Memorial Day
-
“Happy Memorial Day “ seems to be all you hear in the week prior to
Memorial Day. When the very definition of memorial is to remember, it seems
odd to say ...
9 years ago
- L S. "Spencer" Olsen
- I don't really care if you agree or not. Just saying what I think.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
It's interesting when you consider the about face that the press has pulled over the last 9 months. As I was driving to the job yesterday I had plenty of time (8 hours) to listen to coverage and consider.
The conservative talking heads began to talk about the press ignorance of impending international doom. Afghanistan is falling apart, Iran proved the Bush administration right by unveiling its REAL nuclear program, and Israel is pleading for help. Obama finds all of these issues so important that he is ignoring them.
The most important agenda item for Obama is the Olympics in Chicago.
The outrage? well, it's not there. In fact, as I am typing this, I am staring at the front page of USA Today wherein the greatest thing ever is that Obama is trying to get the Olympics in Chicago; huge front page spread. Those other pesky national security issues are either not there or deep inside.
We all have known that the press is infatuated with Obama and his change, but they are really starting to be brazen about the whole thing. On thing that was brought to my attention this morning was a Fox report on the coverage of fallen soldiers. They speculate that since Obama lifted the press restriction on coverage where it pertains to bringing the bodies home has been waning due to respect issues. Sorry, Fox, but since when has the press ever cared about respect? The real reason (and also the reason that the anti-war movement is losing ground) is that Bush is no longer in office and is therefore not a target. Plus, if Obama says the war is necessary, then well, by gum it's necessary!
I think everyone is getting it wrong. It's more about persecuting the powers that be if applicable. Right now, you would expect the media to be going after Obama the way they went after Bush or Clinton. (yeah, that's right... Clinton) but they just aren't.
The intellectual dishonesty is shocking. Once it was an outrage for Bush Sr. to talk to school kids but not for Obama. It has gone beyond just letting stories disappear, when Obama is out there, everything he does is either:
1. Newsworthy - ...from picking out a puppy to vacations to fashion - all the way to Chicago's Olympic bid. The only thing newsworthy is that he is ignoring the real issues but no one is really discussing that aspect of things.
- or -
2. Ignorable - Anyone interested in why he is ignoring his commanders in Afghanistan or why he is giving Israel the cold shoulder? Anyone want to guess if he means what he says to Iran or why he removed key security from Poland despite his campaign promises?
Thomas Jefferson once said that "The only security of all is in a free press." I am sure that he never dreamed that free press today was agendized (is that a word?). Don't get me wrong - I don't believe that there is one organized conspiracy regarding the dissemination of liberal ideas through the press. What I do however believe is that the journalists in the press are allowed to get away with this practice through either the complacency or through a management system that believes so strongly in these ideals that he/she either forgets or decides not to remain objective.
It's not that I think that opinion has no place in press. It does, but not under the guise of fact or ignorance.
If you made it this far, you are awesome. If you managed to even understand any of that, congratulations.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
At Obamapalooza this Sunday...
STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?
OBAMA: You know, if -- frankly, it's not really something I've followed closely. I didn't even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.
OBAMA: You know, what I know is, is that what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're not committing to -- to cut off the federal funding?
OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.
KING: Seven former directors of central intelligence have sent you a letter saying, please invoke your authority to stop the attorney general's investigation of the Bush-era interrogation tactics. Will you do that?
OBAMA: You know, first of all, I respect all seven of them. And as importantly or more importantly, I have absolute respect and have reliance upon a robust CIA.
And I've said before, I want to look forward and not backwards on this issue. On the other hand, I've also said nobody is above the law. And I don't want to start getting into the business of squelching, you know, investigations that are being conducted.
Don't you think it's strange that...
Obama says that nobody is above the law. Except ACORN - He's not paying attention to that.
Also, the Obama administration seems to be worried about foreigners brought against their will and made to do and endure awful things at the hands of their captors. You know, unless you are a captive underage prostitute.
Just saying.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Just wanted to clear up a few common misconceptions out there about a few things that are going on.
1. I am no more racist for disagreeing with Obama than you are unpatriotic for disagreeing with Bush. mmmmkay? But thanks, Jimmy Carter for once again proving that peanuts can actually lead to dimentia. Good Job. And thank you, Bertha Lewis, CEO of Acorn for pointing out that a filmmaker and his girlfriend making videos of your organization is racist. Glad to know that I am a racist. It had never occured to me that this was my problem. Thanks.
2. Acorn is not simply guilty of giving out poor tax advice. I appreciate the National news outlets like ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, Washington Times, etc. letting me know that this is the problem. It is not. Ya'll missed the part about sanctioning prostitution, UNDERAGE prostitution, kidnapping, and other ethical violations such as the Acorn rep in New York telling the filmmakers that everything will go well as long as they don't teach their captives to read or write. Glad the National news people are all over that for me.
3. The healthcare and illegals question. Conservatives say that this healthcare bill will give illegals access to coverage and care. Liberals and proponents of the bill say "nonsense!" Well let me break it down for you. There is indeed a clause in the bill that states that illegal aliens will not be allowed to use this coverage or Obamacare. However... There is another clause that says that you are not allowed to check whether a person is illegal or not. Kinda sounds like the latter cancels out the former. Perhaps Joe Wilson was right.
4. It is hotly debated the number of people at the rally in Washington. Some claim (conservatives) half a million to 2 million. Others claim (liberals) 10 people. The pictures I saw made it look like there were probably at least in the hundreds of thousands. I doubt half a million to 2 million. This literary shrinkage of the numbers has given talking heads like Kieth Olbermann to conclude that these are the only people who do not want the healthcare bill. Small numbers mean small support. Well... I heard it once said that conservatives just can't protest and organize like liberals, because after all, conservatives have jobs and families to support.
5. Final word on healthcare. It's running me ragged so I will say this, and barring any "gotcha" developments, I will keep my word mum. Proponents keep telling us that this healthcare thing is great. "We are trying to help people!" they say. "You fear mongers who talk of death panels and denied coverage are horrible people who don't want to help anyone." That's not entirely accurate. Yes free healthcare is awesome. Really awesome... but in the way a free Snickers bar is awesome. Sure it would taste good and satisfy you right now, but in the long run, it's just going to make you fat. The "Fearmongering" right are not incompassionate. They understand that something like this will eventually lead to its own downfall and have drastic effects on the country. There is nothing wrong with helping people, but we have seen its affects on other nations such as UK, Canada, Cuba, etc. It deteriorates rapidly. Surely the UK system never intended to deny cancer treatments for patients at a certain age. But this system of providing a health service for a large infrastructure of people destroys its own market. Literally. Not of intent, but of reality. So quite down, you supporters who think we have no souls. We understand, but like I tell my wife, there's "how it should be" and "how it is" to be contended with and I always like to fall on the side of "how it is."
have a great day.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
So I will respond.
I have to agree with you. Most of the "I'm a Mac" commercials really boil my blood, not because they are inaccurate but because they mislead a tad.
Let's take some claims from one of the older commercials.
Not only is this misleading, it's just plain wrong. And while there are certainly more viruses for the PC than the Mac it is not for shoddy programming or poor quality that the PC is the target of virus artists worldwide. Saying that a Mac is better because there are less viruses is like saying that bread is better than meat because no one protests bread; no one is picketing Bunny Bread with a "Wheat is Murder" sign. The fact of the matter is that no one is really out to get Steve Jobs and his uber-corporate Apple Computers. Bill Gates has a price on his head and programmers the world over are looking to destroy him and his evil capitilist juggernaut Microsoft once and for all. In fact, most virus creators use windows only as a lab tool for testing while they plunk away on their Linux or linux-based Mac computer. But what drives the average hacker is greed. (Lyman, 2005) The true fact is that the PC has the largest market share worldwide. What that means is that if you are a virus author and want to make money or inflict the most damage, go after the largest market share. Plain and simple. Mac is seeing a resurgence and has a market share today of about 20%. As they grow, they will become a target just like everyone else. Case in point, the iPhone has become a target already. Take that, Apple. By the way, when it is your turn, you will fall hard, because unlike Windows who has been shoring itself up for years, you still have the back door unlocked because that kind of thing just doesn't happen to you. Or does it...
Let's look at the next claim. I can't find the video that I really want to post, but you have seen it - the PC is dressed in a Mac disguise and the poor consumer is asking which computer to buy. The disguised PC tells her to buy a PC. "But I want a computer that doesn't get viruses." and then the gem - "But I want a computer that just works."
This is a serious claim, that a PC doesn't "just work". Now, granted a Mac (and I have been using one for a little while now) is stupid easy. I mean stupid easy. But a PC is easy as well. Apple's product design creates programs with a basic set of functionality designed to be used with minimal effort. Unfortunately, this also means that most of their basic programs lack advanced functionality or options - you know, so it will just work. The marketing team over at Apple seems to think that the comsumer who doesn't mind doing a little extra clicking is a gullible moron. But better than that, Mac "just works" so well, that there are 3,440,000 results for "mac troubleshooting" and 46,800,000 for "Problems with my Mac" in a google search. My experience with my Mac is that when something really goes wrong, I have to turn to the terminal (more often than not) and use advanced shell techniques to solve said problem. That doesn't make it "just work" - that makes it a normal operating system with normal problems. By the way, the best part of my Mac is how when I want to shut it down, it "just works" so well that, like my PC, I have to go through hell closing programs. Now, the interesting part that I have found is that after I close a couple of programs, my Mac forgets that it was supposed to be shutting down and I have to start all over again.
This one has to be one of my favorites.
Here it is asserted that the Mac is ready to go while the PC will take some time to sort out. Well, technically true, but not completely true. Anyone who has owned a Mac will tell you that they were not able to unbox it and immediately begin working on a website or a movie, etc. In fact, the first thing you have to do when you startup your brand new Mac is watch an annoying video that says welcome in about a million languages. Then you have to set up your user and if you have a webcam, it will snap a picture of you during the setup process. Then you will have to make sure that you can connect to a network. Heaven help you if you want to share files from a Windows network server, etc. PC does about the same thing. That whole "get rid of trial ware" thing is debatable depending on who you buy your PC from. Oh no! Capitalism strikes again!!!
But my favorite, absolute favorite commercial is, again one that I cannot find, but it was early on when Apple releaesed its new iMacs. You know, the one that is the monitor/computer combo.
The claim was that it eliminated all that mess of cables that PC's are known for. BS.
This configuration only eliminates 2 cables - VGA and Power for the Monitor. I am not so stupid that I will believe that if I buy an iMac that suddenly I will have no cable problems. I still need a mouse, keyboard, and several USB ports open for peripherals. So shut up, Apple. I'm not that stupid.
Bottom line.
Mac is a good computer. I love using it and it indeed doesn't have some of the same problems that a PC does. But a potato doesn't have some of the same problems that a tomato does either. I just wish people would take a look at Apple and decide that, no, Steve Jobs is not on the right hand of God and that if anything, Apple's corporate policies are far worse than Microsoft's. But that's another topic for another time.
Citation:
Lyman, J. (2005). Profile of a Virus Writer: Pride to Profit.Retrieved September 10, 2009 from TechNewsWorld: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/nad0dhhkr056au/profile-of-a-virus-writer-pride-to-profit.xhtml?wlc=1252590302.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
This whole healthcare thing is really giving me a headache. We keep telling Congress that we don't want a healthcare bill, yet they keep coming back with a new healthcare bill. I swear, it's like having kids. Case in point. This morning, I asked my boys to get dressed for school. I went about getting myself ready. Five minutes later, Ben appeared at my bedroom door, still in his pajamas. "Get Dressed." I said, and he turned around and went back to his room. I passed by several minutes later to see both of my boys in their underwear but not dressed. "Get dressed." I admonished sternly and they both began to shuffle around, looking busy. A while later, they tried to come out of their room again, without getting dressed. This story repeats itself most mornings. I tell them what I want, and they seem to think that if they keep not doing what I ask them, they will get a different result. Maybe they can go to school naked? I am not sure. But Congress is like this. They are set that something needs to be done. They are right. The American people have largely asked them to reform healthcare to the tune of allowing more competition and tort reform. What we are getting is more universal healthcare proposals. This morning on the news, some Republican decided that we needed to make Obama Universal Public KennedyCare optional for states who need it via certain "triggers".
No!!! We don't want this type of healthcare. Period! Stop trying to give it to us in a different form. Just look at the Insurance regulations and see what you can do to increase competition and availability of insurance. Car insurance is cheap because it exists in a competitive sphere. Fix it! Stop coming back to my bedroom door in your pajamas and get dressed!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I heard some rumblings about Obama's little speech that he is going to give to the kids today about a week ago. Roxy called me last week and asked me about it. I told her that I didn't think that the O-man was that stupid. Surely he knew better than to grandstand to the children rather than just give a "stay in school" talk. Today is the day, and it is getting a little dicey out there regarding this speech. Critics of Obama say that he is trying to indoctrinate our kids, supporters say that it's stupid and hey didn't G HW Bush speak with kids in 1991? (side note, Congress actually investigated Bush, 41 over his speech and held hearings).
Here's what I think.
Why I have a problem with it.
Isn't this the same president that taught America that if a cop responds to a call and does his job, he is stupid. Isn't this the same president who taught America that we can solve everything with a beer. Great Job. Now that you have got that "liquor is awesome" thing established, go talk to my kids in a "captive audience" setting and get them to like you. Please tell my kids that it is ok to fail because it makes you stronger while you sign another bail-out bill. Or teach my kids about personal responsibility while you deny personal relationships with racist pastors or cabinet members who have shady histories. Besides, I read the transcript and I can assure you that he is not talking to my kids. My kids don't aspire to be rappers or basketball stars.
Why I have no problem with it.
Big deal. So the president is going to speak to the kids. Whoop-dee-do. I have (at least I believe that I do) a good enough relationship with my kids that I am not concerned. The kids know where we stand morally and ethically. If anything, this will be a good experience for Ben and Matt (mostly Ben) because it will give Roxy and I an opportunity to talk with them about the inner workings of the government, politics, and what we believe.
I guess the bottom line is that as much as it pains me to have my children even gaze upon that idiot, it's just not worth getting all worked up over. Obama is going to try to get in front of our kids every time he can, not to do good, but so that when these kids grow they will remember him as a great president and Obama can save his legacy.
That's it.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
