Monday evening at about 5:35pm, I had the opportunity to experience a brief moment of Hope.

Conditions were perfect for an eyeball sighting of the ISS and Space Shuttle passing in orbit overhead.

With the naked eye, all you could see was a bright spark of light moving in a purposeful arc across the skyline. But you could see it, and know it wasnt a star or a bird, a plane, or Superman on patrol with a flashlight. Clear skies made it even brighter.

But if you serendipitously happened to have binoculars or a telescope, you could clearly see them botn. Some of Humanity's finest efforts.

What a shame we aere such a clusterfuck on this planet the majesty and wonder of space exploration is relegated to third tier status behind political squabbling, Third World bumbling, and the latest Paris/Britney sighting.

Where are the visionaries of earlier era's?

They are caught in a quagmire of political correctness, they are working through miles of beaurocratic regulations, they are just busy trying to get their kids educated while we dither over teaching "English as a second language within the US!"  That is where we are...

Sure, this country makes mistakes - but the largest one we seem to be making now is to strive for mediocrity... to dumb down to EVERYONE.  It is no mistake that "Cutie Couric" "reads" the news to us.  We, on the whole, WANT lightweights talking to us, cause it makes us feel like we know "somethin"!  

We now celebrate people being held to no standard...  Everything is "diminished" in this brave new world... WRT the glories of discovery and the wonder of achievement - well, we've not really had that feeling in my generation. - "The Boomers"  

we are a lot of whiners, complainers, and self-indulgant babies..... Everyone has to have the same thing, everyone has to have the same reward - and Oh, if someone does achieve something?  well, take it from them, and GIVE it to the local vagrant bum.  it will make the bum "feel better."  

Listen to "person" on the street interviews...  For the most part, most people have no idea of the function of the "Speaker of the House."  No concept of how research is paid for (if they did, they would scream "bloody murder" when they see the escallation of the tuition costs at (pick any) university....  My Father's generation knew every elected governmental official for his district... and was very well informed with respect to geopolitical events.... What amazed me was the folks in the NorthEast, for the most part, could not understand why a hurricane affected their oil prices....   They could not comprehend that the refining capacity between Baton Rouge, LA and Beaumont, TX plays into the economy of this country.... That is how little information the average voter takes into the voting booth...

Why is it, that the minute the folks that don't work hard get power, the first thing that they want to do is to punish those who achieve.?  

You want projects?  Try these to give us heros...

Economically feasible renewable power.
Colonization of other planets.
Political stability - globally.
ethics and morality reform.
universal education - all races, all genders - Gobally.
reduction in population.

my friend, the binoculars are in YOUR hands and they will only bring into focus the things YOU point them at.

The other day, I was helping one of my daughters with her Power Point presentation. We e-mailed it to her partner on the project who made the changes she wanted to see and she then e'd them back to us for "final approval"

My daughter and her friend are 10.

Last night my family had to eat dinner in the living room because our entire dining room is filled with presents. Each Christmas my kids classrooms "adopt" a needy family and this year one of my girls came up with the idea that maybe our street could adopt a family too so my girls went out and sold it to the neighborhood. The response was so good they decided that one side of the street would adopt one family, and the side of the street would adopt another family. The presents are things like toasters and workgloves...

I asked my girls why they did this and they said, "Because it makes us feel good"

imagine how it makes the families feel.

My friend, "they" are everywhere. You just need to ask yourself "where am I looking"?

Now call me some time, you still owe me dinner mother******.

BK

the earlier era that gave us Viet Nam, Jim Crow Laws or the Ku Klux Klan?

It's all the darkies fault.

into your comment?  If that is your message then please do not post under mine.  Cause that was NOT my message - in any way, shape or form.  Got it?

the eradication of smallpox - universally.
The Salk vaccine.
Penicillin...
Global communications...
The Web - on which you seem to only spew hate.


-- Modified on 12/19/2006 10:57:34 AM

one of my cousins was one of polio's last victims...

(as a sidebar, it is interesting how he came from complete poverty to being quite successful without the use of the ENTIRE LOWER HALF of his body or the A.D.A., in fact he is now being sued UNDER ADA for the building he built his business in being UNSUITABLE for "handicapped" people (((Just don't use that word around him))))lol!

of the problems in the world with "political correctness" and English Language Learners it is pretty obvious where you are coming from.

The fact is that people have been complaining about schools since the Pilgrims. Kids actually learn more, not less than what we or our parents learned. I sincerely doubt that your father's generation knew every elected official unless he lived in Mayberry.

I guess Bush is your "hero" for that last one on your list, "reduction in population." Granted he has only done it in Iraq and New Orleans, but I guess that you have to start somewhere.

my point. Every generation has good and bad. Trashing this one based on a fantasy view of history serves no one.

Oh and it is interesting that you consider speaking out against racism and prejudice spewing hate. I only hope that you are young and just don't know yourself very well, otherwise I feel sorry for you.

reduction in polution...
lessens the decrease in habitat for wildlife.
Ensures more employment for everyone..
Decreases greenhouse gas emissions and therefore reduces the contribution of those gases to global warming...  

The left wing always "preaches" to the rest of civilization about what they should be doing... but then does the opposite... all the celebs - who take a private jet... drive Hummers, those things get what, 8 MPG?  live in an air conditioned 9,000 sq ft houses... for only 1 or 2 people?  gimme a break - I am not for communism - but a reduction in conspicuous consumption would do us all a world of good.

With respect to english - the country is a melting pot... not a collection of odd bits and pieces... Language, a common language, enables commerce and a common language ensures that words have an identical or at worse a similar meaning... Translations usually lead to mistrust and alienation.  Lets face it, there are many hispanics whose command of the english language make them indistiguishable with respect to their ability to communicate with the rest of American society.  In the past, every group of immigrants encouraged their group to learn the language of the country... ever go to France?  guess what, they respond to French, and poorly to English.  Want to see a language harm a country?  there are several examples around the world.  pick one, any one.

My dad actually did know the politicians - and yes, I did grow up in a small rural town - go figure - so indeed he, as well as my mom, did know the politicos.... go figure - it was not Mayberry - but even if I spelled it correctly for you, you would mispronounce the name - you see, the town I grew up in - is named in a Furine language...  go figure.  And dude, even when we moved back to a major metropolitan area, he kept up with who the elected officials were - even if he did not meet all of them (he met several and in fact my grandfather was one!) - but some of them that my family did know, would surprise ya!  go figure -

Bush, my hero?  hardly - and while you list Bush as responsible for New Orleans... please note - he had lots of help from the mayor of NO and the Govenor of LA... so please - if you wish to blame him, mention the other folk as well....  as far as Iraq goes - Bush is STILL behind Sadam Hussain... with respect to killing... but I guess that we made Hitler up too....  opps, sorry that was a demo pres so that war was a "just war" much as bombing an aspirin factory was a "just police action"!  lol!

The reason for requesting a universal language in school - is for one reason  - to be able to get at subject matter - rather than learing only languages... few can master English - let alone Spanish, Italian, French, Farsi, Sanskrit, Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Nihongo or whatever!

Even in India and China, where there are multiple languages, there is a recognized need to "have a language of commerce, education, and government."  Ever notice that Italian is the language of music?  or English the language of avaiation... or French of cooking?  there is a reason for that...

And as far as kids learning more than parents?  How many can provide you with even a rudimentary history of civilization - or for that matter - geograpy?  Ever been in a 4th grade class - I have.  Ever teach?  I have.  Ever hire someone with a freshly minted BS or BA from a university? and then had to teach them how to write a simple declarative sentence?  or how to follow a simple direction -

In one instance, I have supposedly very bright people filling out a form - and tell me that the county in which they lived was "USA"!!  

Please spare me, I do have problems with PC!  it prevents real learning from taking place and substitutes false goals and realities in its place.  It also fails to hold people up to a higher standard - the ONLY way to strive for a better world.  And yea, my kids will get a good education - why? because I take the responsiblity of making sure that we go over the homework, we do drills to ensure learning the language of the subject - whether it be Algebra, or Spanish - yea - that is correct- my kid takes Spanish - go figure.  But his subject matter - is in English.  This past summer, they (my kids) went to "dad school" - examples of what he learned - the cost of buying and maintaining a car - with an interest rate on the car loan at 6.25% - Reading materials, History - the Ascent of Man (Bronowski); To Kill a Mockingbird (H Lee); The Diary of Anne Frank; and A Brief History of Time (Hawking).  Geography?  that was done in one of several ways, both their mom and I travel - a map - and where we went - that was on the list... Phillipines, Malasia, Brazil, England, Mexico, Canada - to name a few.  Oh, and before you accuse my kid of being a shut in geek, he is nationally ranked in one sport - and played varsity in another sport in his jr high, as well as playing a third sport in a local league... yea, I will tell ya, the school system does not do that, parents do. I have volunteered in my community to help coach and tutor students who may not be as fortunate as my kids.  

For those that wonder - at the end of the summer - he asked - "can we do that next summer? it was fun."

Remember:
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
Don Marquis, US humorist (1878 - 1937)

So, What have you personally done.  Obvious where I am coming from?  More to the point - where are you headed?  

Jeremy - I write this not to anger ya, but to say, you make assumptions about 1) my background, 2) my education, 3) my intent and even my preference for specific elected officials.  Forgive me, but that is foolish.  My views and opinions are more complex that a rabid Bush supporter - I am not - for mostly the same reasons that I would not support Bin Laden - I cannot follow a politico who tells me that he, and he alone was given the "truth" by GOD!  Expecially when it comes to the committment of men and women to die in a war.... sorry, can't follow that guy.  You also know nothing of my upbringing - whether I was raised in Colfax, Washington - or for that matter Raceland, LA - or Miami FL - or Nutley NJ - or Lenexa KS... of Monterry, Mexico, or South Kensington, England.  Wherever I was raised - suffice to say, there was a significant mix of races and ethnic backgrounds such that I grew up aware of "perceived differences"

But you are right in one thing.  I do have a low tolerance for ignorance (not to be confused with stupidity).  Ignorance can be corrected and for the most part is a lifestyle choice...

Finally, for the most part, I realize that the solution to the problems caused by pollution (greenhouse or otherwise) that I proposed are unacceptable - they would work, but they are unacceptable.  So, why don't you tell us a bit about you... and help us to all understand why I cannot have an opinion ?  that would help.



-- Modified on 12/19/2006 9:21:05 PM

Being sued probably means that he is successful and takes shit from noone- but is probably a decent guy.  As far as the suit goes, yea - probably the PC crowd - who fail to see the forest for the trees... and complain about all the trees interfering...

have an opinion but you should not whine like a bitch when someone calls you out on your racism. I am only going to bother with the three most glaring problems with your screed:

1. You say your father's generation knew all the elected officials based on the fact that your father new them. Unless your father was Adam that does not prove anything. Making generalizations based on anecdotals without data just demonstrates your ignorance.

2. Talking about the left in terms of Hollywood celebrities only proves that you are not a serious person. Last I looked it is the Republicans who elect actors and entertainers to office. Barbara Streisand doesn't run shit.

3. And one last thing, have you ever asked an adult (who is not your father) questions about basic Geography, Algebra, etc? Give me a break. There are uneducated people of all ages. If you think that people who immigrate to this country do not want to learn english then you are delusional. It seems that the history of this country is wiped away every 30 or so years and people forget that immigrants from Italy, Poland, Ireland, China, etc. were discriminated against and set up there own communities or do you think Little Italy and Chinatown were created by Disney? Some people learned english, a lot didn't. It was the later generations that assimilated. People tend to skip over that just so that they can bash Mexicans.

Fuck the disabled!

1.  what does it prove - that my family has been engaged in politics for over 100 years. - If we meet - you can read the history - I'll even provide you with the news paper articles.  I did not make generalizations - only talked of my dad- whom you seemed to have a problem with me making a comment about... did not know ya knew him.

2) Hollywood often acts as the spokesperson for the left.  That no one on the left stands up and says "hey, while that may be that persons belief, it neither represents my beliefs nor the beliefs of the Democratic party."

3) And yes, I have actually asked people basic questions about their knowledge - that is actually a part of my job - get over it.  And while your argument about immigrants from previous eras is valid, it fails to take into account two issues with which the Mexican immigrants bring -

a) the stated goal of the Mexican government is to reclaim the Southwest US.
b) many of the current wave of immigrants insist that the educational, business and govenmental institutions convert to Spanish - rather than try to assimilate.  Associate with this is the magnitude of the immigration and the fact that we are no longer controlling it - as we did for the previous eras of immigration (Ellis Island etc.).  

and yea, I actually do think that Little Italy and Chinatown were created by Disney.  How else would you explain the popularity of Umberto's? lol!!!

Bash Mexicans?  no, in all my posts, I have not based Mexicans - I simply want them to obey the law - that too much?  Go to Mexico - break their laws - see what happens!  You won't be happy.

1. Your original post complemented your "father's generation." Now it turns out that you were just talking about your father. No problem with talking about your dad but you did generalize his ability to the entire generation.

2. Hollywood is composed of people, some famous and some not, and just because the media focuses on celebrities does not make them leaders of the party. It is not surprising that you don't feel the same way about Rush, Ann Coulter, Pat Robertson who actually have more influence on the Right than Barbara Streisand has on the Left.

3. Asking people basic questions is collecting anecdotal evidence. Unless you are performing a survey with controls and error margins, it cannot be extrapolated to larger populations.
a) I did a search and this "stated goal of the Mexican government" appears to be a favorite of the white supremicist web sites. Thanks for the extra bit of evidence.
b) This is simply proof that you have not met too many of the current wave of immigrants. Most of them actually don't demand anything. They work for less than minimum wage at menial jobs.

At this point I will simply give props to Ben Dover. At least he has the balls to admit what he is.

what another person is saying, at least everyone else won't have to  wade thru multiple paragraph to come to that conclusion.....

bk

-- Modified on 12/20/2006 5:50:43 PM

It's not all depressing, Doc.  Things are actually very suspenseful.  It might go either way. When you're behind with three men on, two out in the ninth, it is not the time to despair.  

The friends of my dad would come over - and they would intelligently discuss politics and world affairs... My grandfather was a judge for over 50 years... etc.. etc.  They were well informed as were their friends...  not that it matters.

Again, Hollywood types spout "stuff" and no one in the Demo party denies them.  Personally, there are VERY few of the right wing nuts that I support... So if you say, you would support the Demo party denying the hollywood bunch a forum, if the Repub party would deny the talk radio right wing nuts their forum.... I agree!  no problem with that....

as far as anecdotal evidence?  Hire folks - ask them some rudimentary questions - even in their chosen field - it is pretty sad.  OK, maybe that is without mean and SD - lol  but there are studies (done by sociology study groups) that support what I say.  It is a real phenomena.

For what it is worth, if you have ever lived in a S border state - these people DO DEMAND services... and lots of them.  HEalth care, food, shelter and transportation to say nothing of demanding the educational system, and the govenment switch to Spanish... live the life in the border states, you may change your perspective - especially if you care to look.  But if you ride around in your limo and never look, you will never see.

As I asked above - what do you do to improve your community, and how do you contribute?

with such inadequacy.

the Democratic Party to go around denouncing people, especially if they are not elected officials or party leaders or workers. I don't know what forum you want the Democrats to deny. The First Amendment? I don't remember the Republicans denouncing Pat Robertson, Rush or Dennis Prager for their insane or racist rantings.

I live in a southern border state and work in the inner city and work with "these people" as you call them, every day. They demand very little.