Wednesday Political Musings

There's really nothing much to say. No one much likes China because it's polluted and they're mean. No one like Hillary because she tells lies and no one likes Barack because his preacher says some things that make people mad. Everyone seems to like Alan Greenspan even though he is being blamed for leading us into this mortgage fiasco and I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said, "When Bush took office gas was $1.46." I really want people in Pennsylvania to vote for Obama on April 22nd but I don't know how many people will listen to me. Jenna and I are officially registered to vote in PA though we feared that Jenna's was somehow lost. Some of the people I work with think he's a secret terrorist. I sometimes think people are ignorant; but that's no excuse for racism, or sexism, or most other -isms. Love. Love. Love.

If you have anything to say please do so.

Thoughts Recollected in Moments of Tranquility from NPR

State Rep. Russell Pearce of Mesa, AZ, quoted on NPR this morning, said, "America was founded as a nation of laws." Pearce is a champion of strict laws, primarily immigration laws. The last few days, NPR's Morning Edition has featured different influential people regarding the immigration issue in Arizona. I am, personally, an advocate of of fairly open borders; but because I have had little experience in areas that are immediately affected by immigration (like Arizona, Texas, and Southern California) I don't know that I have much room to speak on the issue.

Until that quote by State Rep. Pearce, I hadn't heard anything that was too against what I think, even from those that are staunchly anti-immigrants. The notion that the U.S. was founded as a nation of laws and rules runs directly against what I believe my country stands for. I believe that the U.S.A. is a nation of freedom--not laws. I do not have a great knowledge of American Constitutional history, so if I am misrepresenting our history, then please correct me.

In better news, Barack Obama won Mississippi handily and won more delegates from Texas. If only Ohio had come through for me.

Blog Schedule?

I would like to write here more often. If nothing else, it will help to work out a personal style of writing I've been struggling for years to find. Steven (linked on the right), at one time, kept a nice schedule of blog topics and I would weekly look forward to his topics relating to culture, music, and theatre. So what I'm going to do is lay out a schedule for myself and see how this goes.

Weekly Schedule:

Monday-talk about something I have recently read.

Tuesday-Fitness Revolution Update

Wednesday-Something political/open forum (Like I have more than three people who read this)

Thursday-Some music related thing that I like

Friday-Links or Movies

I know, I know . . . there is nothing specific about the posting schedule and, seeing that I'm scheduled to write five days a week, there's no way I'm going to faithfully keep to it, but I'll try.

Wish me luck as you wave my goodbye. Cheerio! Here I go, on my way!

ahmadinejad and hitler

so what do you think about the whole Ahmadinejad speaking at Columbia business? Me, I think it's a fantastic opportunity to try to understand, to take a peak into the mind of a man so terrible feared by our nation. Though he should have chosen better phrasing, I applaud John Coatsworth, acting dean of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, for the sentiment that he would invite even Hitler to speak because "academic give-and-take," even conversation with a hated dictator, is vital to any well-rounded education.

Having recently seen The Last King of Scotland I am suddenly aware that even the vilest dictators have a human side, and are probably surrounded by people that love them. From the few interviews and articles I've read about Ahmadinejad he appears to be a well educated man that openly says what he means. In most people those are admirable qualities; I guess that's just not true for world leaders. I am certainly no expert on foreign policy or nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, but I say that Columbia is in the right by inviting him to speak--he was going to be in New York anyway.

Now, who is the next ASI speaker?