Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Bush baby...
I've been reading about the Bush administration and its unbelievably horrible record of stripping away consumer protections, shifting the tax burden to middle and low income people, raping environmental law, ruining American prestige abroad, and generally being bad people.
I, of course, had made up my mind about Bush a long time ago and was saddened but not surprised to read the litany of depravity, wanton malfeasance, and greed
that constitutes his presidency. I kept seeing references to his "fanatically loyal" followers tho, and I got to thinking.
The anti-Bush community is large and becoming more and more vocal on the internet and on TV. His popularity and approval rankings are in the toilet and have been for some time. Yet he still manages to get some things done, he still has support. Where does this support come from? I googled "support our president" and found some eye opening (for me) stuff.
Pray for the President is more or less exactly what the name says, a perfect indicator of Bush's popularity among America's traditional Christian voters.
More politically oriented is Free Republic (an), a site dedicated to "grass-roots conservatism"...interesting look at the other side of the fence...
Curious how these folks are still behind Bush, after all his conservatism is a thin veneer concealing good old fashioned meanness and avarice and a basic lack of the "compassion" he tries to lay claim to. As for the religious right...well, as long as they are in the upper tax brackets they should be happy enough, but most rural churchgoing folks I know aren't really in a position to take advantage of the myriad tax dodges for millionaires Bush rammed through Congress...
I, of course, had made up my mind about Bush a long time ago and was saddened but not surprised to read the litany of depravity, wanton malfeasance, and greed
that constitutes his presidency. I kept seeing references to his "fanatically loyal" followers tho, and I got to thinking.
The anti-Bush community is large and becoming more and more vocal on the internet and on TV. His popularity and approval rankings are in the toilet and have been for some time. Yet he still manages to get some things done, he still has support. Where does this support come from? I googled "support our president" and found some eye opening (for me) stuff.
Pray for the President is more or less exactly what the name says, a perfect indicator of Bush's popularity among America's traditional Christian voters.
More politically oriented is Free Republic (an), a site dedicated to "grass-roots conservatism"...interesting look at the other side of the fence...
Curious how these folks are still behind Bush, after all his conservatism is a thin veneer concealing good old fashioned meanness and avarice and a basic lack of the "compassion" he tries to lay claim to. As for the religious right...well, as long as they are in the upper tax brackets they should be happy enough, but most rural churchgoing folks I know aren't really in a position to take advantage of the myriad tax dodges for millionaires Bush rammed through Congress...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Zowie!
K and I have been bandying about the notion of buying a house...she really wants to settle in, but I keep balking at how much homes cost here and the fact that they are like cars...once bought they depreciate immediately.
I related to her that in the US, homes are considered investments...built to last and usually worth more when it comes time to sell than when you bought it. Then I saw this. Funny thing is, we used to live just down the street from that house...25 years ago...
All of a sudden, Japanese real estate ain't looking so bad.
I related to her that in the US, homes are considered investments...built to last and usually worth more when it comes time to sell than when you bought it. Then I saw this. Funny thing is, we used to live just down the street from that house...25 years ago...
All of a sudden, Japanese real estate ain't looking so bad.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Caption Contest Anyone?
Came across this picture posted in the hall of the hotle we stayed at in Nagano last weekend. I can't love it any more than I possible do right now...but I do wonder what exactly is going on ...
I'd love to hear what you folks out there think the folks in there are saying....
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Third time's a charm!
I've been learning judo for about six months now. Its a lot of fun, a good workout, and a very good way to meet interesting folks. I've lost some weight, learned some things, and hurt some people.
Funny thing about that.
In the six months since I started, I've had three fairly significant injuries. First, I pulled my groin doing practice falls...I was scared and tense, and just pulled it. That sidelined me for a week or so.
Then, on about christmas time, I stepped funny and bent my big toe back under my foot, spraining it pretty badly. It took a little over two weeks before I was ready to try it out again.
Just the other day, training at the local prison, I got my third, and arguably most serious injury. The prison is run by the prefecture, and as a public institution, its gym is open to the public...kinda. The prison guards are required to practice martial arts a certain number of hours per week, and as long as you know a bit about what you are doing, you are welcome to join in the practice sessions. Wednesday was about my fourth time out to the prison...I was getting better...getting some confidence....when BAM! a stocky little dude tossed me on my shoulder, dislocating it. Hurt like a @#$$@##%.
Apparently, a dislocated shoulder is one of the most common injuries in judo, and just the week before at the prison, I had done basically the same thing to one of the guards...tendon Karma perhaps. I'm taking care of it tho....
One problem....tomorrow is skiing in Nagano, the last trip of the season...and I can't not go....its gonna be interesting....
Funny thing about that.
In the six months since I started, I've had three fairly significant injuries. First, I pulled my groin doing practice falls...I was scared and tense, and just pulled it. That sidelined me for a week or so.
Then, on about christmas time, I stepped funny and bent my big toe back under my foot, spraining it pretty badly. It took a little over two weeks before I was ready to try it out again.
Just the other day, training at the local prison, I got my third, and arguably most serious injury. The prison is run by the prefecture, and as a public institution, its gym is open to the public...kinda. The prison guards are required to practice martial arts a certain number of hours per week, and as long as you know a bit about what you are doing, you are welcome to join in the practice sessions. Wednesday was about my fourth time out to the prison...I was getting better...getting some confidence....when BAM! a stocky little dude tossed me on my shoulder, dislocating it. Hurt like a @#$$@##%.
Apparently, a dislocated shoulder is one of the most common injuries in judo, and just the week before at the prison, I had done basically the same thing to one of the guards...tendon Karma perhaps. I'm taking care of it tho....
One problem....tomorrow is skiing in Nagano, the last trip of the season...and I can't not go....its gonna be interesting....
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