Among everything else that's gone wrong in the current election season, seems to me the untold casualty will be a lot of friendships. The amount of stark naked fear people are flinging about - on both sides - is staggering. It's like the self-destructive panic of animals who maul their own littermates because that's all they can do when they're ( Read more... )

So I wasn't really following the whole "Ground Zero Mosque" thing until today.  But I've been reading so much vitriol and hot air and divisiveness about the thing that I decided to take a look.  It wasn't easy.  Opinions far, far outstrip facts, and the controversy has skewed the evidence in every direction imaginable.  In fact, calling it a " ( Read more... )

I trust you guys to be civil (and fascinating) about this week's Thinky Thought.  You're an awesome group.  But this... well, you can see why a Conservative like myself might be careful about saying these things out loud.  To anyone.

Is the United States really all that special to God?  More special than other nations?

( I don't see it. )

So I'm going to talk politics.

( Public discourse )

Today, lunch was delicious red pepper soup brought by one of my coworkers, I got off a little early because I may have to stay late tomorrow, and when I went to get my car's oil changed, Sears gave me a discount because I'm a regular.

Not bad!

(Also, lunch tomorrow is homemade chili, courtesy of the second annual office chili contest.  I like ( Read more... )

Do you ever wonder how odd it is that we fill our world with versus ( Read more... )

Well, now, the election is finally over.

I'm hoping that Obama at least does somewhat well, what with all the enormously high hopes people are pinning on him.  I thought the Second Coming attitude was bad before.  You guys, he just inherited a recession and a messy war.  Neither of them is going to end quickly.  Also, the President doesn't ( Read more... )

First, a bit of election-day fun.  (It cheerfully pokes fun at both sides, so don't worry.)

Second, why don't we have any candidates calling for outlawing paid lobbyists?  'Cause I would vote for him/her in a heartbeat.

Third, ( a rant. )

I just wrote all my congressmen about the $700 billion bailout currently being discussed.  To the effect that I really, really don't want it passed, on account of it being a supremely stupid idea.  If I've learned anything in my life, and in the past two years working in finance, it's that the only way for businesses to stay honest and profitable ( Read more... )

I am very close to writing a full-on rant about how much I hate partisan politics and the mudslinging between the two parties.  Something, somewhere, is going to send me screaming over the edge, and only an LJ cut is going to spare you guys from the full force.  Argh ( Read more... )