I have stated many times I will never vote for a Democrat. I apologize and retract that statement. No, I don't plan on it. However, in a Democracy my vote is to go to the most qualified candidate regardless of political affiliation. Should someone from across the isle, or even somewhere further or closer, be a better representative of my values of government then they will get my vote.
It is our civic duty to ensure that the most qualified people get elected to office. By limiting ourselves to one political party we are disregarding (usually) more than half of the candidates available. By doing so we give ourselves less than 50% chance of voting for the most qualified individual for leadership and public service.
So to those who refuse to vote Republican, or Democrat, or even both, please look at the people and not the letter. While voting for people is preferred over organizations, sometimes the best people come from the political party system.
A little taste of political logic (with a side dose of insanity and humor to make things interesting.) My life will occassionally be brought in with some journalism.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Socialists Invited
If you want a place to discuss your ideas I invite any and all Socialists to my blog. Send me an e-mail and what you wish to say and I will post it. This does not mean there will not be a silent approval, there will be discussion. You will always be invited to respond to any counter to your statements or make further statements.
We Are Doomed 4
The human race now resorts to stealing sand for resorts.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jgHmDqLU_femenG_nkw722vLPzlAD99P68DO0
We are doomed.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jgHmDqLU_femenG_nkw722vLPzlAD99P68DO0
We are doomed.
Bass Park Director FAIL
The Bangor State Fair is one of the most looked forward to events of the year. This year, the admission/ticket system was replaced with a $10 for all fee (food not included). The Bass Park Director Mike Dyer forced the Fiesta company to charge this. As a result, fewer rides, longer lines, and an overall worse experience. This is why I, as a Republican, am opposed to government involvement (Mike works for the city). In the attempt to increase attendance, they lessened what was offered, the carnival makes less money, people are less happy, and this overall lessens the good image of Bangor. Lines were wrapping around other rides today in painful heat and humidity. Nobody seemed to be happy, and to be honest there were a lot of people who were rude. From the staff trying to force people to seperate their group (on one of the scarier rides, the guy told a mother to part with her daughter who was going on the ride for the first time) to people sitting at the tables without buying anything forcing the police to be called the whole thing just had a bad aura about it. Why? More people for lower price. Who did this? Mike Dyer.
The Race For Governor - Outreach
One of the best experiences I've had was being part of a political campaign. Lets just make it known that while I refuse to run my city council campaign with any money, the candidates for governor all have monetary donation requests. So, it is what you can do WITH their campaign that actually makes all the difference. If you have seen the candidates and wish to work with them, I'm going to let you know the other options they have on their websites which are listed here:
http://rhkinc.blogspot.com/2009/07/candidates-websites.html
Alright, lets start with Donna Dion's options:
None. You can't even subscribe to campaign updates yet.
Lynne Williams: You can subcribe for updates, but nothing else so far.
Dawn Hill: Her volunteer page sends you to a customized automated response with the following options:
Be a Volunteer Captain
Go Door to Door - Canvass
Host a House Gathering
Make a Donation
Make Phone Calls
Place a sign in my yard
Request Sticker for my Car
Tweet or Blog about Rep. Dawn Hill
Will volunteer in general
Willing spread the word in my community
Write to My Local Newspaper
Steve Rowe:
Host a House Party
Make Phone Calls
Go Door to Door
Make a Donation
Write to My Local Newspaper
Be a Volunteer Captain
Blog about Steve
Put Up Yard Signs
Put On a Bumper Sticker
He also has this question:
May We Use Your Name Publicly as a Rowe Supporter?
I suggest you mark no. If you want to support someone, you can support them publicly by volunteering. However, in the political environment we have it could be dangerous, and releasing those names could create a possible hit list for opponents (as in, you could become critisized just for being on his list).
Rosa Scarcelli has the following ambiguous choice:
General Volunteer
Les Otten:
go door to door
make phone calls
host a house party
work my neighborhood
attend event
blog
volunteer at HG
write my local paper (declare support)
place sticker on my car
help out in other ways
Matt Jacobson is lacking in opportunities right now.
Lastly, Bruce Poliquin:
Go Door-to-Door
Make a Donation
Make Phone Calls
Talk to Others About Bruce
Work My Neighborhood
Attend Events
Put Sign in My Yard
Blog About Bruce
Place Sticker on My Car
Help Out in Other Ways
Host House Party
Volunteer at Our HQ
Write My Local Newspaper
So, the scoreboard has Bruce Poliquin in the lead with 13 options.
In second place:Dawn Hill with 11.
Third goes to: Les Otten with 10.
Fourth: Steve Rowe with 9.
Fifth: Rosa Scarcelli with 1.
The rest do not qualify for the scoreboard.
Congradulations Bruce Poliquin. A year and four months before the election you are giving voters the most options to be involved in your campaign. I thus award you the first ever Life Blog Award for Campaign Involvement Opportunities.
The reason I decided to count them was because getting supporters involved is an important part of making certain that your campaign has what it takes to win. If you don't have positions on the issues to get people out there then you won't win an election. You need to stand out. The best way to stand out it to have your supporters out there for you. These options make it easy for supporters to get involved. The more options the more people you can reach out to in order to have them get involved. "General volunteer" is intimidating. It could mean go door-to-door, or clean the HQ toilets. Poliquin's options allow his campaign to know who to go to for certain things and know their supports will enjoy doing it. Poliquin continues to have the best outreach of all the candidates so far.
http://rhkinc.blogspot.com/2009/07/candidates-websites.html
Alright, lets start with Donna Dion's options:
None. You can't even subscribe to campaign updates yet.
Lynne Williams: You can subcribe for updates, but nothing else so far.
Dawn Hill: Her volunteer page sends you to a customized automated response with the following options:
Be a Volunteer Captain
Go Door to Door - Canvass
Host a House Gathering
Make a Donation
Make Phone Calls
Place a sign in my yard
Request Sticker for my Car
Tweet or Blog about Rep. Dawn Hill
Will volunteer in general
Willing spread the word in my community
Write to My Local Newspaper
Steve Rowe:
Host a House Party
Make Phone Calls
Go Door to Door
Make a Donation
Write to My Local Newspaper
Be a Volunteer Captain
Blog about Steve
Put Up Yard Signs
Put On a Bumper Sticker
He also has this question:
May We Use Your Name Publicly as a Rowe Supporter?
I suggest you mark no. If you want to support someone, you can support them publicly by volunteering. However, in the political environment we have it could be dangerous, and releasing those names could create a possible hit list for opponents (as in, you could become critisized just for being on his list).
Rosa Scarcelli has the following ambiguous choice:
General Volunteer
Les Otten:
go door to door
make phone calls
host a house party
work my neighborhood
attend event
blog
volunteer at HG
write my local paper (declare support)
place sticker on my car
help out in other ways
Matt Jacobson is lacking in opportunities right now.
Lastly, Bruce Poliquin:
Go Door-to-Door
Make a Donation
Make Phone Calls
Talk to Others About Bruce
Work My Neighborhood
Attend Events
Put Sign in My Yard
Blog About Bruce
Place Sticker on My Car
Help Out in Other Ways
Host House Party
Volunteer at Our HQ
Write My Local Newspaper
So, the scoreboard has Bruce Poliquin in the lead with 13 options.
In second place:Dawn Hill with 11.
Third goes to: Les Otten with 10.
Fourth: Steve Rowe with 9.
Fifth: Rosa Scarcelli with 1.
The rest do not qualify for the scoreboard.
Congradulations Bruce Poliquin. A year and four months before the election you are giving voters the most options to be involved in your campaign. I thus award you the first ever Life Blog Award for Campaign Involvement Opportunities.
The reason I decided to count them was because getting supporters involved is an important part of making certain that your campaign has what it takes to win. If you don't have positions on the issues to get people out there then you won't win an election. You need to stand out. The best way to stand out it to have your supporters out there for you. These options make it easy for supporters to get involved. The more options the more people you can reach out to in order to have them get involved. "General volunteer" is intimidating. It could mean go door-to-door, or clean the HQ toilets. Poliquin's options allow his campaign to know who to go to for certain things and know their supports will enjoy doing it. Poliquin continues to have the best outreach of all the candidates so far.
Fanatical Blindness
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/UNNECESSARY%20%20%20LOSSES.htm
In the letter the person writes:
But after all the garbage has been left behind I do hold certain basic tenets from my old left background. The first is that there are classes and the rich are not on the same side as the rest of us. They exploit. The second is that I am still a socialist. I still believe in theory socialism is better than capitalism. If it has not worked so far, it is because it has not really been tried.
What concerns me about you is that you have lost the compassion and humanism which motivated our parents to make their original choice. There can be no other explanation for your support of the vile policies of Ronald Reagan. Except that you are operating from an emotional position which surpasses rational thinking. Also, by assuming that because you are no longer "left," you must be "right, "you appear to be lacking a capacity to tolerate ambiguity; and the real world is indeed ambiguous. Why do you feel the need to jump on establishment bandwagons? I assume they are paying you well for your efforts.
Excerpt over. The rich work, they do not exploit. I know the rich and the poor in person. They work for a living. Is it true for all? No, but the majority do work.
Socialism has not been tried, because it is impossible to achieve with human beings. To create a classless, wealthless society you need to remove human emotion. Socialism requires a human race that has no desires in any form. It requires us to forgo excess but also in times of need not feel hunger should food not be available for all. Socialism can not be tried.
I am looking for an intellectual discussion. Socialists, contact me.
The last line is just spiteful.
The entire article is personal, and real. This is the fanaticism we face, and we must not allow one line of rhetoric to go unanswered. In response, if they believe what they say, they should refute every line we on the side of democracy and capitalism say. The points without refutability are the solid basis of truth. The side with the most solid basis after any number of interactions is what should decide this truth. So I challenge you, Socialists, Communists, and Anarchists to send me your vision of a better world and how to get there. I will respond, without being spiteful or insulting I promise, and we will settle the fanatical debates once and for all regarding these philosophies.
In the letter the person writes:
But after all the garbage has been left behind I do hold certain basic tenets from my old left background. The first is that there are classes and the rich are not on the same side as the rest of us. They exploit. The second is that I am still a socialist. I still believe in theory socialism is better than capitalism. If it has not worked so far, it is because it has not really been tried.
What concerns me about you is that you have lost the compassion and humanism which motivated our parents to make their original choice. There can be no other explanation for your support of the vile policies of Ronald Reagan. Except that you are operating from an emotional position which surpasses rational thinking. Also, by assuming that because you are no longer "left," you must be "right, "you appear to be lacking a capacity to tolerate ambiguity; and the real world is indeed ambiguous. Why do you feel the need to jump on establishment bandwagons? I assume they are paying you well for your efforts.
Excerpt over. The rich work, they do not exploit. I know the rich and the poor in person. They work for a living. Is it true for all? No, but the majority do work.
Socialism has not been tried, because it is impossible to achieve with human beings. To create a classless, wealthless society you need to remove human emotion. Socialism requires a human race that has no desires in any form. It requires us to forgo excess but also in times of need not feel hunger should food not be available for all. Socialism can not be tried.
I am looking for an intellectual discussion. Socialists, contact me.
The last line is just spiteful.
The entire article is personal, and real. This is the fanaticism we face, and we must not allow one line of rhetoric to go unanswered. In response, if they believe what they say, they should refute every line we on the side of democracy and capitalism say. The points without refutability are the solid basis of truth. The side with the most solid basis after any number of interactions is what should decide this truth. So I challenge you, Socialists, Communists, and Anarchists to send me your vision of a better world and how to get there. I will respond, without being spiteful or insulting I promise, and we will settle the fanatical debates once and for all regarding these philosophies.
Listen Close Republicans
No more witch doctor photos of Obama. Alright? We live in a Democracy, a free nation. We have the greatest country on earth to call our home. You lower our level of civility by making these pointless and uncivilized attacks on Barack Obama. We focus on the issues, not the looks. Lets focus on the taxpaying dollars spent by a politician's vacation, and not Michelle Obama's dress or Barack Obama's jeans and baseball pitches. We focus on the issues and there is nothing that the Democrats could ever do to hurt us. Let them act like attack dogs, lets be civilized.
Interim Government Crackdown
The legal government of Honduras must not abuse the power it was given Constitutionally. From this point on a police of only having commanding officers carry armed guns should be made to prevent any further needless bloodshed being blamed on Honduran authorities.
There should be a public forum, open to the public to attend where both sides can appeal to an independant jury with one jury for Zelaya, one for the interim government, and a neutral international diplomat from the U.N. along with two Constitutional experts. These five jurors will make the case of the situation and allow the public to see the facts, dispell the rumors, and clarify the situation. While the forum takes place, hopefully people will listen more than protest.
However, the crackdown by the interim government must end. A democracy is founded on the freedom to think and express yourself. While the Mitchelleti government is legal, it should not be outside the law. Going in that direction is why Zelaya had to be removed.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5701J420090801
There should be a public forum, open to the public to attend where both sides can appeal to an independant jury with one jury for Zelaya, one for the interim government, and a neutral international diplomat from the U.N. along with two Constitutional experts. These five jurors will make the case of the situation and allow the public to see the facts, dispell the rumors, and clarify the situation. While the forum takes place, hopefully people will listen more than protest.
However, the crackdown by the interim government must end. A democracy is founded on the freedom to think and express yourself. While the Mitchelleti government is legal, it should not be outside the law. Going in that direction is why Zelaya had to be removed.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5701J420090801
Missile Defense Works
Well, on short range missiles. However, if North Korea launches towards us it will be a long range missile we have to worry about. Which makes our test in Hawaii seem almost pointless.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5in-BbOZrPDAgjSNDPjFjGxuijnjw
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5in-BbOZrPDAgjSNDPjFjGxuijnjw