Monday, September 26, 2005

Observations Part 25: Spyware is stupid!!!

Anyone else get infected with that WinFixer 2005 crap? Microsoft Anti Spyware and Symantec Anti Virus both caught the damn thing before it downloaded and installed, so I thought.

The bitch installed anyway. So much for firewalls eh? It didn't hit my other stash of computers running around here, just this one. When I open IE to view a site I can't view with Mozilla it immediately sends me to an ad to buy Win Fixer 2005 and brings up some pretty serious crap about how "official" they are and that you had "better install it". I am smarter than that. My computer is usually pretty clean and doesn't have a bunch of installed spyware crap. I clean it often.

This thing is a pest. And it sucks. I am pretty good at figuring out my computer and how it works and can identify a malicious thing when I see it. I have followed Hijackthis's procedure and tried using killbox and even got help from Symantec. About the only thing I can do is identify the file and the registry key. I tried deleting the key in safe mode. It loads deep in Windows right next to the Google Tool Bar thingy.

What pisses me off most is that these people create this crap to fool people into buying their crap. It's a pretty heartless thing to do.

Any suggestions?

File name: khhec.dll

Key: O2 - BHO: MSEvents Object - {827DC836-DD9F-4A68-A602-5812EB50A834} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\khhec.dll

I can show the entire boot log if needed. Nothing else appears weird or wrong to me.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Blender's 500 Greatest Songs since 1980

These lists always brew controversy and Blender still tries to keep up with Spin and Rolling Stone. They should stick to what they do best: Maxim

Anyhow, I read through the list and they almost made up for it by including 4 Pixies songs.

Here are a few songs NOT included:

Paul Revere Beastie Boys(Are they kidding?)

Sunday Bloody Sunday-U2 (This song is not a rebel song, this song belongs on the list! Honorable mentions: Pride, Bad and New Years Day)

South Central Rain-REM (More proof that everyone thinks REM's debut was GREEN. It was Murmur but this one was on Life's Rich's Pageant)

Personal Jesus-Depeche Mode (Even after the Cash cover, no live was given to this classic)

Time of Your Life-Green Day (I think this song made an impact on everyone except the staff at Blender that tried to look cool not putting it on the list)

21st Century Digital Boy-Bad Religion (Why would they include Sister Christian from Night Ranger and not this song!?!)

Paranoid Android--RADIOHEAD (If you would note, this would probably be a top 50 song on a normal person's list)

Story of My Life/Ball and Chain (tie)-Social Distortion. (I think these songs were played on the radio than any Pixies songs and were just as good as the Pixies songs. What's up Blender did Mike Ness not do enough heroin or have enough tattoos yet?) Speaking of which...

(Enter Song Here)-Red Hot Chili Peppers. (Did not see them on the list)

Song that was on the list that makes Blender's attempt at trying to compete with Rolling Stone even more obvious: Not Dark Yet- Bob Dylan.

Oh well, wait and see what Spin does next.

I found this puzzling...


Pictures from an Archaeological dig

I found this while repairing some lights and electricity this morning in my basement. I know weird, a California house with a basement. Walk in even. I had two light fixtures that were busted and a few dead light bulbs. The entrance to my basement is behind my garage under the house. Kinda funky.

This photo shows our old electrical system that still is functioning alongside the new stuff, my vent pipe to my water heater and the black pipe that discharges waste water from our kitchen sink. I couldn't help but notice what is written on that beam: U. 14. F 1945

My house was built in 1910 or so they say. It could be older but there are only records of it since 1910 when the neighborhood became incorporated within the city limits of Sacramento.
I decided to type in the U. 14. F 1945 into Google and I got these results.

It's all related to geneology or dead people. Anyone know what this means?

I should have more pictures of my basement on my photo blog later this afternoon.Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Sen Boxer Writing a Novel...

What a great idea for Senator Barbara Boxer of California. She is writing a novel about the Senate. This could be fun. I decided to open this post up for further discussion in the comment section.

Let's all put our heads together and think of some titles for that book. And then, I will make a list and send them to her email!!! AWESOME!!! Supposedly it's fiction but sorta about her. Hmm.

Here's what I got so far:

"Tales from the Wicked Bitch of California"

"Don't lie to me black woman: My conversation with Condoleezza Rice"

"From the back pocket of the ACLU: The Barbara Boxer Story"

"Destroying Progress: The Boxer Voting Record"

Of course this is all in good fun right? I mean, she could have the ACLU after me...

Pass the Cracker Soul: The Forgotten Band---Cracker




Not really... but have you taken a listen? The band I am talking about has been around for quite along time and it's main singer and songwriter, David Lowery, has been in the rock n roll business even longer. The band I am talking about of course is Cracker, my favorite band not named U2 or Social Distortion. This is David's second successful band after Camper Van Beethoven. Lowery's attempts at songwriting rank at the top of all songwriters in modern rock. The best part about Cracker is how at one point they are such hard edged rockers with songs like "I Hate My Generation" or "Teen Angst" at one point and then laid back country songsters with "Eurotrash Girl" and "Mr. Wrong" and then mix it all together with songs like "Low" and "Sweet Thistle Pie".
(Look up the definition of Sweet Thistle Pie sometime!) Songs you should download: "St. Cajetan, Eurotrash Girl, Teen Angst, Useless Stuff, Cracker Soul and How Can I Forget You", Also the Camper Van Beethoven favorite: "Take the Skin Heads Bowling"

I have been craving Cracker music lately on the road so I loaded all the songs I have on my iPod. But I needed more. So I went to their label's site "Pitch A Tent Records" and found they had a limited release live album called "Live at Wavefest". Better hurry, only 1000 made!!! $15 for some of the best music around. Great live versions of the following songs:

  1. 100 Flower Power Maximum
  2. Pictures Of Matchstick Men
  3. Eurotrash Girl
  4. Teen Angst
  5. Big Dipper
  6. Take The Skinheads Bowling
  7. Sweet Thistle Pie
  8. St. Cajetan
  9. Get Off This
  10. Useless Stuff
  11. I Ride My Bike
  12. Low
The version of Eurotrash Girl is freaking awesome and so is I Ride My Bike. Great music for all Cracker fans.

One of the things I like about Lowery's songs is his word choices. He's out there on the east coast in the Carolinas and has that Southern Rock sound to his songs but has vast knowledge of the Santa Cruz/Monterey area as well as the Central Valley of California since Camper Van Beethoven was formed in Santa Cruz. The song "Big Dipper" is cool because he is referring to the wooden roller coaster at the Boardwalk.

Also great is the Cracker/Leftover Salmon album. Cracker songs with its original members along side a bluegrass band. What's better than hearing a banjo play "Teen Angst".

Saturday, September 17, 2005

A Bottle of Knob Creek Whiskey, A Cool Late Summer Night, that Ole Front Porch and a Confession

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Forgot to mention the iPod blaring "American Idiot" behind me. What a paradox, a Republican-voter drinking whiskey and rocking out to Green Day. Who knew it was gonna be this good? Knob Creek Straight Kentucky Bourbon. My favorite alcoholic beverage next to Guinness. High Ball glass, on the rocks. I have done my best to avoid working this weekend but some of it has slipped through. My wife and I went to a birthday party for her little second-cousin. I never had been more mesmerized by kids playing in a fountain. They had this fountain that shot water to keep kids cool from the hot summer sun. The ground was made from reprocessed tires. The kids were like age 5 or less. They were getting pummelled by the fountain. Not one cried and not one let out one of the those little shrieks that you hear while cruising through a supermarket from a little brat that can't get what they want. For a brief moment in Sacramento today, there was some real peace.

It was with that I reached an epiphany. Liberal and Conservative bloggers both really suck. I am totally guilty of it as well. There is this whole cause and effect thing going on right now and the bloggers ride it into the sunset, day in and day out like they have real control over the politcal landscape of this country. (Totally guilty I know) I started this blog for a bit of therapy. I see so much day in and day out on the road at work that makes me laugh before a take it too seriously. And it usually stems from looking at other people in their cars! I jump on here and start blogging about what it inspires me without care that anyone gives a rat's ass. I am numb most of the time, and sometimes, well it gets to me and then I gotta go read other blogs... Then I hang around those and they inspire me to "Tell it like it is" and well the circle goes on.

But this post is a bit different. (Because I say it is) This country is really great and we that are here are lucky. Not that we're better than anyone else in the world but just for what we know, we're doing pretty well. Wars, hurricanes, Presidents and well, political activists and celebrities come and go. For the last 2, wow, they can disappear ever so faster than they appear. But America lives on even while we turn to shit. I think we enjoy and embrace our freedoms. Sometimes not enough, sometimes way too much. Accepting freedom can actually be tough on someone. Never in our country has our people been so afraid. At least in my life time. I didn't live through the 60's but did I have to live it to appreciate it just a bit? I mean, seriously, I always see and read what people think about what Lincoln and Jefferson would have to say if they lived now like they would even be remotely applicable to today's world. Some hold the ACLU to be more powerful than our Constitution. Why? Who elected them? Why are they so all-knowing? Why should we give a rat's ass about them? People are afraid of the rich. Why? Because they are successful? They played our system with its rules. So we should tax them more than they already pay, and as a class the rich do already pay the most. They don't actually make the poor poorer. Nobody could ever prove that. Or could they? They could if they were biased. And we do live in a world of biased opinions. Read the Washington Post, watch CNN and shoot, read some blogs for your news. And that's what's making it all appear worse, some dude, a computer, some webspace and an opinion. I liked it all better when we all picked up guitars and headed to the coffee shop. What progressives and conservatives alike need to remember is that there will be no Utopia in America unless it is in a fountain full of 5 year olds in a park in Sacramento. Utopia won't happen in our life time if ever. The rich will stay healthy and the sick will stay poor. There will be people in power and there will be people serving them. What I think America needs to get back to is the ideal that people can ascend from the bottom to the top. I say this being from the middle my whole life. You hear stories everyday in entertainment and sports like Hillary Swank and her trailer or Barry Sanders being 7th of 11 kids and having to leave college to get the money. Condi Rice? Bill Clinton? It still happens everyday somewhere in America. Maybe we just need to remember instead of bitching why it doesn't happen to us and appreciate it when it happens to others. We as American's will always have society's blood on our hands in some fashion or another. So why fight each other?




Friday, September 16, 2005

What's on your iPod?

An obligatory post for a hard working blogger. I have a pretty unique job but that is for another post. Stay off Interstate 80 on Friday afternoons, it's terrible!!

I got into this iPod thing a month or so ago when I went on that gambling spree and won all that money. I gotta say I love it. I mean, it's awesome. I only got the smaller one that holds like 1000 songs. It thought it would be entirely too hard to fit 1000 songs on it but soon I will be purchasing a new add on hard drive for the Mac Mini. That thing is so cool but that is for another topic.

I was browsing through the titles and I was kinda shocked what I threw on that thing. It can go from Emmylou Harris to System of a Down in one spin of the dial the back to Ben Folds then off to Social Distortion. Here's the percentage breakdown of genres:

25% Country (Previously mentioned Harris, Cash, Nelson, some Hank Williams)
20% Classic Rock (Zep, Bon Jovi, GnR, and Springsteen?)
10% Metal/Hard Rock/Alt ( Audioslave, System of a Down)
30% Punk (Ramones, Social D and Mike Ness related songs, Jawbreaker, Green Day, Riverdales)
15% Misc (Dave Matthews, Ben Folds, Bob Dylan, Bowie)

Suprisingly not one U2 song on my iPod which is odd for me. I plan to ramp up the Metal and Punk while adding all my Social Distortion music I own because Mike Ness is freaking awesome. I need to find my Ben Folds Live album because that thing rocks and he sounds good playing those Ben Folds Five songs by himself. I need to load some more Rage Against the Machine as well. My other favorites will need to get on as well, U2, Bad Religion and some Hendrix. Some Flogging Molly would be cool as well.

I think I just ran off the conservatives that read my blog....

Oh and if you have the iMonster Radio adapter the stations that work clean are 95.5, 106.3 and 107.7. 95.5 will get you through all of Sactown, the Foothills, Santa Rosa and Marin County. 106.3 in Napa, most of Vallejo and clear down to Oakland. SF is fuzzy. 95.5 is great pretty much through out the valley. I need to iPod my Porsche through the stereo. I am gonna get the Kenwood adapter for it. It will make the car go faster...

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Michael Newdow: The poseur of the left

I turned the radio to 1530AM and what was Tom talking about. The imbecile from Sacramento. No not me or this guy, but Michael Newdow, father and atheist. He just got a court order to get the pledge banned at some schools because of the phrase "under God" in the pledge. Great idea huh? I am sure many a blogger or reader will stop and pat Mr. Newdow on the back.

Did you know he was shut down before? And it was a technicality that got him shut down at the ol' Supreme Court. Seems he didn't have custody of his child. Which....

If you are an intelligent observant person, like me, has noticed this is the EXACT reason he wants to avenge America and take on the pledge. His poor daughter... has a father that is not recognized by the law. So.... He just gets some other parents to join in his cause to ban the pledge this time, where it will easily get accepted, go to the Supreme Court and fail. Can someone just nominate Roberts so we can take this on. Meanwhile the other 98.5% of the population lives on. Half of them are wondering what the hell happened. Why couldn't he be a better parent and STAY MARRIED TO THE MOTHER OF HIS CHILD!!!!!!

Michael Newdow.... you un-American son of a bitch.

For fun I am gonna post my url of this post at his site.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Update: My Email to John Kerry Has Been Answered

About 6 months ago I wrote 2004 Presidential Election Runner Up John Kerry an email asking for an explanation about is disclosure he promised America regarding the full release of his military records. He did this on Meet The Press. (See Link) He hasn't released them yet but he did write the following:

Dear Concerned Voter:

Regretfully I have not filed Form 180 to release my military records to the public. The reason I have not completed the promise was because George Bush lied. The records don't exist, and Bush used the lie to deceive the American Public. It is a complete frabrication made up by Karl Rove and the Swiftboat Vets to cause record voter turnout over the Bush lie. In the past, record voter turnout favored the Democrats but not this time do to the over-whelming Bush lie. I never actually was in the military and my Silver Star was given to me because of the Bush lies during Vietnam.

Again I apologize for leading you down this road on Meet The Press because of the Bush lie.

Signed,

Senator John Kerry

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Observations Part 24: The Conflicted World of Dirty Harry

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The Baddest Action Star Ever

Last night I sorta had a mini movie marathon. I watched Dirty Harry, Magnum Force and Sudden Impact. The first two inspired this post. If Detective Harry Callahan were a real person, could he do what he did and be human? The concept of Dirty Harry was developed at a time in this country where we had just come through major civil rights changes, the deaths of a President John F Kennedy, his Presidential hopeful brother Robert Kennedy and probably the greatest American Martin Luther King. We had been through the summer of love in 1967 San Francisco, the Manson Family, Watts Riots, the formation of the Black Panthers and Woodstock. We were in the middle of a terrible war, Vietnam and this country was very much a "either you're with us or against us" attitude. Harry Callahan comes in at a time with Nixon in power after all of this. Harry is the antithesis of all I just mentioned. A cut throat law man, that made sense. But would his character work in real life?

Watching the two older movies you basically get three powerful factions. "The man", representing the ruling body of society. All the power and all the good rules to help society function for the vast majority smoothly, except for the ever present corruption and bureaucracy that conflicts the power. This power represents the upper level of police, the mayor and the government. The second power is "society". These movies play these to the extremes through some intense imagery. I often wonder when I watch these films if the directors knew that now over 30 years later, the exaggerations would be so noticeable. I was born in 1973 so I missed all that reality and memories but what I notice watching the films is each member of society is represented at extremes. Black power, hippy love, even the San Francisco gay community and average joe citizen of the middle class, just making a living at work, the old sorta "Leave It To Beaver" way. San Francisco, having lived near there, is the perfect place to see the extremes of society even today. The major and third power of conflict to all this is Harry himself. Harry, as a real person does not exist, but probably is really here in some representation back then and now. The rule of law in these movies is where "the man" and "society" are blurred to gray through corruption, race and social economic powers. Harry forces them to black and white as judge, jury and executioner in one instance but shows tremendous courage, compassion and forgiveness in other instances, still consistent with that black and white pardigm. What many see as a quasi-evil, ruthless, power happy almost fascist character in Harry the opposite is actually the reality. There is not one instance of racism in Harry for example. What does exist is good and evil and he is the good guy no matter what. His brand of justice and observations of "society" and "the man" make his character so likeable you often wonder why this can't happen today. His resistance to authority or the authoritative ruling faction, "the man" is both deceivingly so wrong yet very right in the final outcomes of the movie. Could you actually resist the people with power and actually be right, even though the role of government controlling you is just as right for stopping you? Without corruption, definately but these movies fill that void for you. And corruption of law and/or a corrupted "society" are the actual reasons Harry could exist for real in our world. But we couldn't handle it. We can't handle seeing our government as being actually right in their decisions that impact our daily lives and our society can't agree with itself on what the right thing is. How could someone like Harry exist today and ignore all the conflicts and just right the whole thing? Throughout the movies, Harry is called a "Dinosaur" in the new wave of thinking in San Francisco, in 1970's circa. Today I think the opposite is the reality, this dinosaur has not evolved yet.


Friday, September 09, 2005

More Authoritative Nonsense...

I was eager to write tonight but I couldn't figure out what to post. I visited my usual fun site, BigBoys.com for the latest and greatest video or picture that I can see before someone that thinks they are cool enough, emails it to me next week.

I chose the title tonight because I think that liberals are very authoritative over the Hurricane/Iraq War/War on Terror/They're taking our rights away/Bush Hater-ploy they seem to use daily. This nonsense infects the media daily. I found proof of some of this on BigBoys.com that lets you know how true this is. The following video link is a link to a Big Boys url of a CNN live interview with Vice President Dick Cheney regarding the hurricane. Listen carefully as Cheney speaks and some idiot runs up and drops a couple of F-Bombs at Cheney. Cheney doesn't even flinch but a reporter who wasn't listening to Cheney anyway has to interrupt the unphased Cheney and say, "Are you getting a lot of that?" WHY DID THE REPORTER HAVE TO REACT?!?!

Here is the link.

Some people lack courage....

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Lance is back for number 8?

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Wouldn't that rule?

Finally a happy story in the news. Could Lance make a comback? For Lance to comeback and win the Tour de France one more time would be awesome. 8 times. Wow...

What's more awesome than that? His reason for wanting to do it: To piss off the French.

Can you think of something better than that? What a way to show them up. Do it one more time for an 8th drug-free time. I can see him crossing the finish line giving this to the crowd.

I might just have to fly to France to see that.

Lance freaking rules....

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Observations Part 23: Again, It's Not Bush's Fault

In a perfect world, the right evacuation plan might have been used. In a perfect world, it would have worked out that everyone would have been saved. In a perfect world, the government would work in a way that everyone believes it should. Unfortunately, we don't live in perfect world.

The disaster issue is far beyond political now. Kanye West proclaimed that "Bush hates black people" while Condoleezza Rice serves as our Secretary of State. Bush I might add, has the most diverse cabinet in the history of the United States. You never know, he may rub it in and appoint Clarence Thomas as Chief Justice. Good thing the Red Cross is bigger than Kanye or they'd about have a funding problem right now. He even made Chris Tucker awkward!

Where are we headed right now as a country? Hurricane Katrina was devasting. America hasn't seen anything like this at all in its 229 year history. 9/11 doesn't even come close as tragedy but in the end will probably still be America's great tragedy because it was so visual and still so new to America, as far as tragedies go. I fear that America will have another Katrina because there always seems to be another big chance during our annual hurricane season. We will not be prepared for the next big one.

I learned today which, you probably missed if you were ranting about Bush's apparent inaction, but I listened to one of the Army Generals speak on CNN. I didn't catch his name but what he pointed out was that Hurricane Katrina was actually two tragedies. First there was the storm on Sunday evening. Hurricane Katrina has sustained 165mph winds and had hurricane force winds 250 miles wide. This storm was huge. But the eye of it actually missed New Orleans. The eye eventually wound up coming ashore in Mississippi. That's why most of the "wind" damage is along the Mississippi Coast and not necessarily in New Orleans. The second tragedy occurred when the massive storm surge and rain breached three levees in New Orleans causing it to flood. Flood waters were still rising on Thursday. The general pointed out, it was difficult to provide relief to an area that was becoming more unsafe. I mean, think about it, it was more than just putting workers at risk during a tragedy, it was about being stupid with their lives. Also, something else to ponder, about 500,000 people lived in New Orleans. Forget the sick and poor, how could they all get away if they were able and willing with the only mandatory notice coming on Saturday? And who suggested that the city actually give a mandatory evacuation notice?

Right, it was Bush's fault.

There is a great picture over on Cao's Blog. It features a parking lot full busses. I mean, there must be a hundred or so of them. I bet they could have helped out in the situation. But that was the mayors call. Oh he used a few but watch this small chain of events:

Before the storm: "This storm is once in a life time" He had no idea what was in store. But yet, how could he? He was right, it was once in a life time. Never Happened Before and Unprecidented are words I think of. How could you plan for this? You couldn't ever. It was beyond the mayor.

My Favorite: "Get off Your Asses" His proclamation to the feds. Nagin the mayor says, "and I am very frustrated because we are not able to marshal resources and we're outmanned in just about every respect.." Good job Mayor, show the feds who is boss while you cover up the fact you didn't evacuate fast enough.

But the next day: "Stop Looting" He pulls 1500 police from searching for people to stopping looters. Gee, I like this man of the people myself. Ya think those business owners who saw their stores getting pillaged all over CNN might have Mr. Nagin in their back pockets? Money talks eh? What about being outmanned? And damn, where were all the feds to take over the jobs of the 1500 officers.

But this was all Bush's fault. His fault the city was below sea level. His fault that New Orleans is 70% African American. His fault that most were poor and couldn't flea.

The bottom line is this folks: New Orleans was dead screwed because of the Theory of Uniformity. The theory shows that if something was below sea level before, is below sea level now (but dry due to man's technological skill) , it will be under the sea again. The sea continues to try and take it back. I learned about this theory in college during my for my GE required lab science. The class was called Evolutionary Geology. The Professor was great. Very dry and to the point. One time in class he asked us to write an argumentative 5 paragraph essay on a topic. I got an A and nearly everyone else failed. Why? Because I wrote a one page 5 paragraph essay like he asked and not a thesis with a cover sheet like everyone else. He was really cool though because he felt it was unfair that he expected everyone to listen to him. He gave them another chance. He helped even though they didn't listen. He also told me one thing that sticks with me today: He'd never buy a house in any type of flood plain. Unfortunately Sacramento, is a giant flood plain. I like living here but, even though the state says it's cool not to have flood insurance I have decided to keep my policy paid in full because of that class. A tragedy like Katrina could happen if Folsom Dam was destroyed by a storm in Sacramento.

It is tragic that these people have lost their lives to Katrina. But I wrote this post because I think America is getting tired of the blame. We could not foresee what has happened here. Please donate to the Red Cross and if you need any help regarding the Hurricane personally, see this.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Observations Part 22: Steve gets a parking ticket.

Yesterday morning, I stopped by my house during work to get something. I needed something for work that I had forgot and left at home. In my line of work it is easy if you forget something to just head home and get it. Could have been maybe 9:45 AM. I got home, pulled into the driveway and ran inside. I pet the cat. Took a leak. Got a glass a water. I walked out and set the alarm and I was in the house maybe 3-4 minutes tops. I get in my truck and there it was. I thought it was a joke. I had a parking ticket on my truck. The funnier thing, I was in my drive way. Did I illegally park this thing at my last stop? Nope... the ticket had my address. Apparently I blocked the sidewalk.

I live on a narrow street and my house has no street parking in front. I also have one of those island strips on the street side of the sidewalk. I studied the ticket and my truck carefully. Ok, my bumper took up half of one square. Not any less than normal. I mean we have lived here for 2 plus years. I have parked a truck in my driveway nearly every day. I was dumbfounded.

Then I thought about it some more. I was home maybe 3-4 minutes. It took half that time to write the damn ticket. I mean it must have. You figure the cop didn't pull into the driveway to write it. They pulled around the side. They had to get their ticket book. Go to my truck and actually write the law down I broke because they did not have check boxes for the law I broke. The law I broke just happens to say that you can have part of your vehicle over the side walk if that part does not exceed 10 inches. So there had to be a process for that. Then to actually put the ticket on my truck, they had to enter my property. At the point where they had to place the ticket they were approximately 10 feet from my front doorstep. You think they could have knocked?

How the hell does this happen? I mean, do we have a rookie cop in our 'hood? Unbelievable.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Hurricane Katrina: 4th time a charm?

I have started to write this post the last couple of days and I immediately get stopped. Why? Because this is not a political issue. It is a national issue. An American issue. The relief effort has been slow and there are many, many reasons for that. It sucks there is looting. It sucks they don't have enough housing, supplies and medical care. People are afraid to go down and help. It sucks they don't have power. But it more than sucks that the media, every liberal blogger and Michael Moore have to politicize this.

But:

It is not Bush's fault the hurricane happened.
It is not his fault that the poor apparently appear to be most affected, even though the storm hit everyone.
It is not God's will because we attacked Iraq.
It is not because Bush has not signed America to the Kyoto Treaty.
It is not because of his vacation.
It is not possible for Bush to fly into the eye of a hurricane and stop it.

Hurricanes have occurred naturally for eons. Get with it people. It happened before, it happened now, it will happen again. We're just not as prepared as we think we are.

American Red Cross Website
. Donate now. Donate what you can. And get off your political soap box just this once.