Monday, January 26, 2009
Don't call my escorts whores!
- Gob Bluth played by the riotous Will Arnett from Arrested Development.
Writing is. It's officially crunch time and I will become a hermit except for this Saturday's party. Home, work, grocery store. That's about it. We did go see a matinee of Slumdog Millionaire on Saturday. Amazing movie and if you've never seen real abject poverty, prepare yourself. It's pretty hardcore. J mentioned that people were offended at how they portrayed India. I don't see how you can get upset at the truth. It's like me being offended that someone portrayed America as a place where education isn't valued, teenagers become parents, and the masses toil for the rich elite. I might be offended but that doesn't mean it isn't the truth.
I lost some weight and gained it back over the weekend. Dammit. Such a vicious cycle.
At least Obama repealed the "Global Gag Rule". Hooray! Sorry fetuses!
Writing is. It's officially crunch time and I will become a hermit except for this Saturday's party. Home, work, grocery store. That's about it. We did go see a matinee of Slumdog Millionaire on Saturday. Amazing movie and if you've never seen real abject poverty, prepare yourself. It's pretty hardcore. J mentioned that people were offended at how they portrayed India. I don't see how you can get upset at the truth. It's like me being offended that someone portrayed America as a place where education isn't valued, teenagers become parents, and the masses toil for the rich elite. I might be offended but that doesn't mean it isn't the truth.
I lost some weight and gained it back over the weekend. Dammit. Such a vicious cycle.
At least Obama repealed the "Global Gag Rule". Hooray! Sorry fetuses!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Post #901
Wow, that post count just keeps going up and up. I wish the same could be said of the quality of my writing.
I was sort of offered a job yesterday but it's still in the same area and J and I would really rather not stay here. But who knows? Maybe I'll start applying for jobs this fall and I won't find anything and wish I would've taken it. It would be great job experience for a great company that would make the silicon needed for photovoltaic cells (solar panels) much cheaper and more accessible to more people and make the people involved some money for a good cause. For now, I'm focusing on my dissertation and then I'll worry about jobs.
One of my favorite readers and friends, Tom, read this post and emailed me some comments. He is about a week or two away from becoming a father and so has a special point of view when it comes to pregnancy and bringing forth life. He asked me if I would ever ask J to get an abortion. No. I can't foresee any reason why I would do that. But at the same time I don't feel right telling someone else that they must give birth to that tiny, microscopic fetus in their uterus. And as far as when does life start, I would like to propose 8 weeks. We went to Body Worlds in Charlotte and went into the mother and fetus exhibit and before that you can't really tell what it is, but at 8 weeks, it's cute and has the tiniest toes and fingers you've ever seen. Any idiot can get pregnant but it takes a caring mother and/or father to give life and care for it and make sure that baby has a full healthy life; that takes true talent and dedication. I know Tom has it in him. I wish the same could be said for everyone else getting pregnant in this country.
He also brought up the fact that I don't talk about my religious views much on here and noticed the only time I really did was reluctantly back in 2004. I feel that someone's religion and spirituality is one of the most personal things to talk about, and I don't like to volunteer that information. If someone asks me about it, I'll share my feelings and sometimes it's fun to debate theology and religion, but at the end of the day, it's a rare occurrence for those debates to actually change anyone's mind about their personal held beliefs.
And I REALLY like to keep my politics and religious beliefs separate. Kind of like the separation of Church and State. When I go to church, I don't want to hear about politics. When I'm watching CSPAN or reading about Congress, I don't want to hear about church. The laws Congress pass affect Muslims, Jews, Atheists, Protestants, Catholics, little kids who haven't decided on a religion yet, and everyone else in between, so why should they be based on one book from one religion? That doesn't make sense to me.
I saw a survey that said a significant portion of the American people wanted a president who was a member of a major religion, no atheists. What I'm looking for is a president who is smart, eloquent, and able to see both sides of arguments and then decide what is best for the majority of his people. I don't want "unilateral" to ever be part of what they do. Organized religion does good. They feed the hungry, clothe the needy, teach English to non-native speakers, and give hope to people around the world. Organized religion can also promote intolerance and hatred, superiority complexes, hypocrisy, sexual deviance and misogyny. That's why I'm not the biggest fan of organized religion. Yes I know all organized religion doesn't do the bad things, but they all don't do the good things either. That's why I keep religion out of my politics and I would appreciate it if you would do the same.
I was sort of offered a job yesterday but it's still in the same area and J and I would really rather not stay here. But who knows? Maybe I'll start applying for jobs this fall and I won't find anything and wish I would've taken it. It would be great job experience for a great company that would make the silicon needed for photovoltaic cells (solar panels) much cheaper and more accessible to more people and make the people involved some money for a good cause. For now, I'm focusing on my dissertation and then I'll worry about jobs.
One of my favorite readers and friends, Tom, read this post and emailed me some comments. He is about a week or two away from becoming a father and so has a special point of view when it comes to pregnancy and bringing forth life. He asked me if I would ever ask J to get an abortion. No. I can't foresee any reason why I would do that. But at the same time I don't feel right telling someone else that they must give birth to that tiny, microscopic fetus in their uterus. And as far as when does life start, I would like to propose 8 weeks. We went to Body Worlds in Charlotte and went into the mother and fetus exhibit and before that you can't really tell what it is, but at 8 weeks, it's cute and has the tiniest toes and fingers you've ever seen. Any idiot can get pregnant but it takes a caring mother and/or father to give life and care for it and make sure that baby has a full healthy life; that takes true talent and dedication. I know Tom has it in him. I wish the same could be said for everyone else getting pregnant in this country.
He also brought up the fact that I don't talk about my religious views much on here and noticed the only time I really did was reluctantly back in 2004. I feel that someone's religion and spirituality is one of the most personal things to talk about, and I don't like to volunteer that information. If someone asks me about it, I'll share my feelings and sometimes it's fun to debate theology and religion, but at the end of the day, it's a rare occurrence for those debates to actually change anyone's mind about their personal held beliefs.
And I REALLY like to keep my politics and religious beliefs separate. Kind of like the separation of Church and State. When I go to church, I don't want to hear about politics. When I'm watching CSPAN or reading about Congress, I don't want to hear about church. The laws Congress pass affect Muslims, Jews, Atheists, Protestants, Catholics, little kids who haven't decided on a religion yet, and everyone else in between, so why should they be based on one book from one religion? That doesn't make sense to me.
I saw a survey that said a significant portion of the American people wanted a president who was a member of a major religion, no atheists. What I'm looking for is a president who is smart, eloquent, and able to see both sides of arguments and then decide what is best for the majority of his people. I don't want "unilateral" to ever be part of what they do. Organized religion does good. They feed the hungry, clothe the needy, teach English to non-native speakers, and give hope to people around the world. Organized religion can also promote intolerance and hatred, superiority complexes, hypocrisy, sexual deviance and misogyny. That's why I'm not the biggest fan of organized religion. Yes I know all organized religion doesn't do the bad things, but they all don't do the good things either. That's why I keep religion out of my politics and I would appreciate it if you would do the same.
Labels: abortion, sex and religion, writing
Thursday, April 17, 2008
There are consequences to my actions?
J and I have very similar political views. I like to think I made her a little more liberal and she made me a little more conservative, however we both have very liberal social positions. Basically we're libertarians and really believe in the freedom of the individual to do whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.
She is particularly pro-choice. In fact, if you don't have a uterus, you shouldn't even have a vote in the anti/pro choice debate in J's book, which makes sense. The guy ultimately has a 3-6 second job in a 9 month process, okay, I'll bump it up to 15 minutes just to make it a bit more even, so a little math and that works out to: 15 minutes out of 388,800 minutes it takes your lady to actually grow that kid, which is a paltry 0.00385%. Yikes. Maybe that's why she feels guys shouldn't have very little, if any, say in the matter.
We both also believe that if you are pro-life then you should adopt some of these unwanted pregnancy babies yourself. Or at least adopt it until the mother can graduate high school so she can at least finish a basic part of her education before becoming a mother.
I think Obama had it right when he said he didn't want one of his daughter's punished because they were stupid enough to get pregnant. After all, who is the poorest demographic in our great nation? That's right, single mothers!
I've said this before, but abstinence only education is worthless. It's sticking your head in the sand and hoping for the best. With our nation having the highest teen pregnancy rates in the entire developed world, I think that's proof enough that abstinence only education doesn't work. I'm not saying get rid of it. It's a cold hard fact that the only way to guarantee not getting pregnant or STDs is to not have sex. Period. But we know that the majority of Americans choose to throw caution to the wind and have sex outside of marriage or a deeply committed relationship. And how is more education about a subject a bad thing? Dammit, I say give these kids too much info. Waaaay too much. The Miracle of Life will convince a few kids to wrap it up tight. A few graphic pics of the later stages of STDs (whoa, I will not be linking those pics, but search for syphilis in google images and be sure to have a trash can nearby) will convince a few more. So there's a few kids who will be much more hesitant to have sex because THEY KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES IN ALL THE GORY DETAILS!
Why is that wrong? Sex is gorgeous and a gift but it's also gross, disgusting, dangerous and possibly fatal. It's a huge leap in responsibility and has life altering consequences. We can't just gloss over that by proclaiming "Don't do it."
I hope you enjoyed my Thursday afternoon Soapbox. And remember, pro-choice people hate abortion too. We have so much technology to prevent pregnancies that ending the pregnancy is really a last ditch effort.
She is particularly pro-choice. In fact, if you don't have a uterus, you shouldn't even have a vote in the anti/pro choice debate in J's book, which makes sense. The guy ultimately has a 3-6 second job in a 9 month process, okay, I'll bump it up to 15 minutes just to make it a bit more even, so a little math and that works out to: 15 minutes out of 388,800 minutes it takes your lady to actually grow that kid, which is a paltry 0.00385%. Yikes. Maybe that's why she feels guys shouldn't have very little, if any, say in the matter.
We both also believe that if you are pro-life then you should adopt some of these unwanted pregnancy babies yourself. Or at least adopt it until the mother can graduate high school so she can at least finish a basic part of her education before becoming a mother.
I think Obama had it right when he said he didn't want one of his daughter's punished because they were stupid enough to get pregnant. After all, who is the poorest demographic in our great nation? That's right, single mothers!
I've said this before, but abstinence only education is worthless. It's sticking your head in the sand and hoping for the best. With our nation having the highest teen pregnancy rates in the entire developed world, I think that's proof enough that abstinence only education doesn't work. I'm not saying get rid of it. It's a cold hard fact that the only way to guarantee not getting pregnant or STDs is to not have sex. Period. But we know that the majority of Americans choose to throw caution to the wind and have sex outside of marriage or a deeply committed relationship. And how is more education about a subject a bad thing? Dammit, I say give these kids too much info. Waaaay too much. The Miracle of Life will convince a few kids to wrap it up tight. A few graphic pics of the later stages of STDs (whoa, I will not be linking those pics, but search for syphilis in google images and be sure to have a trash can nearby) will convince a few more. So there's a few kids who will be much more hesitant to have sex because THEY KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES IN ALL THE GORY DETAILS!
Why is that wrong? Sex is gorgeous and a gift but it's also gross, disgusting, dangerous and possibly fatal. It's a huge leap in responsibility and has life altering consequences. We can't just gloss over that by proclaiming "Don't do it."
I hope you enjoyed my Thursday afternoon Soapbox. And remember, pro-choice people hate abortion too. We have so much technology to prevent pregnancies that ending the pregnancy is really a last ditch effort.
Labels: abortion, educating consumers
Friday, October 19, 2007
Save 2nd Base!
Apparently a high school in Salina, Kansas thought the slogan "Save 2nd Base!" accompanied with 2 baseballs over the pectoral muscles printed on a t-shirt was too risque for Salina Central High School. Story from KWCH. Story from Chicago Tribune with video. Finally The Official Save 2nd Base site.
The assistant principal thought it was too sexually suggestive. Right because these poor Kansas high school kids have never been to first base, let alone second and have NEVER had sex. Not one of them. I'm sure the government will be cutting him a check for "healthy sex education" any day now. I saw my first Abstinence sex education commercial the other day on TV. I hate that my tax dollars are going towards this. Although this made me sad but relieved at the same time. School officials, in response to a sudden outbreak of teen pregnancy, voted to make birth control available to one of Portland, Maine's middle schools. I'm so glad instead of upping the "Abstinence Only" message they took a real solution and are trying to prevent pregnancies and unwanted babies instead of busting out the chastity belts. Not that chastity belts are a terrible idea.
The assistant principal thought it was too sexually suggestive. Right because these poor Kansas high school kids have never been to first base, let alone second and have NEVER had sex. Not one of them. I'm sure the government will be cutting him a check for "healthy sex education" any day now. I saw my first Abstinence sex education commercial the other day on TV. I hate that my tax dollars are going towards this. Although this made me sad but relieved at the same time. School officials, in response to a sudden outbreak of teen pregnancy, voted to make birth control available to one of Portland, Maine's middle schools. I'm so glad instead of upping the "Abstinence Only" message they took a real solution and are trying to prevent pregnancies and unwanted babies instead of busting out the chastity belts. Not that chastity belts are a terrible idea.
Labels: abortion, mandatory birth control
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Watch out!
So Paris is out of jail. I'm not sure I've ever seen her without makeup. Either they have good makeup in prison now or she looks good without it. Either way, glad you're out Paris and lets try and drive sober from now on. I'm sure you can afford a chauffeur or a cab, so put those numbers in your Iphone.
How do I know she has an Iphone? Because it just came out and it's cool. And yes I want one too but not really. The fees they charge to surf the net and IM and all that good stuff is outrageous. Yeah I'm talking about you AT&T. And yes you'll get your money from my wife and I this month too. I really want to try Working Assets Wireless. They use Sprint's service and claim to donate some of the profits to worthy causes. The subject needs some more research definitely.
Let me tell you about a little film my wife and I watched last night. Two actually. We finally watched Raging Bull. Pretty good and it's comforting seeing alot of the same cast pop up in Marty's movies from time to time. DeNiro, Pesci, Moriarty and Vincent all did an amazing job and I'm glad I finally caught it and only 27 years after its release.
The other one we watched was a film called The F Word. It is written and directed by Jed Weintrob. The premise is Joe Pace (played by Josh Hamilton) is being taken off the air by the FCC for racking up $1 million in fines. His last day on KPOL coincides with the last day of the Republican National Convention, so Joe takes to the streets for some interviews instead of sitting in the studio sulking and reminiscing. It's supposed to look like a documentary and they toss in some actual protesters along with the actor's performances. What I really liked about it was that it showed all sides. It even ran into some Conservative protesters who were being abused verbally and even physically a bit. I would HIGHLY recommend this movie to anyone, as long as they don't mind some strong language. "Fuck the FCC" is mentioned a few times because they suck, are awful and really only cater to people who like to complain.
The impression I was left with most was how strong and awful hate is. True hate. It helps nothing and yet is such an easily accessible human emotion. J asked if I hate Bush. I don't honestly. I'm not a fan of his administration and the Supreme Court Justices he appointed REALLY scare me, but I don't hate him. He's just a cokehead C student who came out of the right vagina at the right place and time. He's a figurehead. Do you really think ol' Dubya makes any decision by himself?
Hate won't solve anything. Being open-minded, listening and willing to compromise are the only things that are going to take this country forward. Taking a genuine interest in the people behind the ideas and hearing about how they formed their opinions and why they feel the way they do.
I just figured out that one scene that was making me angry was actually two actors. A "construction worker (Michael Tenaglia)" was getting a hot dog and talking about why the Republicans suck and then a "businessman (J. Richey Nash)" piped up from behind and defended them some and then Michael started saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans really have it right so he voted for Nader. At which point the "Republican businessman" thanked him because any vote for Nader was a vote for Bush. That's what really sent me over the edge. But horrifically this country still has been duped into thinking that only the big 2 parties have the answers. They don't. They think they do and they're going to pump money everywhere to make sure they have a chance but nothing will ever change unless we get enough people to lose faith in those 2 parties. Take Dennis Kucinich. He would make a great Independent or maybe even Green party candidate but he would get exactly ZERO national exposure if he ran on either of those tickets, so he's trying to become the Democratic presidential candidate. Both he and I know that won't happen next year, but he has made some supporters off of his national TV exposure and getting his name out there, and all that happened because he tossed his hat in the Democrat ring.
J wanted to know who abortion hurts besides the baby, the mother and Jesus? In The F Word, there were some pro-choice marchers and some pro-lifers. They didn't get much airtime but were there.
Extremes never work. This country will not be happy with either extreme. We need some open dialog and discussion and for people to start taking some responsibility back.
How do I know she has an Iphone? Because it just came out and it's cool. And yes I want one too but not really. The fees they charge to surf the net and IM and all that good stuff is outrageous. Yeah I'm talking about you AT&T. And yes you'll get your money from my wife and I this month too. I really want to try Working Assets Wireless. They use Sprint's service and claim to donate some of the profits to worthy causes. The subject needs some more research definitely.
Let me tell you about a little film my wife and I watched last night. Two actually. We finally watched Raging Bull. Pretty good and it's comforting seeing alot of the same cast pop up in Marty's movies from time to time. DeNiro, Pesci, Moriarty and Vincent all did an amazing job and I'm glad I finally caught it and only 27 years after its release.
The other one we watched was a film called The F Word. It is written and directed by Jed Weintrob. The premise is Joe Pace (played by Josh Hamilton) is being taken off the air by the FCC for racking up $1 million in fines. His last day on KPOL coincides with the last day of the Republican National Convention, so Joe takes to the streets for some interviews instead of sitting in the studio sulking and reminiscing. It's supposed to look like a documentary and they toss in some actual protesters along with the actor's performances. What I really liked about it was that it showed all sides. It even ran into some Conservative protesters who were being abused verbally and even physically a bit. I would HIGHLY recommend this movie to anyone, as long as they don't mind some strong language. "Fuck the FCC" is mentioned a few times because they suck, are awful and really only cater to people who like to complain.
The impression I was left with most was how strong and awful hate is. True hate. It helps nothing and yet is such an easily accessible human emotion. J asked if I hate Bush. I don't honestly. I'm not a fan of his administration and the Supreme Court Justices he appointed REALLY scare me, but I don't hate him. He's just a cokehead C student who came out of the right vagina at the right place and time. He's a figurehead. Do you really think ol' Dubya makes any decision by himself?
Hate won't solve anything. Being open-minded, listening and willing to compromise are the only things that are going to take this country forward. Taking a genuine interest in the people behind the ideas and hearing about how they formed their opinions and why they feel the way they do.
I just figured out that one scene that was making me angry was actually two actors. A "construction worker (Michael Tenaglia)" was getting a hot dog and talking about why the Republicans suck and then a "businessman (J. Richey Nash)" piped up from behind and defended them some and then Michael started saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans really have it right so he voted for Nader. At which point the "Republican businessman" thanked him because any vote for Nader was a vote for Bush. That's what really sent me over the edge. But horrifically this country still has been duped into thinking that only the big 2 parties have the answers. They don't. They think they do and they're going to pump money everywhere to make sure they have a chance but nothing will ever change unless we get enough people to lose faith in those 2 parties. Take Dennis Kucinich. He would make a great Independent or maybe even Green party candidate but he would get exactly ZERO national exposure if he ran on either of those tickets, so he's trying to become the Democratic presidential candidate. Both he and I know that won't happen next year, but he has made some supporters off of his national TV exposure and getting his name out there, and all that happened because he tossed his hat in the Democrat ring.
J wanted to know who abortion hurts besides the baby, the mother and Jesus? In The F Word, there were some pro-choice marchers and some pro-lifers. They didn't get much airtime but were there.
Extremes never work. This country will not be happy with either extreme. We need some open dialog and discussion and for people to start taking some responsibility back.
Labels: abortion, movie, politics, The F Word
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Me fail English? That's unpossible!
-Ralph Wiggum, Simpsons episode "Lisa on Ice" from Season Six.
Watched that episode this morning over my schmugar (pronounced shmooger) toast, which is bread with butter and cinnamon-sugar on top. J stole all the cheese yesterday so she could have cheese and crackers with her lunch. We ran out of lunch meat yesterday so I swung by Bi-Lo and picked up a deli sub for today and tomorrow's lunch.
The BBC conducted a poll asking about what impact 12 countries had; negative, neutral or positive impact. Surprise, surprise, dear ol' Canada was #1 with 54% positive impact and 14% negative. See? I told you everyone loves Canada and a big reason why I keep considering moving there, not because I want to be liked but because even though it's America Jr., they're doing lots of things right in my mind.
Which brings up my international defense mechanism. If you are ever surrounded by a group of internationals in a foreign land and they ask if you're American, I am readily going to say "Hell no, eh! I'm from Canada! Want to play hockey? Have any gravy or white vinegar for my fries?" and then whip out my travel size Canadian flag. Yeah, I have no shame and a small amount of American pride, which is superceded by my desire to avoid a beating. If it is a less volatile situation, I will say that I am from America, have never voted for any Bush and list a few of the things that are wrong with our country. (Let me know if you would like those listed.)
So who was first? Those dirty Israelis. Yep, Israel came in first with 56%/17% negative/positive impact, followed by Iran with a 54%/18% negative/positive impact. America, Fuck Yeah! came in 3rd with a 51%/30% negative/positive (at least we're seen as helping by 30%) impact and Kim Jong Il's North Korea came in 4th a 48%/19% negative/positive impact. Here's a summary and here is the whole poll which breaks it down country by country. This page also has a link to the .pdf of the survey. Fine, it's right here.
Let's see here, who doesn't like us:
Nigeria, Kenya and the Phillipines think we're doing a great job. Thanks guys! Even higher than ourselves which ranked our own nation at 57% postive/28% negative. Germans, Greeks, Egyptians and Turks are really not too crazy about our government. But who is? Well, besides the half who voted for it and even some of them are opening their eyes.
I would also like to go ahead and tell both the Democratic and Republican parties that they can kiss my ass. I'll vote in the Dem primaries cuz that's what I'm registered as, but when Nov. '08 rolls around, I will vote however I damn please. Be it Libertarian, Green, even Dem or Rep. I refuse to vote by party lines and will be an informed voter who will educate myself and not be a one issue voter.
Wow, people like Japan too. J could pull off Japanese but I don't think I can. It also appears as though Egypt and Turkey don't really like anyone.
I talked to my friend Tom who is currently here. He said he's staying at a nice hostel which is a bit expensive but you get two beds (he has a traveling buddy) your own toilet and shower and a buffet style breakfast and dinner. Bonus! Ah, he also said that the country code is CH, which makes no sense, but thanks to wikipedia, I learned that it stands for Confederatio Helvetica (Latin). It seems like SZ would make more sense, but what do I know.
In other news, 1 in 5 adult Americans can't read and it's estimated that only 50% of Americans can read at a Level 3 proficiency. Ok, it refers to the ACT's reading levels with Level 3 being:
In other abortion news, SC's stupid head governor supports a bill that would require any woman, even rape and incest victims, to receive an ultrasound before an abortion. Super, more people with penises making laws for people without them.
Watched that episode this morning over my schmugar (pronounced shmooger) toast, which is bread with butter and cinnamon-sugar on top. J stole all the cheese yesterday so she could have cheese and crackers with her lunch. We ran out of lunch meat yesterday so I swung by Bi-Lo and picked up a deli sub for today and tomorrow's lunch.
The BBC conducted a poll asking about what impact 12 countries had; negative, neutral or positive impact. Surprise, surprise, dear ol' Canada was #1 with 54% positive impact and 14% negative. See? I told you everyone loves Canada and a big reason why I keep considering moving there, not because I want to be liked but because even though it's America Jr., they're doing lots of things right in my mind.
Which brings up my international defense mechanism. If you are ever surrounded by a group of internationals in a foreign land and they ask if you're American, I am readily going to say "Hell no, eh! I'm from Canada! Want to play hockey? Have any gravy or white vinegar for my fries?" and then whip out my travel size Canadian flag. Yeah, I have no shame and a small amount of American pride, which is superceded by my desire to avoid a beating. If it is a less volatile situation, I will say that I am from America, have never voted for any Bush and list a few of the things that are wrong with our country. (Let me know if you would like those listed.)
So who was first? Those dirty Israelis. Yep, Israel came in first with 56%/17% negative/positive impact, followed by Iran with a 54%/18% negative/positive impact. America, Fuck Yeah! came in 3rd with a 51%/30% negative/positive (at least we're seen as helping by 30%) impact and Kim Jong Il's North Korea came in 4th a 48%/19% negative/positive impact. Here's a summary and here is the whole poll which breaks it down country by country. This page also has a link to the .pdf of the survey. Fine, it's right here.
Let's see here, who doesn't like us:
Nigeria, Kenya and the Phillipines think we're doing a great job. Thanks guys! Even higher than ourselves which ranked our own nation at 57% postive/28% negative. Germans, Greeks, Egyptians and Turks are really not too crazy about our government. But who is? Well, besides the half who voted for it and even some of them are opening their eyes.
I would also like to go ahead and tell both the Democratic and Republican parties that they can kiss my ass. I'll vote in the Dem primaries cuz that's what I'm registered as, but when Nov. '08 rolls around, I will vote however I damn please. Be it Libertarian, Green, even Dem or Rep. I refuse to vote by party lines and will be an informed voter who will educate myself and not be a one issue voter.
Wow, people like Japan too. J could pull off Japanese but I don't think I can. It also appears as though Egypt and Turkey don't really like anyone.
I talked to my friend Tom who is currently here. He said he's staying at a nice hostel which is a bit expensive but you get two beds (he has a traveling buddy) your own toilet and shower and a buffet style breakfast and dinner. Bonus! Ah, he also said that the country code is CH, which makes no sense, but thanks to wikipedia, I learned that it stands for Confederatio Helvetica (Latin). It seems like SZ would make more sense, but what do I know.
In other news, 1 in 5 adult Americans can't read and it's estimated that only 50% of Americans can read at a Level 3 proficiency. Ok, it refers to the ACT's reading levels with Level 3 being:
Students at Level 3 typically can comprehend prose of several paragraphs on subjects within a familiar framework and with a clear underlying structure, and they can understand some main ideas in limited occupational or academic materials.Maybe I'll volunteer at a literacy center. Give back since I love reading. I promise that I won't give writing tips, just basic grammar and sentence structure. And I still want to try being an abortion clinic escort. Sloth's stories about it were so incredibly moving and sad.
In other abortion news, SC's stupid head governor supports a bill that would require any woman, even rape and incest victims, to receive an ultrasound before an abortion. Super, more people with penises making laws for people without them.
Labels: abortion, America, illiteracy, The Simpsons, toast
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