Ok, I never do this, and I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm not a very political person. I don't follow party talking points and I don't vote party lines. While I'm registered Republican, I don't consider myself a Republican. I consider myself a Reaganite. For the record, I have been a supporter of John McCain for the last 8 years and am thrilled that I will finally have the opportunity to thank him for his lifetime of service to our country by casting a ballot for him for president.
That said, I have a few 'talking points' of my own to make about this coming election.
When I look at the state of our great nation, I know we need a change. There are many things wrong with our economy, our policies and yes, our politicians.
First and foremost, my one pet peeve about politics are the political parties. Why do we need these? Why do we have to have something that fosters an "us vs. them" mentality on every blessed topic? Why can't people run for office on personal merit rather than party talking points? Why?? George Washington himself was suspect of parties, realizing early on that they were more divisive than anything else. It serves absolutely no one to have this constant tug of war over everything from major policy changes to the smallest minutia of every day governing. Bipartisanship is a good thing, and I know that John McCain thinks this way as well...just witness his relationship with Joe Lieberman.
That brings me to my next point. How many of our elected officials are willing to stand up for what they believe in? Not a whole hell of a lot, to be sure. Regardless of their party affiliations, so many of the men and women we hire by voting into office are too worried about offending the base that they blindly follow party talking points, regardless of whether or not they are good for the constituency and the country. Joe Lieberman is an exception to the rule. He formed his own opinion on Iraq and followed thru on it, even at the expense of his party support and nomination for reelection. I can't have anything but respect for someone willing to lose everything in order to stay true to their own principles.
Now, changes in our policies and the economy are harder topics to discuss. Everyone has his or her own ideas on things. Some people are for gay marriage. Others dead set against it. Personally? I don't see what the big deal is. There are some gay couples who've been monogamous far longer than some straight couples. And who am I to judge? As the good book says, judge not, lest ye be judged. Abortion is a volatile topic as well. As a woman, I find myself to be pro choice. I don't know that I would ever have an abortion, but I want the ability to make that decision for myself, should I ever be in the position to have to make an agonizing choice like that. Economic policies, trade restrictions, taxes...major, major topics in this election year. I don't know much, but I do know one thing: making changes to most everything I've mentioned here would take an act of congress. Very little power has the president on his own (wow...how Yoda~like of me!)
Now, that brings me to John McCain. Yes, I like him. I have liked him for 8 years now. I like that he talks TO me, not AT me. I like that he can make a joke and take one too. I like that he's soft spoken and compassionate. I like that he doesn't care what party you subscribe to as long as you are willing to have an open mind and work together. I like that this is a man who has spent his entire life in service to his country, and has both the physical and emotional scars to prove it. I like that, despite what has happened to this man because of his service, he still believes, like Ronald Reagan did before him, that America is inherently good. That our country is the "shining city on the hill". I like that John McCain puts country first. I like that John McCain is proud to be an American.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
TV's Mike Rowe Sings A Capella
The back story here is that Mike Rowe's former high school music teacher and choirmaster, Fred King, passed away recently. Mike, along with 3 other men he used to sing with in high school, sang a little tribute to their teacher.
I think it must be quite a wonderful testament to the kind of man Fred King was that so many of his former students thought so highly of him to turn out for this service. This must have been of great comfort to the King family, and I'm sure that somewhere, Fred King was smiling.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
TV's Mike Rowe Works...
And summer is over. Labor Day weekend, as is it's custom, escorts summer out as our children go back to school and we go back to work.
After a refreshing weekend at the shore where I took too much sun and bought too many new pairs of flip flops (oh come on...if you could get ElizaB's half price, you'd buy them too!) I returned home and to work and to the internet.
I was surprised to see what greeted me over on the dirty jobs board...it was a link...a link to a site Mike Rowe had set up...something called "mikeroweWORKS".
Of course I clicked on it.
Not quite sure what it is, though.
Oh, there was a 7 minute long video of Mike, standing in his dining room, beer on the table in the background, talking to the camera about the role of the modern day proletariat, vis a vis something or other, invoking images of Rosie the Riveter, talking about our crumbling infrastructure yadda yadda yadda....it's all stuff I've heard him say over and over again, from the Fast Company article to posts right there on the DJMB.
Now, I understand, in theory, what the man is attempting to do.
He wants to get the word out that there ARE indeed other opportunities out there besides college. There are careers that are good, albeit dirty. He wants to be, in effect, a public relations firm for the blue collar worker.
A noble cause, to be sure.
But...what, exactly IS mikeroweWORKS? HOW is he going to get opinions and ideals to change? What is his mission statement? What are the goals? What are the steps being taken to achieve these goals? Every successful campaign has a firm mission statement, with a clear and concise idea of the steps being taken to reach intermittent goals en route to the ultimate goal.
Now, everyone who knows me knows that I do, indeed, love Mike Rowe. He entertains me, and makes me smile. He's a thinking woman's sexy. So, with that said, I have a few things to say about Mike Rowe and his works:
Rosie the Riveter: UR DOIN' IT WRONG.
Mike chooses to use the image of Rosie as an icon of the working man, a champion calling men and women to careers in industry. Nice idea, but not exactly right. Rosie was WW2 propaganda designed to get women out of the home and into the factories during the war to keep the country going. They were there to replace the men who left the factories empty while they were off fighting in Europe and the Pacific theaters. Without the women taking up the gauntlet and keeping industry going so the country could survive and so supplies could continue to the military, our war effort could all have been for naught. THAT is who Rosie the Riveter is.
The Proletariat: Where are the Marx Brothers when you need them?
Mike chooses to use the term "modern day proletariat" to describe the blue collar worker. But...why? Why use such a negative word, Mike? A word that conjures up images of a dingy gray Cold War Soviet Union, where masses of people stand in line, hoping for a loaf of bread while Red Army guards stand watching? Why use a word so closely associated with Communism and the Iron Curtain? Is it because it's a big twenty-five cent word that makes you sound smart? Or do you not think that those you are speaking to and of will 'get' the negative connotation? I'll lend a hand. Here is the dictionary.com definition of proletariat: "The lower classes; beggars." Case, rested.
Our Crumbling Infrastructure: What Infrastructure?
Ok, this is where Mike really loses me. Is he saying that the infrastructure of our nation, which we all know IS crumbling, is crumbling because we lack the labor to maintain it? Because, if he is saying that, well, it's just not true. There is no shortage of manpower to restore and maintain things. What there IS a lack of are appropriations of funds by local, state and federal authorities in order TO maintain them. If a local government does not appropriate adequate funding for road maintenance, eventually those roads are going to fall apart. That bridge in Minnesota did not fall because there were no workers to repair and maintain it. The bridge in Minnesota fell because the authority charged with maintaining it did not appropriate adequate funding for it. This is the problem. Unemployment is high. People are out of work. People are skilled and willing to learn in order to earn a fair wage. Monies are not being earmarked to fix our roadways and bridges and our power grids. Monies are being funneled to special interests and pet projects instead. The only way Mike Rowe can change any of this is for him to change government by running for public office...in every town, county and state in this great nation of ours. Even TV's Mike Rowe can't do that.
I wish Mike and his works well. I hope he is able to reach whatever the goals of the endeavor are. Actually, I hope that eventually he is able to articulate clearly what those goals actually are. Only then will he be able to reach them!
After a refreshing weekend at the shore where I took too much sun and bought too many new pairs of flip flops (oh come on...if you could get ElizaB's half price, you'd buy them too!) I returned home and to work and to the internet.
I was surprised to see what greeted me over on the dirty jobs board...it was a link...a link to a site Mike Rowe had set up...something called "mikeroweWORKS".
Of course I clicked on it.
Not quite sure what it is, though.
Oh, there was a 7 minute long video of Mike, standing in his dining room, beer on the table in the background, talking to the camera about the role of the modern day proletariat, vis a vis something or other, invoking images of Rosie the Riveter, talking about our crumbling infrastructure yadda yadda yadda....it's all stuff I've heard him say over and over again, from the Fast Company article to posts right there on the DJMB.
Now, I understand, in theory, what the man is attempting to do.
He wants to get the word out that there ARE indeed other opportunities out there besides college. There are careers that are good, albeit dirty. He wants to be, in effect, a public relations firm for the blue collar worker.
A noble cause, to be sure.
But...what, exactly IS mikeroweWORKS? HOW is he going to get opinions and ideals to change? What is his mission statement? What are the goals? What are the steps being taken to achieve these goals? Every successful campaign has a firm mission statement, with a clear and concise idea of the steps being taken to reach intermittent goals en route to the ultimate goal.
Now, everyone who knows me knows that I do, indeed, love Mike Rowe. He entertains me, and makes me smile. He's a thinking woman's sexy. So, with that said, I have a few things to say about Mike Rowe and his works:
Rosie the Riveter: UR DOIN' IT WRONG.
Mike chooses to use the image of Rosie as an icon of the working man, a champion calling men and women to careers in industry. Nice idea, but not exactly right. Rosie was WW2 propaganda designed to get women out of the home and into the factories during the war to keep the country going. They were there to replace the men who left the factories empty while they were off fighting in Europe and the Pacific theaters. Without the women taking up the gauntlet and keeping industry going so the country could survive and so supplies could continue to the military, our war effort could all have been for naught. THAT is who Rosie the Riveter is.
The Proletariat: Where are the Marx Brothers when you need them?
Mike chooses to use the term "modern day proletariat" to describe the blue collar worker. But...why? Why use such a negative word, Mike? A word that conjures up images of a dingy gray Cold War Soviet Union, where masses of people stand in line, hoping for a loaf of bread while Red Army guards stand watching? Why use a word so closely associated with Communism and the Iron Curtain? Is it because it's a big twenty-five cent word that makes you sound smart? Or do you not think that those you are speaking to and of will 'get' the negative connotation? I'll lend a hand. Here is the dictionary.com definition of proletariat: "The lower classes; beggars." Case, rested.
Our Crumbling Infrastructure: What Infrastructure?
Ok, this is where Mike really loses me. Is he saying that the infrastructure of our nation, which we all know IS crumbling, is crumbling because we lack the labor to maintain it? Because, if he is saying that, well, it's just not true. There is no shortage of manpower to restore and maintain things. What there IS a lack of are appropriations of funds by local, state and federal authorities in order TO maintain them. If a local government does not appropriate adequate funding for road maintenance, eventually those roads are going to fall apart. That bridge in Minnesota did not fall because there were no workers to repair and maintain it. The bridge in Minnesota fell because the authority charged with maintaining it did not appropriate adequate funding for it. This is the problem. Unemployment is high. People are out of work. People are skilled and willing to learn in order to earn a fair wage. Monies are not being earmarked to fix our roadways and bridges and our power grids. Monies are being funneled to special interests and pet projects instead. The only way Mike Rowe can change any of this is for him to change government by running for public office...in every town, county and state in this great nation of ours. Even TV's Mike Rowe can't do that.
I wish Mike and his works well. I hope he is able to reach whatever the goals of the endeavor are. Actually, I hope that eventually he is able to articulate clearly what those goals actually are. Only then will he be able to reach them!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer
Here it is. The end of the summer. I'll be making my annual Labor Day pilgrimage to the Shore for my traditional summer fare thee well to the beach. My pale legs will surely reflect the sun more spectacularly than the sand ever could. Once again, my summer goal of "a really good tan" went unfulfilled.
Summer has a way of getting away from us, doesn't it?
We have 3 scant months to have a summer in. Those of us who work conventional office jobs have weekends, plus a couple of weeks worth of vacation in which to get our fill. Life, however, often interferes with those perfect beach days. Groceries need to be bought, and houses need to be cleaned. Errands demand attention while laundry beckons. As much as we want to lounge on the beach, ice cold bottle of Corona beside us, sweating droplets of condensation down its side and into the sand while we absently read a book, we don't always get our way.
Such was my summer.
Not that I'm complaining. I did have a pretty good summer. I started if off on Memorial Day weekend with the most AMAZING concert ever~a private Eric Clapton concert in a 2500 seat venue. Awesome and awe inspiring. I doubled my pleasure by the end of that week with an Eagles concert in a private box at MSG. Both of these shows were gratis...although some bugger did scratch my car in the lot across from the Garden. No worries though...what's an SUV without a little battle scar from the big, bad city?
I had a couple of nice weekends at the Borgata in Atlantic City which, while not profitable, proved to be relaxing and refreshing.
I did some shopping, netting a hot pair of Michael Kors silver sandals for a song (have I mentioned my Michael Kors obsession?) I also got the most adorable Michael Kors top on sale...what can I say? Adore him! The Coach outlet was kind to me as well, and I actually put the Louis Vuitton away for a bit to use a new Coach...but you know I just can't live too long without Louis ;)
I saw a couple of movies, and went to dinners with friends. I watched too many hours of Olympic coverage and my friend accidentally squirt ketchup all over himself as we laughed until we cried.
Alaskan King Crab was the critter du jour as Deadliest Catch fascinated me, along with Captain Jonathan of the Time Bandit. TV's Mike Rowe, well, what can I say? He's TV's Mike Rowe and always will be. I watched less FNC and more Discovery Channel. I know How It's Made, how to be a Mythbuster, what goes into making The Deadliest Catch and who is responsible for all those Dirty Jobs.
I laughed and cried and fell in and out of love. I made life changing decisions and changed my mind, only to contemplate them once more.
All in all, a pretty good summer...even if I didn't get that really great tan.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go start planning the annual Christmas Display. You know how quickly the holidays creep up on us once Labor Day is over!
Summer has a way of getting away from us, doesn't it?
We have 3 scant months to have a summer in. Those of us who work conventional office jobs have weekends, plus a couple of weeks worth of vacation in which to get our fill. Life, however, often interferes with those perfect beach days. Groceries need to be bought, and houses need to be cleaned. Errands demand attention while laundry beckons. As much as we want to lounge on the beach, ice cold bottle of Corona beside us, sweating droplets of condensation down its side and into the sand while we absently read a book, we don't always get our way.
Such was my summer.
Not that I'm complaining. I did have a pretty good summer. I started if off on Memorial Day weekend with the most AMAZING concert ever~a private Eric Clapton concert in a 2500 seat venue. Awesome and awe inspiring. I doubled my pleasure by the end of that week with an Eagles concert in a private box at MSG. Both of these shows were gratis...although some bugger did scratch my car in the lot across from the Garden. No worries though...what's an SUV without a little battle scar from the big, bad city?
I had a couple of nice weekends at the Borgata in Atlantic City which, while not profitable, proved to be relaxing and refreshing.
I did some shopping, netting a hot pair of Michael Kors silver sandals for a song (have I mentioned my Michael Kors obsession?) I also got the most adorable Michael Kors top on sale...what can I say? Adore him! The Coach outlet was kind to me as well, and I actually put the Louis Vuitton away for a bit to use a new Coach...but you know I just can't live too long without Louis ;)
I saw a couple of movies, and went to dinners with friends. I watched too many hours of Olympic coverage and my friend accidentally squirt ketchup all over himself as we laughed until we cried.
Alaskan King Crab was the critter du jour as Deadliest Catch fascinated me, along with Captain Jonathan of the Time Bandit. TV's Mike Rowe, well, what can I say? He's TV's Mike Rowe and always will be. I watched less FNC and more Discovery Channel. I know How It's Made, how to be a Mythbuster, what goes into making The Deadliest Catch and who is responsible for all those Dirty Jobs.
I laughed and cried and fell in and out of love. I made life changing decisions and changed my mind, only to contemplate them once more.
All in all, a pretty good summer...even if I didn't get that really great tan.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go start planning the annual Christmas Display. You know how quickly the holidays creep up on us once Labor Day is over!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Just The Fact's Ma'am
Ok, so I have always been under the impression that magazines employ people as fact checkers. You know, the people who get a draft of an article and then set about confirming things stated as fact in the article, be it a celebrities birthdate or the population of a town.
Well, after reading something tonight in, of all things, TV Guide, I have to wonder about them.
The article in question was basically who makes what in TV land. There was very little text. It was mostly done in chart format. Different charts for different categories. Things like Prime Time Series, listing how much per episode various starts of shows make.
Well, under the heading "TV NEWS", you will find the big guns like Katie Couric, who makes 15 Million per year and Matt Lauer who makes 12. Who's #4 on that list, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. It's someone from FoxNews who makes between 7 and 8 million per year named SHEPHERD Smith.
That's right. SHEPHERD.
The only problem is....well...Shepard Smith does not spell his name "Shepherd".
A quick visit to the FoxNews website could have given any fact checker...or mail room employee...the correct spelling of Mr. Smith's name. Since that obviously wasn't done, we know NO ONE checked the spelling of the mans' name.
Now, if we were talking about Matt or Brian or Tom, I wouldn't expect anyone to check the spelling of the name. But Shepard isn't exactly your garden variety, run of the mill, every day moniker. It's a name that is, for the most part, unusual.
So, wouldn't it stand to reason that someone~anyone~check for the proper spelling prior to the article going to press?
If it's too much trouble to check the simple spelling of a name, how do we trust the validity of anything else published in TV Guide?
How do I know for sure that Dirty Jobs will be on Tuesday at 9? Or that LOST will be on at all? Did anyone bother to check and make sure?
So, I'll do the fact checking for you, TV Guide:
Click here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1260,00.html
Well, after reading something tonight in, of all things, TV Guide, I have to wonder about them.
The article in question was basically who makes what in TV land. There was very little text. It was mostly done in chart format. Different charts for different categories. Things like Prime Time Series, listing how much per episode various starts of shows make.
Well, under the heading "TV NEWS", you will find the big guns like Katie Couric, who makes 15 Million per year and Matt Lauer who makes 12. Who's #4 on that list, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. It's someone from FoxNews who makes between 7 and 8 million per year named SHEPHERD Smith.
That's right. SHEPHERD.
The only problem is....well...Shepard Smith does not spell his name "Shepherd".
A quick visit to the FoxNews website could have given any fact checker...or mail room employee...the correct spelling of Mr. Smith's name. Since that obviously wasn't done, we know NO ONE checked the spelling of the mans' name.
Now, if we were talking about Matt or Brian or Tom, I wouldn't expect anyone to check the spelling of the name. But Shepard isn't exactly your garden variety, run of the mill, every day moniker. It's a name that is, for the most part, unusual.
So, wouldn't it stand to reason that someone~anyone~check for the proper spelling prior to the article going to press?
If it's too much trouble to check the simple spelling of a name, how do we trust the validity of anything else published in TV Guide?
How do I know for sure that Dirty Jobs will be on Tuesday at 9? Or that LOST will be on at all? Did anyone bother to check and make sure?
So, I'll do the fact checking for you, TV Guide:
Click here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,1260,00.html
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
More Mike Rowe...
...from the Planet Green launch.
This one tickles my funny bone...and you may realize why...
This one tickles my funny bone...and you may realize why...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
