Saudi Arabia announced in the past hour that they will increase production of oil. The amount would increase to 9.7 million barrels in July. It is currently 9 million flat. Also, the Saudis have said that by the end of the year, they will be producing 12.5 million barrels.On paper this sounds like relief. But it should help a little by easing the demand. Saudi Arabia has also said they would like to create an OPEC fund of $1B for loans to third world nations such as African nations.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a very recent candidate for candidate for President, who also thinks the Surge didn't work in Iraq, thinks that increased oil production is not the windfall some are hoping it to be. In the short term it may be a relief, but in the long term, he's right. We need to continue focus on developing energy systems the run on renewable resources because its only a band-aid.
Oil Companies have used many tactics throughout the past century such as buying new technogies and suppressing them. There have also been anecdotes about murder being used to suppress technology (Think I'm making it up? Nope. That this guy might be. I doubt it.). What we really have is an energy monopoly. Not very libertarian. It results in restriction from a free and open market. I can't walk down to the local dealership and get a car that doesn't run off gasoline. Hybrids regardless of their fanfare, still utilize oil at some point during the operation. Hydrogen requires a mot of oil to create the hydrogen fuel to run those cars. Why do you think George Bush was in favor of that particular alternative energy?
I want to point out that with Bush's declarations that Congress needs to open up ANWAR and other areas for exploitation, it seems rather stupid. Here's Why: Bill Richardson brought up something that has only been mentioned in the past week. Oil companies hold leases to many places throughout the country where they can drill for oil, which by the way, it takes ten years to develop an oil deposit. They aren't using them. Why? Why is there a demand from Oil man George Bush to open up areas when there are plenty of leases already held?
A good reason is that by limiting the supply, it drives the price of oil up. it is highly unlikely that ANWAR will ever be opened. It creates a perception of restricted production that drives price uo and puts money in the hands of those who already have plenty. This sounds criminal because oil is in many areas of the country a necessity. In rural parts of the nation, there is no access to alternative transportation like buses, trains and light rail lines. Its the car, truck or tractor to get around. There are no alternatives! But in the rural areas there are plenty of renewable resources like wind, solar, hydro and other biological materials that can be utilized for fueling purposes. However, these are not going to make a dent in the energy problem in the near future.
What I'm getting at is that the whole country is not made the same. Every city and every region has its own set of unique problems and also solutions. The reason we cannot tackle "America's Addiction to Oil" is because its an extremely daunting task. Every area needs to be evaluated for its particular needs, problems and available resources. What works in New York City may not work in Davenport.
I also want to point out the media's misuse of the phrase "Addiction to Oil". Is it an addiction is the only vehicles a consumer can purchase is gasoline fueled? Is it an addiction if car manufacturers continue to produce cars at the minimum of CAFE standards? If I could change my car to running off of water, trust me, I would. But I lack the automotive abilities to make that transformation.
As you can from the meandering post that I have composed thus far, there is not an easy issue to analyze. No one solution is an absolute cure all. This means that one person does not hold all the cards to solving the energy crisis. It involves a lot of hard work and patience from all involved and the country itself. Unfortunately, with our global economy and the limited supply of oil, costs will not decrease any time soon and many people will continue to suffer through these hard economic times, myself includ
ed.But we were warned. The demand for oil is infinite. The supply is finite. When we burn a fuel faster than it can be harvested and refined begins to become a problem. There is also the issue of peak oil. Peak oil is basically this idea: oil production will peak at one point and drop off. Now someone could point out that will alternative energies, this would cause the dropoff prophetized. But M. King Hubbert who made this prediction in 1956 was not looking at environmentalists to change the fuel economy of the world. Peak Oil would come about because of resources of oil which I've already pointed out are very finite. Hubbert predicted that the US production of oil would peak in the late '60's to early '70's. This roughly coincided with the fuel crisis that developed. This was not a natural crisis. There were also political motivations involved such as the Arab-Israeli war.
Nobody wants to continue giving money to the middle east. Nobody wants to be subserviant to another county. We live in a country that cannot fuel itself. We need to be able to do that. But as long as we have a oil companies restricting technology, refusing to exploit alreasy held lands and pushing to create better technologies, we will be held hostage in the Global Economy. And while the welathy exploit the middle and lower classes to line their pockets, they will destroy the economy. If the economy crumbles, then it won't matter anymore. That's how bad it could get. Stock up on water.
Moving on to other topics that are less depressing. Tim Russert died over a week ago. This led NBC to broadcasting a gluttony of production that came just short of canonizing him as a Saint of American Objective Journalism. True, he probably the last bastion of the objective journalist values so rarely seen in the media these days. But seriously! Things went too far! I couldn't turn on a channel without hearing about it... and the 17 girls in Gloucester, Massachesetts. The man was a great guy but i think this was overdone. Russert himself would have been embarrassed.
That's it for now. I was planning on writing more, but I'm running on empty.
Today is Midsummer Eve! Tonight is the shortest night of the year. In Scandinavia, the sun does not set.
It is considered a low sabbath in the Wiccan calendar. But it is my favorite. I don't have to think of any particular mystery or event in the spiritual calendar. Just concentrate on the healing and nourishing power of the sun. Because winter sucks.
Blessed Be!
And get out and party!!!!!!!!!!
It is considered a low sabbath in the Wiccan calendar. But it is my favorite. I don't have to think of any particular mystery or event in the spiritual calendar. Just concentrate on the healing and nourishing power of the sun. Because winter sucks.
Blessed Be!
And get out and party!!!!!!!!!!
The upper Midwest is still in the grips of heavy flooding from the Mississippi river. Twenty levees have been overrun this week according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Two levees broke in Illinois today, flooding the town
of Meyer. The flood waters have receded in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Behind them is a millions of dollars of damage to 10 square miles of the city.
Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri, are two culturally significant towns in the area. Both are threatened by rising waters. I have experience in that area during the the Great Flood of 1993. During the summer that year, I volunteered to may sand bags to reinforce the levees. I urge anyone who reads this and lives near the area, please do what you can to help if you are not in the area affected.
Tiger Woods was able to secure victory at the US Open on Monday. He played 91 holes total to achieve this feat against Rocco Mediate, a 45-year-old golfer who has never won a major and hasn't won a tournament in six years. Prior to the tournament, Tiger Woods had undergone his third surgery on his left knee. He has overstressed his left knee over the years. When he wants more power, i.e. torque, he "snaps" his left knee to make his hips turn faster. This has enabled him to make those stunning drives that he his known for, particularly off the tee.
After the Herculean effort to win the 2008 US Open, which many were comparing to Francis Ouimet's 1913 win US Open (though this comparison was more apt for Rocco Mediate), Woods was found to have torn his ACL and incurred two stress fractures. This makes all those grimaces witnessed during Monday's initial 18 holes telling: Tiger was beating himself up.
Woods is likely going to be out for the remainder of the season. With a tear to the ACL it may be career ending. Love him, hate him or just apathetic, Woods affect on Golf is similar to Ouimet's. In fact, it is likely that Woods would never have played golf if not for that win 95 years ago in Massachusetts. Woods brought many spectators into golf's arena. The interest may linger but some see this as the end of golf's recent renaissance. I'm not willing to declare this. I think interest may continue past any career-ending injury.
But if this is the end, I have to thank Tiger Woods for being a champion in mind, body and spirit. And for bringing the sport to the level of popularity it currently enjoys. Thank You!
(But I think you'll be back)
The President of the United States honored the last living US born WWI veteran today. Frank Woodruff Buckles was born February 1, 1901 in Missouri. When the US entered the war in 1917, Buckles was only 16. He was rejected by the Marines for his weight. So, he signed up for the army and lied about his age claiming he was 21. He served as an ambulance driver in France and after Armistice, he escorted German POWs home. He was discharged in 1920.
His portrait will hang in the US World War I museum as a reminder of our last living link to the Great War. He was awarded the légion d'honneur from then President of France Jacque Chirac in 2003. He has also been after many requests, been accorded the honor of being buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
At the end of ABC's news at 5:30, they had the brains enough to show footage of a rainbow that had just happened during the broadcast. I have to say that is awesome! In the tough times we are going through with everything, it is nice to see something so beautiful. It reminds us all that the simplest things can be some of the most beautiful (not to mention, free). I also may not bea religious, but rainbows are symbolic of hope and remind us to do just that.
of Meyer. The flood waters have receded in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Behind them is a millions of dollars of damage to 10 square miles of the city.Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri, are two culturally significant towns in the area. Both are threatened by rising waters. I have experience in that area during the the Great Flood of 1993. During the summer that year, I volunteered to may sand bags to reinforce the levees. I urge anyone who reads this and lives near the area, please do what you can to help if you are not in the area affected.
Tiger Woods was able to secure victory at the US Open on Monday. He played 91 holes total to achieve this feat against Rocco Mediate, a 45-year-old golfer who has never won a major and hasn't won a tournament in six years. Prior to the tournament, Tiger Woods had undergone his third surgery on his left knee. He has overstressed his left knee over the years. When he wants more power, i.e. torque, he "snaps" his left knee to make his hips turn faster. This has enabled him to make those stunning drives that he his known for, particularly off the tee.
After the Herculean effort to win the 2008 US Open, which many were comparing to Francis Ouimet's 1913 win US Open (though this comparison was more apt for Rocco Mediate), Woods was found to have torn his ACL and incurred two stress fractures. This makes all those grimaces witnessed during Monday's initial 18 holes telling: Tiger was beating himself up.Woods is likely going to be out for the remainder of the season. With a tear to the ACL it may be career ending. Love him, hate him or just apathetic, Woods affect on Golf is similar to Ouimet's. In fact, it is likely that Woods would never have played golf if not for that win 95 years ago in Massachusetts. Woods brought many spectators into golf's arena. The interest may linger but some see this as the end of golf's recent renaissance. I'm not willing to declare this. I think interest may continue past any career-ending injury.
But if this is the end, I have to thank Tiger Woods for being a champion in mind, body and spirit. And for bringing the sport to the level of popularity it currently enjoys. Thank You!
(But I think you'll be back)
The President of the United States honored the last living US born WWI veteran today. Frank Woodruff Buckles was born February 1, 1901 in Missouri. When the US entered the war in 1917, Buckles was only 16. He was rejected by the Marines for his weight. So, he signed up for the army and lied about his age claiming he was 21. He served as an ambulance driver in France and after Armistice, he escorted German POWs home. He was discharged in 1920.
After living from 1936 till 1938 in Germany, and seeing the beginnings of Shoa (Holocaust), he relocated to the Philippines. There, during World War II, he was captured by the Japanese and was a prisoner for three years.
His portrait will hang in the US World War I museum as a reminder of our last living link to the Great War. He was awarded the légion d'honneur from then President of France Jacque Chirac in 2003. He has also been after many requests, been accorded the honor of being buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
At the end of ABC's news at 5:30, they had the brains enough to show footage of a rainbow that had just happened during the broadcast. I have to say that is awesome! In the tough times we are going through with everything, it is nice to see something so beautiful. It reminds us all that the simplest things can be some of the most beautiful (not to mention, free). I also may not bea religious, but rainbows are symbolic of hope and remind us to do just that.
Oddly enough, there's lots of news. For a Tuesday.
Hamas and Israel agree to a cease fire according to the Beeb. CNN reports that a truce is near completion and would go into affect in as little as three days. The article on the BBC notes that Israel is still "looking to see if this is serious".
Hamas came to power after elections in January 2006 displacing Fatah. In June of the same year, Corporal Galid Shalit. a dual French-Israeli citizen, was abducted. After this, Israel threatened the Palestinians by saying that the "sky will fall" if he was harmed. Many negotiations have been made over the past two years. Even the Catholic Church of Gaza and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter have tried to negotiate for Shalit's release.
Since the rise of Hamas and the kidnapping Shalit, Israel has restricted supplies of gasoline, diesel and electricity to Gaza, limited the amount of food and other goods entering the strip and made it virtually impossible for manufacturers and farmers in Gaza to export anything to the outside world.
William is in the midst of completing two months of intense Naval training. Next Week he will begin to serve on the HMS Iron Duke in its patrols of the Carribean.
The President of France, Nikolas Sarkozy, has announced that France will rejoin the Command of Nato. Then President Charles de Gaulle pulled France out of the Command structure in 1966 in a bid for independence from the US dominated Western treaty. With this announcement comes also the news that 50,000 defense jobs will be cut and the Intelligence community will be boosted.
Special Effects master Stan Winston died yesterday. He had struggled with Mulitple Myeloma for the past seven years. He recently worked on Iron Man and was also contributing to projects such as GI Joe, Avatar, and a forth coming chapter in the Terminator series of films. Stan Winston was known for intergrating practical effects (sometimes known as in-camera effects) with the the more recently developed Computer Generated Images, or CGI. He has been awarded four Academy Awards for his efforts in such projects as Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Jurassic Park.
Hamas and Israel agree to a cease fire according to the Beeb. CNN reports that a truce is near completion and would go into affect in as little as three days. The article on the BBC notes that Israel is still "looking to see if this is serious".
Hamas came to power after elections in January 2006 displacing Fatah. In June of the same year, Corporal Galid Shalit. a dual French-Israeli citizen, was abducted. After this, Israel threatened the Palestinians by saying that the "sky will fall" if he was harmed. Many negotiations have been made over the past two years. Even the Catholic Church of Gaza and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter have tried to negotiate for Shalit's release.
Since the rise of Hamas and the kidnapping Shalit, Israel has restricted supplies of gasoline, diesel and electricity to Gaza, limited the amount of food and other goods entering the strip and made it virtually impossible for manufacturers and farmers in Gaza to export anything to the outside world.
Israeli officials have said these measures are intended to pressure Hamas to stop its members and other factions from firing mortars and rockets into Israel.
Prince William has been made a member of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. His official title will be Royal Knight Companion. The Order was established in 1348 by King Edward III. The numbers of the Order are limited. There are only 24 Companions.William is in the midst of completing two months of intense Naval training. Next Week he will begin to serve on the HMS Iron Duke in its patrols of the Carribean.
The President of France, Nikolas Sarkozy, has announced that France will rejoin the Command of Nato. Then President Charles de Gaulle pulled France out of the Command structure in 1966 in a bid for independence from the US dominated Western treaty. With this announcement comes also the news that 50,000 defense jobs will be cut and the Intelligence community will be boosted.
Special Effects master Stan Winston died yesterday. He had struggled with Mulitple Myeloma for the past seven years. He recently worked on Iron Man and was also contributing to projects such as GI Joe, Avatar, and a forth coming chapter in the Terminator series of films. Stan Winston was known for intergrating practical effects (sometimes known as in-camera effects) with the the more recently developed Computer Generated Images, or CGI. He has been awarded four Academy Awards for his efforts in such projects as Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Jurassic Park.
There plenty of things to discuss. I have taken a great deal of time away from this blog due to things that are beyond my control. Needless to say, I'm glad to back blogging. I will not be posting me World War II blogs in their entirety here. I will also be starting a new blog about Internet Radio.
Recently, I switched from Windows Vista which is a ghastly excuse for an OS to Linux. Specifically, I went running to Ubuntu. I am happy to be rid of Windows at the moment but time will tell if Ubuntu is the right OS for me. There are compliance issues to resolve.
So, to move on and keep this short. It should not be news to anyone that Hillary is out of the race. Now we can get down to ripping Obama and McCain to shreds. May the last man standing be worthy of the office! It seems that things are getting considerably worse everyday. This is why I'm not really blogging. What do I have to blog about? There are more crises going in this country then I have blogs for! And I don't think I can add anything to the vitriol that is already stewing.
Since I'm not going to add to it, I'm going to just make a not of something. Seventy years ago (technically in April), something different popped onto the pop culture landscape. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? no, it was Superman!
Boy could we use you now!
The man in the red, yellow and blue kick started a new genre of storytelling and solidified a medium. There have been many superheroes since Superman that are as diverse as the writers who dream them up. But Superman was the quintessential superhero and many are variations on the theme.
I also want to note that from 1938 until some time into World War II saw the United States at the height of its pop art. Music, Film, Illustration and even photography, had some its finest hours during these years. Some might theorize that hard times make us hope for a better tomorrow but since we still have to live with the pain of today, a little escapism couldn't hurt.
Recently, I switched from Windows Vista which is a ghastly excuse for an OS to Linux. Specifically, I went running to Ubuntu. I am happy to be rid of Windows at the moment but time will tell if Ubuntu is the right OS for me. There are compliance issues to resolve.
So, to move on and keep this short. It should not be news to anyone that Hillary is out of the race. Now we can get down to ripping Obama and McCain to shreds. May the last man standing be worthy of the office! It seems that things are getting considerably worse everyday. This is why I'm not really blogging. What do I have to blog about? There are more crises going in this country then I have blogs for! And I don't think I can add anything to the vitriol that is already stewing.
Since I'm not going to add to it, I'm going to just make a not of something. Seventy years ago (technically in April), something different popped onto the pop culture landscape. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? no, it was Superman!
Boy could we use you now!The man in the red, yellow and blue kick started a new genre of storytelling and solidified a medium. There have been many superheroes since Superman that are as diverse as the writers who dream them up. But Superman was the quintessential superhero and many are variations on the theme.
I also want to note that from 1938 until some time into World War II saw the United States at the height of its pop art. Music, Film, Illustration and even photography, had some its finest hours during these years. Some might theorize that hard times make us hope for a better tomorrow but since we still have to live with the pain of today, a little escapism couldn't hurt.
Very confusing information coming from Jerusalem. According to witnesses, one, possibly two, infiltrators entered the dining hall in a Yeshiva at around dinner time Israeli time and opened fire. At this time, the numbers of deceased is misleading with the number listed at different sources anywhere from 4 to 7. There are unconfirmed reports that one of the gunmen (if there were two) was wearing some form of explosive. This happened around 1.45 Eastern time. According to Jerusalem Post, the school in question is the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva located in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood, a very religious neighborhood with many yeshivas.. The article also states that approximately 40 people are wounded and that the two gunmen are dead. CNN is reporting that there is celebration in Gaza over the attack. It has been a relatively long time since Jerusalem has witnessed incidents of this magnitude.Though Palestinians are celebrating the crime, with intense gunfire near the Prime Minister's home, it is unknown who the gunmen were or whether this was politically motivated. Israel had launched forces in Gaza last week but withdrew them on Tuesday. There has also been no claim of responsibility. Though it may appear to be clear that is a retaliatory strike against Israel, it may not be. It may be a school shooting like the ones we have suffered through here in the US as well as in other nations of the world.
Links: Ynet, Jpost
Earlier today, here in the United States in Times Square, New York, there was an explosion at an Army recruiting office. Some believe a cyclist is was recorded passing by the office not long before the blast may be involved if not the bomber. The explosion happened at 3.39 Eastern time this morning. No one was injured.
Israeli Army Radio with the Ambulence service backing it up have increased the number of dead to 8. CNN has also just reported that two bombs went off within moments of each other in Baghdad.
The Battle of Tai'erzhuang began today March 24th. It was part of the larger Battle for Xuzhou that would see its climax in May. This was mostly the Japanese underestimating the fighting spirit of the common rural farmer.
Two Generals Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi had plans to encircle the Japanese forces at Tai'erzhuang. The Japanese were over confident and overlooked flaws in their plans.
Two Generals Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi had plans to encircle the Japanese forces at Tai'erzhuang. The Japanese were over confident and overlooked flaws in their plans.
I started listening to different music today. Well, its not altogether different. I've heard it all my life. And to say I'm listening to different music is really an understatement. I listen to anything. But I was listening to the music of my parents. The reason is complex.Unlike most of my peers, I grew up with heavy doses of Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, Johnny Rivers, the Delfonics, the Beach Boys, the Four Tops and Frank Sinatra. I listened to everything from Doris Day and Bing Crosby, to the early days of Rock like Bill Haley and Buddy Holly to the Everly Brothers and Chuck Berry and beyond to CCR, Hendrix, the Mamas and the Papas and Jefferson Airplane.
My parents songs were the soundtrack of my life before I became more passionate about my own generation's music, namely alternative like Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, just to name a few that were played on REV 105. Funny, when everyone started getting into the Doors at my school (usually the same kids who dug Charles Manson), I really wasn't that impressed. I'd been hearing the Doors for a long time. Still, to this day, I can watch one of those stupid informercials for gazillion cds and I know EVERY song like I lived in the era myself. I hadn't listened to them lately. The oldies station around here started playing more 80's stuff which frankly, I'm kind of sick of. They only have like 200 80's songs and I could sing all of them perfectly while being hung upside down with the mzzle of a gun in my mouth. And I might even prefer that than listening to Come on Eileen!!!! Lately, I've actually been into big band and World War II music.
I said the reason was more complex and it is. I go through genres of music in cycles of obsession. This means I obsess about one style or era of music until I can pee it. Then I move on. But its abrupt. First, I begin to listen to old staples. I keep staples lists on my mp3 player for such occasions. Then I might think of something while listening to a staple or something enters my head randomly. Some thing like that happened but again, its more complex. I'll tell ya the song later.
First, I have to admit, I'm gratified by the increase in political participation this election. It's about time. And I have to admit, if they wasn't a distasteful war, then we wouldn't be so fired up. But I sometimes wonder what direction are we headed? It seems that we are getting more divided as things progress. The last time this many people were fired about politics, politicians died.
So, this brings me to the fear that even with all our hope for change and so much involvement, I just can't think that the upheaval in this country will end. In fact, I believe that we are on the precipice of the worst of it all. Yeah, I'm telling you getting George W. Bush out of the White House is only the start. There are more problems in this country. The uninsured, illegal immigration, corporatism.... the inequities our forbears have given us is now inadequate. The world they built for us is now outdated.
I'm not saying there's going to be a civil war. There may be fighting in the streets. If there are any National Guardsmen to call up, they'll be brought in to restore order. Bottom line: Things are gonna get worse before they get better. And its kind of predictable. Generations are cyclical. Some would consider me a Generation X. If that is so, it may explain why I, until a year ago, was incensed by the reluctance of kids to get involved in the political struggle. It seemed so many were unwilling to turn of the iPods and interact with other people. And those that were active were so intolerant of other points of view that they irrelevant.
I found a website that explains a bit about the cycles of generations. In a way, everything really does keep turning. There are 4 type of generations: Prophets, Nomads, Heroes and Artists. It should come as no surprise that the Generation that fought the Nazis was Heroes. The following generation after was the Silent Generation. It explains that there are two major events during these cycles: a spiritual one and a secular one.
After the secular one (WWII) there is an euphoria. After this euphoria there is a Spiritual event. The generation of my parents was the Baby Boomer. The spiritual event they went through was the 60's. I come close to falling into the succeeding generation: Generation X. I find myself falling more increasingly into the Heroic cycle that my younger brother is in. This may be that I emotionally matured slower than my peers.Supposedly, there is a large secular event that should arrive somewhere between 2010 and 2020. With this thought in mind, I assert that things will get worse before they get better. My nephews will likely be a part of the next Artistic generation which will likely be silent. My niece is almost through high school which places her firmly in the Heroic cycle. I guess this idea of generational cycles really places us as actors within eras with little control of how we act or think. But I think it is less exacting.
The reason I'm bringing all this up is because we repeat history but are we even sure what history we are repeating? We are headed toward a cycle not unlike that facing the GIs who fought World War II. They endured an economic depression and then pulled themselves together to fight a terrible and destructive war. We are facing similar dilemmas. Is World War III soon?
So we are headed toward something terrible but have no control over it. Hopefully we will be able to confront it. The song I was listening to that got me thinking about this was "What a Wonderful
World" which always conjures up images of Vietnam...sans psychedelia. It doesn't hurt that I'm listening the The Who's "Won't get fooled again", all 8 minutes and 30 glorious seconds of it!!!! Anyways, if any of that made sense they yay!! But I think I rambled a fair bit.
This is the site that outlines the generational cycles were are unwitting participants in.
This site is for an online radio station called Radio Vietnam which plays songs from the Vietnam Era.
Kosovo declared independence today. if you can't remember where Kosovo is, its at the southern end of Serbia and borders Albania at its upper east border. The most important thing to know is that it is located in the Balkans so named for the Balkan mountain range that extends through Serbia and Bulgaria. The entire peninsula, including Greece, is called the Balkan Peninsula.The Balkans has been notably unstable since 1991. In truth, Yugoslavia, ruled with a firm hand by Tito, was held together by the Communist Government. The collapse of said government spurned the region into upheaval. The early '90's there was a war between Croatia nad Serbia. And then Serbia made war and genocide on Bosnia. The complexity of these wars cannot be easily distilled but I'll try.
Religion is a key part of identity in this area. In Serbia, many of the citizens were Serbian Orthodox. In Croatia, the people were for most part Roman Catholic. And the alphabet they use reflects that. In Serbia, the Cyrillic alphabet is used. In Croatia, the Roman alphabet is used. This goes back to the schism. In the 11th Century, there was a Schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox. The two churches divided for the most part, along the same boundaries that the two halves of the Roman empire in the 5th Century. Look at the map:
Roman Empire at Fall:
.PNG)
Blue = West; Pink = EastSo, is anyone surprised about this? What it opens up is the question about other breakaway nations such as Chechnya in Russia, Kurdistan in Iraq and Turkey, Abkhazia in Georgia, and Basque separatists in Spain and France. If one nation can decide to create its own new state, then any nation can. As an American, I should respond that this acceptable, considering the history of my home country. And I do. But I understand the complexity of other nations and their attitudes toward territory. But there comes a time when states need to make a clean break of it. It comes down to the question "What have you done for me lately?"
Republican Mitt Romney has dropped out of the Presidential Race. Even before giving the speech in Boston, the news outlets were buzzing about what would happen to Romney's 280 or so (depending on who you go by) delegates. There are state rules and party rules. Does one half go to John McCain and another half go Mike Huckabee? Are they proportional to the amount that those other candidates also managed to win in those primaries?Say, if McCain won 22% in Minnesota, Romney won 44% in Minnesota with Huckabee taking 20% and Paul taking the remaining 13%. (This is hypothetical. I'll check the numbers later). if this is the case then McCain gets all of Romney's 44% in addition to his own? Or does he get all? Well, the GOP primaries are for the most part WTA (Winner-take-all), but there of course exceptions such as California which went in favor of McCain but didn't give him all its delegates. One would have to assume that the delegates themselves would need to make that decision. As yet, many of these delegates have yet to be chosen. We keep pandeying about this word delegate but there aren't any delegates yet. Hmm....
All this could be for not. In Minnesota, a caucus state, the people could still choose to support Romney despite the end of his campaign. Delegates could switch to Huckabee making these delegates spoilers so to speak. The RNC could be a riot just like the DNC. I'm really hoping it isn't. I live in Minnesota.
The articles about the speech were void of actual quotes from Romney. It seems in their hurry to get an article out with a grinning McCain, they decided not to even listen to the former Governor from Massachusetts. i mean, he's still an important figure in American Politics!!! Give him his due, people! They even referred to him as a droppout. Thats a little crass , if you ask me. It's like he decided to stop going to high school to smoke weed and bad mouth his country.
Update: MSNBC updated their article to give a couple of quotes... well, I guess someone listened.
CNN, which counts Romney having 286 delegates, says that it puts McCain at a margin of 78 for getting the nomination. Aren't they jumping the gun a little? We still don't know if that is where the delegates will go. By Romney releasing his delegates, there are allowed to decide their own destiny, even if they don't know who they are yet. Only in America could we have this kind of kerfluffel.
This headline made me pause. I thought it said rape. My mistake.
I had to peek at the numbers for Minnesota where I knew Romney had won. I wasn't off by much at all! I provided the link for verification.
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitt Romney | 25,702 | 41.93% | 36 |
| John McCain | 13,552 | 22.11% | 0 |
| Mike Huckabee | 12,322 | 20.10% | 0 |
| Ron Paul | 9,717 | 15.85% | 0 |
| Rudy Giuliani | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| Total | 61,293 | 100% | 36 |
A reaction to Fox News and its onscreen "typo" misidentifying McCain's political party. On the Huffintgon Post, there was this comment from someone called Randomizer.
Yeah, man. Drew Pederson is identified as Democrat as is Bin Laden, Kim Il Jong, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. All of them with the (D) underneath their names. Heres some others:Love it!
Satan (D-Hell) Hitler (D-Germany) Stalin (D-USSR) Skeletor (D-Eternia) Megatron (D-Chaar)
Pretty much all Democrats.
We are now at T+48 hours since Super Tuesday. And there is still plenty going on. Super Tuesday would be exciting on its own, but it feel a month into primary season. The Republican method of primary voting and accumulation of delegates favors a winner-take-all (WTA) method. The Democratic method favors a long slugfest. It will take longer for a nominee to emerge and assume the crown because it they split the delegate proportionally. Hence, a candidate could get more delegates by winning less states. But this is not something I should have to go over.The reason I bring it up is that pundits like Bill O'Reilly have outlined a scenario (and I think Dick Morris who is bitter toward the Clintons since they ruined his career and the only people who will hire him are Fox) where Obama wins the most delegates but the Super Delegates decide to go with Clinton at the convention. He says there will be a riot and that they will tear the arena down.
If one were to seriously consider Bill O'Reilly's wishful ranting, the democrats would all tear each thoer eyes out on network television for the Conservative power mongers to gloat over. First of all, I don't think it will get that bad. Second, are you really serious? Have you been to a Democratic anything? Democrats won't even yell a person out of the room. Since I'm in the Democratic party, I can't say I've ever felt violence toward another Democrat. I honestly think that Bill O'Reilly would just like to see this happen.
A fractured Democratic party would make his day.On to something that is not political for a minute. There was a shuttle launch. It was not impressive. That is if you consider the better launch pictures that have been done. Come on NASA!!!! Give us a night launch.
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! That's more like it. Thats what I call a launch!!!!!!
Ok, so there were a lot gun toting violence lately. The deaths at a Lane Bryant recently, the home in LA with the SWAT team taking a casualty along with 4 other people. Now some guy in Kentucky opens fire on a city hall meeting. So, was there something in the stars I didn't see? Like the constellation gunus loadus? There sure are a bunch of crazies running around getting their crazy on.
Speaking of crazies... John McCain went to CPAC (I really couldn't help myself... I really love politics but I'm usually not so mean... and that's nice for politics). Before he could speak Mitt Romney did. He said that he couldn't be the one to blame if the Democrats got the White House. The Democrats he claims, would allow us to be defeated by surrendering the war in Iraq. So, he suspended his campaign. This means he has pulled out. He's still in denial. The Mitt Romney ship has sunk. All right.... it hit a sand bar... but it lost almost all of its sails.... or its in a dead calm.... something....
Before McCain got up to speak, cons at the con (heh) were switching their Romney T-shirts for McCain t-shirts. How astounding: the red headed stepchild of the Republican party at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Group) where even they can't stick to their convictions and principles [grind teeth].
I'm not a conservative. There are beliefs I hold that are conservative but I will not consider myself a conservative for some pretty big reasons. 1. I like people of all types and refuse to be exclusionary and/or intolerant. 2. I think religion is for the church/synagoge/temple/home. It has no place in politics, as part of domestic policy or the basis for laws. No one should expect a country to be made in the mold of a particular faith. Its unfair and intolerant. It infringes other people's 1st amendment rights. 3. I use reason and logic. I think therefore I am not conservative or liberal. You all have your neuroses and need therapy.
To me, McCain is like that. He doesn't judge a person by their party but takes time to get to know them as people. He reminds me a bit of professor of history (a subject McCain likes) who is a bit more hippie than McCain but he is still on of those guys who likes to get to know his students as people. McCain does that with his fellow Senators and enjoys meetings of the mind with them. I've said this before and I'll say it again: We need someone with a proven record of working with the other party. McCain has that.
I watched the speech with baited breath. Hell, I'd been waiting for this one. First, cowboy boot wearing George "macaca" Allen of Virginia introduced Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. I can't help but wonder if not for that video in 2006, would Allen be running and winning this nomination? Anyways, Tom Coburn came out and talked about McCain's courage. Coburn might be commended for his courage, too. In the late '90's, he locked horns with then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich because the Republican led Congress was spending just like the Democrats had been before they had taken over. Nothing had changed and the "Contract with America" was in shambles. He's also worked with Senator Obama. I'd say he like McCain is not afraid to work with someone who has a "D" attached to their name. He also has the regret of his remarks against the airing of Schindler's List to contend with for the rest of his life.
But getting on to the speech itself. I liked it. It was perfect, quiet, John McCainness and simple. He didn't get into specifics which is fine. There were some real nice parts. Like the boo that turned into a cheer. I'll call it a beer. I have no idea why this happened. I only saw McCain do this sort of beseeching shrug that he does. It always seems like his arms are awkward for him. I blame that on the fact that the range of motion in his arms is limited. I believe he cannot raise them to a certain point.
Anyways, this beer started out with the crowd booing when he brought up immigration. I understand their reason for doing that. McCain worked with Ted Kennedy, the living God of Democrats, to formulate a bill on immigration that ultimately failed. He admits to this. It was a so-called "path to citizenship". I'm with the conservatives on immigration but I'm also with McCain. I find immigrants to be criminals. They broke our laws to get in here and continue to break them with their continued presence here. I won't generalize and get into statements of tenement housing and bad driving. These are stereotypes that are as dangerous as general statements about Jews and Roman Catholics.
But, as much as they broke laws and entered our nation illegally, which means they have little respect for a nation's government and lack integrity, there needs to be a solution that works for everyone. We cannot throw the 12+ million people back to Mexico. This would be a humanitarian disaster. It would destroy Mexico. Some would welcome this but hold on a second! Destroying Mexico would not help us but rather, hurt us. If their fragile economy collapses due to a sudden influx of people that it cannot support, we'd have to prop up the flagging economy anyway.
The other option is to figure out a way to reduce the illegal immigrants coming across our border and to get those here to become citizens so they can pay into a system they already benefit from. Getting them out would be far more problematic and violent. No one wants the blood of another country's citizens, criminals or not, on their hands. So, the compromise that he made with Kennedy is justified.
But this boo... as it progressed, it turned into a cheer. A loud and resounding cheer. I don't know if Allen and Coburn started scowling at the audience since they were told to be nice. Maybe conservatives saw it within themselves to be nice. I'd like to know what actually happened there in the ballroom because they certainly didn't show it on TV.
And did you see the covereage of CPAC on Fox? I nornally watch CNN or MSNBC but considering the nature of this speech, getting reaction from the conservatives themselves would be key. But Fox did something that I find reprehensible. Look at the picture below. See if you can pick put out any errors.
That's right!!! Fox has democratized John McCain (I'm taking credit for this new use of the word right now) . They misidentify any republican they want to and claim its a typo. The odds that there'd would be these typos at moments when the Republican party is in a crises or, like when Mark Foley admitted one of their own screws up and only these times are slim. The odds of that each time these mistakes occur, it would always be a "D" is even more slim. I'm no mathematician but I understand probability and randomness from my experience as a pollster and working in statistics. There is no way that Fox can stand by their assertions. At least not without knowing how stupid they look. If I were self-respecting journalist, I could not work with/for Fox without either walking away from this excuse for a "fair and balanced" news outfit or losing my integrity for remaining with them. What a fucking joke!!!!!!!All right, this post has gone on long enough. I did want to add some clips from The Daily Show from Wednesday night. Jon Stewart takes on the coverage of the primaries on the News outlets. Enjoy!!!
and this!
Ok, The moment of Zen, too.
Bonne Soiree!!!!!!
So, Super Tuesday has happened.Mike Huckabee was definitely the surprising force of the night. He started out winning West Virginia which had a convention. This began Mitt Romney's cry that there was some backroom deal between McCain and Huckabee. Here's why: the WV convention is basically run as two rounds of voting. After the first round, when the McCain supporters realized there was no way they could win, moved their support to Huckabee.
I will address this on two fronts. First, there has been some suspicion that McCain has bee n making deals ala Survivor to gain the nomination of the Republican Party. It has been suggested that he asked Thompson, who stood no legitimate chance of winning, to stay in through South Carolina to run interference for McCain. The same thing is believed to have occurred with Rudy Guiliani in Florida. Guiliani and McCain are known to be friends as Thompson is as well. McCain tends to appeal the center and has political friends who are centrists. I'll even throw Colin Powell in there though I've never read that they were friends but I can definitely see the two of them getting along. Hell, Joe Lieberman is running around with McCain!!! Maybe that bothers the conservatives: a liberal Connecticut Orthodox Jew is supporting a Republican.
Second, that's politics!!!! Anyone knows that those things happen. Its the nature of the game. Even though Romney outspent both his opponents by millions, it was all for not. And he cried foul after that West Virginia convention which was the first contest called of the day. What a whiny, little pussy!
Though I will grant this: McCain is winning for some unexplainable reason. He didn't win the conservative vote. The Southern Cons went for Huckabee and the Northern cons went for Romney. He won amongst moderate Republicans who are anti-war (which he is not) and those in favor of aboritionrights (which I won't try to qualify him on. He is pro-life but has also been on record saying the alternative would be worse). I like him because he is pragmatic. I like someone who is more concerned with being practical and making sense than satisfying idealogues who want someone to do their bidding. McCain has been rebellious since about the age of 8 and is unapologetically so. I want a president who thinks for himself. The alternative is a government run by committee.
Radio blowhards are just attacking him. Conservative Talk Radio is just plain babble. These village idiots with their radio soapboxes are ranting about how they cannot stand the other side. Rush Limbaugh vilifies McCain for reaching across the aisle to work with the other party. All Limbaugh is doing is proofing the rest of the country right: Conservatives are smug, hateful and cold people who would rather hate their fellow American than learn to live with them.
And I hate (not really, but it sure sounds good) to break it to Conservative Republicans but he is the last hope for your broken down, mean little party. This is the party that gave us Abraham Lincoln who felt that after the Civil War, the north should reach out to help the South and not grind the Confederate states under the northern boot. Somehow, I feel that empathy is missing.
Americans are tired of the "My way or the highway" approach to politics. It is fracturing this country and is leading us down the path of destruction. People are fed up with neo-conservatism. True conservatism, which is what McCain is closer to, is preferable compared to the shit that Bush, Limbaugh and all their ilk keep shoveling down our throats. I think they're poor sports and bad losers just like Romney.
On the Democratic side there isn't really much to talk about. Hillary lost her voice in the days leading up to the primaries. She was fighting a cold. She cried at one point on Monday. When all was said and done, she had won the more populous states whilst Obama had taken the less populous ones but more of them.
The races coming up on Saturday: Louisiana, the caucus in Washington, Democrats in Nebraska, Republicans in Kansas and as well as the Democratic primary in the Virgin Islands which like American Samoa, can vote in primary but has no voice in the general election. On Sunday, Maine holds its Democratic primary in Maine. There will be a Potomac primary is next Tuesday. This is a primary that I am more interested in. It is the states of Virginia and Maryland and Washington, D.C. Look for LOTS of press on that day. it won't be near the juggernaut that last night was but it will be important.
Tidbits: Clinton saying "missourah". She's from Illinois. She should be saying Misery.
I wrote this yesterday but due to forces that were beyond my control, it has been posted today. I leave it in its original form because I.... I don't care.
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Pictures.... oh........
Tomorrow is possibly going to be one of the most frenzied days you may ever witness in your life. Not only do the New York Giants have their ticker tape parade tomorrow to honor the hard won glory on Sunday night in the Super Bowl. Not only is it Mardi Gras and therefore the last day of indulgence, frivolity and carnival before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. But it is also Super Tuesday, which due to it's inflated proportions, can also be called Super Duper Tuesday or Tsunami Tuesday. Tomorrow, There will 24 states and American Samoa running either a primary or a caucus for Democrats, Republicans and or independents. The Green Party is also running a caucus here in my state of Minnesota. This may be wrapped up tomorrow.
Or did you not know about this? I can't see how a
nyone could not have heard about this election. This cycle may be the most hotly contested in 40 years. Forty years ago the US was also embroiled in a very unpopular war. The Democrats were in power and they ended up losing power to Richard M. Nixon. We all know how that turned out.
It is coming down to two people in each of the two dominating parties. Barak Obama, the senator from Illinois, who is not a Muslim, is running in a dead heat with Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former First Lady and current senator from New York. The two are running so close to each other, we will be very happy that some primaries are not winner take all.
Hillary Rodham Clinton is losing steam it seems. And her voice. She is coming across as less liberal than Obama. Obama has some stylish endorsements in the form of the Kennedy clan deeming him JFK incarnate. He's had Oprah for some time. But now he has Stevie Wonder and Robert De Niro. Who knows who else he will get?
John Sydney McCain, III, is facing the same tough crowd he did in 2000. But this time its from Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. Rush Limbaugh's smears of John McCain are not new. One particular sticks out during the 2004 election when he wasn't even running. Limbaugh attacked McCain on his radio show for not defending Bush over his service to the National Guard. He alluded to McCain being a POW at the “Kerry Hilton”. I'm not surprised that he still despises McCain.
I really don't understand why Republicans hate him. He's rather conservative but he's capable of thinking independently. Does this prove that Republicans are really happier with politicians who can't think on their own?
I won't hide my love for McCain. He's been one of my favorites for years. And you know a Political Science geek when they talk about politicians like they're teen idols in current issues of Teen Beat. I mean, I've adored him since I knew who he was... about the same time Fred Dalton Thompson hit Washington. He's a maverick and I thoroughly enjoy that. I cheered for him even when I was so staunchly Democrat, it bordered on fanatical. So, I'm glad to see him doing well. I will address my thoughts on McCain on a later date.
But Ann Coulter, on the other hand, has stated that she would not be able to vote for McCain. That she'd rather vote for Clinton before she'd vote for McCain. You can watch it for yourself.
In fact, I should find clips for all the candidates... hmm... Like McCain's Little Jerk comment. I guess I like my candidates to be spunky.
Anyways, last night, I attended the Ron Paul rally here at the University of Minnesota. It was a great thing to be with my fellow Libertarians. It's not something experienced often. We libertarians are solitary creatures it seems. But I know he can't win. I know. But he's the closest thing to how I really feel and so I had to hear him speak. Maybe in four more years. Maybe we'll get a Libertarian president. Maybe... I hope.
Get out and vote!!!!!!!!
That is all.
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