Follow up thoughts

The coverage for this Woodruff guy is ridiculous. I have no ill feelings toward the guy or think he deserves it or anything, but if they covered the soldiers or the Iraq's citizens this way all we would be hearing about is people getting wounded or dying in Iraq. As it is we rarely hear mention anymore of someone getting hurt or dying until it gets to a number with zeroes at the end. Then again if I botched the coverage going into the war like the mainstream media did I would want to down play it also. UPDATE: Came across this on kos. Somewhat conspiratorial, but worth a read.

As for the mine story I don't mean to say that unions will save everyone in the mining industry. From what I have read it is a very dangerous career that will always have some amount of risk. I was just struck by the extreme difference between the groups. The guys in Canada seemed to barely be inconvenience by the event, sitting around in airtight containers, playing checkers with all the food they could eat. While the American miners had some sort of curtain to protect them in the dark, with just their body heat to keep them warm.

Links

I have decided to do a new links section every week, starting on Monday (that is if I have links to share)

Feingold gets noted in another prestigious, inside the beltway magazine, as Playboy puts him in its no b.s. caucus.

Cindy Sheehan's version of being arrested at the sotu. Republican's wife also gets kicked out.

Feingold leads DailyKos poll. Although it should be noted this is a poll among his base and not the general public. Although what I would like to hang my hat on is his increasing number. I will write more about why I support him when I run out of other things to say.

Keith Olbermann beats up on Bill O'Rilley. Watch the clip

Feingold blogs on Kos President has pre-1776 mentality

I think we all know who is to blame for this, uncle Jesse.

Check back for more as I find them.

Almost Tragic

There was a mine fire yesterday in Canada killing 72 workers. Oh wait! Never mind they had a union. Everyone survived.

It took me a ridiculous amount of time to find somewhere that made reference to a union. This sadly doesn't surprising me that the corporate owned media doesn't want to mention this, but highly relevant in my mind since safety is one of the most important reasons for a union. Well except for sports unions, who uniquely fight against safety equipment (hockey visors), but I don't consider those real unions.

Movie trouble

The movie Bubble is being realized in the theaters, on pay-per-view and DVD almost simultaneously (I think the DVD is a week later, but close enough). This of course has all the theater owners all worked up with the thought that the dwindling theater going public will disappear altogether. There has been various reasons put out why people are not going to the theaters as much anymore from home theater systems to bad movies. The reason why I am not going is plain and simple a dollar issue.

I started going to matinees exclusively a few years back and I would usually give them my best five dollar bill and would get a quarter back, if I was lucky it would be shiny. Then it became my best five dollar bill and have to give them some of my quarters. Well now I have to give them my best five dollar bill and throw in a good one dollar bill on top of that. Now before you start thinking I am sounding like a old man, I would like to point out that I am not talking about "When I was a kid", I am talking about a couple years ago. In my current financially limited situation, I am not going to shell out that kind of money for a movie unless it has a lot of hype and really interest me. If they want to get me to go back to the theater they should think about cutting the price until then my netflix list will just get longer.

The untold story

There is often complains from the trumpeters of war that we are not hearing the good stories coming out of Iraq and the same people attribute this to the liberal media (which I can't seem to find on my TV).

This morning the big story is Bob Woodruff, the co-anchor for ABC's nightly news, was seriously injured in a IED explosion in Iraq. Then there is the recent kidnapping of Christian Science Monitor's reporter Jill Carroll. Could it be that a report doesn't want to risk his life to report a school opening.

In theory Democracy works

With the state of the union coming up this week I wonder if our fearless leader will talk about how the Iraq mistake is marching democracy into the middle east. I think he will avoid that subject since Palestine democratically elected terrorist to run their country.

My Television

Ok I admit it I am a couch potato. I won't deny that I enjoy watching T.V. With that said, on ward.

Friday is becoming one of my favorite nights for television. First I start with "Washington Week" on PBS and follow that up with my favorite nonfiction show "Now". I am especial looking forward to tonight's. They are going to have the director for Why We Fight on. I am really looking forward to seeing that movie, although I will wait for it to come out on DVD. Roper and Ebert wrote it off as another Bush bashing documentary, but without seeing it I am thinking/hoping it is much more than that. I think they can be a bit simplistic at times. Anyway I will let you know what I think after I have actually seen it. After "Now" comes "In Justice" on ABC. I am really liking this show. My worst fear is to be accused of a heinous crime I didn't commit, which I feel happens a lot due to pressure to solve crimes and prejudice. So it is little wonder that I like a show about getting wrongly convicted people out of jail. After that on NBC is "The Book of Daniel" I don't watch it. I will probably be into a movie by then. But the show was canceled after only airing a couple of times. My take is it was too blasphemous for churchie people and too churchie for normal viewers.

Not Friday. I also learned a show that I like "The West Wing" will end after this season. I was a bit disappointed at first since I just started following the show last year, but I think in the end it was a good idea. They crammed way too many story lines into the Bartlett administration to leave anything for the next guy. Besides they can't keep electing democrats and I don't think anyone would watch a show about a republican, lets face it they are boring. On the subject of religion I am getting a little worried about "Lost". This last weeks baptizing story line seemed weird and forced to me. I don't mind religion in general when it fits the story line like the episode about Mr. Echo, but this last weeks seemed like they were pandering to the religious crowd (By this I mean the 700 club loonies). I really hope they don't ruin the show by going this way. We shall see. If they do I am sure I will write more about it.

The key word is associates

I woke up this morning to Katie Couric interviewing Howard Dean and took issue with Katie over a couple things she said.

First off in one question she criticized the Democrat's for playing partisan politics and then in the very next question she quoted James Carville saying the democrat's need a spine transplant. What did she think the raging cajun was talking about. He was Clinton's Rove. So apparently she is saying people are sick of partisan politics, but the Democrat's should do more. I am confused.

The second part was this exchange,

COURIC: Hey, wait a second. Democrats took - Democrats took money from Abramoff too, Mr. Dean.

DEAN: That is absolutely false. That did not happen. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff went to any Democrat at any time.

COURIC: Let me just tell you - According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Abramoff and his associates gave $3 million to Republicans and $1.5 million to Democrats, including Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid.

DEAN: Not one dime of Jack Abramoff money ever went to any Democrat. We can show you the FEC reports, we'd be very happy to do it. There’s a lot of stuff in the press that the Republican National Committee has been spinning that this is a bipartisan scandal. It is a Republican-financed scandal. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff ever went to any Democrat, not one dime.

COURIC: Well, we'll obviously have to look into that and clarify that for our viewers at a later date.

Ok the big thing in here is at first she says Jack Abramoff, then when she is reciting the report she says Abramoff and his associates the key word being associates. Now it might seemIlike i am just playing a game of semantics, buy there is a huge difference. Jack Abramoff is going to jail in part for bilking his associates, mainly Native Americans who are traditionally democrat supporters so it is not unusual that they contributed money to the democrat's. The crime is not donating money the crime is buying votes. So if my friend Peter gets his credit card stole and at the same time gives me $50. I am part of his credit card getting stolen? That is what reports are saying when they mention Democrats also get money from Jack Abramoff's associates.

Here is the Abramoff part of the interview and here you can find the whole interview but you will have to look through the video section (I don't think they keep them up long so if it is not close to the date you might of missed it).

Holy shit! I just wrote all this and my stupid computer closed my browser. Luckily they have a recover post that got all this back for me. Otherwise you would all think I was cool with Katie.

Update 1/27: They tried to clear up what they said today, but still missed the boat on the difference of donations and the Abramoff scandal. (for some reason the spell checker messed up some of the words. I went through and tried to fix what I could. The spell checker is junk.)

Links

Here is some stuff of interest I found on the web.

With press like this Vogue picks Feingold as 'man of the moment'
how can he not get elected president.

Something to read to your kids before they go to bed, Congressman Seuss

Some guy wrote a book called something like the top 100 people destroying America. There was only something like 3 conservatives on the list the rest were liberals. I generally blame the party that controls the white house, senate, congress and the judiciary with the faults of the country. Here is a list of 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2005 my friend Peter sent me. And in answer to exhibit A in 4, mine is 19 on your list.

Here are a bunch of poll numbers on bush broken down into different catagories for anyone interested.

I am a big fan of the daily Kos more so I am a fan of the actual guy kos. His take on the filibuster fight here is a good example of why. Although I don't think they should do a filibust if they can't win since all it will do is set a president for the republicans when Feingold is president.


I will keep adding to this as I find stuff until I start a new one. So look for updates.

Attacking the union

With the massive lay offs by ford and other automakers recently the news (especially NBC) have been blaming this on the union negotiated health care and pensions packages. Since when has health care become a luxury item that workers should be blame for having and the problem with the pension plans is the company didn't finance them like they were suppose to, so now there is no money in them. Hardly the workers fault.

During the coverage of the Detroit auto show I couldn't believe what I was seeing, although I wasn't surprised. All the American companies were rolling out SUVs and muscle cars while all the other companies were rolling out hybrids and other fuel efficient cars. I have no idea why someone wouldn't get a fuel efficient car? With China modernizing and the increasing instability of the middle east I think the days of cheap gas are long gone. A hard working union man has no other option than to buy a foreign car. There was also a big to do about China marketing its first car in America. A bare bones car with no frills and a low sticker price. Exactly the type of car the American companies say Americans are not interested in. So it shouldn't be a problem right?

In the end how can you blame the workers for wanting to go to the doctor when they are sick or have a decent life after their working days are done when the management miscalculated the future by so much. Maybe we should take away their retirement packages and seven figure salaries since they are the ones who screwed this all up.

Update: Since writing this I seen a daily show clip that fits perfectly, the clip titled Disassembly line

Canada goes Conservative

As you may have seen the conservative party won the election in Canada yesterday. However I think this can be miss interpreted in our country. The conservatives won because the liberals had ethical/corruption problems. I find the results of this election very promising for the democrat's to make some big gains in November.

I keep hearing from the media that because of gerrymandering there isn't that many competitive seats. But I am not buying it. Corruption is corruption and the republicans have way too many scandal's unfolding this year to hope for partisan voters to unitedly stick behind them. I don't think their core will vote democratic. I just think they will stay home.

However I don't feel the democrats will gain control of anything. I think they will get close to gaining control in congress but end up a few seats shy and will gain about four senate seats. 2008 will be their big year.

We shall see what happens. There is a lot that is going to happen between now and November. I just wanted to get some predictions down.

It took me five post until I wrote about politics. You had to see it coming.

My friend Peter

I don't want to use peoples name on here. This is public, so I would feel the need to ask before I mentioned anyone by name. More so I want to feel free to express a point without it seeming like I am attacking a individual. So I decided to use the term "My friend Peter" when I am talking about a friend. I don't really have a friend Peter (at least that I can think of). The term comes from a alkaline trio song, also I have a relative that has a friend Peter and refers to him as my friend Peter. I find this funny since he has never even heard of alkaline trio. I tried to explain it to him, but I think he just thought I was being weird.

So anyway when I write stuff like "My friend Peter is so awesome it made me cry! He's way more awesome than Chuck Norris or Mr. T or a combination of the two!" I am not really writing about a guy named Peter.

2 hour monkey

Some patience will be needed with me on this. I figured for the most part I was just going to be filling in blanks. More and more I am learning there is a lot of room to customize here. To put the links up I had to go into the code to add them. I was more than a little intimidated and ended up deleting the whole links section. After about a hours worth a work I got it back and some links up. Now this morning it took me two hours to get that monkey on my site.

Well I am learning and with help from my friend Peter I should get the hang of this pretty soon.

Anyway the links and the monkey were just things that I through up. Hopefully I will get a real picture of me (anyone have a good one? Email it to me) and some better links up soon.

Anticommercial

I just watched the movie "Wal-mart: the high cost of low price". As someone who already knows that wal-mart is a business I don't want to support, I really wasn't expecting to learn anything new or find myself hating the company anymore then I do now. And in the end my opinion hadn't changed.

The thing that I did find very interesting about the movie was the anticommercial aspect of it. I wasn't expecting to see a unbiased movie, but I was intrigued at how much it felt like I was watching a commercial. Only this commercial was meant to keep me from going to the store. Also it was very much made for a target audience. The kid that had tattoos and large piercing never mentioned what his politics were but every middle age, white, southern, male would comment, "I am a conservative republican". I know the unions had a lot to do with getting this movie out. It made me wonder if we will see more and more of this type of stuff.

What and Why.

I figure the best way to start this off is to tell you what you can expect Here. Mostly I will be posting the great random thoughts I have. The subject will vary from movie/book reviews, things that happen to me and my opinions and view of the world. This is not going to be a diary.

I will try to write a couple of times a week, but being knew to this I may find that I don't have that much to talk about. We shall see. Also I hope to keep my post on the shorter side. I know when I read blogs I tend to pass over the long ones.

My goal is to hopefully entertain, give insight to my life and provoke thought. Also as an amateur novelist I figure it will be good practice to write somewhat regularly.

So anyways I hope you find this interesting and come to check out what I have to say from time to time.

Jon