The ocassional thoughts from Don
I’m so glad that it’s election time! Since there is absolutely no other reason for the recent drop of gas prices. Summer use didn’t raise them, the problems with Venezuela hasn’t. Same with Iran. It’s amazing how generous the Republicans (aka Big Business) can be. Of course, we really shouldn’t forget how we’ve been screwed for the non election periods. Unfortunately, people are so forgetful.
If you don’t already believe “president” Bush should be impeached, you haven’t been paying attention.
If you want to learn more about the causes of the 911 incidents, watch these videos:
“Loose Change 2nd Edition” (Video).
“9/11 Mysteries” (Video). Note the link to Mr Bush.
Much more information is available at http://911scholars.org/.
If you want to know what Bush is doing wrong, just listen to what he says the enemy is doing, it is an almost direct report on what he is doing.
A few of the reasons for impeachment:
Somehow this seems a lot more serious than standing in the hallway of the oval office with a cooperative coworker. It’s a whole lot more serious than the antics of President Nixon as well. Why can’t the people who so righteously supported impeachment then, do it now when it’s really needed?
Use the link above to find out how you can participate in bringing about the impeachment.
The United States usually tries to send election monitors to foreign countries when conditions, better than exist here in these United States, exist. We want to assure a fair and impartial election. Why can’t we have some monitors here to identify the shenanigans. Maybe we could then have a fair and impartial election here.
On our way to the Palo Alto Wine And Art Festival, Lou observed a man writing on the wall of the Whole Foods market. “Die Jews”. She decided to report him to the store manager while I kept an eye on him. This was easy, he went shopping in the market. He went directly into the bulk food area. I was a little concerned by that but he just got some cereals. The manager called the police who never came. The man finished his shopping, checked out and left. We watched him leave and the manager was outside looking at the wall, he knew what the man looked like because we had pointed him out. He asked the man about the graffiti and he said, I don’t have a pen. (other than the permanent marker I saw him place in his left shirt pocket).
Anyway, the real point of all this is that the police didn’t show up. The police headquarters is two blocks away. This is the real problem. The quality of the police in Palo Alto has deteriorated over the time we’ve lived here. When we got to the festival, three blocks away, there was no shortage of officers standing around. At least eight. Seems like one of them could have walked a few blocks, maybe even drive one of their illegally parked cars over?
This isn’t the only indicator. They also don’t write speeding tickets any more either. It used to be if you went over 30 mph you were assured of a ticket her, there are only three streets with speed limits over 25 mph in the city. Now 60 mph in the residential areas is the norm. Seems we’ve received too many lazy officers from San Jose.
They spend more time trying to be a big city department than being policemen. A few years ago, I attended an interdepartmental organizational meeting for the World Cup Soccer event here. I came away from that meeting worried about the capability of the Palo Alto Police. I have less respect for them today.
A few years ago, a local independent TV station (KTVU), which had the best news in the San Francisco bay area at that time, became a FOX affiliate, part of the (un)fair and (un)balanced network. I couldn’t trust their news any longer, even though up until then , they were fair and balanced, because they were now affiliated with the conservative propaganda network. For a while the contrast between their local news and the Fox news was about 180 degrees. Of course, they had to start using Fox content in their own news cast and Fox doesn’t produce news, only Republican propaganda. This is sad.
Three or four years ago, the local NBC affiliate (KRON) lost the affiliation because NBC wanted to own their station here. NBC bought the local San Jose ABC affiliate and converted it to NBC. KRON has tried to produce local programs to replace the network loss. They did a pretty good job, having the best newscasts in the area. There really isn’t anything on the networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Especially Fox, that’s worth watching, with the possible exception of CSI, so local production was refreshing.
With the big combination of the UPN and WB networks into the CW network, and with Fox trying to fill the leftovers with the new MyTv network, KRON has become the local MyTv affiliate. Bye, Bye, KRON.
What’s left. I’ve appreciated CBS as the only real “news” on the network TV. They have journalists who do seem to present impartial news. I am very worried that Katie Curic has become the news anchor there. Seems too much like it might become entertainment news rather than journalistic news. We’ll see. I do miss Dan Rather.
I really worry that the people of this country no longer recognize what news is. Anyone who watches Fox News and considers it news is lost. Fair and impartial is easy to recognize, provided you don’t just reset your analysis when the newscaster says “we’re fair and impartial.” Listen at what they say and what support they have for what they say to make that evaluation. Any true look reveals it for what it is, slanted, one sided propaganda.
True Americans, people who deserve the rights provided by this country, aren’t fooled by these fools.
Combine ownership of the “news” machines with ownership of the voting machines and I fear we are in for a very bad future not much different from the former USSR or current China.
I was watching the California Supreme Court in action. I think the process they use for appeals could be put to good use in criminal and civil trials. One of the things that makes me dislike our legal system is that jurors receive a sentence in excess of the defendants if convicted. The long trials and potential of sequestering for extended periods is an undue impact on jurors. Why can’t the presentation of facts and arguments to a jury be presented in the same fashion as to an appeals court. Have the prosecution and defense prepare their presentation to the jury with all the time consuming other court activity, or inactivity, that the jurors are supposed to “disregard” anyway, handled at the leisure of the court but not the jurors. Let the jurors just consider the facts. Then serving on a jury wouldn’t be such an impact to the lives of average people.
I think that, as relates to law, people should be able to marry whomever they want to. Unfortunately, the bigoted religious sort do not. The real problem here is again the convoluted nature of combining religion and law.
The solution is simple. Separate all legal rights from marriage. Let the religious folk copyright the use of the word “marriage”. Let gay folk copyright another word like “union”. Each only describes a form of couples joining into a common life together.
As to legal rights. each gets identical rights that they must enter into separately like any other legal partnership.
To be nice and simplify the conversion, grandfather all marriages into legal partnerships as well.
Why should anyone object to this as a solution, unless they are just bigots.
Here we go again. NASA hasn’t launched the shuttle for quite a while because the foam comes off the fuel tanks and breaks the tiles. And of course, yesterday, the foam was ready to fall off before launch and did come off in flight. So why the delay if they weren’t going to fix anything?
The solution is so simple. Duct Tape. For about $20 you could wrap the whole tank with duct tape and the problem would be solved. Just Ask Red Green or the American Duck Tape Council of Prairie Home Companion fame.
I am an agnostic, meaning, I do not know if there is a god.
I don’t understand how anyone can be either an atheist nor religious because either could only be absolute if they were omnipotent and they would therefore be a god themselves and contradict their belief.
It is my belief that the world would be better off without religion because most wars seem to be fought in the name of god.
I do believe in the root objective of Christianity, its golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That seems like a good rule and of benefit to all, and about the only rule needed.
I especially do not understand Islam. It is a religion developed 600 years after Christ and appears to be nothing more than a (very large) cult with little difference from any other religious sect like revival baptists or the religious right. Any religion that demands obedience to their one and only set of rules is a bad religion, and one that misses the meaning of the golden rule.
If there is a heaven and hell, there most definitely will be an awful lot of religious people in hell and not very many, at all, in heaven.
I’ll keep considering this.
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
Mohandas Gandhi
You’ve arrived at the complete list of my thoughts. Sad isn’t it!
I just started this list, hopefully I’ll have more thoughts in the future?