Right As Usual

Via Doc Rampage , I found a fascinating post, which explains all those aspects of societies that are dominated by the concept of "honor . The Thar mentality is a omnipresent feature of many Islamic cultures, but also of many non-Islamic, but decidedly Third-World countries, as well. It is the defining characteristic that keeps them poor and violent.

This is funny - really funny. The more I see Obama, the more I think he's a different kind of politician.

Here's some of the latest news about the immigration issue.

We don't have a primary system in this country, because each state sets its own rules for their primaries - and, yes, that's primaries, with an S again. That's because each party sets its own rules in each state. Now, I'm no mathematician, but I think that's at least 100 different primaries, with respective rules. Which can be superceded by the National Committes (again, plural), which happened in several states, most notably Michigan, Florida, and South Carolina (for Republicans - SC lost half their delegates). Washington has an even more undemocratic process, mostly due to its muddled rules: After a 20-year tug-of-war between the political parties and the state over the best way to pick presidential nominees, Washington sticks with an oddball hybrid - caucuses for party activists on Feb. 9, followed by a primary for the broader electorate on Feb. 19. A voter can use either format or both. In most counties, vote-by-mail primary ballots begin arriving in just a we...

OOPS - forgot to tel you where to send the names and URLS of the blogs rightasusual2003-at-gmail (replace the -at- with @) I'm going to run a list again, of all the GREAT blogs we know, that haven't, for some reason, hit the big time. Here's the rules: I've noticed that the top 50 or so blogs keep getting mentioned on lists of favorites again and again. I'd like to ask everyone to write down their 5 favorite undiscovered (relatively so) blogs. Several rules: * They can't have appeared on other favorite blogs lists * They need to rank lower than Large Mammals - below that point, they're still lesser-known * They have to post regularly - at least several times a week * Currently active I just think a list like that would give some publicity to blogs that don't get much attention yet, but deserve a larger audience. If you want to post the above on your blog, great - the more this Undiscovered Favorites list circulates, the better. From that...

I haven't liked the HPV vaccine push for some time. Frankly, it strikes me as overkill - vaccinating almost all girls on the off-chance that a few of them will have sex at a young age with many partners, contract one of the 4 types of HPV associated with cervical cancer, and develop a malignant cancer. The vaccine is too new to be trusted, too expensive, and strongly linked to shady dealings with politicians. Now it's linked to death. The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said one of the young women who received Gardasil died in Germany while the other was in Austria. It has not released their ages. It follows the deaths of three young women aged 12, 19 and 22 who were reported to have died in the U.S. days after Gardasil was administered, with 1,700 patients suffering "adverse reactions". There were no previous recorded deaths in Europe. The EMEA said: "In both cases, the cause of death could not be identified. "No causal relationship has been established ...

Don't take my word for it - read it yourself. Warning - go to the bathroom before clicking on the link - you may embarrass yourself.

Regarding the preceding post, about Nazis , I had a second thought today. Right now, I'm thinking HOAX. There have been too many of these not to suspect that someone, wanting to share in the victimization of past Martyrs to Our Sacred Cause, blurred the line between street theatre, and, well, lying to get attention. If, in the next few weeks, the perp isn't caught, or the investigation is deemed inclusive, my bet is on hoax.

Or, maybe not. It looks to me like a stupid, juvenile prank.

I'm of two minds about this. As a community organizer, Obama made Rezko's acquaintance initially. Certainly, the fact that Rezko has been indicted seems serious. But, people who operate in the inner city walk a narrow pathway. If they won't invest, they're redlining. If they do, they're slumlords.

Is it just me, or does Marcia Cross look over drawn? I'm thinking that the recent babies she'd had has led to over dieting. Pity. She was always a slender, but healthy-looking woman. I'm not aware of her special expertise on the subject of breast cancer. Frankly, I'm not in favor of funding research on breast cancer at a higher level than it currently is. There are diseases that women DON'T suffer from (like prostate cancer) that are funded less lavishly - and that should have more money available to them. Women really play that "oh, no, I might lose a breast" thing to the hilt. Most breast cancer patients LIVE - even without a breast. Get over yourself, ladies. It's a boob. Not an appendage.

Was it just me, or was Edwards having a sly old good time throwing little zingers at BOTH Hillary and Obama? I chose to vote in the Republican primary (mostly to try to keep that weasel, Huckabee, from winning), so cannot affect the outcome. My guy, Thompson, didn't perform as strongly as he needed to in SC. He hasn't officially quit, but it may be only a matter of time. I heard a rumor that Huckabee may be - at least temporarily - broke. That should help McCain, since I have to believe that those favoring Thompson or Paul wouldn't vote for the sanctimonious little #$%^& on a bet. McCain did well on the coastal Lowcountry region. Retirees have moved in, and supplanted the feudal native Republicans. My only question is, are they legally registered to vote? Or are they the increasingly common dual-residency elders, who are registered in both their home state, and in the South? I know WHY they do it (to take advantage of the lower owner-resident taxes in both places...

I just returned from my primary election polling place. I was amazed just how few people voted - I was 101 in the signature book. That means, at the least, Thompson has a little less that 1% of the vote in my precinct. I'm going to be out for a while, so I'll have to find out the results on the late news.

I've been remiss in posting lately - the bronchitis had me down, then, once healed, I had to catch up at work. This week, Jake at Blogs3Borders has a powerful message. Don't miss it. Since I, regrettably, didn't post the last few blogbursts on time, here are additional links: January 7 blogburst December 21 blogburst Have a great day!

CNN has an article detailing his "negative" campaigning . I tend to think of it like the old Harry S Truman saying I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell. I think political analysts underestimate the depth of the voters' dissatisfaction with politicians, both Democratic and Republican. The media is complicit in the masking of politicians' records. During November's Republican CNN/YouTube debate, Thompson was the only presidential contender to use the 30 seconds allotted for candidate introduction videos to air a clip that never mentioned his own name. Instead, it hammered Huckabee and Romney for their positions on tax increases and abortion. An extended version that aired on the Web highlighted Giuliani's endorsement of New York's former governor, Democrat Mario Cuomo, and his criticism of the National Rifle Association. Now, Thompson has staked the future of his presidential run on the outcome in South Carolina -- a ...

I understand the legal concept of contributory negligence, but I don't like this verdict. The men who procured the truck, those that funded them, and the people who incited the bombing with their rhetoric are responsible. Period.

After several people I knew said that they had an interest in Bill Richardson, I posted about him. Good timing. He's out.

I've decided to find out more about the field of candidates still left. Today's for Bill Richardson. I don't really know that much about him. I'll be adding more in the next few days.

I've been checking out the TV channels and the blogs, and I'm finding a fatigue setting in. No news, no excitement, just - everyone is really, really, tired. As am I. But, for reasons of illness. I'll keep an eye out, but I don't see much excitement just now.

I just re-read a post below, with my predictions about the Iowa caucuses, and I can't believe that I put Richardson in the Republican column. My bronchitis must have made me more fatigued than I thought. REALLY surprisingly, I appear to have correctly called for Obama and Huckabee to win - I'm not usually that prescient.

I'm home today. Although the majority of the bronchial and nasal congestion has gone away, I'm still breathless with slight exertion. If I'm not better by tomorrow, I may do the unheard-of and stay home yet another day. I've not even done more than skim the headlines online - I'm really just too tired to care. I'd like to see what's going to happen tonight in Iowa, but even that will depend on my energy levels.

I have been laboring under a nasty case of bronchitis lately. I am medicated to the gills, rib-sore from all the coughing, and with no residual energy at all. I'm hoping that the new tracking software I downloaded for managing my asthma will help. With all the truly dreadful things going on the in world, it does seem petty to focus on my lack of breath, but - that's the way of it, we maintain our composure in the face of true tragedy, but whine like babies when we stub our toes. Human nature at its finest - or worst.

I've been enjoying the respite from campaigns and seriousness. Today, I'll be grading student work (a real joy! ), so will probably take breaks either watching TV or catching up on political events on the web. I'm going to make a prediction - Obama and Edwards are going to lead this Iowa caucus thing. Not sure of the order, but I'm leaning towards Edwards coming out on top. On the Republican side, I'm thinking Huckabee (yuck!), Richardson, and Thompson. Not necessarily in that order. I distrust polls for conservative voters; we tend to think "none of your business" when asked what we will do. I'm leaning Thompson. He seems both sensible and electable.