Don’t Like: The Sobering Reminder of Fragility from the Smell of Fire Outside and Ash All Over My Car

This video is actually pretty badass. But you could see how it would be scary as hell if you lived right by there. Where we are is supposedly a safe distance away, but this is going on in LA county, on the northern ridge of the valley. The weather conditions are supposed to become more humid, which should help.

It smells like burned hair and wood chips outside.

My car looks like it has specks of gray snow on it.

At least I’m not shovelling my driveway?

Don’t Like: Debates

Debates to put it simply, are just asinine.

I have so much trouble watching them. Some of it has to do with the lack of appropriation I mentioned in the post before. But mostly because they are so insanely predictable to the point of gouching out my eyes.

These are not debates. They’re a series of talking points where the candidates move toward the middle and dump buzzwords like an NFL running back dumps coke deals. (That doesn’t make sense I just think we have to mention that a popular RB last year was just busted for a freaking coke deal folks).

Anycrap, debates aren’t about politics. They’re about elections.

I find politics fascinating and I find elections mind-numbing. They have so amazingly little to do with politics it brings me to tears often, crying dejectedly in the shower a la The Crying Game.

So it’s like watching a little game between two people who are only going to talk about what they’re going to talk about. That’s not fun.

What’s more amazing to me is that no Democrat has the balls to stand up and say I’m a democrat.

My imaginary Biden point last night:

“Yes we believe in higher tax revenue and you know why? We need that fucking money. This country has been running on the equivalent of fumes for 7 1/2 years now. We’re stitched together with duct tape and false promises. The Republican philosophy on government is a ruse, a trick. They lower taxes. They cut crucial programs. They underpay firefighters, police, and teachers. They stop developing public transportation.  And then they tend to start amazingly expensive wars. To pay for them, we just borrow money like your crackhead brother. Would you trust anyone with the individual equivalent with a 10 Trillion dollar debt? And don’t give me that garbage that the debt doesn’t matter. It matters HUGELY. Hell, China just agreed not to lend us anymore money our financial situation is so bad. Guess what? We need to balance the budget. But we can’t cut domestic spending because that would utterly destroy an infrastructure on the verge of collapse. We need the money to do it. We’re democrats. This is what we do. And executive-ly speaking? We do it well. Post WW2, the stock market has always performed better under democratic leaders. The misery index is always much better. These aren’t talking points. These aren’t opinions. These are facts. And the American people can stand behind facts. We simply do it better. We don’t don’t run a fucking sham operation like the Republicans have.  And they HAVE. How can they be “for the environment” if they don’t fund it? How can they be “for schools and police” if they don’t fund them? How can they be “for alternative fuels” if they don’t fund them? We’re “for good health care” but you know, they don’t fund it. It’s a ridiculous notion. ‘Yeah we’re for those things, I mean we’re not going to pay for their development or anything, but yeah, you know’. God. It’s ridiculous. It’s a shame that after 7 years most Americans just seem to be waking up to it now. “*

*note: the above statement could never be made in an election. Why? Because it makes you sound like a dick… and in the game of electioneering, nothing turns off swing voters like being a self-righteous asshole. Even when you’re glaringly correct.**

**Yes, I’m aware this makes me sound like a dick too.***

***I’m okay with that.

<3 : Wall-E

An emoticon seems perfectly appropriate here.

I saw a midnight showing of Wall-E last night… and it was fantastic. Maybe even the best film Pixar has made (at least since Toy Story 2). I also can’t remember the last time I saw a genuine love story that was this good. Believe it or not, they manage to capture a lot of subtle emotional miniuate just using two beeping robots.

But the great shame is there’s going to be a whole bunch of people who think this movie sucks and is pushing some stupid liberal agenda.

And that’s a horrible shame. The politicization of environmental issues drives me nuts cause the integrity of the issue should be exclusive from that stuff. But whatever the film works as part satire and to let your political bent prevent you enjoying a film is just ridiculous.

Take it the other way for example: a lot of films feature vigilantism or massive amounts of violence or assassinations, etc. All of which are things I’m obviously “politically against.” Just because this film deals with the environment and the laziness of modern man doesn’t mean you should politicize it and let it get in the way. Those elements are freaking satire anyway.

And the robots are cute as shit.

Don’t Like: People/Organizations Who Claim Global Warming Isn’t a Scientific Fact

I almost have to tip my hat to the NeoCons. It’s really amazing. They’ve politicized and distorted an issue that I thought was pretty much un-distortable.

Global Warming is a scientific fact. The overwhelming majority of scientists have confirmed this including the IPCC and every single prominent country within the National Academies of Science. Yet the more evidence we gain over the years, the more people seem to make up reasons to disagree. A recent poll showed fewer people believe in global warming then they did 10 years ago.

And there’s key word in there: “believe”. That’s what this is all about now. The issue has been politicized into red and blue. The Bush admin has adopted the notion of that it’s a scientific debate and not an established scientific fact. First of all, yes, there are individual scientists who offer theories of dissent, but their minority cannot be stressed enough. Better yet, almost any one of their theories and examples can be refuted by any student with a couple of oceanography classes under their belt. That’s not hyperbole either. Most dissenters use evidence that is self-contained and not reflective of system based changes. How so? This is an extreme example but recently a scientist cited the lack of devastating hurricanes last summer as evidence global warming wasn’t true (since global warming raises water temperatures which strengthens hurricanes). What said scientist failed to mention was that el nino/la nina has been wreaking havoc on weather patterns and other parts of the world were suffering from the extreme weather patterns at the time. This example of the “contained example” is completely indicative of the kind of thinking the anti-global warming folks are using.

Look, I understand someone seeing Global Warming and going “Eh, who cares, I think there are more important things.” That’s fine because it’s an personal and ethical decision based on the facts. But to use an agenda to distort the obvious scientific reality is an insult. The republican war on science is a complete travesty.

Like: Re-Using Water Bottles

I’m not a big environment guy. To clarify, yeah I’m pro-environment and like national parks and all that stuff but it’s just not my issue to harp on. Global Warming exists! Wow! What a political stance! Anycrap I’ll get into the odd politicization of a scientific issue at some other point. This concerns probably the easiest thing for anyone to do who doesn’t want to waste stuff. Refilling water bottles. I take said water bottle, drink it, fill it up at the Poland Springs station which is completely equidistant from the water bottles in the office, go back and drink more.  Boom. Done. When it’s been a couple days, I get a new one. Lots of water/water bottles saved. That’s it. It amazes me how many people go through 2-3 bottles a day here. I should probably get one of those Nalgene business, but I tried and constantly forgot to bring it. So this is my small gesture cause it’s easy.