Random ramblings.
Over the past few days I have had two topics jiggling around in the old skull, for lack of a better place to put them I will stick them here.
Back in November I remember thinking that this presidency will not be judged fairly by either side for years to come because of his celebrity. I had not realized how deeply this star power could cut. I find this absolutely disgusting on the part of the Nobel committee and am baffled at what there is to gain from this besides the debasement of the award.
Something I have noticed since after the Reagan Presidency is that each administration has swung the pendulum a little farther left then a little farther right since HW. One of my hopes for this administration is that it would be the one break this cycle unfortunately I think it is going to plod on into halfassedness that will either be undeservedly vilified or worse, praised.
To get the question out of the way, I voted for Obama. While both candidates had something to offer the country, my biggest deterrent from McCain was that he was declawed. 2006 McCain would not have let himself be saddled with a running mate like Palin or have pandered to the worst elements of what is called the Republican Party.
I’m still sorting things out for myself with the new guy, he was handed a real shit show to deal with and I don’t envy anyone the job. The part that sticks in my craw though is a question of character.
Obama was big on eliminating the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy before and just after the election, and now, 8 months later hasn’t made good. At its root, this is a very simple matter, one that the Commander in Chief could probably make good on pretty quick, no oversight comities, no stimulus plans, and yet 8 months later, it has gone nowhere. Our Commanders have been prepped for it (See the CNO’s address after he took the office and his 2009 EO policy) the next foot just needs to fall. Not to sound like a single issue harpy and while I cant wait to see DADT go the way of the dodo, I am more concerned about the matter of principle. If he can’t keep this one small promise, what else are we gonna get short changed on?
Where am I going with the rant? Well, for me the really concerning parts for is in the widespread mindless devotion of this, so far, mediocre president that appears to boil down to, the fact that he is 1) not Bush. 2) charismatic, and 3) black (zomg!). Additionally, his continued inaction will continue to drive a wedge though the country. Reps are getting bitter and lashing out, and Dems are slowly withdrawing to the warm recesses of there own asses Clinton admin style. If both sides can’t meet in the middle this time around and the government continues to spin it's wheels, come 2012 the we may just be dumb and desperate enough to look to another media darling and start thinking the two fisted “maverick” fuckassery of a certain former Alaskan gov is exactly what we need.
I hope that we can pull out of this spiral but I am sad to say that think it is going to get a lot worse and you and I will be around when the country hits the breaking point.
The American sense of entitlement to go to college is really dumbing down the system (no pun intended). The truth is, everyone is not intended for academia and pretending that we all are is hurting us in a couple ways. The line most of us were sold was “Get a college education or you will be flipping burgers.”. Not getting a degree was always politely hinted at as some kind of failure. Why become a yeoman worker when you can make bank bro? Besides the little jobs are for chumps"
Standards to achieving this ‘Merican Dream became easier, the bar was lowered. Now attendance at Vocational Schools is dwindling and apprenticeships for the next generation of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, barbers, welders, ect are going unfilled. At the same time we have so many people looking for work, folks getting out of college with no direction and/or into a market bloated with a thousand other diploma waving grads trying to get there foot in what ever door they can get into. We got terms like “quarter life crisis” and hear friends joke about getting into grad school because it is easier than trying to find work. Immigrants filling the menial jobs is no surprise. The education system has done its part to create a vacuum in these areas that have become beneath us. The American education system in the end needs to stop sending people though college for the sake of sending people though college.
Thank you, dive though.
Back in November I remember thinking that this presidency will not be judged fairly by either side for years to come because of his celebrity. I had not realized how deeply this star power could cut. I find this absolutely disgusting on the part of the Nobel committee and am baffled at what there is to gain from this besides the debasement of the award.
Something I have noticed since after the Reagan Presidency is that each administration has swung the pendulum a little farther left then a little farther right since HW. One of my hopes for this administration is that it would be the one break this cycle unfortunately I think it is going to plod on into halfassedness that will either be undeservedly vilified or worse, praised.
To get the question out of the way, I voted for Obama. While both candidates had something to offer the country, my biggest deterrent from McCain was that he was declawed. 2006 McCain would not have let himself be saddled with a running mate like Palin or have pandered to the worst elements of what is called the Republican Party.
I’m still sorting things out for myself with the new guy, he was handed a real shit show to deal with and I don’t envy anyone the job. The part that sticks in my craw though is a question of character.
Obama was big on eliminating the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy before and just after the election, and now, 8 months later hasn’t made good. At its root, this is a very simple matter, one that the Commander in Chief could probably make good on pretty quick, no oversight comities, no stimulus plans, and yet 8 months later, it has gone nowhere. Our Commanders have been prepped for it (See the CNO’s address after he took the office and his 2009 EO policy) the next foot just needs to fall. Not to sound like a single issue harpy and while I cant wait to see DADT go the way of the dodo, I am more concerned about the matter of principle. If he can’t keep this one small promise, what else are we gonna get short changed on?
Where am I going with the rant? Well, for me the really concerning parts for is in the widespread mindless devotion of this, so far, mediocre president that appears to boil down to, the fact that he is 1) not Bush. 2) charismatic, and 3) black (zomg!). Additionally, his continued inaction will continue to drive a wedge though the country. Reps are getting bitter and lashing out, and Dems are slowly withdrawing to the warm recesses of there own asses Clinton admin style. If both sides can’t meet in the middle this time around and the government continues to spin it's wheels, come 2012 the we may just be dumb and desperate enough to look to another media darling and start thinking the two fisted “maverick” fuckassery of a certain former Alaskan gov is exactly what we need.
I hope that we can pull out of this spiral but I am sad to say that think it is going to get a lot worse and you and I will be around when the country hits the breaking point.
The American sense of entitlement to go to college is really dumbing down the system (no pun intended). The truth is, everyone is not intended for academia and pretending that we all are is hurting us in a couple ways. The line most of us were sold was “Get a college education or you will be flipping burgers.”. Not getting a degree was always politely hinted at as some kind of failure. Why become a yeoman worker when you can make bank bro? Besides the little jobs are for chumps"
Standards to achieving this ‘Merican Dream became easier, the bar was lowered. Now attendance at Vocational Schools is dwindling and apprenticeships for the next generation of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, barbers, welders, ect are going unfilled. At the same time we have so many people looking for work, folks getting out of college with no direction and/or into a market bloated with a thousand other diploma waving grads trying to get there foot in what ever door they can get into. We got terms like “quarter life crisis” and hear friends joke about getting into grad school because it is easier than trying to find work. Immigrants filling the menial jobs is no surprise. The education system has done its part to create a vacuum in these areas that have become beneath us. The American education system in the end needs to stop sending people though college for the sake of sending people though college.
Thank you, dive though.