Yes, your mess. We didn't make it, you never elect us, you never even pay attention to us. You crapped on the floor, and now you're bickering about the best way to fix it. Not only are you fighting each other, you're fighting yourselves! Normal Democrats are mad at "Blue Dog" Democrats, Ohio Republicans are mad at Southern Republicans. You aren't getting anything done, the crap is still on the rug and if you don't clean it up soon you're going to need a Rug Doctor, and we're fresh out of cash to afford one because they're really expensive.
But, listen, I can fix it! I have ideas, big ones!
First thing I'd do is the most obvious one of all, legalize marijuana. It's shocking that it's illegal in the first place, let alone in 2009. The legalization and subsequent taxation of marijuana would be a cash cow for the cash strapped government. I could go into the medical benefits that marijuana has, but I've already done that. They're well stated, regardless of what the drug czar says, I have it on good authority that he's an idiot. The legalization of marijuana would also mean that restrictions on it's sister plant, hemp, would be lifted. Hemp can make all sorts of cool things, you can even eat hemp seeds and they're really good for you. Hemp can also be converted to ethanol which serves two goods: first is that it frees up corn to become exclusively a food source once again, and second is that it's rapid growth rate would help loosen imported oil's death grip on our economy. Of course, the oil and pharmaceutical industries would be none-too-pleased with this which is why we would have to outlaw corporate lobbying.
But that's not all! Call now and we'll outfit every municipal, county, state and federal building with green power systems and save tax payers a bundle by dramatically cutting the power bills for those buildings! Yes, that includes the sports venues that billionaires held cities and states over a barrel to build, those would get the same treatment and the associated sports owners wouldn't see a dime of revenue from it. Take this for instance, that's the Charlotte Bobcats Arena, a municipally constructed venue in the heart of Charlotte with a bare concrete roof. Do you not see the potential there? Next to the arena is the CATS bus hub, it would also be outfitted with them.
Recently Peter Gorman, he's the head of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, a failed educational organization in Charlotte, fired a bunch of teachers and announced that he may have to cut middle school sports. If you put self-reliant energy systems in the schools you could save a ton of money.
Of course, making marijuana legal would free up a lot of room in the prison system which would give us the ability to shut some prisons down and save even more money.
What would we do with all this money? Well, we'd have universal healthcare and bridges that don't fall apart.
It'd be nice, but you won't listen to us.
Showing posts with label North Carolina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Carolina. Show all posts
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
John Edwards made a sex tape?!
Allegedly. I don't want him suing me. According a former Edwards aide, Edwards made a sex tape with Rielle Hunter. Yes, if that's true, John Edwards made a sex tape.
Why are the people of the Carolinas, who are generally very decent human beings, cursed with this douchebag politicians? The list goes on-and-on (Jesse, Strom...) but recently John Edwards and Mark Sanford have broken off from the rest and formed a sort of Douchebag Premier League (note to self: less soccer analogies). I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of Pat McCrory (though I begrudgingly voted for him, I was really voting against Bev), but compared to these two he's Mandela! This has made me thankful that we have McCrory. I disagree with him a great deal of the time, but he calls it how he sees it. He never broke out the "good Christian man" card like Sanford, and never touted a fake issue like Edwards. That said, North Carolina will regret not picking Munger.
I liked John Edwards, I really did. I thought he was the real deal, I believed in him. I genuinely thought that he was going to make some good changes. He was strong on the issue of poverty and that really resonated with me. I admire Elizabeth greatly, she has faced down unbelievable demons in recent years and handled them brilliantly. Elizabeth deserves respect, John deserves to get slapped in the face and kicked in the balls. He had smart, passionate people behind him and he ruined it. We honestly thought that we had someone very special, and we thought very wrong. I've gone from voting for him to despising him. He is a slimey, untrustworthy snake of a man and a blight on the State of North Carolina's name. I'm glad you lost to Obama, John, I am. Obama is everything you aren't.
Jenny Sanford and Elizabeth Edwards need to have a chat and kick their worthless husbands to the curb.
Most of us bash Bev, she presents an easy target, but let's give the woman a little credit, she's a far cry from the likes of Edwards, Sanford, or Easley. A far cry.
Why are the people of the Carolinas, who are generally very decent human beings, cursed with this douchebag politicians? The list goes on-and-on (Jesse, Strom...) but recently John Edwards and Mark Sanford have broken off from the rest and formed a sort of Douchebag Premier League (note to self: less soccer analogies). I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of Pat McCrory (though I begrudgingly voted for him, I was really voting against Bev), but compared to these two he's Mandela! This has made me thankful that we have McCrory. I disagree with him a great deal of the time, but he calls it how he sees it. He never broke out the "good Christian man" card like Sanford, and never touted a fake issue like Edwards. That said, North Carolina will regret not picking Munger.
I liked John Edwards, I really did. I thought he was the real deal, I believed in him. I genuinely thought that he was going to make some good changes. He was strong on the issue of poverty and that really resonated with me. I admire Elizabeth greatly, she has faced down unbelievable demons in recent years and handled them brilliantly. Elizabeth deserves respect, John deserves to get slapped in the face and kicked in the balls. He had smart, passionate people behind him and he ruined it. We honestly thought that we had someone very special, and we thought very wrong. I've gone from voting for him to despising him. He is a slimey, untrustworthy snake of a man and a blight on the State of North Carolina's name. I'm glad you lost to Obama, John, I am. Obama is everything you aren't.
Jenny Sanford and Elizabeth Edwards need to have a chat and kick their worthless husbands to the curb.
Most of us bash Bev, she presents an easy target, but let's give the woman a little credit, she's a far cry from the likes of Edwards, Sanford, or Easley. A far cry.
Friday, June 26, 2009
North and South Carolina should probably look at legalizing marijuana
Another person has been arrested for growing marijuana in the Carolinas. This time it's a dentist, a highly educated doctor who may well see jail time for this. North Carolina's already overstretched prison infrastructure will get yet another inmate who hasn't harmed anyone or anything, and North Carolina's overstretched medical infrastructure will lose yet another professional.
Both Carolinas have always been, and still are, tobacco producing States. Some of us aren't proud of that but we won't bash the farmers for growing it, no one bashes farmers who grow the ingredients for beer and it's harmful, yet it's celebrated as a staple of Americana. With the recent tobacco legislation farmers in the Carolinas are going to take a huge hit, and while ten months ago this may have been a small deal ever since the banking industry (a major Carolina employer) has fallen on it's face our secondary industries are a big deal. North and South Carolina both rank in the top ten of unemployment.
Which brings me back to the issue of marijuana, something which is somewhat of a "hot button" issue due to it's status as a "gateway drug" (don't tell anyone, but so is beer). Many people demonize marijuana as some evil substance sent by the devil or something, despite the fact that it has been shown to be less harmful than alcohol to the human body. In fact, hundreds die from an alcohol overdose ever year, there has never been a recorded marijuana overdose. In fact, alcoholism is the third leading cause of death in America. Marijuana addiction hasn't really caused any. Celebrated. Americana. Among smokers who smoke marijuana exclusively there have been zero (as in, less than one) cases of lung cancer caused by smoking. Alcohol contributes to the destruction of the liver, kidneys, pancreases, and heart. While small amounts of alcohol are touted as being healthy, marijuana's active ingredient actually kills cancer cells. Kills cancer cells.
I don't think alcohol should be illegal, you should have a right to drink if you want to, but for it to be legal and marijuana to be illegal is simply mind-boggling. But how does this effect North and South Carolina you ask? Well, the federal government seems to be asleep at the wheel on this topic. The reason they banned marijuana in the first place was because so many racists were in power at the time and they wanted to arrest Mexicans. Really. North and South Carolina have endless tobacco fields, thus endless space for growing marijuana. Both States, regardless of what Mark Sanford says, need tax revenue badly. Even Bev knows that and she's stupid. Marijuana legalization could provide a lifeline for the farmer who will be hurt by the tobacco legislation and provide the two States with a stream of tax money at the same time it will stop harmless people from clogging up our prison system. This is without mentioning the benefits of legalizing marijuana's sister plant Hemp, which is being studied for many, many uses including ethanol.
Honestly, it's 2009. It's time to move forward.
Both Carolinas have always been, and still are, tobacco producing States. Some of us aren't proud of that but we won't bash the farmers for growing it, no one bashes farmers who grow the ingredients for beer and it's harmful, yet it's celebrated as a staple of Americana. With the recent tobacco legislation farmers in the Carolinas are going to take a huge hit, and while ten months ago this may have been a small deal ever since the banking industry (a major Carolina employer) has fallen on it's face our secondary industries are a big deal. North and South Carolina both rank in the top ten of unemployment.
Which brings me back to the issue of marijuana, something which is somewhat of a "hot button" issue due to it's status as a "gateway drug" (don't tell anyone, but so is beer). Many people demonize marijuana as some evil substance sent by the devil or something, despite the fact that it has been shown to be less harmful than alcohol to the human body. In fact, hundreds die from an alcohol overdose ever year, there has never been a recorded marijuana overdose. In fact, alcoholism is the third leading cause of death in America. Marijuana addiction hasn't really caused any. Celebrated. Americana. Among smokers who smoke marijuana exclusively there have been zero (as in, less than one) cases of lung cancer caused by smoking. Alcohol contributes to the destruction of the liver, kidneys, pancreases, and heart. While small amounts of alcohol are touted as being healthy, marijuana's active ingredient actually kills cancer cells. Kills cancer cells.
I don't think alcohol should be illegal, you should have a right to drink if you want to, but for it to be legal and marijuana to be illegal is simply mind-boggling. But how does this effect North and South Carolina you ask? Well, the federal government seems to be asleep at the wheel on this topic. The reason they banned marijuana in the first place was because so many racists were in power at the time and they wanted to arrest Mexicans. Really. North and South Carolina have endless tobacco fields, thus endless space for growing marijuana. Both States, regardless of what Mark Sanford says, need tax revenue badly. Even Bev knows that and she's stupid. Marijuana legalization could provide a lifeline for the farmer who will be hurt by the tobacco legislation and provide the two States with a stream of tax money at the same time it will stop harmless people from clogging up our prison system. This is without mentioning the benefits of legalizing marijuana's sister plant Hemp, which is being studied for many, many uses including ethanol.
Honestly, it's 2009. It's time to move forward.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Potential Carolina World Cup venues
Soccer by Ives has a list of fifty-eight potential US World Cup venues (down from seventy), three are located in the Carolinas: Charlotte, Clemson and Columbia.
While I admit none of them are likely to host matches, Charlotte does have a chance and it's nice to see Clemson and Columbia showing an interest. South Carolina is frozen out from hosting NCAA events due to the whole flag row, and doesn't have an NFL team so the Super Bowl is highly unlikely meaning this could be their only chance for major sporting exposure.
However, FIFA's regulations require certain things that Williams-Brice Stadium and Memorial Stadium don't live up to at the moment and it would require significant work to bring them up to snuff.
With that said, I'm disappointed that the USSF didn't contact Chapel Hill or Raleigh.
While I admit none of them are likely to host matches, Charlotte does have a chance and it's nice to see Clemson and Columbia showing an interest. South Carolina is frozen out from hosting NCAA events due to the whole flag row, and doesn't have an NFL team so the Super Bowl is highly unlikely meaning this could be their only chance for major sporting exposure.
However, FIFA's regulations require certain things that Williams-Brice Stadium and Memorial Stadium don't live up to at the moment and it would require significant work to bring them up to snuff.
With that said, I'm disappointed that the USSF didn't contact Chapel Hill or Raleigh.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Tyler Stasko
...is a murdering little snot.
Last week 20-year-old Tyler and a 49-year-old woman named Carlene Carol Atkinson (what a mature adult she is) decided it would be a peachy idea to engage in a bit of the old street racing on NC 49. You know, that thing young men with high powered cars unsure of their own masculinity do to make themselves feel more manly (and I say this as an insanely androgynous human being), or in the case of Atkinson, simply because she's an incredible shithead.
Oh, and they killed somebody. Three people in fact. 45-year-old Cindy Furr, a professor at Winthrop, Cindy's 2-year-old daughter (TWO!) McAllister (or "Mackie") who were traveling along the public road in their own car, and a 13-year-old passenger in Stasko's car named Hunter.
Three incredibly senseless deaths. Three incredibly unfortunate deaths. Mackie and Hunter were young children yet to reach the primes of thier lives, indeed Mackie was barely of walking age, and Cindy Furr was a long time educator helping to better the lives of young people everyday. And now they're gone. And for what?
I never understood the appeal of street racing, never. And it becomes even more mind-boggling when you consider we live in fucking Charlotte. We have no shortage of racing facilities for these idiots (in fact, North Carolina has a race track in every county, including Mecklenburg!). Yet they insist, they have to show the world how cool they are. It's not cool, it's stupid. Sadly, being stupid isn't a crime. You know what basketball and soccer wash outs do? They play in parks. You are not Jeff Gordon, if you were any good at it you'd be in NASCAR or F1. Stop.
No, being 20 isn't an excuse. He knew better. 20-year-olds are not children, they're grown adults. You can sign up for military service at 17, and by 16 most functional human beings have an idea of how the world operates.
Murder is the correct charge. A car, a two-ton piece of steel, is a deadly weapon when placed in the hands of an idiot. It's like shooting for birds in a Harris Teeter parking lot and then claiming you didn't understand the risk when you kill somebody. Like firearms, cars must be used responsibly.
He should be tried for looking like a douchebag anyway. What a prince *rolls eyes*.
Last week 20-year-old Tyler and a 49-year-old woman named Carlene Carol Atkinson (what a mature adult she is) decided it would be a peachy idea to engage in a bit of the old street racing on NC 49. You know, that thing young men with high powered cars unsure of their own masculinity do to make themselves feel more manly (and I say this as an insanely androgynous human being), or in the case of Atkinson, simply because she's an incredible shithead.
Oh, and they killed somebody. Three people in fact. 45-year-old Cindy Furr, a professor at Winthrop, Cindy's 2-year-old daughter (TWO!) McAllister (or "Mackie") who were traveling along the public road in their own car, and a 13-year-old passenger in Stasko's car named Hunter.
Three incredibly senseless deaths. Three incredibly unfortunate deaths. Mackie and Hunter were young children yet to reach the primes of thier lives, indeed Mackie was barely of walking age, and Cindy Furr was a long time educator helping to better the lives of young people everyday. And now they're gone. And for what?
I never understood the appeal of street racing, never. And it becomes even more mind-boggling when you consider we live in fucking Charlotte. We have no shortage of racing facilities for these idiots (in fact, North Carolina has a race track in every county, including Mecklenburg!). Yet they insist, they have to show the world how cool they are. It's not cool, it's stupid. Sadly, being stupid isn't a crime. You know what basketball and soccer wash outs do? They play in parks. You are not Jeff Gordon, if you were any good at it you'd be in NASCAR or F1. Stop.
No, being 20 isn't an excuse. He knew better. 20-year-olds are not children, they're grown adults. You can sign up for military service at 17, and by 16 most functional human beings have an idea of how the world operates.
Murder is the correct charge. A car, a two-ton piece of steel, is a deadly weapon when placed in the hands of an idiot. It's like shooting for birds in a Harris Teeter parking lot and then claiming you didn't understand the risk when you kill somebody. Like firearms, cars must be used responsibly.
He should be tried for looking like a douchebag anyway. What a prince *rolls eyes*.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Time Warner wants to kick you in the face.
Thankfully, I don't use them. They lost me ages ago, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to hate them and their habit of kicking people when they're down.
Recently Time Warner announced it's plan to introduce a "tiered" pricing system for it's broadband users, meaning the company is going to raise it's customer's prices again. This is something Time Warner customers are more than used to, the company does it regularly (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ect.) and obviously has no plans to stop. Unfortunately for some people in Charlotte-proper Time Warner is the only pay-TV option they have (they can't get a clear shot at a satellite). Though for internet many opt for AT&T (frm. BellSouth) which provides a better, but by no means ideal, option. AT&T is also looking into a new pricing system, which would further screw the general public.
This news comes on the heels of a Charlotte Observer report which referred to Metrolina's jobless rates as "sobering". 11% of Mecklenburger's are out of work and Mecklenburg is the healthiest county in the region. It is today, at a time when more and more Charlotteans need the internet for work, that Time Warner chooses to kick them. This also comes nearly immediately after a spat between Time Warner and local television station WSOC over a fee WSOC charged Time Warner to carry the channel and is sister WAXN. Of course Time Warner trotted out their old stand-by "In doing this WSOC wants to force us to charge our customers more for our service". Of course, Time Warner lied (*shock horror*) and WSOC wasn't asking "five times more" than other local stations. Eventually the two sides reached a deal.
Of course some people will say "you've pointed out TV prices, not internet prices", and you'd be right, but it makes no difference, it's still an example of Time Warner using it's power to screw it's customers to make up for their disastrously misguided investments. In fact, the average family can expect to spend $200 (two zeros) per month on Time Warner's internet service under their new plan. $200 in a region crippled by job loss and pay cuts.
There are obviously alternatives. For those who can get them Dish Network isn't a badly priced option for television and the picture is quite good. AT&T (unless they go down this road) for the internet. Sadly Time Warner is treated very well by Charlotte, but you can stop that by sending your dollars elsewhere.
You can also contact the following people and voice displeasure with Time Warner's nice treatment from a city it spits on:
Pat McCrory (Charlotte Mayor)
Bev Perdue (North Carolina Governor)
Anthony Foxx (Charlotte City Council and candidate for Mayor)
John Lassiter (Charlotte City Council and candidate for Mayor)
Kay Hagan (US Senate)
Richard Burr (US Senate)
Mel Watt (US Congress)
Larry Kissel (US Congress)
Sue Myrick (US Congress)
Susan Burgess (Charlotte City Council and Mayor Pro Tempore)
Patsy Kinsey (Charlotte City Council)
Edwin Peacock (Charlotte City Council)
James Mitchell, Jr. (Charlotte City Council)
Warren Turner (Charlotte City Council)
Michael Barnes (Charlotte City Council)
Nancy Carter (Charlotte City Council)
Andy Dulin (Charlotte City Council)
Warren Cooksey (Charlotte City Council)
Jennifer Roberts (Chairperson, Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Harold Cogdell, Jr. (Vice-Chairperson, Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Vilma Leake (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Dan Murrey (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Karen Bentley (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
George Dunlap (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Dumont Clarke (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Bill James (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners) *cough*
Neil Cooksey (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Recently Time Warner announced it's plan to introduce a "tiered" pricing system for it's broadband users, meaning the company is going to raise it's customer's prices again. This is something Time Warner customers are more than used to, the company does it regularly (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ect.) and obviously has no plans to stop. Unfortunately for some people in Charlotte-proper Time Warner is the only pay-TV option they have (they can't get a clear shot at a satellite). Though for internet many opt for AT&T (frm. BellSouth) which provides a better, but by no means ideal, option. AT&T is also looking into a new pricing system, which would further screw the general public.
This news comes on the heels of a Charlotte Observer report which referred to Metrolina's jobless rates as "sobering". 11% of Mecklenburger's are out of work and Mecklenburg is the healthiest county in the region. It is today, at a time when more and more Charlotteans need the internet for work, that Time Warner chooses to kick them. This also comes nearly immediately after a spat between Time Warner and local television station WSOC over a fee WSOC charged Time Warner to carry the channel and is sister WAXN. Of course Time Warner trotted out their old stand-by "In doing this WSOC wants to force us to charge our customers more for our service". Of course, Time Warner lied (*shock horror*) and WSOC wasn't asking "five times more" than other local stations. Eventually the two sides reached a deal.
Of course some people will say "you've pointed out TV prices, not internet prices", and you'd be right, but it makes no difference, it's still an example of Time Warner using it's power to screw it's customers to make up for their disastrously misguided investments. In fact, the average family can expect to spend $200 (two zeros) per month on Time Warner's internet service under their new plan. $200 in a region crippled by job loss and pay cuts.
There are obviously alternatives. For those who can get them Dish Network isn't a badly priced option for television and the picture is quite good. AT&T (unless they go down this road) for the internet. Sadly Time Warner is treated very well by Charlotte, but you can stop that by sending your dollars elsewhere.
You can also contact the following people and voice displeasure with Time Warner's nice treatment from a city it spits on:
Pat McCrory (Charlotte Mayor)
Bev Perdue (North Carolina Governor)
Anthony Foxx (Charlotte City Council and candidate for Mayor)
John Lassiter (Charlotte City Council and candidate for Mayor)
Kay Hagan (US Senate)
Richard Burr (US Senate)
Mel Watt (US Congress)
Larry Kissel (US Congress)
Sue Myrick (US Congress)
Susan Burgess (Charlotte City Council and Mayor Pro Tempore)
Patsy Kinsey (Charlotte City Council)
Edwin Peacock (Charlotte City Council)
James Mitchell, Jr. (Charlotte City Council)
Warren Turner (Charlotte City Council)
Michael Barnes (Charlotte City Council)
Nancy Carter (Charlotte City Council)
Andy Dulin (Charlotte City Council)
Warren Cooksey (Charlotte City Council)
Jennifer Roberts (Chairperson, Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Harold Cogdell, Jr. (Vice-Chairperson, Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Vilma Leake (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Dan Murrey (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Karen Bentley (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
George Dunlap (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Dumont Clarke (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Bill James (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners) *cough*
Neil Cooksey (Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
I'm telling you Richard Burr is 27
Yep. Twenty-seven. Only 27% of North Carolinans approve of the job he's doing.
Couple this with Liddy Dole being 93rd in effectiveness and Robin Hayes spreading 'em for the GOP everytime they need a controversial bill to pass and it's not hard to figure out why North Carolina doesn't carry much clout around Washington.
North Carolina has some serious problems that need addressing, and without any pull in Washington many of them are likely to continue to be neglected.
Couple this with Liddy Dole being 93rd in effectiveness and Robin Hayes spreading 'em for the GOP everytime they need a controversial bill to pass and it's not hard to figure out why North Carolina doesn't carry much clout around Washington.
North Carolina has some serious problems that need addressing, and without any pull in Washington many of them are likely to continue to be neglected.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
North Carolina elections 2008
They're really, really bad.
I don't like either of the candidates running for Governor, and I don't know enough about the third (Mike Munger, a Libertarian) to pass judgment on him.
Pat McCrory is largely inoffensive, he doesn't do much at all as Mayor of Charlotte. The arena scandal made a lot of people, including myself, very angry though. I guess you can say he helped develop the area, but at the same time he's held us back in areas such as alternative energy. He does (or did) hold a position at Duke Power which may create a conflict of interest. Charlotte has two Nuclear Power Plants in the area and to be honest they scare the crap out of me.
Bev Perdue has done nothing but attack McCrory which has rubbed me the wrong way. She's gotten really nasty about it and to be honest I may well be tempted to vote McCrory because of it, and I'm a friggin' Green. That's not how we act in North Carolina, Bev, you were raised better than that.
Robin Hayes is up to his typical bullcrap. Hayes helped pass CAFTA and cost North Carolina, and specifically his district (NC 8) lots of jobs. Hayes did this at the urging of Bush and other Republican top brass, his vote passed the bill. That day Hayes showed that his loyalties lie with the Republican Party of the United States, and not the people of North Carolina. I'm voting for Larry Kissel.
The US Senate race is the worst, Kay Hagan (D) and incumbent Elizabeth Dole (R) are acting like ― for lack of a better phrase ― two catty bitches. There's an ad out where Dole's camp metaphorically calls Hagan a bitch (not that Kay has done anything to disprove that theory), and Hagan's ads just throw mud at Dole. Though the DSCC has some hilarious anti-Dole ads out. I hate both of them. Where's Beth Troutman when you need her?
Walter Dalton would be a better Lt. Governor than Robert Pittenger, most people probably don't know anything about this office, heh.
Ugh. This is why we need to let Greens, Libertarians, and Constitutionalists debate with the Democrats and Republicans, what a hot mess this is.
I don't like either of the candidates running for Governor, and I don't know enough about the third (Mike Munger, a Libertarian) to pass judgment on him.
Pat McCrory is largely inoffensive, he doesn't do much at all as Mayor of Charlotte. The arena scandal made a lot of people, including myself, very angry though. I guess you can say he helped develop the area, but at the same time he's held us back in areas such as alternative energy. He does (or did) hold a position at Duke Power which may create a conflict of interest. Charlotte has two Nuclear Power Plants in the area and to be honest they scare the crap out of me.
Bev Perdue has done nothing but attack McCrory which has rubbed me the wrong way. She's gotten really nasty about it and to be honest I may well be tempted to vote McCrory because of it, and I'm a friggin' Green. That's not how we act in North Carolina, Bev, you were raised better than that.
Robin Hayes is up to his typical bullcrap. Hayes helped pass CAFTA and cost North Carolina, and specifically his district (NC 8) lots of jobs. Hayes did this at the urging of Bush and other Republican top brass, his vote passed the bill. That day Hayes showed that his loyalties lie with the Republican Party of the United States, and not the people of North Carolina. I'm voting for Larry Kissel.
The US Senate race is the worst, Kay Hagan (D) and incumbent Elizabeth Dole (R) are acting like ― for lack of a better phrase ― two catty bitches. There's an ad out where Dole's camp metaphorically calls Hagan a bitch (not that Kay has done anything to disprove that theory), and Hagan's ads just throw mud at Dole. Though the DSCC has some hilarious anti-Dole ads out. I hate both of them. Where's Beth Troutman when you need her?
Walter Dalton would be a better Lt. Governor than Robert Pittenger, most people probably don't know anything about this office, heh.
Ugh. This is why we need to let Greens, Libertarians, and Constitutionalists debate with the Democrats and Republicans, what a hot mess this is.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Fuck off, Bruton.
Seriously, go fuck yourself.
I realize how much Bruton Smith and his race track have done for the economy of Cabarrus County. I also realize how much Cabarrus, and indeed Mecklenburg, have bent over backwards to please Bruton and his ego.
I wasn't against his drag strip earlier this year, he has every right to build on land he owns. Afterall, the people in that subdivision did by land near a fucking speedway (three of them actually if you count the dirt track and auxilary oval). What I was against was Bruton asking a country reeling from the loss of it's largest employer, PhillipMorris, for an $80 million incentive package or he would close his speedway, Cabarrus' second largest employer, and move his business elsewhere. The county and the city of Concord buckled to his demands, they had no choice. They offered his business $80 million over 40-years.
That wasn't good enough. Not only has Bruton built his drag strip, but before it's grand opening Bruton has announced that he wants that $80 million over three years, not 40, and if he doesn't get it he's going to start charging interest.
As people in North Carolina know, Concord borders Charlotte. Charlotte is a success story, and Charlotte's wild success is due in large part to the tireless dedication of the Belk family. Indeed, John Belk was once Mayor of Charlotte. The Belk's have donated large sums of money and time to various organizations in Charlotte. No fewer than five stadiums in the metro bare the name of Irwin Belk, a testiment to his passion for the community.
When all the Belk's pass on, Charlotte will mourn their loss with tears, and look back on them with incredible pride. When Bruton dies, Concord will breathe a sigh of relief.
I realize how much Bruton Smith and his race track have done for the economy of Cabarrus County. I also realize how much Cabarrus, and indeed Mecklenburg, have bent over backwards to please Bruton and his ego.
I wasn't against his drag strip earlier this year, he has every right to build on land he owns. Afterall, the people in that subdivision did by land near a fucking speedway (three of them actually if you count the dirt track and auxilary oval). What I was against was Bruton asking a country reeling from the loss of it's largest employer, PhillipMorris, for an $80 million incentive package or he would close his speedway, Cabarrus' second largest employer, and move his business elsewhere. The county and the city of Concord buckled to his demands, they had no choice. They offered his business $80 million over 40-years.
That wasn't good enough. Not only has Bruton built his drag strip, but before it's grand opening Bruton has announced that he wants that $80 million over three years, not 40, and if he doesn't get it he's going to start charging interest.
As people in North Carolina know, Concord borders Charlotte. Charlotte is a success story, and Charlotte's wild success is due in large part to the tireless dedication of the Belk family. Indeed, John Belk was once Mayor of Charlotte. The Belk's have donated large sums of money and time to various organizations in Charlotte. No fewer than five stadiums in the metro bare the name of Irwin Belk, a testiment to his passion for the community.
When all the Belk's pass on, Charlotte will mourn their loss with tears, and look back on them with incredible pride. When Bruton dies, Concord will breathe a sigh of relief.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Christian: The Lion At World's End
I know it's a rather old video, but it's still a very powerful story, even the brief clip managed to get to me. It made my day :)
Things like that are why I'm an environmentalist. God didn't create, or ever approve of, money. Kind of like the Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip song.
On a somewhat related note, Today is Endangered Species Day. There will be a lot of events, like in North Carolina there will be an event at the botanical gardens in Chapel Hill and a boating event in Asheville. Nothing in the Charlotte metro though. :(
I'm glad California overturned it's gay marriage ban. I'm not gay, but everyone deserves a chance at happiness and it's not threatening to "the American family" to have two men or two women who love each other get married. I understand how some people can be repulsed by it. Not to mention God twice in the same post, but he wouldn't create something he hates.
Oh, and for the 6 people who read this (I'm big in Huddersfield, apparently), do this please. It's for a good cause no matter what you sign up for, I switched my cause from the environment to Invisible Children because A) Jane supports it, B) I want to help children in Darfur.
Oh well, bye-bye for now.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Stuff I guess
I've had a pretty crappy week, well, everyday since mid-March has pretty much sucked. I don't think a day has passed where I haven't had a sinus headache. This is the main culprit, but I deal with it because it's nice and I like nature. Notice my 2006 Earth Day tree in the foreground? :)
A tornado, or maybe a couple of tornadoes, hit Greensboro yesterday. That sucked. Someone died and part of the town got beat up pretty bad. I quite like Greensboro, it's a really nice town, so it scared me when I heard that.
But despite all that, I'm happy because Jane had an amazing day (which I'm sure she'll write about). She's had a bad run of luck so seeing her smile warms the cockles of my heart :) Heh, I love her too much. But she really deserves only amazing things, such a beautiful person, more so inside than out (as hard as that is to believe), should never have to put up with that much bad luck.
Oh, I do actually write in this blog. Heh. And I have to thank Anders for showing me this beautiful ad on youtube.
A tornado, or maybe a couple of tornadoes, hit Greensboro yesterday. That sucked. Someone died and part of the town got beat up pretty bad. I quite like Greensboro, it's a really nice town, so it scared me when I heard that.
But despite all that, I'm happy because Jane had an amazing day (which I'm sure she'll write about). She's had a bad run of luck so seeing her smile warms the cockles of my heart :) Heh, I love her too much. But she really deserves only amazing things, such a beautiful person, more so inside than out (as hard as that is to believe), should never have to put up with that much bad luck.
Oh, I do actually write in this blog. Heh. And I have to thank Anders for showing me this beautiful ad on youtube.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
John Edwards, headaches, and windy days
John Edwards ended his bid for the Presidency today. I've never really been political although I vote every year for every office (because it gives me the right to complain, and I like to complain) but after seeing the story of James Lowe, a Virginia coal miner who spent 50 years of his life unable to speak because he couldn't afford treatment for a medical problem I got hooked on Edwards' message of ending poverty, as much of an impossible dream as it may be I like chasing impossible dreams. They give me hope, and hope gives me a reason to live. I hope that the remaining candidates will carry that torch. Thanks, John & Elizabeth.
Yesterday I had the worst headache. More than likely because of been sick with a cold since Saturday. I went to bed at 8:30 and it felt like I was sleeping on a rock even though I have a feather pillow. I never want that to happen again.
It was apparently windy enough to nearly blow Jane over (read: windy enough to blow me over) in Texas yesterday. It seems that's on the way to North Carolina, yikes. :(
Yesterday I had the worst headache. More than likely because of been sick with a cold since Saturday. I went to bed at 8:30 and it felt like I was sleeping on a rock even though I have a feather pillow. I never want that to happen again.
It was apparently windy enough to nearly blow Jane over (read: windy enough to blow me over) in Texas yesterday. It seems that's on the way to North Carolina, yikes. :(
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tom Cruise is scary
Gawker (search: Tom Cruise) has a video, which everyone has probably seen and I'm way late, of Tom Cruise talking about Scientology, it's pretty crazy. At one point he just starts laughing uncontrollably and then stops. It's pretty weird.
Oh, and McCrory won't win Governor. Not because he's from Charlotte but because the Republicans in Charlotte are pissed at him over light rail and will vote for the other Republicans, and as a Mecklenburger he NEEDS Charlotte to have a chance. Why did I post that?
We're gonna get an ice storm and I'm really, really skinny so that's not much fun for me!
Yea, that's all I have to post about. As you can see from my twitter I spend most of my time worshiping at the alter of Jane, and aside from that, to quote her royal highness, "I don't do much".
Oh, and McCrory won't win Governor. Not because he's from Charlotte but because the Republicans in Charlotte are pissed at him over light rail and will vote for the other Republicans, and as a Mecklenburger he NEEDS Charlotte to have a chance. Why did I post that?
We're gonna get an ice storm and I'm really, really skinny so that's not much fun for me!
Yea, that's all I have to post about. As you can see from my twitter I spend most of my time worshiping at the alter of Jane, and aside from that, to quote her royal highness, "I don't do much".
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