Flipping through NPR's homepage, I saw an interesting little link: Are You Better Off Than Four Years Ago?
My answer to that is fortunately a resounding "Yes." That has precious little to do with Obama, however--I've taken plenty of steps in my own life to better my position.
I've changed jobs, changed industries, mated my work ethic to fortunate circumstances, gotten back to school.
One can make a healthy argument in either direction whether or not Obama has any direct effect on my improved fortune. Personally, I don't think it's as cut and dried as that--it's shades of gray, partial truths, incomplete data.
I tend to think anyone would have bailed out the insurance, auto, and banking industries had they been in the hot seat (Looking at you here, Ryan). I don't care about your stance on public debt; if you're faced with the certain downsizing of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of jobs, you're sending the cash. No President will knowingly hurt the economy, period. No President will go out on a limb if there's a chance the next Depression can be blamed on him.
What's that got to do with me? The overall health of the economy is crucial to the well-being of my industry, my company, my job. If the consumer isn't spending on luxuries, I don't have a job. If staving off total disaster was the only thing Obama accomplished this term, I'm grateful for that.
Fun Fact: when I answered the question (morning of 9/4/12) there had been 649 clicks--390 saying "Yes," 165 "No," and 94 "The same." Totally not scientific, and I wonder what effect the target audience (NPR listeners with internet access and free time) has on the results...
Tuesday
International Angle: South Africans Decide NOT to Use Apartheid-era Law Afterall
So let's say you're out on strike. While you're out on the picket line, a group of your union brothers and sisters gets a lil rowdy, and starts throwing rocks at the cops. The cops open fire with lethal force (as they do) and kill a bunch of the picket line. Turn the page.
You're charged with the murder of those other picketers. The ones the cops shot. Because the picketers were throwing rocks. While you were chanting slogans.
No folks, that's not a plot hole. That's just the gut reaction of the South African government when police opened fire on a group of miners refusing to go back to work. Interestingly enough, the law forming the basis for this decision was designed by the apartheid-era government in order to keep the black population down.
Consistency. It's a myth.
But apparently prosecutors figured out this isn't the wisest move, and "provisionally dropped charges."
You're charged with the murder of those other picketers. The ones the cops shot. Because the picketers were throwing rocks. While you were chanting slogans.
No folks, that's not a plot hole. That's just the gut reaction of the South African government when police opened fire on a group of miners refusing to go back to work. Interestingly enough, the law forming the basis for this decision was designed by the apartheid-era government in order to keep the black population down.
Consistency. It's a myth.
But apparently prosecutors figured out this isn't the wisest move, and "provisionally dropped charges."
Local Corner: High School Student Incites Panic?
This is a cute one, and speaks directly to the balance between prevention and paranoia.
In a nutshell, a Gahanna high school student is arrested because he made a few tweets and posted two videos. I watched the video--it's still up, as there's no particular reason for it not to be--and I can definitely see how it might concern people.
Especially suburban parents. Especially in an era where we're no longer shocked when someone DOES decide to commit an act of violence at a school. So I do not blame parents or students from getting creeped out, and contacting the cops.
What does trouble me is the fact that the sum of all these parts is supposed to make a felony. This troubles me on several levels:
Like I said, I get why the cops were called. Especially because of tweets that were sent to specific people. It's unnerving, and it was quite correctly checked out by authorities.
My problem is with authorities finding nothing more serious than some self-righteous kid with a Youtube account trying to play at being a big bad political activist, and charging him with a felony. Just what we need, more suburban kids who will never find meaningful employment.
But maybe there's more to this. No word on what was found when the home was searched, and the school isn't talking about the kid himself. But from what I'm seeing, this is just a poorly thought out statement by a kid who simply didn't think out the possible repercussions.
In a nutshell, a Gahanna high school student is arrested because he made a few tweets and posted two videos. I watched the video--it's still up, as there's no particular reason for it not to be--and I can definitely see how it might concern people.
Especially suburban parents. Especially in an era where we're no longer shocked when someone DOES decide to commit an act of violence at a school. So I do not blame parents or students from getting creeped out, and contacting the cops.
What does trouble me is the fact that the sum of all these parts is supposed to make a felony. This troubles me on several levels:
- This video is more mild than the average Baptist sermon. "I just wanted to let you all know how you live your lives is dangerous and wrong and you have grown weak-minded and pathetic." Really? This is inciting panic?
- I've said the same thing to employees, though in less-blunt terms.
- There are entire think-tanks full of people paid comfortable salaries to publish papers to this same effect.
- Is it a threat because the production value is low? If it was polished it'd be edgy?
- "Next time we meet I will have something more interesting to show you all." I don't read this as dramatic foreshadowing--as in, "next time I'll have pictures of a blown-up school." I read this as, "Hey keep watching for my next video cuz I know this one kinda sucks but I'll get better!"
- Do you remember being 16? Do you remember having it all figured out, knowing it all, and helplessly watching people fuck up their lives every day? It was frustrating, wasn't it? You just wanted to scream from the rooftops how stupid they all were, didn't you? Well, at least I did.
- Since when is "I'm not going to hurt anyone" taken as a threat? Have we completely lost the ability as a society to even consider something at face value?
Like I said, I get why the cops were called. Especially because of tweets that were sent to specific people. It's unnerving, and it was quite correctly checked out by authorities.
My problem is with authorities finding nothing more serious than some self-righteous kid with a Youtube account trying to play at being a big bad political activist, and charging him with a felony. Just what we need, more suburban kids who will never find meaningful employment.
But maybe there's more to this. No word on what was found when the home was searched, and the school isn't talking about the kid himself. But from what I'm seeing, this is just a poorly thought out statement by a kid who simply didn't think out the possible repercussions.
Clint Eastwood
So if you haven't seen it yet, ABC News has the full 11-odd minutes of Clint Eastwood rambling here.
What do I think about this? I can sum it up in a few short bullet points.
What do I think about this? I can sum it up in a few short bullet points.
- This is funny
- Clint is an old man
- He's saying a lot of things that neither Mitt nor Ryan can say
- It's supposedly unscripted (I'll buy that) so we can't blame the RNC for it
- Clint is 82 damn years old
- How many 82 year old men do you know don't ramble?
- It has nothing to do with anything
- Except maybe pulling attention away from the issues at hand.
While we're all pointing and laughing at a batty old man being obscene and hawking old catch phrases, Mitt isn't answering any questions. Ryan is also not having to account for the gross inaccuracies in HIS speech. We're all too busy talking about Clint Eastwood, who means exactly "fuck-all" to the future of this country's government.
I'm getting just cynical enough to believe this WAS some stunt Clint was put up to (or came up with himself, the man IS a smart dude) to muddy the waters. Not that the average American voter tries too hard to see through the murk--that's not the point.
The point is, if someone IS to say, "Wait a minute, why exactly did Ryan make all that crap up?" and start looking into the facts there had better be plenty of distractions and obstacles in the way. And Clint Eastwood being loony-tunes is a WONDERFUL distraction.
That's really all I have to say about Clint and his chair.
Monday
I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaack
So. It's been...quite some time now. I've quite honestly not had a lot to say, and not a lot of time to say it in.
But maybe, just maybe, it's time to try again. Because things are...troubling. Too many people screaming, not enough people thinking. Thinking's my strong suit--I probably do too much of that.
So I should share some of these thoughts, release-valve style. Because when one keeps thoughts bottled up too long, they tend to take on a life of their own.
And that's how we end up with random acts of violence.
So sit back, and join the non-existent crowds already enjoying these random acts of ranting (which, I think we can all agree, are far better than violence).
But maybe, just maybe, it's time to try again. Because things are...troubling. Too many people screaming, not enough people thinking. Thinking's my strong suit--I probably do too much of that.
So I should share some of these thoughts, release-valve style. Because when one keeps thoughts bottled up too long, they tend to take on a life of their own.
And that's how we end up with random acts of violence.
So sit back, and join the non-existent crowds already enjoying these random acts of ranting (which, I think we can all agree, are far better than violence).
Wednesday
Santorum Leading in Ohio?
Delegate Count!
Mitt: 105/1144
Newt: 29/1144
Ron: 18/1144
Ricky: 71/1144
Source: NY Times
***
So in an unrelated search, I came across this article about a recent poll of Ohio Republicans. The upshot is that among the 4 candidates, Ricky is at the front of the pack by 7% points in the new Quinnipiac poll. This isn't a huge shock to me.
Ohio is a rather conservative state, outside the city. In Columbus, we celebrate gay culture (if that's even a valid term), but in the state at large we write second-class status for homosexuals into the state Constitution. We vote people into office who think a valid use of government time is to make laws closing down porn shops and strip clubs. You can't travel between two major cities without seeing billboards about hell and damnation, or the ten commandments (link is to a story about an identical billboard in Kentucky tho). Suffice to say, there's a significant number of people in this state who love Jesus in many of his intolerant forms.
So does it surprise me that Santorum is striking a nerve with the devout in Ohio? Nope. Not one tiny bit. Is it upsetting? Only a little. We are talking about a tiny percentage of the state, the ones likely to vote in the March 6th primary. And we all know primaries do little besides bring the wingnuts out of the woodwork, so I gotta take this with a grain of salt.
Mitt: 105/1144
Newt: 29/1144
Ron: 18/1144
Ricky: 71/1144
Source: NY Times
***
So in an unrelated search, I came across this article about a recent poll of Ohio Republicans. The upshot is that among the 4 candidates, Ricky is at the front of the pack by 7% points in the new Quinnipiac poll. This isn't a huge shock to me.
Ohio is a rather conservative state, outside the city. In Columbus, we celebrate gay culture (if that's even a valid term), but in the state at large we write second-class status for homosexuals into the state Constitution. We vote people into office who think a valid use of government time is to make laws closing down porn shops and strip clubs. You can't travel between two major cities without seeing billboards about hell and damnation, or the ten commandments (link is to a story about an identical billboard in Kentucky tho). Suffice to say, there's a significant number of people in this state who love Jesus in many of his intolerant forms.
So does it surprise me that Santorum is striking a nerve with the devout in Ohio? Nope. Not one tiny bit. Is it upsetting? Only a little. We are talking about a tiny percentage of the state, the ones likely to vote in the March 6th primary. And we all know primaries do little besides bring the wingnuts out of the woodwork, so I gotta take this with a grain of salt.
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