I have a new Blog

I have a new home. For the few who actually read this blog, just follow the link here to get to my new blog!

The Nature of Evil

I've been thinking of evil and of what it is and even if it is. Tonight, I'm toying with the idea that evil isn't inherent. It's not what someone is but it's what someone does. Case in point; most of the fundamentalist Christians i run across are the happiest, most caring people, you would ever hope to come across. They are genuinely good people.

However, when they get into positions of authority they most often pass the most (sorry) God awful policy it's ever been our sorry fortune to witness. Hate against sexual minorities, hate against a woman doing with her own body and life as she chooses, weird ideas about taking government out of our lives in all the ways it can best help people with, and on and on.

These are times in which a large section of our country view the other sections as evil. That's extreme, but extremity in and of itself isn't what's evil. What's evil is acting on that extremity without regard to Jesus' commandment to 'do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.'

Evil is a verb, not a noun.

Little Bright Creatures

I just created a blog where I'll be putting what I've learned about economics into. I wouldn't expect much, but if it helps me learn I'll be worth it !

The Loose Cannon Mavericks

The lies the McCain camp are telling are wrapped their cloak of the "I'm a reformer image" and they press that image so hard that i would suggest that it's too difficult to try to fight it. Instead, we should do a little political ju-jitsu and agree with the McCains. Yes, they ARE mavericks. Who else but mavericks would reuse the same discredited lies? They are such mavericks that they are loose cannons that will destroy this country in their wild stampede to power. If the O's get on that one message and beat it to death I think before long maverick would equal loose cannon.

PS. I sent this as an email to Talking Points Memo. Just in case we never see hair of this again I put it up here.

Be Careful With Your Vote

McCain may be sending odd absentee ballots to people who live in battle ground states. Be sure you know who you're voting for !

2 tricks

Voter Caging

Fake Ballots

Voter turnout is high for Democrats this year (or should i say democrats?) so one tactic that will be employed by the Republicans will be in challenging those registrations and votes. Like in my fake ballot example, if everything isn't perfect on the absentee ballot it will be rejected. So make sure check that you're a eligible voter AND that your ballot even has a check box that you can check. It's a bogus requirement but voter suppression has long been a tactic in US politics and those little details get many every year.

No Game, No How

After Sarah Pailin accepted the nomination, all hell broke loose. Republican were now energized. The Dems were now scared and wide eyed and pleading with their candidate to make some move to counter the R attack. What was happening? Why did it all go so badly so fast? What was the world coming to????

Only, it was all gas.

There's no there there. Peel away Sarah Pailin's appeal to the fanatic faithful and what do you get? Nothing. OK. She's bright. But, there's still nothing there. She has had up til now no interest in the larger world around her. Until recently, in fact, she was a member of an Alaska successionist movement. In short, the R's have nothing.

Everything since the nominations.... all the mud flying, all the innuendo, all the lies, the frenetic attacks and assaults this week, and what? This week we see them repositioning on global warming; Sarah never meant to say that global warming was a myth (even though you could tell by her face she knew it was a lie as she was saying it to Charlie Gibson).. and i predict you will see much much more repositioning in the weeks to come. Why?

Because they have nothing. They have no positions and they said it themselves that they were running on character. Well, that only goes so far. You see, LAST election and the election before that they ran on character. However, the last two elections they also had simple and easy positions to defend.

They had tax cuts, gay marriage, and the usual host of conservative talking points which have mostly been cut out from under them this season. You see, in the past even, when they ran on character, they still had some platform. This year they have nothing but smoke and fun house mirrors. They have distraction and spectacle.

Yes, they have the conservative religious base, and that means that they have more numbers with them than they would have otherwise. But, it's not enough and they need to keep the excitement of the easily swayed undecideds. They have to keep those fickle voters that go with whoever they think is a winner or who reminds them of who they are. Would you stay with someone who changes positions quickly and who all of a sudden has most of the position sof his opponant?

Would you support a man who consistently and provably lies and distorts? Many will.. but the peopel they need will abandon him and go for Obama. Or stay at home and sit on their hands.

NO Blinking!

NO second guessing Israel! They are completely in charge here, ya hear? No blinking!

So, our foreign policy would basically become an international game of "chicken."

The one that that doesn't charge blindly forth heeding Israel (who's interests are we guarding anyway, theirs or ours? O.o) loses.

Featherweight

Wow. She really is a lightweight. Sarah Pailin didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was ( h/t TPM) You can see her struggling with her talking points and it'spainfully obvious that she doesn't have a clue.



I'm frankly beginning to see why they've been keeping her closeted for so long. Progressives should start hammering the press for more interviews. Seriously. If she doesn't improve soon we might not have much to worry about.

Also, is it just me or does anyone else want to smash the chalkboard when she calls Charlie Gibson "Charlie" ? For example, right after that first question on the Bush Doctrine she asked, "In what respect Charlie?" She just sounds so insincere to me.

UPDATE: See Joan Walsh's take on the interview. She nails it here. <3

"What a mockery Palin made of all that. I'll get criticized as sexist for saying this, but I would say the same thing about a man who sounded this ignorant: Talking to Charles Gibson tonight, Palin sometimes reminded me of poor Miss South Carolina, who, asked why many Americans can't find the U.S. on a map, famously said: "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps. And I believe that our education, like, such as in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, like such as, and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for our children.""

McCain's Campaign to Nowhere

If's funny how these things just write themselves. McCain has bet on Pailin's stalwart courage in striking down the bridge to nowhere this last week. Only.. they are lying. Pailin was for it before she was against it and simply following the herd (the maverick is apparently a lot more social than we were led to believe).

As more and more papers point out the lies surrounding her reformer image McCain and Pailin will have to forge a new path for their campaign to follow, because their current goal is going down that "bridge no nowhere."

You have to love life's little ironies.

h/t TPM

Nixon All Over Again

From Newsweek, not minor news mag.

Key Alaska allies of John McCain are trying to derail a politically charged investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner in order to prevent a so-called "October surprise" that would produce embarrassing information about the vice presidential candidate on the eve of the election.

It really does smell of Nixon, all over again. They gotta win, so what do they do? They move at all costs to cover up and delay.

Will the news pack keep braying and loping after the scent?

Obama's Reaction To Last Night's RNC

From his website:



It's as I said before. Attack is all the Republicans have. If Barack keeps up the ju jitsu "use the McCain camp's attacks against them" political art, I think we'll be ok.

This Sums Up McCain

beautifully



John Bush!

RNC Finally Over

Thank goodness.

Now we can see what kind of bounce/thud mr lime green backdrop POW-reformerwithstaleoldpolicies- gets out of this in the polls and move on. Yep, it's going to be a slug-fest from here on out and I think we can expect a really nasty campaign of name calling. If you don't hear anything about policies from the Republicans, no worries. It's all going to be "we're great, you suck."

It's all so sad, really. There shouldn't be any need for partisan feelings. We should all just be Americans. Lately, however, we've all been divided against each other and things just look like they're going to get worse from here on. Even if the Democrats do take the Whitehouse things wont calm down. Remember the Clintons? When Bill took the WH it was nonstop fake scandal since he first took office 'til he walked out the door.

If Obama wins things will likely follow the predictable pattern.

Those Shell Shocked Republicans

Howard Kurtz talks about how McCain's campaign seems to be gearing up into war mode over the press' coverage of Sara Pailin, McCain's October surprise running mate.

He was absolutely furious as he unloaded on the journalistic community for, in his view, unfairly savaging Sarah Palin.

Sure, it is in his interest to try to get the press to tone things down. But Schmidt -- a hard-headed, no-nonsense, on-message strategist -- really sounded shell-shocked. And so he was saying things on the record that senior aides usually say only under a cloak of anonymity.

My own pet theory is that the Republicans have become so extreme and the press has let them get away with whatever they like for so long that when finally confronted with something that hurts them many of them are starting to throw tantrums. Their message isn't very rational in the first place, so when they get to a point where they can no longer rationalize their bad choices away, the gloves come off and it's WWF night in Washington.

Democratic Elitists

Apparently, Democrats hate "the litle people" now ->

Palin To Suggest Her Dem Opponents "Look Down" On Small Town America

This really doesn't deserve a response but, no. Pailin, we don't look down on you because you're from a small town. We look down on you because you act like you're trying to upstage the people on the Jerry Springer show.

The Fly on The Wall

How do these politicians and pundits -really think?

in the vein of "viral" blogging..From Talking Points Memo

Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we'll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We'll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she's the right woman for the job Up next, one man who's already convinced and he'll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman.

(cut away)

Peggy Noonan: Yeah.

Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --

PN: It's over.

MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.

PN: Saw Kay this morning.

CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --

MM: They're all bummed out.

CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --

CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.

MM: I totally agree.

PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.

MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.

CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.

MM: Yeah.

Go to the TPM link to check out the video with the live mics. If only these guys would mess up more often!

As the Palin Turns

OK. So, Palin's not out yet. They probably cannot turn her out now since to do so would be to admit defeat and bad choices. But, it can't escape our notice that the campaign has taken on a SOAP quality. Just today the McCain camp went on record to ask the press to stop picking on poor Palin and her preggo unwed daughter. Also just today McCain staged a huge press conference featuring himself conferring his mighty touch upon the boyfriend of said daughter.

I guess since it's hands off of the daughter, it's still OK to lay hands on the boyfriend

Palin's Painful Flameout

The Republican vice presidential nominee is flaming out so spectacularly today, she could easily be confused as a part of last weeks Democratic fireworks display held at the end of their own convention.

From TPM:

On the same day that the Republicans were forced to dramatically cut back their convention activities, the Palin Meltdown unfolded with extraordinary speed. It's worth pondering the totality of what happened today, in a mere half day...

So much of this came out in just half a day, today, that it can't plausibly be considering anything but a true flame out in the most partisanly gratifying way (for the Dems, of course). I read somewhere that if McCain and Pailin lose the election that Pailin will be forgotten as most VP nominees are.

Not True.

She is going as she came in - with a bang.

Pailin and McCain

it's 'beyond the Pailin'
What's Pailin' you, John McCain?
On his choice for VP pick, he's Pailin badly
Pailin down on the job.
He has a shovel and a Pailin hand


OK, that's all i have for now :)

Sara Palin

The WTF heard round the world.

Obama's Speech

After watching the convention and Barack's nomination acceptance speech, i have to say i think they nailed it on this one. If the Dems can get the themes and messages behind this convention out to the mainstream they will nail the Presidential election. Barack Obama touched on his critics charges as well as outlining what we have to do as a nation... and he spoke of uniting the nation instead of continuing along the same tired old partisan lines.

The Democratic Convention

While i watched the Democratic Convention i enjoyed myself. However, PBS insisted on ruining my experience by their running play by play commentary by Mark Shields and David Brookes. I kept wondering why they felt they needed to spruce up the evening by spoon feeding us their "analysis." If they are so objective, so trusted by Americans, it boggles that they don't just let us decide for ourselves whether the Democrats had a good night or not.

This just goes to show that PBS' Newshour may the the most trusted American MSM source but these days the bar for them is incredibly low.

Obama 2.0

This post by Robert Creamer sounds a bit like an ad for a new gadjet, doesn't it?

Excerpt:

The long primary has forced the Obama campaign to develop organizations in all 50 states. Generally, presidential campaigns develop organizations in a few primary states and then go on to develop organizations in the few "in-play" general election states. By forcing Obama to create organizations in every state, the long primary season has helped enormously to broaden the general election playing field. This year, there will be strong, experienced Obama organizations in every state in America.

The battle has hugely increased Democratic registration. In-play states like Nevada that started the year with a majority of Republican registrants, now have a majority of Democrats. The New York Times reports that well over half of new registrants in Oregon were 30 or younger, and that of the 83,000 voters who changed parties this year, a large majority switched to Democratic.

The long primary fight has battle-hardened the Obama organization. Most of Obama's top field people have now been through four or five tough primary contests. That experience has taught even the greenest organizer to "think like a political organizer." It has taught thousands of organizers and volunteers the nuances of political organizing that are only learned through practice.

and it just keeps going on in pretty much the same vein. Now, I hope Robert is right about all of this... but i can't help but note the sales pitch!

Seel it Robert, sell it <3

SO Lazy

Yes, I am. I should be posting more but instead I'm off gallivanting around and reading and playing games or what have you. Like a rogue but honest lover I wont tell you that I'll reform. I 'll only promise to give my best!

Lately I've been hitting up the library for DVDs. I've found that they are good at having all of those obscure but good flicks that the rental places just wont touch. HINT: If it's a Criterion film it's usually there. So basically, Akira Kurosawa and other "avant garde" stuff like Brazil makes it into the stacks.

For books I'm hittign up Sophie's World again and trying to read a few more classics so I'll be high school substitute teacher worthy. Of course, I'm also doign my usual fantasy reading.. and becoming a decent Tolkienite <3

Why Hillary WHY

I think Nora Ephron sums up my attitude toward Hillary perfectly at this point. There was a time when i agonized over Obama or Hillary. Now, I just wanna "get on with it." Selfish selfish - but there you are.

But the point is that it doesn't matter why Hillary lied; what matters is that I'm hooked on Hillary and on the Rorschach process that defines my relationship with her: she does something, I spend far too much time thinking about it, I superimpose my life and my choices onto hers, I decide how I feel about what she's done, I bore friends witless with my theories, and then, instead of moving on, I'm confronted with yet another episode of her behavior and am forced to devote more hours to developing new theories about her behavior. I don't have time for this.

Obama Girl - Again!

Funny.....

Economics Whys and Hows

This was a great post concerning our current financial mess in the US, so i thought i'd post the link up here

Quoted;

1.) The collateral crisis means that collateral on bank's balance sheets isn't performing as well as advertised. Basically, any bond backed by mortgages is in trouble because homeowners aren't paying their mortgages. That means banks who hold mortgages aren't getting the payments they should be getting. As a result, banks balance sheets -- which serve as the basis for their ability to extend credit -- are in serious trouble. That means...

2.) Anyone who might take out a loan might not pay it back. This is called counter-party risk. It simply means that everyone is at risk of defaulting on a loan right now. That means loans aren't getting made. In an economy like the US economy where credit is a prerequisite to everything, that is the kiss of death.

One Rule for the Rich...

I'm just spending the day thinking about the old saying "there's one rule for the rich and a rule for the rest of us."

Of course, that's probably not accurately quoted but I'm sure that the gist is alright.

Anyway, as our economy comes tumbling down we can expect to see a lot of this saying in action. If banks fail, or if ANY huge company fails, we can expect to see bail out following bail out. Which is understandable, if we don't want our entire economy to fall in, but to my mind it's a strong argument against letting so many folks get so huge at the expense of the rest of us.

If any of us reg'lar folk get into financial trouble, we hear; "you earned it." or "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps! Grow up!" or "You have to pay, but we'll work with you." If a huge enough corporation goes belly up it "Don't worry about it." or "Daddy's gonna make it better."

Primaries Over but Not Done

Well! I had meant to get back to posting here a lot sooner than I have.

I've been posting everywhere BUT here.. it' looks like,

Here's some of the posts that I've made concerning the primaries

1.
...
All this back and forth between our candidates has forced the Republicans to hold most of their fire. They can't attack either Obama or Clinton too fiercely til they know for sure which one will win. The long that goes on, the harder it is for McCain to gain national attention.

Considering McCain that might not be all that great since he's got so much negative history , too.. but meh :)

Whatever happens, I don't see tonight as a failure. What i saw all day were democrats out in force and doing their best to participate. That's just not bad news anyway one looks at it.

Today broke records and I'm thrilled to have seen it.

2.
I just got back from working my TX precinct. The turnout there was massive all day long and the caucus turnout was just as unreal as i predicted (60 ish percent went Obama and 30ish for clinton .too tired to remember the digits after... )

In the 7 years i've done this we've never had turnout like this.. especially for the caucuses. The MSM drove caucus participation this year as a third to half the voters coming in asked "what is it what is it.. do we get two votes???"

Of course we then set them right .. and amazingly most of them showed up at caucus time and elected delegates.

It was so heavy that at the end of the day we had the caucusers come in droves and they squeezed in around 6:45 even as voters were still voting. The atmosphere was beyond hectic for about 20 minutes there. TX precincts are so unused to the caucuses actually being heavily used that we don't have effective methods of organization for that many people showing up (out of apprx 220 voters for our 3 tiny precincts around 60 - 80 ppl showed up to our church hosting the election)

I'm dead certain that there will be widespread allegations of raucous caucusers and claims of dirty tricks .. not because anyone is being dirty but because the precincts were so unusualyl packed ..

However, once our doors were closed everything went by rather relative smoothly (and we do have small precincts). We had a person there who had a flare for organization and a very loud brassy voice.

3.
I'm working the election in my precinct in Ft Worth.

Here, at least, the voter turnout has been amazing. Non stop business.. and the Republicans on the other side of the building are looking downright lonely.

One good thing about all the hullabaloo over the TX caucuses is that most of the voters are asking to attend them now.Normally most people wouldn't have known about them or wouldn't have bothered. So, even though the MSM still really doesn't understand the TX process, they have really helped us pack the caucuses tonight.

It's going to be busy!

Welp. back to it!

....

This was reverse chronological order! So, the last post was the first I made.

Zen and Me

ON other personal news; I'm finally relaxing after a decade long bout with stress and depression. I've had tension in the muscles of my skull for the longest time that's finally giving way.

Endurance exercises and meditation (after the exercises take hold) - that's the ticket! Getting to know one self doesn't hurt at all, either.

TX Primary Tomorrow

No live blogging here

However! I will try to get back home from time to time (we're right next door to the church that's hosting our primary and caucus') to blog over how busy we've been .. or the stuff that's gone on during the day. All the mundane things that on any other day would be irrepressibly dull.

If you DON'T see me it's because we're slammed to the walls and it's very good news :)

TX Primary Prediction

Obama will win the state.

I base that simply on the types of campaigns the two contenders are running. Hillary Clinton is running a more traditional campaign while Barack Obama is running what the pundits are calling "a bottom up" campaign that is, frankly, more populist and participatory than the Clinton's.

So here's the logic:

In TX so far (and yes! even in my home TX precinct) we have had record voter turn outs. The Republicans are coming out more heavily than they ever have..but even they are being quashed by the Dems by close to 3-1 margin (in my pct , at least)

Now, I believe Dem turnout would have been greater than Rep turnout this year in any event.. but the turn out is staggering.

Based on that fact, I have to give the advantage to the candidate with the greatest populist appeal. Yes, Clinton is running a populist message as well, but Obama is running a populist strategy than runs through the roots of his team and that plays to his strengths (he used to be a community organizer). So, everything being equal, and given the momentum Obama has gained, I have to give it to Obama.

Now to wait til Tuesday to see if I'm right

Forgive My Mess

I'm playing with templates and I posted a already made template to test it out... and so far so good!

So, the place is going tolook messy for a bit. I hope you all bear with me :)

My Vote Today

This was the last day to vote early in our primary in Ft Worth so I ambled in with my father to vote and cast my vote for Barack Obama. I finally made the irrevocable decision and there's no more equivocation between the two dems.

It looks like it's going to be a squeeker.

Obama looks like he's going to take it. He has the "aura" and a lot of excitement behind him. However, Clinton started with a lead and we just don't know yet whether Obama has taken enough to takeaway enough of that lead. It's really down to the super delegates, probably.

Update: oh, i'm listening to the Newshour and it's notable that they are making a lot of noise about Barack's fantastic organization. TX looks favorable for Obama... and that the fight's out of Ms Clinton's campaign.

hmn.. i dontknow how much all that is true.. but again.. we'll see!

Bill AND Chelsea are saying that if TX goes Obama it's over for them.

I'm really looking forward to working the election this Tuesday!

Tuesday Primary and Me

Well, I'm working the primary election at our local precinct next Tuesday.

Obama looks like he might win TX in spite of barely losing the popular TX vote due to the wierd way Dem primaries are set up in TX. I guess we'll have to wait and see if they're right.

Oh. I'm still leaning Obama, but they are both so well qualified that I still have my flip flop moments. Hillary also more closely represents me in her platform, so i may decide for her at the very last moment. Agh.

If only we could trust any of them.

I've never owned a cell phone nor have I been seriously tempted to, 'til now. I very much wish that I had a way to keep track of the election results and a way to upload posts to me blog remotely.

Oh well, no live blogging the primaries this time around. :)

Interesting Election 2008 Site!

The New York Magazine has put together an interesting little fact sheet covering all the candidates. Check it out

Voting Gender or Voting Color

The thing that troubles me over this election is the way so many people are voting for Hillary because she is a woman, as if feminism itself will be upheld or cast aside dependingon whether she wins the nomination.

I agonized over the choices myself partly because she was a woman. Luckily it was only partly and I didn't find myself choosing to vote for one or the other entirely based on that consideration, but it was close. It was a very hard decision mostly because the two are so much alike within their stated positions. Yes, it did feel a bit like betraying my gender when i finally decided to vote for Obama a week ago.

However, I've decided I was an idiot.

After this past week of dirty tricks (circulating the Obama in a turban photo and the chicken little speech I've definitely rethought my stance.

We have so much to worry about in this country at this moment in time that we must vote the best. So the fact that Hillary is a woman or that Barack is a black man should not even be a consideration in our minds. Right now they should be the same in every way except qualifications and ethical fiber.

And that's the real meaning of feminism.

Nader's Entrance

I'm as bitter over Nader entering the race as the next.. especially sfter i was one of the ones that voted for him in 2000. Luckily, I'm in TX so my vote didn't count.

I had adopted the Molly Ivins tactic of voting for him to show the mainstream democrats that they had veered way too far to the right. Since Texas was doomed to go to the Republicans that year, I felt that was a fairly safe bet.

Nader even so far as to foster that perception by signaling that he would not run too heavily in the contested states - but when push came to shove and it was shown that he did well in the Republican states he changed his mind and at the last instant ran like a dog every where he felt that he had a chance. Then he proceeded to mock the people that cried out and asked him not to spoil the election, which he did, helping to earn us 8 years of War and tax relief for the rich (along with the Supreme Court's aid).

So, after that betrayal, I must roll my eyes when the man announces his current bid for the presidency.

However, this time it's not likely to be close, and Nader only got .3 percent of the vote the last time...2004... so at least i'm not too concerned, at this point. I even see his reasoning. He wants to drive the country more to the left, and with him running, there's a chance that he'll force Barack or Hillary more to the left after they have no more democratic hopefuls competing.

Hopefully that's what happens, because we sure need to move to the left. He might even prove useful this time around. However, we must always remember that this man's ego caused him to run when things we're tight and helped damage our nation as a result.

Nader, I think sometimes you're too smart for our own good.

PS: another reason for all of us to get involved. If we all have a hand in our democracy , we wouldn't have these all or nothing elections where so much is at stake.

Self Starting Change

I've been thinking about all the hope that people are throwing into this coming election, and Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, and coming to realize that even if they are elected (and they are all they promise us they are) it wont be enough.

There has to be enough democratic spirit in enough of us tro be able to realize our needs and our hopes. Even if Obama gets in he may not be able to sweep in change because enough of us in the US don't really want it change - and the rest of us may not want change strongly enough to fight for it.

That's the question.

Are we ready as a nation to individually and collectively fight for what we want? We can't rely on just one, or even a few, individuals.

That Oceanic Feeling

Have you ever had a feeling that you we're capable of doing anything or of understanding everything?

If you ever have you've probably kept it strictly to yourself. Most people instinctively shy from others that have that messianic experience (and share it with wild eyed verbosity). However, barring the existence of too too many true freaks Out There, most of us probably have had from time to time an "oceanic feeling" that makes us feel as if we can transcend ourselves.

It often happens to me when I'm exercising and I get past a certain point. I feel light and it just seems that I'm more open to everything. Colors, light, touch, smell, and hearing all seem sharper and more vivid. When I was younger, I had fantasies of being the heroinne... such as... insert crazy random fantasy sceneria here.

Lately, I just take them for what they are, I'm happy to feel so good, and I move on. But now.. I wonder if we're meant to have feelings and experiences like that - we just haven't learned how to deal with them in constructive ways

Perhaps instead of madness those feelings could be turned toward something interesting?

Straight shooter? Honest crook

McCain is proving his "straight shooter" status lately. Yes, he has lobbyists on his campaign staff (wall to wall lobbyist carpeting) but it's ok because they are "honorable" ones.

He also told the FEC "tough" when they told him he couldn't leave his "public support mode" funding.

I don't know about y'all , but when someone who bills himself as a "straight shooter" proves his true shooting by continually telling me to get stuffed, I don't think much of his idea of honesty.

Oh, I see

It looks like this McCain thing may go deeper than I thought last night.


We'll have to wait and see!

A Combination of So What and Shadenfreude

Concerning the so-called "McCain Scandal"

OK. yes, as a humanist, i gleefully chortle and cackle and stomp my feet and rub my hands at the idea of McCain already being in hot water this soon after being crowned "heir presumptive" of the Republicans. But come on, really this is no bigger than what happened with "The Floral Incident" in the 90s with Bill and his sexual abstinence concerning "a certain woman."

Turn about is fair play, I guess, and if it helps McCain lose i can only shrug. However, I'd like to think that Obama or Clinton could thoroughly lick him without the help of Iseman.

PS. I guess McCain really has a thing for blondes!

The Changing Times

I don't think Hillary will win, I think Obama will take it.

I think the general sense is that people want change and Hillary just represents the old culture. If we elect Hillary we elect all the baggage that we got when we had Bill... no matter what policies they are for today.

For the record,I've been back and forth between Obama and Clinton, but I've leaned toward Hillary based on the policy positions she's taken and, admittedly, my own gender identification. Yes, I'm in that stereotypical "older woman" category (complete with a partly Mexicana heritage)

However, I could get behind an Obama presidency and I'm not totally immune to the fervor that's swept up the Obama campaign. It's vigorous, enthusiastic, and heartfelt. .. and the more I learn the more I like.

So, with two outstanding candidates before us, I may just go with the one with all the passion behind him. We'll see. I still have a little more than 2 weeks to go before i have to decide!

Delegates and Super Delegates

Or.. purely mortal delegates and delegates of steel.

If your into politics, I'm sure you've seen this, or at least already know the dif. If not then here's your chance to learn!

The Want To Be A Winner Syndrome

Since Barack and Hillary are the two best candidates the dems had in a long time there hasn't been all that much to distinguish one from the other . Until now.

According to this post, super delegates supporting Hillary are having buyer's remorse and thinking about switching to Barack.

In my opinion, they are wavering because, and only because, Obama is doing so well in his "clean sweeping."

So, now Barack Obama has that "new car smell" of a winner and everyone is tempted to be a part of "the movement."


Not that that's right. Not that that's bad.

That's just the way it is!

In Politics

Everyone is going back and forth between who the better nominee would be; Hillary or Obama. Either one would be good, really, since they both bring good attributes to the table. Hillary has her wonkishness and Obama has his "feel good" vibe.


They need to be on the same ticket.


She's nitro and he's glycerin. Put them together and watch the fireworks

Zen Quote

This is the quote from Daily Zen today (link at right)

Those who awaken never rest in one place.
Like swans, they rise and leave the lake.
On the air they rise and fly an invisible course.
Their food is knowledge.
They live on emptiness.
They have seen how to break free.
Who can follow them?

- Buddha in the Dhammapada

Changes

I might add a few more details to the blog soon. Zen sites with wallpaper.. or maybe links pointing to Kuan Yin.

We;ll see!

Currently, I'm wrestling with my PC to get it to do the things I want it to do. A couple of weeks ago I had to totally replace my motherboard and processor after a catastrophic crash that was the result of a motherboard componant shorting out.

American Economics

American Economics
or
How Stupid Are We?

Our congress people just helped the rich get even richer today.

So corporations get more lovely tax breaks while the rest of us have to do with less. Let's face it, if there's more tax cuts there's less money the government has to ...umm...say - fix the economy with!

EDIT:

Good old Krugman. At least HE reported on the new "stimulus package" today. I haven't heard much about it anywhere else but Reuters.

Sexual Economic Stimulation

OK. I'm puerile.. i admit it... I giggled a little bit after reading the first paragraph. But, i do agree with her message here

All this is true, but it is also a form of economy fetishism, or should I say worship? If we have learned anything in the last few years, it is that the economy is no longer an effective measure of human well-being. We've seen the economy grow without wage gains; we've seen productivity grow without wage gains. We've even seen unemployment fall without wage gains. In fact, when economists want to talk about life "on the ground," where jobs and wages and the price of Special K are paramount, they've taken to talking about "the real economy." If there's a "real economy," then what in the hell is "the economy"?

Agnosticism

On one of the forums I like to troll someone lambasted agnosticism for being a "tired and worn out claim."

Ignoring such ideas as "strong" and "weak" agnosticism here are my thought's on what agnosticism is in my life.

_________________________

I consider myself an agnostic.

I don't know if God exists, but I'm actively trying to find out if God does or does not..( and if he does exist how and it what form He/She/It / all the above, exists)

My mind is open. I just don't know and I'm trying to do the necessary things in order to know.


I don't see how that makes agnosticism a tired and worn out claim.

EDIT: agnosticism is not a claim, btw, it's an admission that I don't have enough information one way or the other to even have a claim in the first place.

The Good

Don't we all consider murder to be wrong?

If that is wrong... and it holds true across all cultures .. then there must be an absolute good.

Maybe we could claim that in some cases it's appropriate to murder, it might even be an act of good (like killing Hitler as a child if you KNEW what he was to grow up to become ). In that case the good is contextual.

My own opinion is that murder is always wrong, but often people must do wrong things to prevent even greater wrongs from happening. However, when we do wrong things they are always wrong and immoral to do them.

So, really there is an absolute Good (in my view) but there is life ... full of conflict and complicated. The Good is really a set of guidelines that we all live by.... but can't always keep up.

Aristotle sums up my views,really. Aristotle maintains in the Nichomachean Ethics that the good is found by maintaining a balance (of virtues). His Absolute Good was found in "The Golden Mean." Too much bravery was recklessness... to little was cowardliness.. etc. and so forth. So, we must always strive to find that balance in life and use our reason to find out what is moral and what isn't. That's the absolute Good.

Harry Potter

I'm finally going to finish Harry Potter tonight. I've been putting it off and puttign it off. Well, no more!

Beyond that there's not a lot to add. I need to get back to reading philosophy.

The holidays have not been kind to me vis a vie the motivation.

Has The World Fallen Apart?

Can William Buckley possibly be in favor of..

GASP.... Wheeeeeeeze

Government regulation??

After 30 years of feeding us dreams of rosey free market miracles? OK. Now we all know somethings hitting the fan.

Just Cleaning

I'm marveling at how much a difference in me the simple act of cleaning works. One moment I'm scatterbrained and a complete ditz and the next moment I'm sharp as a Gilette and internally well ordered.

PC Issues

Last week my motherboard got fried. So, I'm rebuilding my system on a brand new Asus mother board and dual pentium processor.

I have to admit it's nice.

This is the first Intel processor I've ever owned, personally. The last time i played aroung with one was as a child on my father's PC.. when PCs were first coming out.

Lately it's made no difference, price-wise, whether I went with AMD or Intel, so why not?

So far so good. Eep.

Three Great Quotes

I saw these three great quotes, back to back, on Google's quotes add-on

Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose.
- Evan Esar
Laughter is the closest distance between two people.
- Victor Borge
Nobody outside of a baby carriage or a judge's chamber believes in an unprejudiced point of view.
- Lillian Hellman

Thoreau and The Technological Age

I'm starting to read Thoreau with modern technology in mind. We can be fairly sure that he would not have approved of cell phones,laptops, DVD players, and all those other little doo dads we try to accumulate in the modern world.

It's quickly getting to the point where our consumer electronics are consuming us. They are using us and not the other way around. People will walk right by children, men, woman, birds, and bees, and just life in general, while chatting busily away or texting on their cell phones.

There's a point past which we just have to unplug and simply be human. Technology is fine, but i'm pretty sure it needs to supplement and improve our daily lives, not supplant them.

A Month

Well, gosh, almost a month passing and no entries from me. That's no good!

Lately I've been reading and diving into Faerie lore. Pierre Dubouis has some art books out that I enjoy. I would enjoy writing a fantasy that could bring a serious philosophical exploration to bear.