I rarely post a full article's text as some are ridiculously long, but if I didn't you wouldn't believe me on this one (because I wouldn't believe myself if I told myself this one) :
Poll: Half of Southern Democrats dislike outburst
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- About half of the Southern Democrats responding to a poll say they were either opposed or outraged by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst as President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress.
The State of Columbia reported that the Winthrop University poll also showed large majorities of both independents and Democrats reacted negatively to Wilson's interruption of Obama's speech by shouting "You lie!"
More than 43 percent of Southern Republicans liked it when Wilson berated Obama as he spoke in September.
Winthrop's poll, which included questions asked exclusively for The State, showed almost 68 percent of independents said they were opposed to Wilson's outburst. Overall, 30 percent of independents said they were opposed to and outraged by Wilson's actions.
Far fewer Southern Republicans - just over 11 percent - said they were outraged by Wilson's remark. But another 36 percent of Southern Republicans said they opposed Wilson's outburst.
Just under 65 percent of all those polled said they opposed Wilson's actions.
Nearly 30 percent of all poll participants said they not only opposed Wilson's actions, but were also outraged by them.
"It was stupid," said Charles Marshall, a 74-year-old retired marketing and sales representative who lives in Bluffton and backed Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
"He acted like a redneck," Marshall said of Wilson. "And I'm no elitist by any stretch of the imagination. He was appealing to the emotions of his constituency, and that's dumb."
Wilson apologized to Obama's chief of staff for his outburst. But he has made no apologies for the millions in campaign contributions that have poured in to him since he interrupted the president's speech with his shout.
"A lot of people have contributed because Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and MoveOn.org have raised money for my opponent," Wilson said. "It was an understanding that I had become a target."
J. Chester Gambrell, a 57-year-old salesman who lives in Florence and who voted for U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., didn't approve of Wilson's actions.
"I'm not sure if that was the right time to say that, whether you think Barack Obama is a great guy or not, out of respect for the president," Gambrell said. "The man is president.
The survey was conducted Oct. 24-Nov. 7 by telephone. There were 866 respondents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com
Article over. Go back through and find the data for Democrats. It only mentions Independents. They seem to be getting confused. Just because Independents voted for Obama once, that doesn't make them automatic Democrats. While it can be inferred from the overall total, the actual figure for Democrats isn't even given in the article. Journalism FAIL.
Source:
http://www.thestate.com/statewire/story/1029538.html
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Change the Majority of Fear
I want to leave an impact on the world. I want to do something that won't be forgotten in a generation. I do not want to be the name on the family tree that is remembered as the odd one that did nothing. I want to leave an impact.
I question college. I'm there now doing the essays and journals and tests and prelims and at first it was fulfilling, but now I see how pointless it all is. Every meal a person makes for their self is about survival. It leaves an impact because if you didn't eat, you would die. You take a test and fail, you can take another and pass. You go on whether you pass or fail for a month in college, yet if you didn't eat for a month you would die. You can fail a whole semester and still go on. Until you get that piece of paper.
I could die tomorrow and be remembered for nothing. I could die in four years with that piece of paper and be remembered for nothing. I could save someone's life tomorrow and be remembered. Should they not be remembered I wouldn't be remembered either, so I want a more direct approach. I want to be a name that no matter how many times history is rewritten, I will still be there for what I did.
It isn't enough to be a senator, or even a president. We remember some presidents because they are recent, but we really remember Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan. Why? Because they changed how the world thinks and sees itself. Egypt had many rulers, but we remember Cleopatra and King Tut, why? Because what they did changed how the world saw itself. King Tut changed how the world saw Egypt's past. Cleopatra changed how the Roman Empire existed.
You don't need to be a president or king to be remembered. Ben Franklin wasn't a positioned leader, but he is remembered. He has been dead for many generations but we know him. We know he was a patriot and diplomat and free thinker ahead of him just being a scientist. Why? Because anyone can be a scientist and figure out what he figured out. However, not everyone can sway the minds of people. Thoreau and Paine are remembered for changing how people saw government. I want to be remembered.
That piece of paper gained by college means absolutely nothing. The work put into something other than changing the world is worthless. Sure, you can gain pleasure from working for money and getting newer and shinier things, but your existence will have been wasted. Unless you change the world in a way that can be remembered more than two generations after you existed your life is worthless. That is why the Kaiser was just another leader of just another warring nation notable for it breaking records in number of dead. Hitler is remembered for changing the world. Good or bad, he changed the world.
I know you see this as true. Yet we do nothing about it. Why? It is that we don't want to change the world? I think we all would like to. Not being able to change the world is actually why voting is ignored by so many. So that can't be a reason, since we do want to change the world. Is it because although everyone wants to change the world we think only one or two people possibly can change the world? Are we afraid of the majority of fear?
I say we should rise above the majority of fear to change the world. We can see the benefits of our change in whether or not it reduces the fear of people and increases their willingness to strive to change the world. That would lead to more entrepreneurs, scientists, moral politicians, and leaders of all kinds than we ever dreamed of. The best part is this world of leaders can be formed by us all. We are the change we want to see. However, our existence will only be remembered if we take up the challenge and work to change the world. Otherwise, we will turn to dust just like that piece of paper.
I question college. I'm there now doing the essays and journals and tests and prelims and at first it was fulfilling, but now I see how pointless it all is. Every meal a person makes for their self is about survival. It leaves an impact because if you didn't eat, you would die. You take a test and fail, you can take another and pass. You go on whether you pass or fail for a month in college, yet if you didn't eat for a month you would die. You can fail a whole semester and still go on. Until you get that piece of paper.
I could die tomorrow and be remembered for nothing. I could die in four years with that piece of paper and be remembered for nothing. I could save someone's life tomorrow and be remembered. Should they not be remembered I wouldn't be remembered either, so I want a more direct approach. I want to be a name that no matter how many times history is rewritten, I will still be there for what I did.
It isn't enough to be a senator, or even a president. We remember some presidents because they are recent, but we really remember Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan. Why? Because they changed how the world thinks and sees itself. Egypt had many rulers, but we remember Cleopatra and King Tut, why? Because what they did changed how the world saw itself. King Tut changed how the world saw Egypt's past. Cleopatra changed how the Roman Empire existed.
You don't need to be a president or king to be remembered. Ben Franklin wasn't a positioned leader, but he is remembered. He has been dead for many generations but we know him. We know he was a patriot and diplomat and free thinker ahead of him just being a scientist. Why? Because anyone can be a scientist and figure out what he figured out. However, not everyone can sway the minds of people. Thoreau and Paine are remembered for changing how people saw government. I want to be remembered.
That piece of paper gained by college means absolutely nothing. The work put into something other than changing the world is worthless. Sure, you can gain pleasure from working for money and getting newer and shinier things, but your existence will have been wasted. Unless you change the world in a way that can be remembered more than two generations after you existed your life is worthless. That is why the Kaiser was just another leader of just another warring nation notable for it breaking records in number of dead. Hitler is remembered for changing the world. Good or bad, he changed the world.
I know you see this as true. Yet we do nothing about it. Why? It is that we don't want to change the world? I think we all would like to. Not being able to change the world is actually why voting is ignored by so many. So that can't be a reason, since we do want to change the world. Is it because although everyone wants to change the world we think only one or two people possibly can change the world? Are we afraid of the majority of fear?
I say we should rise above the majority of fear to change the world. We can see the benefits of our change in whether or not it reduces the fear of people and increases their willingness to strive to change the world. That would lead to more entrepreneurs, scientists, moral politicians, and leaders of all kinds than we ever dreamed of. The best part is this world of leaders can be formed by us all. We are the change we want to see. However, our existence will only be remembered if we take up the challenge and work to change the world. Otherwise, we will turn to dust just like that piece of paper.
City Mananger's Release
I've held back from making a statement on Ed Barrett being "encouraged" by the Bangor City Council to retire after 22 years on the job. I was hoping the council would either say why he should have gone or at least better explained the "disagreement" they had with his plan.
First, you do not fire someone who does their job and comes up with a proposal without having a plan of your own.
Secondly, someone in a respected position does not just go in the middle of the night from a job they had for 22 years. If wrong doing occurred, he did so with taxpayer money and taxpayer time. That alone deserves explanation.
I am going to leave the issue at that because the list of somewhat odd decisions and statements by the council since I started observing over a year ago have been growing and I am finding it hard to not just simply list every incident I've seen. A new councilor is there this year, so I will give Cary Weston time to shift the council's viewpoint of the intelligence of the residents of Bangor.
Should this shift not take place, you can forget the referendum on Obama next year because Bangor will be looking for new, transparent ideas.
First, you do not fire someone who does their job and comes up with a proposal without having a plan of your own.
Secondly, someone in a respected position does not just go in the middle of the night from a job they had for 22 years. If wrong doing occurred, he did so with taxpayer money and taxpayer time. That alone deserves explanation.
I am going to leave the issue at that because the list of somewhat odd decisions and statements by the council since I started observing over a year ago have been growing and I am finding it hard to not just simply list every incident I've seen. A new councilor is there this year, so I will give Cary Weston time to shift the council's viewpoint of the intelligence of the residents of Bangor.
Should this shift not take place, you can forget the referendum on Obama next year because Bangor will be looking for new, transparent ideas.
Guantanimo Bay Prisoners Trial In New York
While I am certainly not happy about the decision made, I am not surprised by it. I am more surprised that people didn't know this was coming. America, wake up. This is the leadership we have in place. This is not a moderate administration. It just isn't. They will place other nationalities and minorities of any form, other than opponents, ahead of common sense.
I am not being a bigot of any kind, I am observing what has been happening. Perhaps if you did the same you would notice it as well. What to do about this other than make myself aware of situations and ultimately treat others as I want to be treated I do not know.
I am not being a bigot of any kind, I am observing what has been happening. Perhaps if you did the same you would notice it as well. What to do about this other than make myself aware of situations and ultimately treat others as I want to be treated I do not know.
Yemen Situation Worsens
In the past week the situation in Yemen has escalated to levels worthy of accusations and counter accusations of responsibility for the Houthi rebel's success. Iran blames the U.S. for Houthi defeats, and demands Saudi Arabia stop getting involved. Saudi Arabia however can't really do this since the rebels crossed the border and started attacking Saudis. Yemen and Saudi Arabia are blaming Iran for arming the rebels, and the reason this matters is because the conflict has forced Saudi Arabia to evacuate 250 villages. Now, last I checked evacuating populated areas is a sign you are preparing for those areas to enter the conflict zone. So with yesterday's 250 and today's increase by 170 to a total 420 village evacuations the situation is worsening quickly. Pakistanis have also been fighting with the rebels which is something I just can't figure out a motive for other than the possible Taliban and Al Qaeda connection.
Why does this matter? Well, thus far Iran's involvement with Hamas and Hezbolla and the Somali Civil War has been ignored by the Arab world. Now, however, two clearly Arab nations are facing the end result of weapons and finance support by Iran to rebel and extremist groups. How the Arab nations unify or divide over this will be very indicative of the possible alliance system should war with Iran unfold.
However, the reason the situation may be worsening could be due to the effectiveness of the Saudi forces:
Meanwhile Saudi's armed forces arrested a sorcerer attempting to plant magic spells in the conflict zone in support of the Houthis, the Saudi newspaper Okaz reported.
The man was initially believed to be a refugee fleeing the conflict but security forces searched him and found amulets, animal remains and scrolls containing symbols.
The detainee admitted he was planning to plant amulets in the conflict zone to help the Houthi rebels sneak across the border and win their war against Saudi Arabia.
When asked why he had long nails, he claimed that he is obeying the order of the jinns, or spirits.
“The jinns will be infuriated and will kill me if I trim or clean my nails,” he told his interrogators.
Excerpt over. So as the Houthi rebels (an ethnic, traditional, and Shi'ite minority) are gaining ground, Saudi Arabia is cracking down on animists.
http://www.kippreport.com/2009/11/fighting-forces-mass-evacuation-in-saudi/
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/11/15/91350.html
Why does this matter? Well, thus far Iran's involvement with Hamas and Hezbolla and the Somali Civil War has been ignored by the Arab world. Now, however, two clearly Arab nations are facing the end result of weapons and finance support by Iran to rebel and extremist groups. How the Arab nations unify or divide over this will be very indicative of the possible alliance system should war with Iran unfold.
However, the reason the situation may be worsening could be due to the effectiveness of the Saudi forces:
Meanwhile Saudi's armed forces arrested a sorcerer attempting to plant magic spells in the conflict zone in support of the Houthis, the Saudi newspaper Okaz reported.
The man was initially believed to be a refugee fleeing the conflict but security forces searched him and found amulets, animal remains and scrolls containing symbols.
The detainee admitted he was planning to plant amulets in the conflict zone to help the Houthi rebels sneak across the border and win their war against Saudi Arabia.
When asked why he had long nails, he claimed that he is obeying the order of the jinns, or spirits.
“The jinns will be infuriated and will kill me if I trim or clean my nails,” he told his interrogators.
Excerpt over. So as the Houthi rebels (an ethnic, traditional, and Shi'ite minority) are gaining ground, Saudi Arabia is cracking down on animists.
http://www.kippreport.com/2009/11/fighting-forces-mass-evacuation-in-saudi/
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2009/11/15/91350.html
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