What Is Up With Politics Today?

Looks like Bill managed to come to an agreement that will allow Hillary to become secretary of state.  I think this is great news for a number of reasons.  One, I think it nice that two people who fought against each other for so long can now work together.  Two, it’s nice to see Bill stepping away from his work to support his wife after all of the years she did the same for him.  I know it can’t be easy for him to step away from his foundation but the fact that he is willing to do so his wife can further her career is just sweet.  All around goodness from Obama picking a former rival to hubby standing behind the little woman. 

PS

I was all worried about finding something good for today and when I logged on this morning this story was on my yahoo page.  Yahoooooo.

Ok I admit it.  I’m two days in and having a darned hard time finding good things to say about politics that don’t revolve around Obama being the greatest guy on earth.  So….I found a Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwaanza song to share instead.  :o)  Yeah, I know I should be getting paid as much as I promote Zimmerman but he’s just so darned good and he makes me happy and he’s upbeat and dang it the best news I could find today was that BF sales were better than expected and I refuse to go on about that in light of what else happened yesterday so…holiday cheer it is.

As for how this relates to politics…well freedom of relgion and all that.  A stretch I know.  I promise to start looking early for good political deeds/news/acts etc. tomorrow morning. 

Happy Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwaanza! 

Even when he talks about all of the bad/depressing things that are going on in our country he still manages to make me feel hopeful and thankful.  Because of that I think this speech is a great way to start my positivity campaign.  How great is it that we are about to have a president who people want to listen to?  A president who is all about hope and being positive without sticking his head in the sand about the problems we do need to address and overcome.  If you didn’t get a chance to watch the Thanksgiving address you can watch it below and enjoy the good vibes

Lately most of the news, political or otherwise, has been rather depressing and not likely to put anyone in the mood to be thankful or jolly.  However, there are bound to be some happy or uplifting news moments and I’m determined to find the ones that have to do with politics.  Which brings me to today’s post.  To truly try and be thankful and merry this year I will post on at least one happy/upbeat/cheerful political something (I’m qualifying by something because if I can’t find anything in the news I may resort to ‘something’ else) each day till December 25th.  I’m not saying snark is on hold till the New Years but I am going to do the up thing as well at least once a day, dang it ;) 

Time to put the happy back in the holidays

What is it I understand?  I understand why the country is the way it is.  I didn’t before…I thought that people were like me and open minded and rational, but I see now that I was wrong.  The majority of people are stupid and completely and totally irrational.  Yeah…that’s BS I’ve known for awhile that most people don’t see the world I do but I guess I thought they had reasons for disagreeing with me. 

Anywho what got me started on this little rant is a visit to my doctor.  I was stuck waiting for X-Rays for that pesky ankle and the radiology sections was packed with people talking politics.  I was happy for about two seconds till I heard the blathering…and was told the wait would be about an hour.  I tried to ignore them but the stupidity of the conversation finally did me in.  I’m only going to give you one snippet because I don’t want you all to have to suffer the way I did, but I do want you to suffer.  

First, the actors.

Older Gentleman – Nic e, opinionated but knowledgeable.

Older woman – Condescending, far right, rich (mummy drives a jag…papa was a ceo for some oil company…shoot me) opinionated but not knowledgeable.

Younger woman- Hispanic and apparently pretty well off

Setting – general discussion of the financial crisis.

Older woman – Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing he doesn’t have any business experience

Me: but he is appointing people to advise him who do have that experience

Older gentleman: (general agreement and referral to early portion of conversation)

Me: and he has quite a bit of other experience in various situations that could prove useful.  He was a college professor (thanks three…was going to point out that he would know what the government could and couldn’t do legally which would be useful with all of the government intervention that is sure to be coming up but NOoooooo)

Older woman:  Being a teacher and a businessman are two different things…you can’t become a third grade teacher by writing a paper.

Me: Uhm…I’m sorry I have no idea what point you are trying to make.

Older woman: Never mind the point is we should have elected someone who knew about business.

Me: Like McCain?

Older woman: He’d be better.

Me:  Ah…well maybe my understanding of his biographical information is off but I didn’t think he had any experience with business.

Older woman: Well he was in the war.

::my head explodes::

So yeah…an hour of that.   And being told Muslims are evil…that the 3^rd world war will be because of religion and it will be all the Muslims fault.  No reasoning with the chicks on this one…oh and the US had nothing to do with creating bin Laden , nope he’s just evil and I shouldn’t defend him and I just want ‘them’ to be able to come over and shoot her in the head (according to her).

So yeah…I understand now.  I should never leave my home and if I do I should go with an IPOD so I don’t have to hear the stupid people.

Much has been said about the huge gains the stock market managed over the last two business days and how great the bail out for Citigroup is and how great Obama’s economic advisor choices are but…

I really hate roller coasters.  I hate them a lot.  They make me ridiculously dizzy and when I’m forced on one all I want to do is lay down for the next two days and recover.  I like control…I like stability…I like routine and yes, I like predictability.  The up and down of the stock market is driving me crazy.  More so because it doesn’t seem like there are real reasons for the drastic fluctuations.  I mean it’s the Greater Depression and we’re all doomed…followed by Biggest Gain in Decades! is a bit much for me. 

One or the other, please!  I can handle either, really.  But batting me back and forth like a cat with yarn is starting to get annoying.  Not sure exactly who I’m annoyed with…investors? The media? The government? The business that can’t handle their own business? 

Let me off the ride.

If I were a cynical person I would have thought this was a publicity stunt.  A stunt that could have been created or that could be opportunistic…if I was a cynical person. 

*disclaimer: I know all Islamic fighters are not part of al-Qaeda but…I imagine a conversation among the upper level members of al-Qaeda going something like this.

Person 1:  People hate us.

Person 2: Yeah.

Person 1: We need good press.

Person 2: Yeah. . . but everyone thinks we’re extremist radicals that don’t care about the average person.

Person 1: We’ll find something to do people will like

Person 2: Got any ideas?

As a matter of fact…..

Plot A  Let’s get in the piracy business.  We can fun our operations and then we can go in and save the day earning some much needed good publicity.

Plot B  Look at all of the ships being hijacked.  That’s a pretty good idea except they are stealing from other Muslims…. This is a great opportunity!  We’ll move in, save the tanker, and look like heroes garnering much needed good publicity.   

I can’t think of much good press that begins with “Islamic fighters’ can you?  This is a fantastic opportunity for them to show the world that they are responsible and caring neighbors.  Yeah, I know I read/watch too much mystery and intrigue but you have to admit…as a plot it doesn’t suck.

I don’t know if you are familiar with Onion News, but if you aren’t….you really really should be.  They have a YouTube channel and a website you can check out.  Cracks me up on a pretty regular basis.  I’ve done enough arguing and head bashing for the day so I thought I’d share the funny.

Kind of makes sense though right?  I mean we do through money into these projects with the same ‘because we always have’ reasoning.  And the money fire?  Heck, at least that’d be pretty to watch. 

What is your favorite government money hole?  Insurance….war….bank bail outs? 

I don’t know why but the fact that any group is denied basic civil rights over what kind of sex they like (I mean really, homosexuals are doing what most straight people I know do…and how would you like it if the government told you you couldn’t get married because of what you liked to do at home with you beloved? Hmm? tell me?)  just irks me no end so I was looking at the Constitution trying to figure out if I had a reason to be pissed.  I thought, hey, maybe I’m off base…so I’ll check it out. 

Amendment 10:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

Ok….I’ll give you that on the surface that makes it look like a state’s rights issue what with the reserved to the states bit BUT there is also that to the people bit…I know popular election puts it in the hands of the people.  Don’t worry I’m way ahead of you…

Amendment 9

“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

Hmm…that pesky people bit again

Amendment 14 Section 1

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherin they reside.  No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United State; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Several things to notice here…the word privileges for one.  People talk about marriage being a privilege and not a right…I got your privileges ;)  The rest of it pretty much says to me you aren’t allowed to screw with privileges or rights….so no matter which side of the fence you go down on (privilege or right) marriage is covered.  Marriage is definitely one or the other and the government is definitely involved (otherwise we wouldn’t change tax status for married couples and we wouldn’t charge for marriage licenses or divorces or any of the other ways that the government screws with a ‘married’ couples money)

Now for the semantics bit.  Maybe we all just need to use different words…words are powerful and evoke powerful reactions in people.  I’ll even give you that various religions (see I’m not even going to nitpick that religion was used as government for the longest time) have a claim on the word marriage.  So let’s not regulate marriage…

Let’s regulate something called cohabitation….or a civil union… or some other term that won’t rile people up.  I think it is kind of how some women get pissed if they are called a whore or a bitch.  Neither word is (usually) accurate so they aren’t upset at the actual definition (she isn’t really a female dog) but more the emotion it evokes (I mean….logically if you aren’t taking money for sex and someone calls you a whore why would you be upset? …heck if you are taking money for sex and someone calls you a whore why would you be upset?) Being a bit random, sorry.

My point is…the government is regulating cohabitation at the moment and by making laws that prohibit consenting adults from enjoying the legal benefits of cohabitation they are denying said consenting adults of their Constitutional right of “equal protection of the laws”

Now if you still think people should be denied those Constitutional rights, please….lay it out for me and back it up with a legal reason.  I’m not interested in what your religion has to say about my sex life or anyone else’s sex life.  That concerns you…not my government….so legal defenses only.