Grossed out by CNN
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: America the Beautiful

Letter to CNN Editor regarding media scare article:

I just read Les Christie's today's article CNN.com titled "7.5 million homeowners find selves 'underwater'". This is your healining article on cnn.com. I feel that this article is missleading and falls into the category of "media scare". I am not saying that the article doesn't have valid points, I am merely commenting that its presentation is biased.  It states: "
At least 7.5 million American homeowners are "underwater," owing more on their homes than they are currently worth, according to a report released today. In other words: If they sold their homes today, they'd have to bring a check to the closing, CNNMoney.com reports." But, how is this different from 2 years ago? 3 years ago?

The way I see it, is that the article doesn't factor in key info: how many homeowners of those 7.5M have had their home for less then 2 years? It's got to be much much more then 7.5 million. right? Of those who just bought their homes, of course if they were to sell them instantly right away, they would lose some money due to various closing costs. I think that the article would be a lot more meaningful if it talked about this. The correlation of states that have the most people "underwater" is with the fastest grown states! Arizona, Nevada, having the highest rates correlates with the fact that it had the largest population influxes and probably has the most new home buyers under 2 years! Here is your very own CNN article on this topic.

According to yoru front page article, article: Nevada is the hardest hit, followed by Arizona, Florida, and California per the article. Gee, what were the fastest growing states 2 years ago, with the most new home buyers... let me see... According to your other article, Arizona was #1, Nevada #2, Florida #9 on the fastest growing list. Therefore, this is a media scare article. It would have been much more meaningful to talk about home buyers that have had their homes for over 2 years or whatever is the normal break-even point for a NEW HOME BUYER!

Therefore, the way this article is presented and the timing of this article to me, is a media scare. I am disappointed that you do this.

This is what my taxes pay for?
Topic: America the Beautiful

This story touched my heart. It is about a man who let his dog shoot him because he forgot to put the safety on his gun. He had to be airlifted by helicopters and stuff. I ask you, who pays for such stuff? Probably my federal or state taxes! I am so tired of hearing how many stupid things people do. I once dated a guy whose brother shot him in the head with a pellet gun by accident. This happens in rural areas all the time, apparently.

In other news, man bites police dog and police officer! Specifically, he almost pulls The Tyson on the dog.

Why I woke up at 5:30 to get some work done and am now surfing bbc news, and blogging about it, I don't know. I think it's stress.

Tears for Marion
Topic: America the Beautiful
Tears stand in my eyes this day as Marion Jones, one of my favorite US athletes, pleads guilty to taking performance enhancement drugs and lying about it, during Olympics. It's unclear who is to blame 100%, her, or her coach, or both, but that doesn't really matter, does it? What matters is the dissapointment that this brings. The fact of it is, she didn't win fair and sqare. She cheated. And I watched her "win" in awe and admiration, thinking of her when doing my workouts, that if she can achieve her goals, then I can achieve mine. Athletes are one of the groups of people I turn to for inspiration, and this is very dissapointing. First a shock as Landis is stripped of the Tour De France (Tour De France!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how shocking!!!!) title. Now Jones and the Olympics. Some of my favorite athletes. This hurts.

Only in America... does a man take another man to court for a custody hearing over an amputated leg.
Topic: America the Beautiful
A man sues another man for joint custody of the man's amputated leg, after the man accidentally sells it in a smoker. No lie.

in 35 minutes, it'll be Septermber 11th again.
Topic: America the Beautiful
It's hard to go to sleep without remembering that tomorrow is the 6 year anniversary. I still remember. I will always remember. I will never forget. Not going to sleep makes me feel a little like I won't have to wake up tomorrow and remember again the horror. I remember standing at the window overlooking both MDW and ORD airspace, and how suddenly there were no more plains. I remember seeing friends' pictures of bodies jumping out of a burning window. I remember the shock.

A note to the terrorists. Your senseless act in no way makes me hate my way of life or my country. It only brings pity to my heart for you. I know that you think that you are under attack by our very way of life causing negative effects on yours. I understand how someone may want to defend their rights and their life and lifestyle with their own life. But we are a global economy. You are not killing for the basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter. You are killing for ideas. You are looking at my way of life as the enemy. But point the finger inward first. Your culture, without bringing any influence from mine into it, is full of history and current events where there is corruption, warring parties that kill for profit and go against your God. Why not fix these things, instead of trying to blame my way of life for everything. Why not fix things that are more under your control. The influence that you have within your culture is far greater, then you would on my culture, even through killing people. If you could funnel all that energy and thought into figuring out how to unite your countries in a peaceful way, instead of uniting it against a common enemy, uniting based on common positive needs, instead of negative needs, then you will have more control over outside influence. Suni killing Shia and vice versa is wrong. Before you go killing each other or other cultures, can't you focus on finding things in common, and uniting on these common grounds? Can't you manage that? Can't you tolerate each other? Where is the leadership coming together to figure out how to get along, all over your world? This is how it looks like to me. We have racism and religious intolerance here too. But at least here, it's not as rampant as it is in your lands. And don't go blaming my culture for it - you've had the same issues before my country existed. You have a young religion, and you are going through the crusades stage of it, just like the Catholic church did when it was the age of your church. But in this day and age, with history being taught in schools, how did you miss that lesson? Why must you insist on repeating it? Why can't you see that genocide is not okay, no matter what you think? Why don't you focus on your culture, your arts, your contributions to science and technology and medicine, and growing those modern contributions. Then maybe you'll get the world's attention, when you show the world what amazing things you can do, instead of being known for your culture's extremism. If you are an extremist, why don't you focus on outdoing other cultures in sports, in Nobel prizes, etc, in ways that you can measure cultural growth and achievement, and get the world to respect you that way, instead of the lack of understanding that you are getting now. Some of this is your tactics, not my culture's. Be known for good!

MSP Bridge collapse
Topic: America the Beautiful
wow. shocked. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6927113.stm

Oh Thank God! Space is going to be safe!!!!
Topic: America the Beautiful

This is the dumbest thing ever. US is drafting security procedures for space travel. Kind of like the airlines.

Okay, the whole airline thing is so stupid: it's just to make it seem to the general public that they are more secure: that I have to take my 1/2 flip-flops off at security to go through? Or a suit jacket top? Anyone can sneak in plastic explosives; Anyone can use a pensil to attack someone on an airplane.

Also, duh, what about people who know martial arts? Can break down locks and doors? I mean, a blackbelt can probably take out everyone on the plane easy. No guns necessery. The general public's preception of safety is what's at stake, none of it is real. It is so dumb and speaks to how our public is stupid enough to accept it and our government knows it.

I just don't get how most of the airline rules make it safer for us to fly.

And this is the stupidest thing ever.

WTF??? Catholics for Bush
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: America the Beautiful
So here's how catholics think... for me to poop on!

Jon Stewart
Mood:  bright
Topic: America the Beautiful
Here's the transcript of Jon Stewart (who I think is pretty good looking) on Crossfire when he dug into Carlson Monday. Someone has to be Jon Stewart, I'm just surprised to hear and see Jon speaking up. Very few people on TV actually understand the impact of mass media and all the brainwashing. He made excellent points and he's funny too.

debates
Topic: America the Beautiful
Jen KO came over and we watched the debate, debate #1, while drinking guinness+kahlua, and eating cold pizza. Beforehand, I printed out Gore vs. Bush 2000 debate 3 and some other helpful info. Here it is:


Debates Transcripts

Dirt on both candidates

Where each candidate stands at a glance

Unlike the Bush/Gore debate, Bush/Kerry was boring. Completely uninspiring, barely ammusing. But it may get more interesting. Some places to go watch the next debates can be found on debate.org too.