Thursday, March 30, 2006

This Is Not The Post I Promised

Okay, I lied. Not really, I just really haven't completely worked out how I want to address the issue of what I see as the biggest problem with the American Jewish community. It really is an issue of what exactly I want to say to make my point. I have the ideas, I just can't seem to get them to translate out well. I will again soon.

That having been said, there are a few things I would like to address.

I found the out come of the Israeli elections to be rather interesting. I was rather surprised by the poor showing of Likud, but also by Kadimah. (I suppose Kadimah would have done much better if Ariel were not in a coma, and were going to be running the country.) I think the most interesting thing about the elections though are that they show that a lot of Israeli's really don't see much leadership right now. with a (I believe) 68% eligible voter turn out, it seems that the average Israeli either sees no one to vote for, or no difference in the choices they have. Sadly, this may be the most 'democratic' thing about the election based on the American model.

Another thing I would like to address is the young American reporter (whose name I believe is Jill, sorry don't have a lot of resource time tonight) who was released today. My feeling here is that it really isn't all that surprising, and I think it says quite a bit about the people who where holding her prisoner. They may be the most honest religiously of the numerous people in Iraq taking people prisoner. By her own words she was well treated, well fed and had access to the 'civilized' comforts that one would expect. I was expecting that she would be released at somepoint, I really found it hard to believe that they would really kill an innocent woman. (Thank, HaShem I was proven correct.) I can't say why I had the feeling she was going to be okay, I just always sort of felt that she would.

Why have Fox News, and MSNBC's Rita Cosby continued to report on the 'Natalie Holloway' case? Does anyone in the US other than her family really still worry about this issue?

Illegal Immigration. I am not sure what the solution is, but I have a feeling that the US Congress, as presently composed, and the Administration do not have a solution. Actually I really think that they are trying to, and succeeding rather well, in distracting the American people from other issues that are really perhaps much more important at the present time. The border issues have existed since this country was founded, and they will exist long after I disappear from this reality. If terrorists are going to get in to this country, putting a wall along the Mexican border isn't going to stop them, and it will likely not stop the Central/South American and Mexican people who are illegally entering this country. It also won't stop the illegal asian and european immigrants either. The things this Congress should be looking into is why the President feels he has the right Constitutionally to subvert the law. Why he feels that he can sign a legislative act into law, and then right a note that he can ignore the law if he feels like it. Perhaps even why he feels he can sign a bill (the recent budget bill) in to law when it has only been passed (in it's current form) by one chamber of Congress (The Senate) and not the other.(It reportedly wasn't returned to the house for a new vote because it was felt that the Mid-term Election was to close and it may not pass the house a fourth time.)

This President (or Unitary Executive, his choice I guess) really is doing everything he can to turn this country in to a dictatorship. I just hope it comes back to bite the Republicans. One of these days they aren't going to control the White House and the President, unless that person is totally honest (And I doubt you will get a President that isn't a little power hunger at this point) they will attempt to use all of the power that this Administration/Congress is giving the office. That is assuming that another Presidential election is actually held, and that Jr. doesn't run again. After all, he ignores the law and the Constitution if it suites him, why should he abide by it in 2 1/2 years.

Well time to go.

Monday, March 20, 2006

I Wish I Understood The Attitude

While listening to a talk show on the radio this afternoon I heard 2 different callers defend the warrentless wiretapping program.
 
One of them seemed to think it was okay because he didn't feel that the majority of the American populous was being wire tapped.  He was asked twice by the show host if he felt that the President being like a king was a good thing, and he said NO, but that he felt there was nothing wrong with the wire tap program.
 
The other caller defended the program by saying he had not seen any evidence that anything illegal had been done, therefore nothing illegal probably had been done. (He really couldn'g answer the President as a king question either.)
 
I really have a problem with both of these attitudes.  The second one is really the quickest to address.  As nothing has been released on the program because of national security concerns, how can you say that you have seen any evidence on the legality/illegality of the issue.  My personal opinion on this situation is that the Administration has violated the law and the Constitution, but since I haven't seen any evidence at all, I can't say for sure.  But based on the track record of the administration, Trust Me just doesn't cut it any more.
 
The first one is really the one that I just don't understand.  How can anyone feel that giving up the freedoms upon which this country was founded is a good thing.  Has the general populous that believes this become so deluded by all of the lying that this administration has done that they truly don't understand they are giving up what our American forebears fought and died for.  My father was in the Army Air Corp in WWII.  I some how don't think he put up with the riggers of military service and servicing military air craft during the 24 hour operations over Germany toward the end of the war, in order for his son to live in a country that wasn't free.  I also don't think that my grandparents (my mom's parent's) escaped from the Ukraine and Poland in the early part of last century in order for their decendents to live in a country that was just as bad on the liberties afforded their citizens as the countries they were fleeing. 
 
I am proud of the country I grew up in.  I feel that this country has come down a long way in a very short period of time.
 
This administration ran on several things in the 2000 election.  They were going to restore dignity and honesty to the White House.  They were going to do so on day one.  It seem that they really intended tosay they were going to retore those things for one day.  The other thing the Unitary Executive said when he was campaigning was that he wasn't going to use the military to nation build.  I guess what he really intended was that he wasn't going to build just one nation.  This administration has done more damage to this country's reputation internationally than any other.  Jr. has become a complete joke in office.  He doesn't seem to understand the simplist things.  I sadly have to admit that after his first 3 years in office, I had sadly misjudge both the charater and the honesty of this President and some how allowed myself to be deluded in to voting for this moron.  ( I can honestly say I only made the mistake once though.)
 
Well time to go and be a good parent to my cats.  Next post will answer the question I asked last week about the biggest problem with the Jewish Community in the US.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Juxtaposition

Over the weekend the news broke that Slobadan Milosevich had died.  When I first heard the news and saw that it was 'breaking news' I thought to myself, is this really that important of a story.  After all, he has been out of power for some time and has been on trial for War Crimes/Crimes Against Humanity.  As such I dismissed the import of the story and didn't really think much of the issue.
 
On Saturday evening, my mother had come to visit from out of town for the evening.  She, Wife, a cousin and I went out to dinner.  During dinner the question came up as to whether I had heard anything new about Ariel Sharon after his surgery to remove a portion of his intestines.  After the discussion I put that subject away to, but being a little upset that I didn't have an update.  (Wife stated there probably not that much to report.)
 
I started thinking about the two independent events on Sunday.  I found that my first reaction to the news of Slobadan Milosevich's death was not really correct, or maybe I should say it wasn't really the correct perspective.  Both stories have some interest to a portion of the public at large, but probably aren't that important in the long view of human history.  It made me wonder what leads a person to put importance on an individual news item, but dismiss or otherwise render less important an item that may not be percieved with as much importance.  I also realized that I find relative 'merit' in suicide bombings in Israel, but really don't find the same type of event anywhere else to be of as much interest.  I find the deaths of US soldiers in Iraq to be much more distressing than the deaths of Iraqi soldiers or civilians.  I find this attitude in myself to be very disturbing, yet I am not really sure that I am unique in this type of attitude.  After all, everyone seems to see the events around them from the perspective that they have, very few people seem to be able to completely separate themselves from their own bias.  I am not really sure where that gets me but I found the journey to that point anyway very usefull.
 
On a completely unrelated note.  To anyone who felt the need to attack me about the questions last week on smoking, I am really confused.  I was not attempting to attack the institution.  I do find the 'habit' to be disgusting, but I was more interested in the idea that smokers are always complaining about how their 'right' to smoke is being attacked and taken away.  I was just asking if I as someone who has made the choice not to smoke has the right to be free from the smell of smoke.  Nothing more or less.  There was no thought to follow that up with a call to make smoking illegal or anything else.  Actually, I would say that even if that were something I would advocate it it wouldn't work.  Prohibition in this country has never worked, that is why alcohol is legal.  I would go so far as to say that I would advocate the legalization of the various drugs that are currently illegal, but that is a complete discussion for another time.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Home A Little Early

I got home a little earlier tonight than I thought I would, this was partially due to a client canceling an appointment that allowed me to get the next client in early. Yippy.

As a result of this I thought I would continue with some of my thoughts that I didn't express earlier.

1. Does anyone else find it strange that Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh can somehow talk about family values with a straight face. After all they have both been married multiple times which, unless I am missing something, doesn't seem to be a very good family value track record.

2. I find the thought of Newt Gingrich running for President something akin to the idea of eating a pile of excrement. It smells bad and the thought makes me sick to my stomach.

3. How does Bill 'The King of Name Calling' O'Reilly think that nobody will notice his hypocracy on the issue? Does he not understand how recording devices work?

4. Why did Bill threaten to have FOX security go after a caller for the mere mention of Keith Olberman's name? Really, if Olberman's show is as poorly rated as Bill alledgely says it is, should he just forget about it.

5. Why do some people think that it is okay to give up their 'Rights' as granted by the Constitution simply because 'I'm not doing anything wrong.' Do they not understand that what they are doing may be wrong tomorrow?

6. Do any of the people who are willing to give their civil liberties because of 'The Phantom Menace'tm Lucas Films smoke, and if so do they believe that they have some kind of 'Right' to do so?

7. If you have a right to smoke, do I have any right as a non-smoker to not have to deal with your disgusting habit, especially when entering and exiting a building?

8. Why does the President feel the need to seize so much power? My first guess is a feeling of not being 'man' enough in the bedroom. I'm sure that at some point I will have a better guess.

9. Getting back to Civil Liberties issue. If people are truly comfortable giving them up, are they willing to have some one they dislike (let's take a Clinton, Bill or Hillary your choice) to have they same exact powers to look into their lives without a problem? If not maybe they should rethink their position, after all the Unitary Executive is only supposed to be President for another 3 years. (As I can't predict what is going to happen it is entirely possible that the Unitary Executive will ignore that little problem somehow also.)

10. I have reached a cross roads with the situation in this country. I love American, yet hate what I see happening. If things don't change, even through efforts of my own making, what options am I left with?

And finally for tonight:
11. The question I asked earlier that no one has responded to: What is the biggest problem of the American Jewish Community as a whole?

Well good night, good luck, and don't let the spies in your underwear drawer with out your consent, after all they may have hidden something there when you weren't home. (Okay time to put my paranoia in its box for the night.)

I Wish I Had More Time To Express My Thoughts

I really feel a little under the gun with the end of tax season just over 5 weeks away and lots of returns piling up on my desk. That having been said, I really feel a need to get at least a few things out of my head.

1. An anonymous commentor addressed my time frame of the number of hours I work and the fact that he/she didn't feel that it was possible because I post during work hours. My only response to this moron is that apparently he/she has never heard of lunch. This is when I do, during this time of year, most of my 'surfing' and any posting I feel a need to do.

2. I have caught small bits of Rush Limbaugh in the car the last couple of weeks and have a couple of things I would like to comment on:
a. Rush made much more sense to me when he was still taking Oxycotin. I am not sure if that says something about me or something about him.
b. He was discussing the Oscars that other day. The first thing I heard him discussing was the comments of George Clooney. And naturally Rush was completely wrong on his interpretation of what George's meaning was.
c. I have more to say but only a limited amount of time.

3. The current situation in this country is making me very nervous. My 'paranoia' sense is going crazy. I will discuss this more next time, but I do have a question for anyone who cares to try to answer: What is the single biggest problem with the Jewish community at large in the US?

4. I am very distressed with the way Congress continues to willing seed (This should have been the word cede, as was ungraciously pointed out by an anonymous commenter. I would like to apologize for any confusion to anyone who couldn't figure out what I was trying to say with the wrong word in there.) power to the White House. Did anyone in either branch of government, or Judge Alito for that matter, ever actually read the Constitution and understand the concept of a checks and balances system? I am really tired of the Republicans in Congress acting like the President is a god, or king. The powers they are seeding now will come back to bite them when the White House changes hands. Unless, of course, you have an intellegent honest person in the White House who will effectively restore the balance of power between Congress and Presidency. In the long run this Republican ruling group is doing so much damage to the struction of the Federal Government, that I am not sure that it can be easily repaired by the actions of a single President. (And finding an honest and intellegent person who can actually get elected is something else entirely.)

Well that is it for the moment, I will attempt to get more out either tomorrow or Sunday. Until then, be safe and watch your back, the DHS spies may be just around the corner.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

A Rather Amusing Concept

I found the attached article from The Onion to be very amusing, it is titled Are Your Cats Old Enough to Learn About Jesus?
 
I often wonder myself about animals and their souls.  This really reached a 'peak' for me when we had to put my beloved little cat to sleep last summer.
 
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45814/print/
 

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