Everyday should be midterm election day

Ever notice how much better things get right before elections? Gas prices go down, legislation gets past, Bush releases declassified reports telling us that the war in Iraq is making the world a more dangerous place .

What else can we expect between now and November 7th (election day)?

-Bush will talk about the war on terror. Apparently that's all Republicans need to do to scare people into voting for them. Worked in 2004, will it work again?





-Schwarzenegger will continue to distance himself from Bush and condemn Angelides as a tax and spend liberal. He's been doing it rather succesfully the last few weeks, he's leading Angelides by double digits.

-Angelides will continue to try to equate Schwarzenegger with Bush, talk about gas prices, troops in Iraq, increasing deficit, blah blah blah. In reality, Angelides needs to change that plan, especially since Schwarzenegger is running for governor, not running for president. Angelides should stop focusing on National issues and tell us what he'll do for California.

-George Allen will admit to being racist if Jim Webb (his Democratic challenger) will admit to being sexist. Another win-win for democracy in Virginia.

My prediciton, the Democrats will take either the house, or the Senate not both. Whichever they take, Republicans will claim it is the Democrats fault in 2008 for all the impotence of the last 6+ year (obvious and safe statement since Democrats and Republicans have blamed each other for everything since the dawn of the 2 party system).

Pedal to the Metal

George Russel Weller may not be a name you recognize, but you probably heard his story. 3 years ago, when he was 86, he drove his car through a farmers market in Santa Monica California, killed 10 people and injured many others. His trial which is expected to last 6 weeks is currently underway. If proven guilty of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter, he will face 18 years in prison.

This is a tragic case on so many levels. A man facing life in prison for something he never wanted to do, and claims he didn't know how to stop. 10 people died, 10 families suffered greatly. What is the right thing to do in this case? Would imprisoning a guilt riden Mr. Weller make the world a safer place? Don't the families of his victims deserve justice?

Upon turning 70 in California, you are required to take a vision test and a written test, but the law does not allow the DMV to force you to automatically take a driving test when you turn 70. If you have a freind or family member you suspect is a danger behind the wheel, you can inform the DMV and they will require a driving test. Many people are living longer than their driving skills are lasting. Giving up driving is giving up freedom, and nobody thinks they'll be the next Mr. Weller, so why should they be the one to stop driving?

The AARP is one of the politically strongest groups in America. They have made it very difficult to pass legislation that discriminates against older drivers. In some ways this is good, right? Discrimination is bad. And, young drivers are more likely to get into accidents than old drivers, so why pick on them?



We do pick on young drivers. They need a permit, then they can only drive with other adults in the car, no kids. They need to go to a driving school they pay higher insurance. They have the disadvantage of not having as much experience driving, and until that experience makes them better drivers, they are limitted on how and with who they can drive.

As one gets older, they have several disadvantages as drivers. Eye sight gets worse, and reaction time increases, but experience and good driving skills make up for this. But what happens when one gets much older and their bodies can't rely on their skills? Some expect Dr.'s to take care of the problem. Either recommend to the DMV that their patients can't drive, or write them notes saying they can. In my experience with my grandparents, their Dr's will write notes allowing them to drive just to keep their patients happy. If one Dr. won't write a note, they'll just find another who will. Dr.'s job is to heal people, not take away their freedom. I think patients will be bitter and lose respect for their doctor if he/she tells them they can't drive anymore.

I think we need rules that "pick on" the very old drivers that the DMV has concerns about. Not all people of an age group. Just people that can't acheive a certain level on a reflex, hearing and eye sight test. Restricting them from driving on freeways, when it's dark, how far they can go, driving by themselves. I know some of these tactics are already used for isolated cases, but not enough. Even these restrictions probably would not have prevented Mr. Weller from crashing into 10 people. But maybe if he had someone else in the car to tell him his foot was on the gas, not the brake, they would have stopped after crashing into the first car before hitting any pedestrians.

If anybody is going to decide who can drive, and who cannot, it must be the DMV. When a 87 year old man (one of my grandpa's) failed his driving test, he was able to keep his license by complaining enough. The only reason he even had to take a driving test is becuase a family member reported him to the DMV, otherwise he had several more years before they wanted to check his vision again. The man can barely standup.

Mr. Weller told police (sarcastically) that he lucked out the last time he went to the DMV becuase they didn't make him take a driving test. If they did, would those 10 people still be alive? My guess is no, becuase even if he failed the test, the DMV is afraid to piss off senior citizens, and the legislature can't get a bill into law without the support of the AARP.

How many times do 10 people need to die before the DMV changes it's policy about elderly drivers? For me, once is too many.

Clinton's interview with Chris Wallace on Fox has been all over the news. Personally, I think it was a great interview for Bill. He showed that Democrats still have balls, and pointed out the media biases toward this right wing conservative agenda being pushed down our throat. Guaranteed that next time Rice is interviewed, she will be getting asked why haven't they got Bin Laden and why aren't they doing more about it? I think Clinton also did a great job in pointing out the hypocrisy in his critics who demonize him now for not doing enough to kill Bin Laden.

Can you imagine Bush facing such an interview? He would crumble under the pressure. George never would have even shown up. The interview was another reminder of how bad Bush is compared to his predecessors. Whatever criticism you give Clinton for that interview, I still think he did a heck of a job.

I don't know if Clinton would have debated Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but I know I would be embarrassed for America if Bush accepted that challenge. I think that Clinton would have done a decent job debating Mahmoud. Certainly he would not have arrived under false pretenses like his Fox interview. Even though he was prepared for an attack, I think he would have done better if had been invited to a debate than an interview about the Clinton Global Initiative, that has already raised over $7 Billion this year.

I hope that we don't have to wait too long to see Barack Obama running for President. Being half black and half white is definitely going to be an obstacle for him, even in today's "modern society". However, just having up in the running will raise the bar for the rest of the candidates. Barack has the intelligence you don't expect from a President anymore, with a speaking ability that Reagan would have envied.

Chewey Update

During the camping trip, the fate of Chewey (white plastic rat with red eyes) was revealed to me. As you'll recall from scare number 5's post, Nicole got home before I did and Chewey was not where I left him when I returned. The result was "best scare yet" per Nicole's own admission. This is what happened.

Nicole was going to throw something away in the trash, which is located underneath the kitchen sink. This happened to be Chewey's hideout. When she opened the cupboard door, and saw Chewey staring at her with his devil red eyes! She dropped what she was holding, jumped high in the air and screamed! She landed about 3 feet further back from Chewey, who was still staring at her. He was waiting for Nicole to make the first move. At this point, Nicole was fairly certain that he was fake, but she couldn't take any chances. So she picked up one of the pieces of trash she had dropped and threw it at Chewey to make sure he didn't move. After a several minute long stare down, the tension was broken when Nicole mustered up all her bravery and reached out to pick him up.

The rest of the story has yet to be revealed. There is a very good chance that Chewey is no longer with us, but Nicole will not confirm nor deny these allegations.

Scaring my wife - Act 6

Scare #6 - We got Worms

The basic setup- Nicole and I went camping this weekend to Lake Casitas. While I was loading the car with our camping gear, I placed a few fake worms in her bag.

The action - After the arrive at camp rituals of setting up the tent, inflating the air matress, taking out the sleeping bags, etc., Nicole needed to change her clothes or do something that required her to reach deep down inside her duffle bag. Since we had to work on Friday, and traffic was pretty bad driving through LA, we didn't arrive to our campiste until after sunset. So Nicole is reaching into her duffle bag with only the light of a nearby lantern that barely lets her see what she is doing. Nicole is feeling around until she comes across something slimy. Something a little gooey. Nicole pulled out the worm and did not have the slightest hint of being scared. I take some credit for this. Her training has paid off, and she has elevated her fear handling ability to an admirable level. She admitted that at first she was afraid that she left some candy in her bag, but this isn't quite the type of fear I was looking for.

This did prompt Nicole to share with me the fate of Chewey, who you might remember from scare number 5. I will save that story for another post, it will be a good one.

Happy Rosh Hashanah

Spank for freedom

I think most people can be tortured into saying just about anything. When former secretary of state Colin Powel viewed Bush's plan to define torture, he said with dismay that it would cause the world to doubt the moral basis of the war on terror and put our own troops at risk.

Now Bush has reportedly struck a deal with Senate republicans regarding the way suspects are treated. Bush says he will give up his plan and not try to redefine the rules decided at Geneva Conventions regarding torture. This tells us nothing about what "interogation tactics" are still allowable.

Here's my top 10 list of interogation tactics that I think will be most effective against the Taliban:

10. Let him watch his favorite movie in a theater full of teenage girls with cell phones.

9. Send him to McDonalds for Breakfast at 10:31am.

8. Make him listen to Peter complain.

7. Make him drive through leisure world on a Sunday with an octogenarian chauffer that won't turn off his turn signal.

6. Make him watch then entire season of American Idol. If he likes it, wait until the last episode is about to reveal the winner, then turn it off and don't let him find out until he gives up some good intel. If he doesn't like it... then just make him watch it until he gives up some good intel.

5. Any Mel Brooks Movie. Not becuase his movies are bad, just the opposite. I just think that the Taliban would be pissed off by funny jews. The nice thing about this interogation tactic, is our agents making the suspected terrorist detainees watch the movie would probably enjoy it.

4. Barbara Steisand sings, and sings, and sings... her whole portfolio, or until they break down and start talking. I know this is cruel, and could result in detainees giving false information just to make the music stop, but I don't think the UN will complain.

3. High School wresting team workout. Getting all hot and sweaty with some teenage boys will bring any terrorist to his knees. How many times can Bin Ladin get his oil checked before breaking down?

2. It's a small world after all, It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all... It's a small, small world... It's a small world after all... Just don't let them off until we get the info we need!

1. Vote Democrat. Without Bush in office, without policies based on fear and hate, there will not be as much support of these terror groups from foreign countries... Tell them Bush is leaving, and they'll probably go back to leaving us alone.

No Rice for Bush

Recently, Condi Rice seems to be rather friendly with Peter MacKay. Both of these government officials are single, and for that sole reason, I believe they are doing what all the ultra-conservative rigth wing fanatics fear most... having sexual intercourse.


What happened to Bush and Rice? Didn't they make a nice couple? Maybe the pressure of an inter-racial relationship was too much.

I wonder what George did to keep Condi from looking at him the way she used to?


George, you gotta be nicer to the ladies



Personally, I think Bush is just an idiot.
and so does http://www.georgeisanidiot.com/index.htm

Everyone should have a Pope

I think every religion could benifit from a leader that rises above all other leaders.

Islam - I just did a google search for "Islamic leaders in the United States", and three of the first four finds where terrorists. You can probably attribute a percentage of this due to some media bias (either perceived or real). I don't think it is a good idea just to give up there. Who are the Islamic leaders that aren't terrorists? I know they are out there, I have even heard some on NPR, or referenced in news articles, but they don't have a brand name like the Pope, or Billy Graham, or Rev. Jesse Jackson, etc. Is it becuase they are minorities? What about Dr. Martin Luther King? Dr. King was a minority at a time when (I'd argue) blacks faced more discrimination than Muslims do now. I don't think that the news or social attitudes are the reasons we can't recognize Islams leaders, it's becuase they don't draw as much attention to themselves as the Saddam Hussein's, Bin Laden's, Ayman al-Zawahiri's, etc. I don't think terror acts are the only thing that will draw the people's attention to a religious leader, Ghandi for example is a household name.

I claim that each branch of Islam should have an official leader, similar to a Pope, that could speak on behalf of the religion. Not only would this help non-Muslim understanding of the religion, but I contend that it would also help young Muslims appreciate their own religion. For those that are on the edge of becoming terrorist, they could see another way. A respected Islamic leader showing them a peaceful vision of Islam that they maybe have not seen before.


Judaism - Fortunately for me, when I did a google search on Jewish leaders, no terrorists came up. However, I still think there is a lot of anit-semitism in this world. A lot of misunderstanding and unfair stereotypes. There are lots of rabbis out there, but just like with Islam, none of the leaders are household names. Jews are losing numbers for a variety of reasons. Throughout history, we've been plagued with huge challenges. As many religions today are facing a society with a loss of faith, Judaism is too. Pope John Paul II did a lot for the Catholic churh, I think a rabbi with a good understanding of current events and Judaism would be a great benifit as an outspoken Jewish leader. Each branch of Judaism should have an official leader. Orthodox Jew's would not be well represented by Reform, and vice versa.

I'm not so optomistic as to think a leader for each religion would solve all of their problems. Certainly the Catholics have their share of issues. Even the way the Pope is treated is borderline idolotry or Pope worship. However, I don't think that having a leader for a religion necessitates worshiping him/her. Finding a Muslim Ghandi, or a Jewish Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would go along way in soothing religious tensions.

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9/11 Day Off

I'm pretty sure most Americans would take a day off work to celebrate, commemorate or mourn anything. Good or bad, it doesn't matter, just give us a day off work. Especially around summer time. That being said, I think 9/11 should be a national holiday. For as long as I have been alive, nothing has affected our lives more than the tragic events on that day. 5 years have past, and just the words 9/11 resonates deep sympathy, fear and at the same time pride in American spirit.

I'll never understand how so many Americans feel safer with Bush as President than Kerry or any other alternative. 40% of Americans still mistakenly think that Saddam was connected to 9/11. Why did Bush quickly dismiss Bin Laden as no longer a concern? How do you not care about the leader of a terrorist organization that is still making threats? So much money going to the war in Iraq, I just can't believe this is the best way for us to fight terrorism. Our borders, airports and ports need money to be secured.

If Bush won't admit to any of his mistakes, how will they ever learn from them and make this situation better. I don't think the world is a safer place since Bush has been in office. The number of terrorist attacks tripled from 2003 until last year.

Why do gay marriage debates spend more time in congress than discussions on how to secure our borders? Our government needs to wake up. We don't need government to make our moral decisions. We do need government to keep us safe, and preferably, we'd still have some civil liberties while being safe.

Dan the Man

Last night I went up to visit my cousin Dan at the UCLA medical center. He has a rare form of skin lymphoma and he just finnished 1 week of chemo and will have stem cells reinfused back into his system tomorrow.

Dan is one of the most amazing people I've ever known. Even after 1 week of being beat up by chemo, he is still incredibly fun and funny, cracking jokes and making us all laugh. He always has a joke for every occasion. If what they say is true, that laughter is the best medicine, Dan will cure himself in no time.

Hope you get to go home soon Dan!

Scaring my wife - Act 5 ???

Scare # 5 - Rodents without fur

The basic setup - Last week at Costume Castle, I also purchased a little rat named Chewey. He was made of plastic, lightly colored with red eyes. Chewey was a well minded muroid, and didn't mind my hiding him next to the trash can underneath the kitchen sink. Chewey understood his role to scare Nicole and eagerly awaited his opportunity.

The action - I think Chewey ran away. He was there when I left for work on Wednesday, but Nicole came home before I did yesterday. Now Chewey is nowhere to be found and there isa new trash bag in the bin. I asked Nicole if she had seen anything, but she didn't seem to know what I was talking about. My guess is that Nicole was so scared, that her scream frightened Chewey and he ran for safety. I hope Chewey is okay.

Scaring my wife - Act 4

Scare #4 - Presidents are Scary

The basic setup - Last week while at costume castle I purchased an Abe Lincoln mask. Nicole was behind closed doors. I put the mask on and waited for her to come out.

The action - Nicole opened the door and I ran up to her asking "DO YOU LIKE MY NEW MASK!!!". Nicole realized it was me pretty quickly, but she still had fear in her eyes and did not like me wearing the mask. Apparently Abe is a scary guy even when he isn't trying to startle you.

I have to admit it was not nearly as good of scare as I had hoped. To make matters worse, the fake spiders I bought did not work at all. I even tried them in three different places... nothing.

I still have two more purchases from Costume Castle to make use of. I'm a little nervous that she found them while she was cleaning this weekend...

Crikey - Steve Irwin

Everytime I watched the crocidle hunter I said to myself "I can't believe that guy hasn't been killed doing this stuff!"... Now it seems hard to believe he actually died. I hope when I die, it's doing something I love to do. Maybe he was a good actor, but he did seem to love what he was doing.

I heard some comments on the Today Show this morning saying that TV causes these types of hosts to perform more dangerous stunts in order to attract viewers, boost ratings, etc., and therefore the audience was to blame. This seems pretty bogus to me. I don't think we need an audience to push ourselves harder. Even if the show he was working on was more dangerous than his previous shows, the stingray is not considered to be dangerous. Stingrays are responsible for less than 20 deaths in the whole world over the last 10 years.

RIP Steve, best wishes to Terri, Bindi & Bob. May Steve's death continue to inspire the fight for environmental protection and education.
http://www.ripsteve.com/

Is it Halloween yet?

This year... I'm going to dress as OJ and Nicole is going to dress as Nicole (Simpson, not Bullock)... It's going to be awesome!

I know it seems a little early to be thinking about this stuff, but I picked up the props for my scares this weekend from Costume Castle.