This American Blog

Today is the last day of W's failed presidency!
Tomorrow, change, Change, CHANGE!!!

I am getting ready to begin teaching my first college-level class in two days and its rather scary as hell. I am sure it will be interesting. Have to get your feet wet at some point, right? I've been thinking about approaches, lectures, and how best to use my textbook, etc. etc. What I also hope is that I do not get too many kids who are into sniffing glue. Having recently moved to a new state, I was a little surprised when, at the local superstore, while purchasing a patch kit for an air mattress, I was carded. Apparently, where I now live, sniffing glue is a rather serious problem. As is meth. Here's to a good semester ya'll!

Un-freaking believable.
It had taken me over a year to hack back into this blog.
I am sure it should'nt have taken this long, and I am sure I could have pressed the issue earlier.
But I'm back in!

Its quite a feeling to have access again.
I was fowled up from when blogger was bought by google. I had automatic sign-in on my web browser, which was great until they updated the browser and bought blogger. I was sure that I had used my gmail account and all its variants to log into this and my 4 other blogs I forgot I even had, but I was wrong. This blog was linked to my very first email account on Yahoo, which had been dead and gone for years and years. Suddenly, lightening strikes my brain and I remember my old Yahoo password and they ressurect my account, then I finally crack this blog's name variant and have them email my p-word and voila!
I am sure no one really cares, but I do. I have missed you my Blog.

In nearly three months away from my blog, I haven't really thought much about it, if only in passing. Sadly, this form has lapsed just as my leisure reading, tho in all fairness I have not blogged nearly as long as i have read. With that said, it is not dead, this form, and while i think it may indeed have peaked already, or at least plateaued, there are still many bloody wars to be fought.

In my return, I am not without an impetus: the announcement today of the dropping of all charges in the Duke lacrosse rape case, while a mere pittance of actual news, is what i am writing of. Whenever I saw the 'three young me', or, 'good boys', all I could think, even with all of my studies and reading, and openness, I could not help but think that they were guilty of SOMETHING and should take the fall for this. It sounds horrible, but everyone has known the type of person/student/idiot - the jock who probably did decent in school, but partied and laughed at what they could and did get away with. This case was not about those three MEN, but instead was an indictment on college atheletics, in my opinion. My university just promised an insane salary for the basketball coach and another million to the program, and for what? Name recognition on ESPN? Maybe if some slacker teen sees this school on the tv for one game (we lost in th first round of the ncaa) then they will want to come here and join the masses of other ineffectual dead-heads? Yay for that. What this case should have been about was the culture, the atmosphere, of college sports which allow people to do crazy things with little or no consequence. Oh, sure, party in college, then back to the real life, but I dont see it that way. If these young Men have always been told that they were the best (a hallmark of the current generations' lack of any real parenting) and that they can do anything at anytime, and to anyone, that behavior is only going to be exacerbated by freedom in college, and set the stage for an adulthood of idiocy, and idiocy which will infect all those people who come in contact with these types. Only after years and years will they realize that they are failures, in life, and as people, and all they will have is there parents, or coaches voices in their heads: your awesome, you so good, your so...These guys may not have perpetrated the crime for which they were charged, and it did take too long to dismiss, but I feel like justice was not served, as the games will continue to be played and the idiots will still be churned out. Goddess help us!

Well...first of the year I suppose will do. Again, my Blog, forgive me. I have a lot to be thankful for and much more to look forward to. Here's to a new year and openess. for all.

Obligatory First of the Month Post
Sorry, blog of mine, and the greater blog-o-sphere that mostly ignores you, fore I ignore ye as well, and to that I apologize. So...

BBC NEWS | Americas | Castro 'recovering' after surgery

I am not soory that I do not sympathize with the Cuban people or those in America. Yes, Castro is what he is, but living there is not nearly as bad as many other countries where the people are much worse off. Cubans coming to America for the last 50 years have been treated better than most, including native American citizens (see the economic support and support systems, especially in Florida). So, these people are celebrating, waiting for the day when then can go back to Cuba. But will they? My guess would be hell no! They have much more here than they would have their, and the only way I see them returning, victoriously of course, is with American troop support. AKA: Cuban nation-building. Yep, thats right.

New York Diary Online
Sent by a friend.
Read it if you will, a first-hand account of the over-actions of a nation-state created without regard to nation or state. We are all to blame in this.

Too High a Price

I have to weigh in on this middle-east conflict. Yes, the region has been in a chronic state of flux and or violence since the unwanted births of the modern nation-states that now reside their, none more controversial than Isreal. Studying global history and later foriegn policy and politics as an undergrad, I became aware of a feeling that Isreal, despite its issues and its problems, acts more like the bastard, red-headed step-child of the bully parents the US and UK. Spoiled with weapons and money, propped up with propaganda and hardliners, this nation that would'nt be has taken its sovereignty and rights to the extreme. No, Isreal, you cannot do what you want when you want. No Isreal, you cannot Talk loudly and Carry nuclear weapons. Back off and realize that the last 50+ years of your young life, a life marred by abuse, violence, and terror, cannot ever be change with bombs and blasts. I wish the US would tug harder on its leash and make Isreal sit down and cool its jets. We gave you life and can either help you keep it or watch it dirft away. In the words of Bill Cosby, 'I brought you into this world and I'll take you out'.

CNN.com - Edwards and Spratt call on DCCC to pull down web video - Jul 14, 2006

Apparently fellow Dems don't want to face reality either. You can baby babies all you want, but when people are dying and the facts are ignored and nothing is being discussed or initiated or even over-sought, babies need to grow up fast. So, GROW UP and face the music!

Off the Kuff: SCOTUS throws out CD23, upholds the rest

This is Huge.
The Supreme Court, in a 7-2 ruling today, upheld the Texas redistricting case that involved a mid-decade restructuring of congressional seats, spear-headed by tom delay that gave Texas 6 more Republican seats in the 2004 House of Reps. The ruling basically means that any state legislature, especially if the same party controls the governorship as well, can re-draw congressional districts WHENEVER they want, not just after a census. What does this mean? Off the top it means that the already mostly-secure seats (ie very few House seats are ever competitive sue to gerrymandering) could conceivably result in ALL seats being secure for one party or the other. That is dangerous no matter who is in power because there will be no need to be bi-partisanship or to have consensus. There are many other issues that this can impact, most notably the equal rights amendment protections that help keep minorities in competitive districts. And what does the Conervative boob that have on the News Hour say about all this? Its good because the courts should butt out of this (but not what you can do with your body or in your own bedroom or view online, etc) and let the voters decide, its just politics. HA! 'Just politics' have been behind all major conflicts in human history. If the voters are roped off into safe zones that offer only one real choice how the hell are they supposed to vote for change? They will have to move, collectively, into one county or region and vote with one voice, but if they do, then the state legislature will then redraw that district and disenfranchise them again anyway. This is mui mal.

CNN.com - White House defends legality of bank records queries - Jun 26, 2006

Is'nt there a saying that is some what infamous that states that 'the only thing i regret is that you found out' or something to that effect. I find more and more that whatever the Bush Administration or the Pentagon or the CIA or the FBI or anyone does anything shifty, the only problem that emerges is that it, 'darn, you should'nt have found out, so, shame on you for looking into our shananigans'. Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here!