It’s been a while since I posted anything mainly do to being busy looking for a new job and dealing with some family situations. I wasn’t really surprised about being laid off given the local economy. Kind of sucks, but all I can do is move on and get another job. So, the rest of the post will just be a wrap up of things I’ve wanted to post or comment about but hadn’t had the time.
Politics
As expected, the so called mainstream news media’s bias and love fest for Barack Obama continues. For example, in the last 10 BBC World News casts I’ve seen 6 were pro-Obama, 0 were pro-McCain, and 4 were pro-Democratic Party or anti-Bush. I don’t really care about the anti-Bush stuff except when they border on outright lies. The local NBC affiliate is actually worse with a near daily constant stream of anti-McCain propaganda. I use the propaganda in this case because the local affiliate’s information is wrong 80% percent of the time and their news ticker is a constant stream of bias. It reminds me of that Simpson‘s episode that did a spoof on Fox News showing a ticker that had a constant stream of anti-DNC propaganda. Too bad it’s no where near as amusing.
Obama’s had a few more stumbles along the way, as has McCain. I’m wondering how Obama’s going to handle the recent snub of two Muslim women by his campaign at a rally. Personally I thought it was disgusting thing to do, especially for a politician claiming he want to move beyond such discrimination. While obviously Mr. Obama cannot control the actions of every single one of his staff members, surely if he has emphasized his message of tolerance and acceptance his members wouldn’t continue to make such mistakes. Of course has his staffers allowed the women to sit as they desired some wing nut would then use it to claim Obama was some loony Islamic radical. So he can’t really win either there but it doesn’t justify the discrimination.
Obama and the whole campaign financing thing doesn’t surprise me in the least. I suspected he would renege on his commitment that he would use federal public financing for the general campaign. His own actions just keeps reinforcing the reasons why I will not vote for him. So much for change, Mr. Obama.
I did get a lot of eye rolling done watching yesterday’s BBC broadcast when they had an Obama adviser on discussing Obama’s stand on issues. Perhaps the part that had me laughing the most was the woman’s insane statement that the problems of the 21st century were different than the 20th and then proceeded to list them: terrorism, economy, oil, environment, et. al. I hate to break it to this poor deluded woman but all the issues she mentioned as different important for the 21st century are in fact the same as in the 20th. The names may have changed and the number of players involved as well but it’s still all the same problems. Perhaps worst was the fact you could easily tell when she supported an Obama policy (normal eye movement, blinks, and head tilted up amongst others) and when she did not (rapid eye movement, triple blinks, eyelash flutters, and tilting her head down amongst other tells).
I got some amusement recently from three people I know deciding to vote for McCain. Two were independent voters who had supported Obama until the Rev. Wright controversy and were flailing about whether to support Obama or not. Another was a Clinton supporter who also wasn’t sure whether to go McCaon or Obama. Each one I simply told to go to the respective candidates websits and evaluate their positions and decide off of that who to vote for. I admit I was surprised when all three decided on McCain.
Oil
I keep getting ticked off at the politicians saying we, the United States of America, need to get off our “dependence on foreign oil”. Shouldn’t that be we need to get off our “dependence on oil” (without qualifiers)? We know the world’s oil supplies are finite, regardless of what has been tapped and what has not so why are the politicians, even the supposedly pro-green and pro-alt fuel candidates, only giving lip service to developing and supporting alternate energy sources or worse, supporting sources that are unmaintainable because they are based on critical food crops. Opening up ANWAR and expanding exploration zones for oil companies and continuing to fund oil companies with tax payers money while said companies are making record profits off the hardships of the American public are unacceptable approaches to the problem. All these “solutions” do is perpetuate the system of greed, abuse, and degradation of both the environment and quality of life.
It wouldn’t be that difficult to take money earmarked for supporting the oil companies and put it use on alternate sources of energy generations and encouraging people to start employing such resources like wind power, solar power/photo-voltaics, nuclear power, hydrogen powered systems, etc., as well as promoting expansion and improvements to public transportation systems and commercial railways and the use of more fuel efficient vehicles, energy conservation awareness, or even encouraging people to walk or ride bicycles (or even horses) when possible. It’s as much about energy consumption as it is about energy production.
Arizona News
Copper thieves and TP vandals. I’m not surprised at the recent arrest of teenagers in some re3cent theft of copper. Given copper and other metals recent upturn in value I’m surprised it isn’t a more widespread problem. The toilet paper vandals are not really surprising either and likely also the work of bored teenagers.
This heat wave well and truly sucks right now. I certainly didn’t appreciate when my brother and I had to replace the entire evaporative cooler. I eagerly await our post-July 4th weather, which usually is our much needed and cooling rains.
Gray3's Thirdsphere 