Happy Veteran’s Day!
At times we fought each other but you always fought for a cause…thank you to all who have served, currently serving, and have sacrificed.
Obama wins a Nobel Peace Prize…?
The news was announced that Barack Obama has been selected by the Norweigian Nobel Committee as a winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
My first reaction is congratulations as this is a nice honor for our Prez to win, on the other hand I am concerned. First let me declare that I am a fan of Obama and I voted for him. Funny coming from someone who has voted the Republican ticket since I was eligible to vote, but something was different this year.
I liked the message of change, I had hope in the messages of health care reform, improvement of foreign relations, and an overall changing of the guard per se. The stance on the wars seemed to be a stand still, troops dying in large numbers and seemingly no direction of our executive leadership to change the course.
I’m just at odds with him actually winning the award right now, almost as if the committee felt bad that his bid for the Chicago 2016 Summer games bombed. Granted, Obama is a true statesman of what is just and right, but so are a lot of other Presidents, the problem is convincing Washington lawmakers to get on board with your thinking.
Yes, he is an advocate of sweeping reform and change, but that is the stance of all politicians and only a few economically viable programs actually see the light of day.
Yes, he is making great strides to reach out to other nations and mend wounds that were seen caused by the last admin. However, the differences in cultures, values, and religion go back thousands of years and it’s not like other administrations weren’t trying to win over the Middle East.
I guess my issue is that I want to see Obama hit hard times and I want to see him tested. I don’t want purely the flash of fancy speeches, the well crafted delivery to world leaders, or the public view that words equate to action, they don’t.
The Peace prize is not only an accolade but now might become a burden. A burden to perform. The award places him in a position which requires even more expectation to lead but also to achieve. Not all goals in politics are reachable, there are accommodations, backdoors, and alternative approaches.
My fear is that too much God like treatment will tarnish the underlying truth, the truth being that Obama is at a very critical crossroads of his tenure and the moment of truth is starting to peak. The world will inevitably be watching now.
The Russians may have discovered the vaccine for Swine Flu!
The Russians may be on to something. Drink plenty of Welsh whiskey and you will be protected from the Swine flu! The VOB, which is the soccer organization in Russia, is urging it’s fans to load up on plenty of the liquor when they head to Wales for next month’s World Cup qualifying games.
Alexander Shprygin, the head of the VOB, ”We urge our fans to drink a lot of Welsh whiskey as a form of disinfection, this should cure all symptoms of the disease.” He also added that Russian soccer fans have no fear and no virus is going to stop them from travelling to Great Britain to cheer on their team.
Well…raise a bottle and “Na zdorovje!”
Clinton’s still working their magic!
Look into my eyes and tell me I am the greatest! Now let's go have sushi!
Bill Clinton is no longer charming interns but he still has a keen way of becoming a political pawn and ship himself to North Korea. Thankfully, there was a bigger calling and that was the release of two US journalists who have been imprisoned since March.
Still, I dont like to see our government bow to this man. Didnt we have a policy of never negotiate with terrorists? This country was considered an axis of evil, wasnt it?
Oh wait, that was the ole’ Texan’s administration…by the way 33% of Americans still trust GW as an ambassador to other countries. He isn’t doing it (and actually I am glad he isnt) but still…a pretty high rating considering Clinton is around 39% approval for his ambassadorism (a word?)
Kudos to you Bill and Hillary, you caved a bit (semi-admirable), said you were sorry, and best of all two young women are back home with their families.
Hey..even the holy can be blinded by a solar eclipse…
This was a funny looking photo. The solar eclipse was viewable by many around the world yesterday including many in parts of Asia.
Including this man who is a Sadhu, or an Indian holy person who is seen as devout believer in the Hindu goals of life.
Bascially, they are a holy person who renounces all material things and lives in seclusion, most often a cave type dwelling.
This Sadhu however did not give up his $1.50 eclipse glasses with the rubber band strap, most likely found in a Indian version of a Cracker Jack box.
He can’t give up all his material posessions!
Something I’ve Observed: An introduction…
I was so inspired by the Simple Thought series that I had to introduce something similar, but not as informational and news worthy. “Something I’ve Observed” is more of a snapshot of something currently in my head that is either bugging me, bothering me, or enlightening me.
Simple Thoughts are more thought provoking, insightful, and are things that makes you go… Hmmm. Something I’ve Observed is a mere spewing of non headline news but needing to be blogged on.
What a week of news stories!!!
Last week might have been the most news worthy of the year or last couple of years for that matter. Carrot Top is still…well…Carrot Top, the post-election rioting in Iran calmed down a bit, we lost Ed McMahon, Jon and Kate filed divorce papers, it was unveiled that Steve Jobs had a liver transplant, Albert Pujols belted 6 RBI’s against the Royals in one game!, we lost Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett within hours of each other, and just this weekend Billy Mays (the OxiClean guy) is found dead by his wife Sunday morning.
Oh, on the plate for this week, American troops are pulling out of Baghdad, Bernie Madoff gets 150 years in the pokie, and I need to fix one of our garage doors which came off the track.
In Memoriam…a sad week in Hollywood
North Korea…are you kidding me?
I know this is serious and the prospect of any country making nuclear threats is dangerous. The UN and the US are not dealing easily with North Korea and they shouldn’t. I don’t care how imperialistic the US has become in it’s dealings with other countries, there is no room in our world for a country like North Korea. These statements are not going to make people happy who may be of North Korean origin, simply I don’t give a crap.
This is 2009 and the people of North Korea are trapped in a madman’s grip. Relinquish this country of its governments brainwashing and free these people into the modern world. They are one of the few entirely state run economic systems, which means they are very isolated and restrictive in how they deal with international trade. The country has numerous resources for agriculture, however, their economic growth is small and stagnant due to being a complete totalitarian, government controlled economy.
The Korean War ended in the late 50’s , however, North and South Korea have never officially “not” been at war. Tourism for South Korean and US residents is severely restricted as well. (pretty country but would you want to go now?) Tourists are accompanied by a state provided “chaperone” and there are few areas for tourist to roam free in the country.
A country that stifles its citizens and media the right to protected free speech, even though it’s stated in their constitution. Good news is the only news allowed when referring to the current regime. People starve in what is an ongoing famine, but this is never allowed to be discussed. China and Japan have been providing aid to the country for years.
Health care is free but grossly inadequate due to limitation of funds and outside influence. The mortality rate in this ocuntry is one of the highest in the world. They have been called the “most brutalized people in the world” because of strict government influence and punishment (work camps, capital punishment, etc).
I know there are “more visible” regions in Africa worse than North Korea when it comes to famine and lack of medicinal resources, but North Korea is a self containing government which has great potential to be a productive, thriving country in the modern era. The capacity for great economic, industrial growth, and a thriving agricultural foundation because of vast natural resources. However, military and regime come first.
So…why does this seem like old news and now suddenly it means something to me? Because, on the surface, the tactics of this country are laughable. They play manipulative games of “give me what I want or else” with the world. North Korea in the news didn’t interest me, it was just another reference to a country that meant nothing to me.
What used to be a cat and mouse game is now a regime who seems to have the balls (or foolishness) to bark with the big dogs. I once laugh now I worry. I hear nuclear come up in conversations I start to listen. I now know how bad these people have it and they truly don’t know it, because they know no other way of life.
I am sure someone is thinking “Hell, having Bush as President was just as bad and our country is the most crooked in the world” Well, you go ahead and think that as you sip your latte, browse your blog of the morning in the corner coffee shop, bagging on your chosen politican of the month. Meanwhile, there is a little country out east that wants to blow up the world and doesn’t feed its people.
Dunk that in your hot cocoa next time you think the US is a rotten place to be.
“You are a friend of Saudi Arabia”…
I give you this gold medallion as a token of my thanks for buying so much gas...you silly American!
Obama was greeted like a king today as he arrived for his visit to Saudi Arabia. Well, when you’re head of the free, gas guzzling world, you would be too!
Although, the premier of China and the leader of India also received box seats to the Lakers/Magic series. Hypothetically speaking if Saudis’ were basketball fans and if those leaders actually visited the country.
Heard It In A Bar RSS Feed- Texas – what the hell is wrong with you!? September 3, 2010I’m going to be honest with you, it is going to be very difficult for me to be calm about this. First, we had the Rep. Barton apologizing to BP for the Obama “shakedown”. Even his own party rolled their eyes and popped their Tums. I was up in arms over this and even got [...] […]She
- Lost is over and I actually miss it… September 3, 2010Six years of roller coaster loop de’ loops, dozens of undeveloped characters, and a story line that was as easy to follow as a chicken in a barnyard. If you didn’t watch Lost, you missed a show which challenged the fan to no end. Season after season of questions, theories, hypotheses’, cliff hanging plots, and a [...] […]kansasview
- Teetering on the edge…how does Bret Michaels do it? September 3, 2010I have to give Bret Michaels credit, he has battled a life of disease and he keeps bouncing back. At the age of six, he was diagonosed with Type I diabetes and has struggled to maintain his health all the while becoming an 80’s glam metal rock god, a history of hard hard partying, and what [...] […]kansasview
- A softball player who just happens to know the law, sign her up… September 3, 2010Does this woman really matter to you? If you look deep into the background of a possible supreme court justice, do you want actual bench experience or do you prefer someone who knows the law and has written a few hundred papers on well…the law? Princeton graduate, Harvard Law Dean,…on the surface at least Elena Kagan [...] […]kansasview
- When it rains for Tiger, it pours… September 3, 2010The muscle of this man has shrunk and shows more sign of atrophy as each new story surfaces. This blog did a pretty good job of leaving Tiger alone and I have to say after the recent events, I still stick to that credo. The bomb of the last couple months has dropped, the shrapnel has [...] […]kansasview
- Where have we been? September 3, 2010Well, a few good men and an even better woman started the idea of this blog and we owe it to someone to unspill the contents of our head, or at least mine. The time has come to once again say all the things I want to say and it’s an invitation for you as well! It’s [...] […]kansasview
- Brittany Murphy’s death is troubling September 3, 2010Not that it’s another tragic celebrity death, not that it’s another young life taken so early…these are all troubling and sad in their own right. It’s another tragic case of someone getting caught up in the web of drugs…the legal type! It truly saddens me that so many of these stars seek out more and more prescription [...] […]kansasview
- Internet fun for the weekend… September 3, 2010By far one of my favorite websites of late is called GraphJam.com. Essentially, the website attempts to break down the world and how we interact with it in a series of graphs. It is hilarious when you see how the world around us can be so easily summed up in a pie or bar chart. [...] […]kansasview
- So why are more companies not yet hiring? September 3, 2010U.S. Workers are still filing a large amount of unemployment claims and this is after five weeks of declines in this area. Where are the culprits and which industries are still hurting? It’s apparent as we have seen over the last year is that a gradual stabilization of the economy does not naturally translate to a increase [...] […]kansasview
- Facebook is down…Facebook is down…5:42 (cst) September 3, 2010This website is not a help desk for Facebook but it’s a civic duty to keep the American public aware of all possible natural disasters!! Facebook is down! Facebook is down! Don’t toss your Iphone in the river or hurl it at your wife and complain that it doesn’t work worth a s***. Here is the current [...] […]kansasview
- Texas – what the hell is wrong with you!? September 3, 2010
