged gerbil wasn't dead when I got home! He's still tilting his head to the side all the time, but he doesn't seem too bothered by it, so I've resolved to stop worrying and just think of it as a new endearing quirk. Hooray!)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Kind of Speechless, But Talking Anyway
Although I'm posting this Tuesday night before going to bed, it's after midnight so I get credit for Wednesday. Awesome!
Anyway, we got a new president! And I'm not scared anymore! I don't even know what to do with myself! (Well, to be honest, I'm still a little worried, but not as much as I would have been if things had gone the other way. And it's not Obama's fault - I'd find something to worry about even if Optimus Prime were our next president. It's a talent of mine, really.)
Seriously, though. I'm really proud of everyone that went out and voted, particularly those that voted for Obama. This is proof to me that we can make good decisions as a country, and that we recognize bullshit when we see it (sometimes), and we also recognize real passion andhonesty and leadership when we see it. And isn't that what the electoral process is all about? Restoring hope to me, rambling proprietor of Sharing Time Station?
Yes, I think it is.
Anyway, we got a new president! And I'm not scared anymore! I don't even know what to do with myself! (Well, to be honest, I'm still a little worried, but not as much as I would have been if things had gone the other way. And it's not Obama's fault - I'd find something to worry about even if Optimus Prime were our next president. It's a talent of mine, really.)
Seriously, though. I'm really proud of everyone that went out and voted, particularly those that voted for Obama. This is proof to me that we can make good decisions as a country, and that we recognize bullshit when we see it (sometimes), and we also recognize real passion andhonesty and leadership when we see it. And isn't that what the electoral process is all about? Restoring hope to me, rambling proprietor of Sharing Time Station?
Yes, I think it is.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day '04
About this time four years ago, I was gearing up for my very first presidential election as a voting citizen. Because I was a) relatively well-informed about the state of things and b) raised by Democrats*, I was planning to vote for Kerry. Looking back, I can see why so many people considered him to be uncharismatic and uninspiring. There were times during the debates when even I thought I could have done a better job, but since he was the first presidential candidate I had actively supported, I accepted him unquestioningly, as one accepts their first serious boyfriend, no matter what a jerk he really is. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Kerry was terrible or that he deserved to lose, I'm just saying that now, looking back, I can see his weaknesses a little more clearly.
*Let's be honest: most people vote the way they vote because that's how their parents vote. It really frustrates me when people don't acknowledge this.
Nevertheless, being the passionate and incredibly naive 19-year-old that I was, I firmly believed that there was no way that W. could be re-elected. After all, people had to see what was going on, right? They had to see how hopelessly the war in Iraq was going, how the president had unabashedly lied to all of us, how rapidly we were losing the respect of the rest of the world. He had even sort of broken with the UN, an organization that - I thought I had learned in middle school - was established to prevent war and hardship, to promote diplomacy, and to improve relations between all nations. The UN was a good thing, something to be respected, and our president had disregarded the opinions and guidance of so many intelligent and esteemed world leaders. That in and of itself, I thought, should be sufficient evidence that his time in the White House should come to a swift end.
I know that at the time, a lot of people voted for a second term for Bush because they thought that kicking him out would open up our country to another attack. I voted the way I did because I believed just the opposite: I thought that the president was behaving as though we weren't sharing the world with a multitude of other nations, as though the world was just ours to do with as we wished. In short, I thought he was behaving in exactly the same fashion that inspired the kind of intense, mindless hate that led to the terrorist attacks on our country. And as far as I could tell, it was only serving to further erode our stature in the world. In '04, I firmly believed that if the president remained in office, it would mean terrible things for our country. I was terrified that he was only adding fuel to the fire of American Hate, and that we might suffer another attack as a result.
I thought that all of this must be evident to other voters. I believed that, poor debate performances aside, Kerry would win. I believed that a change was on the horizon for the U.S., that this country, my home, which I loved so dearly and which had provided me with nothing but privilege and good times in my relatively short lifetime, would not let itself go any further down that destructive road. I was (am) so ridiculously idealistic.
So. Imagine my surprise when Bush won. I remember talking the next day with a close friend, a Republican by virtue of his home state (Georgia), parents (also Republican), and his religious upbringing (extra-Christian). He was the first of many people to teach me that even people you really, genuinely like(!) can completely disagree with you about politics, and he had voted for Bush. I talked to him on the phone about how frustrated and mad I was, how doomed I thought our country was, and how ridiculous the whole situation was. But as I talked, my anger evaporated and all that was left was disappointment and fear. I ended our conversation abruptly as I realized that I had started to cry.
Later on, my Republican friend (who is awesome) showed up at my dorm room door with a package of Oreos and a half-gallon of milk to cheer me up. I saw how ridiculous I had been, and now it's just a funny story to tell about My Very First Presidential Election. Even when I saw my friend a few months ago, he brought up how emotional I'd been, how silly it all was, and we laughed. And yet... looking back over the past four years, I can't help but feel a little vindicated. Things really are worse than they've been in recent memory. That's not just my imagination, is it? For once in my life, I don't relish being right.
Here's hoping that tomorrow marks the beginning of the change I was so sure we'd see 4 years ago. Forgive me, McCain supporters. No matter what happens, I hope we can all come together over milk and cookies tomorrow.
*Let's be honest: most people vote the way they vote because that's how their parents vote. It really frustrates me when people don't acknowledge this.
Nevertheless, being the passionate and incredibly naive 19-year-old that I was, I firmly believed that there was no way that W. could be re-elected. After all, people had to see what was going on, right? They had to see how hopelessly the war in Iraq was going, how the president had unabashedly lied to all of us, how rapidly we were losing the respect of the rest of the world. He had even sort of broken with the UN, an organization that - I thought I had learned in middle school - was established to prevent war and hardship, to promote diplomacy, and to improve relations between all nations. The UN was a good thing, something to be respected, and our president had disregarded the opinions and guidance of so many intelligent and esteemed world leaders. That in and of itself, I thought, should be sufficient evidence that his time in the White House should come to a swift end.
I know that at the time, a lot of people voted for a second term for Bush because they thought that kicking him out would open up our country to another attack. I voted the way I did because I believed just the opposite: I thought that the president was behaving as though we weren't sharing the world with a multitude of other nations, as though the world was just ours to do with as we wished. In short, I thought he was behaving in exactly the same fashion that inspired the kind of intense, mindless hate that led to the terrorist attacks on our country. And as far as I could tell, it was only serving to further erode our stature in the world. In '04, I firmly believed that if the president remained in office, it would mean terrible things for our country. I was terrified that he was only adding fuel to the fire of American Hate, and that we might suffer another attack as a result.
I thought that all of this must be evident to other voters. I believed that, poor debate performances aside, Kerry would win. I believed that a change was on the horizon for the U.S., that this country, my home, which I loved so dearly and which had provided me with nothing but privilege and good times in my relatively short lifetime, would not let itself go any further down that destructive road. I was (am) so ridiculously idealistic.
So. Imagine my surprise when Bush won. I remember talking the next day with a close friend, a Republican by virtue of his home state (Georgia), parents (also Republican), and his religious upbringing (extra-Christian). He was the first of many people to teach me that even people you really, genuinely like(!) can completely disagree with you about politics, and he had voted for Bush. I talked to him on the phone about how frustrated and mad I was, how doomed I thought our country was, and how ridiculous the whole situation was. But as I talked, my anger evaporated and all that was left was disappointment and fear. I ended our conversation abruptly as I realized that I had started to cry.
Later on, my Republican friend (who is awesome) showed up at my dorm room door with a package of Oreos and a half-gallon of milk to cheer me up. I saw how ridiculous I had been, and now it's just a funny story to tell about My Very First Presidential Election. Even when I saw my friend a few months ago, he brought up how emotional I'd been, how silly it all was, and we laughed. And yet... looking back over the past four years, I can't help but feel a little vindicated. Things really are worse than they've been in recent memory. That's not just my imagination, is it? For once in my life, I don't relish being right.
Here's hoping that tomorrow marks the beginning of the change I was so sure we'd see 4 years ago. Forgive me, McCain supporters. No matter what happens, I hope we can all come together over milk and cookies tomorrow.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Procrastination: It's Highly Ineffective!
In order to deal with my escalating stress level, I've been screwing around on the internet. This is probably a bad choice on my part, but you should be grateful, because if I hadn't been wasting my precious time, I wouldn't have stumbled upon this video:
It's geared toward NC voters, which is a cause dear to my heart, but I think that it has something worthwhile to say to all of us. Enjoy!
It's geared toward NC voters, which is a cause dear to my heart, but I think that it has something worthwhile to say to all of us. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Tax Cuts! Woo!
Hey y'all. This is another short one. I just stumbled upon this and thought it deserved some press...
http://taxcut.barackobama.com/
If you pay taxes (you patriot, you!), then you can go there and put in some info and see how much money you'd save based on Obama's and McCain's tax plans.
Also, if you think it's worthwhile, and you have a blog that actually gets any traffic, would you mind posting this link there as well? Because let's be honest: putting it here is like hanging an Obama 08 sign on my living room wall.
http://taxcut.barackobama.com/
If you pay taxes (you patriot, you!), then you can go there and put in some info and see how much money you'd save based on Obama's and McCain's tax plans.
Also, if you think it's worthwhile, and you have a blog that actually gets any traffic, would you mind posting this link there as well? Because let's be honest: putting it here is like hanging an Obama 08 sign on my living room wall.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
I May Be Exactly What's Wrong With America
Regardless of your political affiliations or your opinions about Sarah Palin (and good gracious, don't get me started on either one), I think we can all agree on one thing:
We'd really like to see Mrs. Palin's head from behind.
Because, seriously, what's happening back there? What kinds of pins and scrunchies and hair apparatuses is she using to achieve that mound of hair on top of her head? I'm not necessarily going to say that I find the effect unpleasant, it's just that I've never really seen anything like it before. (In real life, I mean. I have seen it on a cartoon character .) I just can't figure out what she's doing, and it makes me feel the same way I feel when I see a really sophisticated magic trick that I can't figure out. Did I just call Sarah Palin's hairstyle sophisticated? I don't think that's what I meant. Anyway. In conclusion, Sarah Palin, I beg of you: allow your head to be photographed from behind. I'm losing sleep trying to figure out what is going on with your hair.
By the way, what's all this talk about sexism in politics?
We'd really like to see Mrs. Palin's head from behind.
Because, seriously, what's happening back there? What kinds of pins and scrunchies and hair apparatuses is she using to achieve that mound of hair on top of her head? I'm not necessarily going to say that I find the effect unpleasant, it's just that I've never really seen anything like it before. (In real life, I mean. I have seen it on a cartoon character .) I just can't figure out what she's doing, and it makes me feel the same way I feel when I see a really sophisticated magic trick that I can't figure out. Did I just call Sarah Palin's hairstyle sophisticated? I don't think that's what I meant. Anyway. In conclusion, Sarah Palin, I beg of you: allow your head to be photographed from behind. I'm losing sleep trying to figure out what is going on with your hair.
By the way, what's all this talk about sexism in politics?
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