I can tell it is now officially the Christmas season...Why? Cause my mailbox is filling up with all those ridiculous catalogs and other junk mail! I can't believe it when I think of all the money these companies are spending shot-gunning this tripe out to everybody and anybody. Given how poorly they are targetting me (most of this junk I could care less about), they are grossly wasting their marketing dollars. Sure the traditional hit rate on direct mail is 1%, so a 99% failure rate is I guess acceptable. But when you think about it, our entire society is essentially collaborating to create an industry or sub-culture dedicated to wasting 99% of the money involved in the process!
Think about it. Local optimization run amok. In the big picture view, it's stupid. We all know it. Yet it continues.
My opinion is: let's avoid the middle-man. Simply send all my catalogs directly to my land-fill, please.
20061119
20061104
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Should be Supported
Yes, there is a strong debate around when "life begins" which continues to overshadow many topics in US policy and politics, including abortion, and more recently, the debate around "embryonic stem cell research". Honest people with serious, considered opinions will debate this basic issue for years to come.
I believe there is, however, a sub-issue that can be peeled off of this larger issue. The issue of government support of human embryonic stem cell research under specific, controlled conditions. Those conditions are: ONLY when the human embryos under consideration would otherwise be destroyed. My opinion is that, if destruction is not under debate (the embryos would be destroyed anyways), there should be no issue here. Anyone who thinks otherwise really is not subscribing to the premise. Sorry but it's that simple to me.
Unfortunately, politicians and others who have philisophical and other axes to grind sometimes will not see an issue no matter how clear it gets. That to me is the only reason this particular sub-topic continues to draw debate. No one wants the other side to "win". And that, to me, is one of the saddest truths of all.
We should continue to debate large issues like "when does life begin". But for things which are more clear, can't we simply get on with it? Before we decide on these big issues, in the meantime, the US government should vigorously support human embryonic stem cell research with embryos instead of allowing their senseless destruction.
I believe there is, however, a sub-issue that can be peeled off of this larger issue. The issue of government support of human embryonic stem cell research under specific, controlled conditions. Those conditions are: ONLY when the human embryos under consideration would otherwise be destroyed. My opinion is that, if destruction is not under debate (the embryos would be destroyed anyways), there should be no issue here. Anyone who thinks otherwise really is not subscribing to the premise. Sorry but it's that simple to me.
Unfortunately, politicians and others who have philisophical and other axes to grind sometimes will not see an issue no matter how clear it gets. That to me is the only reason this particular sub-topic continues to draw debate. No one wants the other side to "win". And that, to me, is one of the saddest truths of all.
We should continue to debate large issues like "when does life begin". But for things which are more clear, can't we simply get on with it? Before we decide on these big issues, in the meantime, the US government should vigorously support human embryonic stem cell research with embryos instead of allowing their senseless destruction.
20061102
Those Poor Democrats
I'm an independent. I don't believe any one politcal party has it right, further they probably never will, due to certain 'structural' issues. Thus it is difficult for me to align completely with any one party.
I think we were wrong to go into Iraq. I think we were right to go into Afganistan. I think embryonic stem cell research should be supported by our government. I think the Republican tax cuts should be made permanent.I think you get my drift.
Having said all that, I can't help feeling sorry for the Democrats; they seem to keep sticking their feet into it. John Kerry's recent 'stuck in Iraq' comment is an excellent example.
John Kerry is an incredibly intelligent man. Unfortunately that is not enough (nor is it perhaps the most important thing) to be successful in US politics today. Mr. Kerry can make very compelling arguments, and has recently, on many subjects. And then, with one ill-considered comment, it all gets blown away. By the Republicans. By the media. By everyone.
Kerry's problem is: he 'knows' he's correct, and it is that very knowledge that gets him into trouble. For, especially in US politics, being 'right' is not necessarily the most important thing. How things appear is really the only thing that matters in politics. That's called "optics", and optics is the most important thing when it comes to getting votes. Don't make any provacative statements, don't take a stand, don't alienate your base, or any one else for that matter. And, if you make a mistake, like Kerry did, you'll get ripped to shreds.
This is not about what he said. Let's face it, is anybody really going to stand up and make a case that the average intelligence level of a US soldier is higher than their non-military peers? Come on. The problem is, you can't curry favor with the voting population by saying the people defending you are essentially stupid. That's what Kerry said. And, it may even be factually "correct". But, in the purest political sense, it was dead wrong.
The "smartest" thing he did was apologize. He did it within 48 hrs, which for politicians is light speed, but still was criticized for not doing it soon enough (big surprise there).
Still, it would've been a lot smarter to not have said it at all. If the Dems want to win big, they simply cannot keep making mistakes like that.
I think we were wrong to go into Iraq. I think we were right to go into Afganistan. I think embryonic stem cell research should be supported by our government. I think the Republican tax cuts should be made permanent.I think you get my drift.
Having said all that, I can't help feeling sorry for the Democrats; they seem to keep sticking their feet into it. John Kerry's recent 'stuck in Iraq' comment is an excellent example.
John Kerry is an incredibly intelligent man. Unfortunately that is not enough (nor is it perhaps the most important thing) to be successful in US politics today. Mr. Kerry can make very compelling arguments, and has recently, on many subjects. And then, with one ill-considered comment, it all gets blown away. By the Republicans. By the media. By everyone.
Kerry's problem is: he 'knows' he's correct, and it is that very knowledge that gets him into trouble. For, especially in US politics, being 'right' is not necessarily the most important thing. How things appear is really the only thing that matters in politics. That's called "optics", and optics is the most important thing when it comes to getting votes. Don't make any provacative statements, don't take a stand, don't alienate your base, or any one else for that matter. And, if you make a mistake, like Kerry did, you'll get ripped to shreds.
This is not about what he said. Let's face it, is anybody really going to stand up and make a case that the average intelligence level of a US soldier is higher than their non-military peers? Come on. The problem is, you can't curry favor with the voting population by saying the people defending you are essentially stupid. That's what Kerry said. And, it may even be factually "correct". But, in the purest political sense, it was dead wrong.
The "smartest" thing he did was apologize. He did it within 48 hrs, which for politicians is light speed, but still was criticized for not doing it soon enough (big surprise there).
Still, it would've been a lot smarter to not have said it at all. If the Dems want to win big, they simply cannot keep making mistakes like that.
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