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Because it deserves to be read and saved: ( AP article: 'Tis the season for tricking voters )
It burns me up that these things happen at all, let alone in my area. Notice, too, how much more it occurs by those backing the Republicans. It's no wonder that they stole the last two elections. >:(
I just didn't expect it so soon.
We're supposed to get snow showers tonight! Argh! Like it's not enough that it's been raining steadily since last night, and it's only 34oF (1oC) outside with 30-40 mph wind gusts. This is unseasonably cold weather for October, and I hate it! >:(
Okay, thanks for your patience and understanding. I'm going to go slink off and make some hot chocolate. ::shivers::
ETA: It's 2pm, and it is sleeting. The ice is accumulating on the windshield of my car. I thought it was still fall for another month and a half at least? >:(
If you haven't heard about the appalling use of police force against protesters and journalists in St. Paul outside of the Republican National Convention (and how would you? I was only able to hear about it from one news source today), go watch today's Democracy Now! edition. Why more media outlets have not reported on these atrocious events quite frankly astounds me.
Fair warning: some of the video shown is very disturbing, if you, like me, don't like to see officers in full riot gear shove to the ground a journalist with a video camera and arrest her with no just cause.
When did our country become China? I feel sick.
ETA: ( YouTube video of one of the arrests beneath the cut )
So I'm not going to rehash the discussions you can easily read online about McCain's VP nominee. I just want to ask people their thoughts on this idea: if McCain were to croak while in office, would you be comfortable with Sarah Palin as your president?
Really?
The most aggravating thing about all of this is the blatant pandering to the Hillary Clinton supporters. Anyone who was pro-Hillary and decides to vote for McCain because he's put a woman in a puppet position (and just to spite Obama) really ought to turn in their voter registration cards.
Voting for John McCain is not a better option. Unless, of course, you like the way things are going for you these days, and apparently that's true for about 1% of the population (that is, the percent who are rich).
I'll say it right here: I hate the two-party system. There are loads of things that the Democrats have done that angers me beyond reason, but they're still the best of our two choices at this point. If you were pro-Hillary in the past, you've got to see that.
Don't be fooled by this ridiculous tactic! Please use your brains!
That's not asking for too much, is it?
So I just read an AP article on Yahoo!'s front page, the link to which is entitled "McCain accuses Obama of playing race card."
I don't know what it is about John McCain and his supporters that makes me want to scream and tear my hair out, but maybe this can go a ways in explaining it.
First of all, I can't help but have a visceral reaction to the phrase "play the race card". It's almost as though people believe that racism no longer exists, especially in the general population to whom McCain is pandering, and, in their view, to mention race as being an issue which decides people's votes is to show oneself as not being a part of reality.
What?
Racism exists in America! It's despicable and deplorable - yes, I agree whole-heartedly - but it exists! It's the same for gender discrimination; just look at the recent headlines about the lack of investigations into cases of rape for female millitary personnel. For McCain to dismiss what should be a legitimate concern for intelligent people in our nation is simply another sign of his complete incompetency and disconnect with the needs of the people of the United States. In simple terms, Senator McCain, it makes you look more like a jackass.
"I'm disappointed that Senator Obama would say the things he's saying," McCain told reporters in Racine, Wis. The Arizona senator said he agreed with campaign manager Rick Davis' statement earlier that "Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. It's divisive, negative, shameful and wrong."
Let me add that, if McCain unequivicably agrees with Rick Davis' above statement, he's certainly more of a hypocrite than I originally thought: it is only by the fortune of his birth that his race happens to sit happily at the top of the so-called 'deck'. Race is only a non-issue in politics when you are a member of the majority.
As citizens of America, what kind of inititiatives that promote equality can we expect from someone like McCain if he were to be elected? I'm guessing... none. Instead we'll be forced to concentrate our efforts on prolonging a ridiculous war and drilling for oil off our coastlines - talk about a waste of tax money! Meanwhile, our cities' poor will become poorer, with legions of lower-middle-class citizens joining their ranks. And what has history shown time and again? The poor suffer, with women and minorities suffering the most, and the rich of the nation will continue to dictate our economic, social, foreign, and environmental policies.
I really hope we can stick it to the GOP this time around. I'm sick of the wealthy and intolerant ruining our nation.
I don't know if it's the rain or the fact that it's Sunday afternoon and I don't want to go to work tomorrow, but I just feel like I'm done. I'm done trying to be an adult. I just want to kick around, hike in the woods, and watch tv. Maybe go to the mall and hang out with my friends from high school (except that they don't live here anymore), and not worry about money except if you have enough to go to the movies after eating at the food court.
How does somebody become nostalgic for the tenth grade? It feels rather pitiful, really. And depressing. And I'm not even sure that our mall had a food court when I was in tenth grade or if it was built later. I can't remember any more.
A first grader got off the bus while carrying his cellphone the other morning. I just had this moment of stunned wtf-ness. And I felt really old. I didn't get a cellphone until I was a junior or senior in college - about the time I got my car. I never needed one before then because we always used calling cards on pay phones. It was a non-issue. Now kids who barely know their home phone numbers, or where they live, are bringing in cellphones. I think it's more of a status thing, to impress his little first grade friends, but still. It's a little weird and hard for me to wrap my brain around. So I'd rather stay home and make mix cds for my car which is too expensive to drive far anymore and pretend that it's summer so that I can open up some windows around here and get some fresh air for a change. Blah.
I was watching bits of a 60 Minutes segment online the other day about how Denmark is the happiest country in the world because the people living there have lower expectations for their lives than in other countries, and I promptly forgot about it until today when I thought YES. That really is the problem, isn't it? We (as in the royal we, as I don't know if this is how anyone else feels) expect great things of ourselves - we can be successful, rich, well-educated, have anything new that we want, etc. etc., so long as we put our minds to it, go to college, go to church, be involved, be pro-active, want to help others before we help ourselves, be risk-takers, be the best we can be, plan ahead, don't sit on our laurels, invest our money, market our strengths, excel at multi-tasking, be go-getters, butter up the boss, lend a helping hand, manage our time, be individuals, be tenacious, think positive, don't let the little things get us down, stop to smell the roses, have ambition (but not too much), and be true to ourselves.
That's utterly ridiculous. No wonder I feel so stressed and had the mother of all migraines Thursday evening where I thought I had meningitis and was sobbing into a blanket and thought I was going to DIE.
So here's to lowering my own expectations for myself. I'm going to just keep saving my money, finish out this quarter (or semester, whichever it'll be), and THEN worry about getting into grad school or getting another position somewhere. I am not a multitasker; I work best when I'm focused on one large project at a time. I accept that of myself; the toughest task is getting other people to see the same thing without stepping on anyone's egos. That's a project in itself.
U.S. readying Saudi arms deal, official confirms.
What is this? A neat way to make a cool $20 billion? How do people condone this?
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity as the deal has not yet been officially announced or completed, said the administration hoped to present the package to the U.S. Congress for approval in the fall.
So, let me do a little speculating here. If the administration leaks this plan to the people ahead of time, we won't feel as though they're planning on doing something underhanded, because, hey, we've been told ahead of time. This isn't like the CIA training rebels in foreign lands to oust their legitimately-elected governments behind our backs; the US government, good samaritan organization that it is, simply wants to help level the playing field in the Middle East. It's only fair, right?
Give me a break.
And another quote, with boldface highlights by me:
Washington is striving to assure Gulf allies, worried by the growing strength of Iran and war in Iraq, that the United States is committed to the region and will stand by them, with arms sales part of that process, U.S. officials say.
To what are we committing ourselves? Are we committing to providing humanitarian relief for displaced families? Medical and sanitation supplies and infrastructure for Iraqi and Afghan refugees?
No. Our government wants to sell weapons - $20 billion worth of weapons - to build up the militaries of Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, which sanctions human rights violations on par with those of China. Saudi Arabia, who allows militants to cross into Iraq who then, in turn, try to kill US soldiers (who shouldn't be there, anyway, but that's neither here nor there...).
Yes. Let's arm more people in the Middle East. It certainly won't affect the innocent children who live there, as there's no way that they could possibly be in the line of fire, ever. It won't break up any families or affect the living conditions of civilians. It won't drive doctors out of hospitals or teachers out of schools in order to seek safety in other lands. What a brilliant, visionary plan! </ sarcasm>
And let me reiterate my extreme loathing and hatred for our elected government officials. I've never felt so helpless and useless as a citizen and fairly decent human being in all my life. It's gone beyond frustration. What can we, as citizens, do to get them to change their policies? When the leaders don't listen to the people (whether the people in question voted for them or not), is the democratic state over?
"This isn't an arming of the Middle East," the official said. "This is part of a continual, deliberate program."
You know what? You can go take your "continual, deliberate program" (definitely nothing clandestine going on here! Uh-uh!) and shove it right up your collective %#*@-!
chimingchiming
