#44

I have been silent, politically speaking, recently.

Politics are what they are...seems like certain things never change.

Today frustrated me immensely. Why in the world do we need to extend the Bush era tax cuts to those earning $250k or more a year? Why? Can someone please explain this to me?

Why do the Democrats continue to kowtow to the Republican pressures and allow this? Take the fight to the streets. Explain to the dirt poor constituents in the Republican stronghold down south that the reason taxes are going back up is because the Republicans refused to extend the tax break because the rich were not included in the break.

All this to get an extension on unemployment benefits? Take that out into the streets and let the populace know that Republicans are fighting against it as well. See how well that flies within their constituency.

C'mon #44, grow a sack and get people mad. You are there to make a difference. You are there to make a change. Prove it to me. Be our leader, not our great conciliator.

Automotive ruin

Chrysler claims it is shutting down production for four weeks due to the current economic crisis.

No.

a. Nobody wants to buy their shitty cars. Honda and Toyota continue to be successful.
b. People are still buying cars, they just are choosing to spend their money on more economical and reliable cars (see a.).
c. Chrysler shuts down for 2 weeks every year. Don't use the additional 2 week shutdown as loosely veiled propaganda as to why the US government needs to bail you out. The public is far smarter than that these days. I hope.

That's all. Sorry for the profanity Mom.

Trade Mags

Ah, the wonderful world of free publications. Every now and then, we get calls confirming our information for free publications. Things we never read...wastes of energy, postage, paper, ink and space.

This is the most recent call. Please keep in mind that I have very little patience for these phone calls. They are a waste of my time.


"Hi, may I speak to (name ridiculously pronounced...first and last and, mind you, the first name is not hard to pronounce)".

"I'm sorry, she's not here."

"Oh (dead silence)."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I'm calling to confirm your address for free publication on automotive design and fabrication."

"I think we are all set. We don't have anything to do with automotive design."

"Let me remind you that is perfectly free!"

"It doesn't pertain to us."

"But it covers all aspects of automotive design, the build process, tooling and other things within the industry."

"We don't manufacture automobiles."

"What do you do?"

"We make bicycles."

"Oh. (dial tone)"

Dirty Politics

This is what it comes to. Call center workers walking out of their paid jobs because their script is too slimy.

Attacks on Obama trying to strike fear into our hearts because he opposed protecting kids from danger.

Giuliani himself claiming that Obama "opposes mandatory prison sentences." You have to note that he has struck the fact that Obama opposes MINIMUM mandatory prison sentences.

Karl Rove politics are alive, well and just as dirty as they have been in the past. I can't wait to see what turns up during the polling day. And finally, I am truly disappointed in the man McCain has shown himself to be. A politician I had admired in the past as a Republican I would have voted for is now showing where his values lie.

Despicable comes to mind....

Amendment 51

I had another NPR moment this morning listening to NPR's Colorado Matters. They were discussing Amendment 51 and whether or not Colorado should increase sales tax another percent to help pay for the developmentally disabled.

But I am not here to argue the merits of such a proposal. I'm still not sure where I stand on this matter...it seems that Colorado should be able to find some extra funding inside our current tax dollars to help handle this initiative. Then again, a couple extra cents on a sale would be a small price to pay to help families and individuals in this situation. Socialism anyone?

No, this is about Douglas Bruce who was interviewed and argues against this increase. Keep in mind that Mr. Bruce serves as a State Representative here in Colorado. A self proclaimed Ronald Reagan Republican.

Mr. Bruce had the gall to compare using tax dollars like this to George Orwell's 1984. WHAT? Mr. Bruce, have you ever read 1984? Do you have even the slightest notion as to the premise of 1984? Have you been waiting years to be able to throw "this is like 1984" into an argument?

This is a situation where the government is being upfront about a tax increase. They are telling us specifically where and why these dollars will be allocated. This is to help a group of our citizens cope with the additional stress of caring for children/adults who are unable to fully fend for themselves.

Wow. I'd say Douglas Bruce was the last person the anti-tax movement should have offered up to make an argument against Amendment 51.

That said, I'm still not sure how I will vote.

OK...for real?

This is the choice McCain made for veep? For real?



Does this remind you anything?

Like...

It's not the same, right?

A quick run to the supermarket this evening to pick up dinner stuff, snack stuff, yada yada yada.

When I arrived at the checkout line, I exchanged pleasantries with the checker and the bagger. Then the bagger sneezed, right as the food was traveling down the little belt to her. She covered her mouth and had a quick one. Then she started bagging.

I was shocked. I asked, as politely as I could, "did you just sneeze into your hand?"

She replied that she had and then said that she should probably go wash her hands.

She walked away and I began bagging. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her use a little hand sanitizer and then she walked back over and took over bagging.

Now, I kept my mouth shut. But it isn't the same, right? If you sneeze, you wash your hands. With soap and water. A little hand sanitizer does not do the same thing, right?

Tell me I'm wrong....

A morning rant

I broke my skates many weeks ago. This really isn't such a big issue, the housing (the carrier that attaches the blade to the boot) is cracking again. Yes, again. My$500+ skates went through two sets of carriers over the course of one year. But that really isn't the issue either.

I contacted a local pro shop at one of the rinks I work in on a regular basis about getting a newer style carrier that is supposed to be more durable but maintains the light weight and slightly longer steel that my skates use.

As an aside, the longer steel makes for a much more efficient glide. It doesn't turn as quickly but I no longer need it to as an official. I've been wearing my "player" skates at it is amazing the amount of extra energy it takes to sustain speed and stability simply because the shape of the blade has less contact with the ice.

Back to the rant. Four weeks ago I asked for new housings. It then took about two weeks to get a response from the pro shop manager just to verify that something had been ordered. Two more weeks go by before I get another call saying that the new housings are in. I dropped my skates off on Monday and was told that they would work on them the following day. I go in last night to ask for my skates and nothing had happened. The story is that Bauer sent the wrong housing. Umm...OK...I understand mistakes, I can live with that. But why was I never informed? How hard is it to make a call?

Why are my skates still at this shop? I have half a mind to pick them up and go somewhere else. Four weeks is borderline ridiculousness. But then again, I waited ten months to have my Land Rover fixed after a collision with an elk.

Serenity now...

Volunteerism

Well, I have received my first assignment for the DNC. I am driving on Thursday night from 3-11.

I have avoided writing about this too much as of late because I did not know quite what was going to happen. I received a couple of requests to sit at desks at various hotels. I sit at a desk all day long so it didn't quite seem like my cup of tea.

The real reason I haven't blogged about it? Ok...

I went to the driver orientation session out at DIA a few weeks back. It was...interesting. We met the folks in charge, we sat through a great deal of speechifying, watched an inordinately lame video on how to operate the vehicles donated by GM and then did a driving test.

Let's start with the video. This was a budget film. Done by two staffers for the DNC motor pool. Not only were their jokes incredibly poor, the sound sucked (wind blowing past the microphone the entire time) and it was poorly edited. Could I have done better? Honestly, no. But they were explaining how to unlock the car, use the a/c and adjust the mirrors. Are we really that low brow that we can not figure this out on our own?

Then there was the "driving test" which answers the previous question.

I was paired with three other volunteers and our instructor.

The first took about 3 minutes just trying to figure out how to operate the mirrors and adjust everything to fit properly. The volunteer also spent a ridiculous amount of time checking out the features of this brand new car. Then, we were carefully backed out of the space and off for the first driving test. This went ok but the steering movements were jerky and I was incredibly uncomfortable in the backseat since the volunteer rolled the front window down (on a 110 degree day...I'm not kidding) and proceeded to drive down the highway at 65.

The second was not any better nor any more memorable. I drove third. And then there was the fourth....

The vehicle was floored away from our stop at the airport terminal. We were doing 45 mph over speedbumps in a 25 area. Then, hard on the brakes when trying to merge. And we were jerked all over the road as the operator veered from lane to lane whilst trying to drive in a straight line. I was holding on to the holy shit handle in back...white knuckled. I was happy to get out of the car back at the depot. But this final operator couldn't figure out how to open the door. Continuous pulls at the door handle but to no avail. A cursory glance at the door lock (locked) and then additional pulls which ended in the same result.

These people will be driving our elected officials around Denver. Elected. Congress and Legislature. From both the national and state level. VIPs for the convention.

We have our best and our brightest on the job. I go to work on Thursday....

Is this how's it going to be?

I registered to volunteer for the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago. About a week ago I received my "ticket" for the volunteer orientation and was directed to a really cool website that allows everyone to set up car pools. The ticket stated that the orientation started at 9 on Saturday morning. By Thursday, I had arranged with two other people for a car pool and we aimed to arrive at about 8:30.

Friday afternoon, we received an email stating that the doors open thirty minutes before the event and that they wanted us there before the doors open.

What? They tell us this a day before? I hope this isn't a sign of what is to come. I'd think general organization and communication would be a top priority.

Here we go....

We are at war

This is not for the squeamish.

I received an email with a video attachment moments ago. The video is of an A-10 warplane firing on a group of four soldiers.

Mind you, I'm not one to be turned off by a violent movie or novel. But those are images of fiction. This turned my stomach. Have we become so callous to what our American soldiers face every day that we can watch a trigger video and feel giddy about killing our "enemy"? That we have put American men and women into a position where they have to kill? That we, as a whole, only lament the fact that our armed services have to spend more time in Iraq? Afghanistan? Have we forgotten what we have sent them there to do? How that will affect them for the rest of their lives? That they, too, have guns aimed at their heads every day?

Is this what has happened to us? We view a video of four men being killed as entertainment for the masses? We can joke about it and post incredibly inhumane comments that are completely anonymous? This is sick.

I become, more and more, my mother's son with every passing day.