What is THAT all about???

Caught Nancy Grace on Imus the other day. She said that tourism in Aruba is UP. WTF! Or is the data skewed from the journalists and news crews going down there?? If not, then there's something very wrong, or very obvious.

The China Syndrome

I'm borrowing this comment from streetlife.com -- it's too interesting to ignore:

"The New Face of Communist China….Last week I went to an event with Rui Chenggang, one of the top young TV news anchors in China who was named a Global Leader for Tomorrow in 2001 by the World Economic Forum, and is a 100% loyal Communist. Chenggang, who's all of 28 and incredibly articulate, is living in the states for the first time as part of the Yale World Fellows Program. He highlighted some amazing statistics— there are more people who speak English in China than there are in the U.S. —and noted some key misconceptions. We westerners associate China with a fire-breathing dragon, but in fact the icon we see as a dragon, the Chinese see as a benevolent water-breathing serpent that cares for crops. When I asked about the fact that China is growing so fast that there may not be enough natural resources to sustain it, Chenggang was cagey—he insisted that China is working on alternative fuel sources and that the government is much more focused on environmental preservation than the U.S. acknowledges. That's a tough one to swallow." Julie Boorstein

It's the Holiday Season!

Is it me, or does it seem like more and more of us are getting into the "spirit" of Christmas sooner and easier every year? Let's put aside the sentimentality for a moment, and examine further: I think folks are working so hard to try to make ends meet, and to be the best parent they can be, and to be a productive member of society, all the while being bombarded by the daily grind that, in the end, they are starving for any break they can get. Take Christmas music, for example. Ever hear a sad, depressing holiday song from start to finish? Even "Christmas Shoes" has a happy ending. Personally, I like this music, because it's a very welcome respite from the daily dirge of death, or break-ups, or evictions, or corruption, or poverty, or hunger, or political hi-jinks, or whatever other depressing crap that floods the media outlets. Yeah, yeah, Go watch The Daily Show, you say, you'll get comedy and satire relief. No, that's not what we need. Deep down, we want peace on earth. We want to see kids laugh. We want to breathe clean air, and we want to drink clean water, and we want to sleep in and not be rushed by the damned alarm clock every friggin' day. We're getting tired of the crap in the Middle East, every damn day. It's getting old, just like "the troubles" got old (and hopefully it will end because of it). I think if you showed most Middle Easterners some of the great things life has to offer, they would think twice about their religious zealousness. It worked on the Puritans -- where are they now? All work and no play, and you'll lose your mind, Ebeneezer! Christmas (or should I say Christmakkuh) means happy times, holiday parties, buying gifts for people we love and sometimes just because it's the right thing to do. If you look back on some of the great memories of your life, isn't there at least one Christmas that still brings a smile to your face? Yes, I understand we can't have Christmas every day (see "Elmo Saves Christmas" for more on that), but it's...it's...oh, man, this may sound corny, but it's the Spirit that needs to stay with us all the year. I think that's why I don't have a huge problem with cell phones. People are talking more, which means more interaction, which leads to more social participation, and what's wrong with that? But that's another blog for another day. So have yourself a Merry little Christmas, now.

Point / Counterpoint Redux

Mr. Hyde: Iraq official defends 'torture' facility!!http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/11/17/iraq.detainees/index.htmlFirst we were told we had to attack Iraq due to WMDs.Then it was cause Osama and Saddam were buddies.Then it was because Saddam tortured his people.Now we and the new Iraq government torture the Iraqis.Bush and Cheney are corrupt and evil to the core! This game is over.

Dr. Jekyll: I opened my email and a Bill Maher monologue erupted! You seem to be conveniently forgetting that those in power, both Dems and GOP, shared the same intel reports and most voted in favor of the war. Sounds like a Kerry-ism: first I voted for it, then I voted against it. Too bad the Clintonites were so damn gung-ho with passing policy that stopped the FBI from sharing intel info with the CIA and the Pentagon. It's well documented that we had sufficient intel on Atta and others well before 9/11 but it was never shared cuz it wasn't permitted. Bush/Cheney are no worse than ANY other leader tandem that has been directly involved in foreign conflict, and that includes any improprieties regarding human rights and/or torture. It's also too bad that we never get the same run in the press with good stories about socio-economic advances within the Iraqi people. Sure, we have a LONG way to go (no one is denying that), and the cost will be significant, but in the long run, it will prove to be positive. And now there's news that Bob Woodward knew of Valerie Plame's identity long before Scooter Libby allegedly leaked it to Novak. What a surprise...not!

Baseball Playoffs

National League: who cares? especially since the Dodgers aren't in it. Or is it God's way of saying "you need to stop watching so much TV anyway"?...
>>I'll be watching out of the corner of my eye: to see if the Braves choke yet again.

American League: gotta go with SoCal, so Go Angels.
>>I'll be watching out of the corner of my eye: to see if the Sawks were a fluke last year...

Miers for SCOTUS

I'm not sold on this idea. I think the Prez is not correct to nominate someone he prefers. He should be nominating someone that is competent for the country as a whole. Although Ms. Miers seems to be a competent Texas atty, she has no judicial background. I am not an advocate for promoting from outside when there are so many viable and strong candidates within the judicial ranks that have worked hard to achieve a high level of success. It goes back again to "it's not what you know, it's who you know", and this pick is bordering on cronyism. It was suggested that this pick may be the "sacrificial lamb", served up for the hard-line conservatives, and if she's shot down, the Prez can shrug and say "I tried", then nominate a more moderate judge, which appeases everyone but the Dems.

The Da Vinci Code

yeah, yeah, I'm three years too late, but hey, blame it on the kids taking up all my time. So what's the skinny with this book? It was my on my summer reading list, and it's the first book I've read from cover to cover within two days in a long, long time. I heard and read that they're making it into a movie. What's the big deal with the topic? I don't have a problem with Jesus hooking up with Mary Magdalene. I see a bigger problem with people who think Jesus looked like the Aryan version of Bo Bice. HELLOOOO, does anyone from Nazareth look like that? From what I've read, it seems that Jesus wanted his message promoted, not his private social life. Organized religion is so maddening at times. Don't miss the point. Be happy for the guy, that he was able to (possibly) enjoy the company of a loving woman that (allegedly) cared for him very much. Focus on the message, people, and take it for what it's worth...

The Celestine Prophecy

A work buddy ("WB") of mine suggested that I read this book. Something about how I could use the "positive energy", et.al. WB knows that I'm constantly in a state of organized chaos and crisis intervention, thanks mostly to our wonderful jobs. OK, so I picked it up at the local library the other day, and have started reading it, in between the never-ending interruptions (is that a negative comment?). Should I ask for opinions on this book prior to finishing it? Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I can't help but wonder where I've heard of this book before. All I can say is that, judging from the first couple of chapters, it's covering topics that I've often wondered about over the years. Is it a coincidence that I was drawn to this book? (Insert "Twilight Zone" theme here)...

Random Sample

Today is the first day. I don't expect much, but I'm curious for legitimate reponse and equally random thought. Oh, there'll be topics from time to time, in addition to the random bits of tid. Random Sample will be the place for the "pre-package mayo in tuna cans" ideas that come out of nowhere...
Did you think Christopher Hitchens got his ass handed to him by Jon Stewart the other night? I thought it was another example of a talk show host hogging up most of the interview time. Hey, dude, you have a 20-minute show, save your comments for when the guest is NOT there. Doesn't matter if you don't agree with the guest. Yo, McFly, you are on every night of the week. The guest is on for maybe 10 minutes, max. I know your position, I would like to hear the guest's. Did anyone catch where Hitchens left the stage almost immediately instead of waiting for the c'mml break? I don't think he was too impressed...