Saturday, August 30, 2003
Update on North Korea
Well our elation with the thought that peace was possible with North Korea was short-lived. According to Fox News, North Korea refuses the United States' demands to disarm. North Korea said Thursday it will "prove to the world" that is possess nuclear weapons by carrying out a nuclear test, said a U.S. government official.
On a positive note, Wie Sung-rak, director-general of the South Korean Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs Bureau said in Beijing that another round of talks probably will be held after the current round ends on Friday. U.S. officials were unsucessful in formally confirming this statement.
North Korea confirmed privately to U.S. officials last April during talks in China that it possessed nuclear weapons but Kim Jong's (North Korea Prime Minister) statement Thursday is believed to have been acknowledgment n a formal setting.
This can only mean one thing... we're doomed!! No, not really, but we could be in for some serious trouble for the United States. As said in my last post concerning North Korea, if a war were to start between the two countries, it would be nothing like Iraq. If nuclear weapons actually were brought into the picture, I seriously believe it could start a major war, as in WW3. This may seem somewhat far-fetched, but with so many other countries having such strong beliefs concerning nuclear weapons, it could make those countries angry enough to declare war on North Korea OR on America. Smaller, underdeveloped countries that don't have the technology avaliable for a nuclear weapons program could very well support the strikes against America.
As said before, only God knows what will happen. The best we can do is pray that we are able to resolve this peacefully.
Thursday, August 28, 2003
A terrorits thanks the Anti-War movement
Sawad, alias Sardjiyo, a terrorist who helped make the bomb that killed 202 people in Bali a few days ago decided to thank the people who supported his cause. Why who could that be? Osama Bin Laden? Radical Islamists all over the world? Why no! He wanted to thank the anti-war protestors....
"I want to thank the Australian people who supported our cause when they demonstrated against the policies of George Bush. Say thank you to all of them," Sawad said.
Ironically, from a terrorist accused not only of the Bali bombing but of church bombings and the bombing of an ambassador's residence in Jakarta, Sawad claimed he had a message of peace for the world.
"For all human beings to stop now in this world, destroy all of the destructive weapons . . . if there were no weapons then peace can be created," he said.
Terrorism, he said, was a reciprocal action."
So according to Sawad, if you were out in the street carrying a no blood for oil sign, you're on his side, right? That does seem to be a pretty fair reading of what he's saying isn't it? Yep, I'm sure Sawad would have been right at home beside of some guy holding up an American flag with a swastika sewn on it at one of those peace rallies.
He even has sounds like one of the people from those rallies doesn't he?
"For all human beings to stop now in this world, destroy all of the destructive weapons . . . if there were no weapons then peace can be created."
You may think that sounds a little crazy coming from a terrorist, but didn't we just spend almost a year watching people who ranted endlessly about human rights doing everything in their power to keep the Iraqi people under the thumb of Saddam Hussein? How is what he said any more inconsistent than peace protestors who said the equivalent of...
"We love you Iraqi people! That's why we want you to remain slaves of a man who locks your children in prison, deliberately starves you, fills up mass graves with your corpses, and stands by smirking while his sons & secret police rape & torture everything that moves. No need to thank us for being such caring people."
Now of course, the majority of the peace protestors didn't support terrorism. But their protests evidently did buoy the spirits of the terrorists, did it make it more difficult to get rid of a terrorist supporting thug like Hussein, and did cost American soldiers their lives by encouraging Saddam to draw things out as long as possible in the errant hope that America would lose the will to fight. Sure, they probably didn't mean to make those things happen, but that's why they call them useful idiots isn't it?
Credit to Right Wing News for this article
Plan for Peace?
The United States and North Korea made its first direct contact for four months on Wednesday, August 27. This is a very big thing- tensions and hostilities have been escalating since October, when North Korea announced it had restarted a nuclear program that it had supposedly shut down.
China, South Korea, Japan and Russia joined the two countries in the formal discussion, eager to apply diplomacy to East Asia's most alarming security problem.
North Korea, who was named as part of George's "Axis of Evil" has been a possible threat to the U.S. since pre-9/11. But now, both countries are working to negotiate a plan to avoid going to war.
If we DID go to war with North Korea, it would probably be nothing like Iraq- North Korea has a VERY highly developed military. Iraq had a whole 3 aircrafts and only 1 battleship. So I definately think that we are going the right direction with these peace talks. Will they work? Only God knows, but in the meantime let's pray that they do.
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
I'm going to (hopefully) be adding many new features within the next few days, so my posts will probably be very short for a little while. As always, I will report on the issues that I think are most important and some other things too. So be sure to check out my new page and extras!!
Monday, August 25, 2003
Top Ten Arnold Schwarzenegger Campaign Promises (as told by David Letterman)
10. "To do for politics what I did for acting"
9. "Combine the intelligence of George Bush with the sexual appetite of Clinton"
8. "A heaping tablespoon of Joe Weider's 'Dynamic Body Shaper' in every pot"
7. "Every freeway gets a dedicated car chase lane"
6. "Seek advice from elder political statesmen like Jesse Ventura"
5. "Crack down on schools graduating students who can't bench-press 180 pounds"
4. "Solemnly swear to support the Constitution of Gold's Gym"
3. "Goofiest-named governor since Pataki"
2. "Raise the minimum age for dating Demi Moore"
1. "Speak directly to the voters in clear, honest, broken English"
10. "To do for politics what I did for acting"
9. "Combine the intelligence of George Bush with the sexual appetite of Clinton"
8. "A heaping tablespoon of Joe Weider's 'Dynamic Body Shaper' in every pot"
7. "Every freeway gets a dedicated car chase lane"
6. "Seek advice from elder political statesmen like Jesse Ventura"
5. "Crack down on schools graduating students who can't bench-press 180 pounds"
4. "Solemnly swear to support the Constitution of Gold's Gym"
3. "Goofiest-named governor since Pataki"
2. "Raise the minimum age for dating Demi Moore"
1. "Speak directly to the voters in clear, honest, broken English"
Saturday, August 23, 2003
Cruz in the lead
According to the Los Angelas Times, Cruz Bustamante is in control of the California polls-
Bustmante..................... 35%
Schwarzenegger........... 22%
Ueberroth..................... 7%
Simon........................... 6%
Flynt............................. 1%
Half of the people polled favored the recall, and almost half said they could still change their mind.
Keep in mind, this is as of Thursday evening, so by now it could be very different.
(Sorry I don't have much to say tonight, but I have school tomorrow... geez... and I need to get some sleep so I don't pass out in chemistry... wouldn't that be horrible :)
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Still here... for now...
Well I haven't been able to put up a new post for quite a time because of that dumb Blaster worm... honestly, who would want to make one of those? It's not as if it's going to make you cool or popular... far from it!! But that's beside the point.
Anyways, now that I'm back, I have a lot of thoughts that I've had for awhile but have been unable to stay on the internet for more than 2 minutes at a time... (geez). But if you'll remember, I posted a cute little list a while back on why Arnold S. isn't running for governor of California. However, you'd have to live in Ethiopia to not have heard by now that... he back!!
On a personal level, I think Arnold or a person named Bill Simon (who will be introduced further down) would make good governors, and if I lived in California I would definately be voting for one of the two. But I'll have more on Arnold and his campaign as it becomes avaliable. So I though today I would discuss Ah-nold's competitors and their chances of winning...
Cruz Bustamante Democrat
Bustamante, as current Lt. Governor of California, prefers that there be no recall at all, but is running just in case.
His chances- He will probably take the Latino vote, and he is the top Democrat in the race, but some feel he's undermining current governor Gray Davis.
Bill Simon Republican
Simon, losing the 2002 election by just a few percentage points, is probably the top choice for conservative.
His chances- so far, Arnold has been generating the most G.O.P. excitement, yet it could be really close again, going either way.
Gary Coleman Independent
That's right, little Arnold from Different Strokes. The thought of him as governor is just too funny to even contemplate.
His chances- watchoo talkin' about? Chances are very slim, considering he said a few months ago that he would vote for the Ah-nold.
Arianna Huffington Independent
A Greek woman who also has a thick accent- she's best known for her anti-SUV crusade.
Her chances- not a big fat Greek chance :D
Mary Carey Independent
A porn star who wants to make lap dances tax-deductibe... no just kidding (I hope). She has, however, certainly got attention from campaigning in a bikini.
Her chances- not great, but hey, maybe her movie sales will increase...?
Larry Flynt Democrat
The same Larry Flynt who was the namesake of the movie "The People Vs. Larry Flynt", and the same Larry Flynt who is the publisher of Hustler magizine. Plans to balance budget by expanding slot-maching gambling (he owns several casinos).
His chances- He and Carey are splitting the votes from the dirty old men ;)
Gallagher Independent
A really well-known comedian who has pledged to arrest anyone making loud cell-phone calls and use military choppers to quickly lift cars involved in accidents of the highways.
His chances- I hate to say it, but slim. Personally, I think California could use some humor in their boring lives, but from a political standpoint I really have no idea how good he would be.
Of course, there's over 100 more, but these are the ones I felt were most well-known (but not necessarily the most qualified). The only think I can say is... I'm glad I don't live in California ;)
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Soft Segregation
The name of a new all-gay high school in New York is Harvey Milk High School, the name of a famous gay activist. But wait- if this is an all-gay school, shouldn't Martin Luther King high schools be all-black schools? How about John Adams high school- let's follow suit and make this one an all-white school. Boy, wouldn't that raise some hell?
Obviously, schools should not be limited to just people of the same ethnicities as the founder or namesake. So why should this be any different? The truth is, this is an example of the left pushing their segregation agenda, and raising our taxes to build a new school where people won't be offended. It's like giving the "Purple Participation Ribbon" and school eliminating the Valedictorian honors, so nobody gets their feelings hurt, because heaven forbid we accept the fact that the world is full of "mean people" and getting past that as well as harassment is a part of life. Am I saying we should accept racism? Of course not, but the best way to ELIMINATE racism is to interact with each other and take elements of each other's culture and blend them into American culture. This is what UNITES us as a nation, an ethnic melting pot.
It's just like giving special awards and the like to minorities, simple BECAUSE they're a minority! What would happen if somebody started an all-white scholarship, and only caucasian students are eligible to recieve it? Again, racism is a horrible aspect of American life and culture, and some of America's- make that the world's- darkest times are due in part to racism and what stems from it. But what's with the double standard? We have things like the National Hispanic Association, and orginazations open only to people from South America (and the list goes on), yet each and every one of us knows what would happen if a town founded a chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of White People. Aren't we all Americans? As mentioned above, the only way to get rid of racism and prejudiceness is to accept everybody as a human being, not classify themselves or others into groups.
(P.S.- I won't be the least bit surprised if I recieve a very hateful letter on this matter. I am not in any way condoning segregation or putting down minorities. If you feel that way, then I'm very sorry, but this is not an issue that I'm going to change my stance on.)
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
It's not my fault I'm a fat, drug-addicted loser...
We have tobacco, fast food, & reparations lawsuits going on, but here's one dumb lawsuit that I think Austria has beaten us to -- Gamblers suing the casino to get some of their money back...
"An Austrian court has ordered a casino to pay damages to a man who lost 2.5 million euro at their tables.
The 40-year-old, who was a regular player at Velden casino, will receive half a million euro.
He frequently spent whole nights playing at seven tables simultaneously, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports. He lost the money during a five year spell but then sued the casino citing Austrian gambling legislation. It obliges casinos to stop people from playing if they have reason to believe they cannot afford it.
The court ruled the casino had neglected it duties, citing an incident in which the man himself had asked to be banned form gambling, then later had the ban removed again.
Casinos Austria, which owns the Velden casino, now has to pay 499,000 euro in damages."
These sort of people don't seem to realize that you, whoever you are, are entirely responsible for your own life. If you turn out to be failure, it's not because your parents didn't raise you right, racism, because the government didn't help you enough, or because some casino enticed you into spending all your money- it's because of you.
Nobody owes you a living or is responsible for your life except you. If you're not driven enough to make something of yourself, then you deserve whatever you get, even if it's nothing. And that's certainly nobody's fault but your own.
Monday, August 04, 2003
Ah-nold
Just for fun, here is-
Top Ten Reasons Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Not Running For Governor of California (as told by Dave Letterman)
10. Name wouldn't fit on campaign button
9. Robot from future killed his campaign manager
8. After you're "Mr. Universe," "Governor of California" seems kinda lame
7. Week-long budget talks would leave no time to work on his pecs
6. Can't spell governor
5. Has decided to run for Hulk instead
4. Rumor that they test gubernatorial candidates for steroids
3. Decided he only wants jobs where it's appropriate to be "oiled up"
2. Realized his questionable background and dumb-guy reputation would better qualify him to be president
1. Didn't want to take a 29-million dollar pay cut
Sunday, August 03, 2003
Last time... I promise!!
This will be my last post on the issue of gay marriage, or at least until something new comes up.
Even though I stated that I do not agree with marriage between two men or two women, I do not- repeat NOT- believe it is up to the federal courts to decide on the legality of such as controversial issue. Rather, I believe that issue should be left up to STATE courts, giving each state the rights and abilities to choose which side they want to be on.
(I have a feeling this is the what our president believes too, because of the fact that he has not stated his position on this, but that's just my thoughts.)
As you may be aware, same-sex marriages are currently not legal anywhere in the United States. However, even though marriage isn't legal, in the state of Vermont same sex couples can still benefit from things reserved for legally married people, such as being able to share insurance. But they are not by law married. Even though a gay couple can be married in Canada and live in the United States, they are still not recognized as a "married" couple under law. Yet, if a male/female couple is married in, let's say Georgia, and then move to California, they are still recognized as a married couple because of a clause in the Constitution stating that other states must recognize a marriage from another state.
But here's where it becomes complicated- while William Clinton was in office, he signed a federal law prohibiting the recognition of a gay married couple. Right now, Massachussetts is trying to legalize gay marriage, and that is to say "true" marriage, where they benefit from ALL aspects of married life. Now, if two men were married in Massachussetts, all other states would have to recognize them as a married couple. See where it gets complicated? The two laws completely conflict.
Now for my two cents again- Congress should repeal one of those laws, because IF the federal courts do as I think they should and leave it up to individual states to decide on this matter, there's going to be a lot of confusion, and inevitably, somebody is going to sue the courts. But hey, isn't that always the answer these days? ;)
Saturday, August 02, 2003
Update
This is a follow up to my last post-
I may have not been very clear about George W. position on the issue of gay marriage. I did not say that we should follow the specific religion of our leaders. I merely stated that I respect Bush for standing up for what he believes in- I did not offer my views on whether or not gay marriage should be legal or illegal, and neither did Bush. He stated that he does not think male/male or female/female marriages to be legitimate- yet he has not offered his position on the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriages.
I would like to thank reader Brandon N. for offering the following point of view-
First of all the thing about Bush trying to make it illegal for gay people to get married being a good idea, because it is both moral and religiously correct. Although I agree with religious views and that they should and are most of the time the better part of our judgment, I don't think that the law should be affected by one religion no matter how moral it may seem to the followers of that religion. The law shouldn't be shaped by the religion of one man no matter how high up he is. We have the right to any religion we chose if any, and it isn't fair that the law would be based upon that one of many that make the united states of America.
Just to clarify, again Bush has not made any mention of whether he thinks this should be made a law or not- he just stated his opinion and I pointed out how refreshing it is to see a person who stands up for his beliefs- whether I agree with them or not. Also, many politicians these days will say whatever it takes to gain popularity from the other party, and Bush has not done this. The matter of George Bush being a Christian has little to do with this- rather, the fact that he stands by his principles, whatever they may be.
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