Just some miscellaneous ramblings from an Upstate New Yorker.


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Sasha's Commentary for November 6, 2013, Part II: Why We Still Can't Have Nice Things

And thanks to a glitch, most of my links from yesterday went missing! Great!

A Russian teen, 18-year old, who goes by "Shatuniha", is selling her virginity as she is "in urgent need of money" so she is "selling the most precious thing I possess." If this is what capitalism does to people, I need to question capitalism's lack of safeguards.

Then again, the poor girl is gorgeous. Do I feel bad for her that she's in a bad spot? Yes!

About pretty girls, I've always wanted to date a redhead. I have given up on that one. I've never met a redhead I didn't like, but then again, plenty of people I've met have told me to get lost. And many of them have been redheads.

Our good friend Charlie Crist, who is now part of the new right wing of the Democratic Party (which needs a right-wing, just like every good political party) looks like as if he's going to have no problem getting his old job back. Turns out rejecting high speed rail funding was a way to save face for now governor Rick Scott. We expect more from our politicians, and shouldn't be getting contradictions. It's nice to see a handful of conservatives (current or former) who actually give a crap about high speed rail. It's crucial to both our nation's manufacturing recovery AND for our energy independence. There's too many reasons to list the importance of intercity rail. Too many. The good news? Between All Aboard Florida and the potential of a 2014 return of a Democratic Congress, we might see some fiscal sanity. Here's a hint: kill the Bush era tax-cuts, work with the Defense Department on a rational funding scheme AND raise the national gas tax. Poor roads affect my car's condition and fuel economy.

I stand in solidarity with this group who plans to do a read in in protest of Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana, who is apparently no fan of Howard Zinn. The late scholar of American history defended America against fascism and totalitarianism, and this is the way you repay his legacy, by making student unable to have access to the book? Zinn, I hope you are looking down in pride.

My professor from college, Phil Neisser, a brilliant scholar of political cooperation (in the sense of contrasting political beliefs coming together for the common good, something that is rare), shared an article with some people written by his co-author Jacob Hess. I need to one day read their book You’re not as Crazy as I Thought, but Hess makes some decent points, including how our conservative rivals have similar goals: job creation, healthcare reform. Although I am a European-style socialist (in the European political ideology scale, which I believe differs from America's, I'm in the left-center), I do believe in cooperation with all ideologies. Diplomacy is the only way that any political process can be made, and I hope the next few years bring new faces to our state capitals and Washington D.C. who are willing to "shake hands" and write win-win legislation. At the same time though, our friends on both sides of the aisle need to use more common sense in the legislative process, regardless. I hope to see some Democrats in 2015 willing to not agree with the mainstream of the party on the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare (i.e. Democrats who are in favor of serious review of Obamacare and willing to work with moderate Republicans to write a true bipartisan healthcare reform bill that keeps the best of Obamacare.

The right though has been putting good spin on the perils of Obamacare, and only Jon Stewart and his "journalistic integrity" can stop it. Or not.

I've never been a big fan of Rob Portman, but what a way to defend your son: giving up on the vice-presidency, and threaten to . Seeing what it did to madam Palin probably helped to make your decision.

To the north in Canada, to be more precise, Toronto, Ontario, we have a coke-smoking mayor. The CBC has some good warnings about why crack is dangerous.

Scientists have found a new body part, it's part of your knees. I didn't even know that was possible!

The woman who wrote this blog entry has a darn good point: and we need to follow it. Wise beyond her 29 years. There are a lot of cool younger moms out there.

So it is true: there are some girls who do have "waiting list" for guys who want to date them. I don't know how that is even ethical. I had a similar note from a girl who was two years older than me, sexually active (trying to have a baby no less) and wanted to go out with me. Either I passed up a good opportunity to help get her life straight or I dodged a bullet.

A new goal in my lifetime: own a shortline railroad, refurb the tracks and maybe add passenger service. This guy in the Midwest Pacific Northwest did it (that's where the line is), and I have to say, how he pulls it off is beyond me. NEW GOAL: volunteer with a tourist railroad and get FRA certified. Better yet: he's only 30.

I'll say this again: Kate Upton is cute (she even has a nice voice) but I still find Alexis Wineman (see Miss Montana and my other posts) much more attractive. And Kate, can't you do something with your life other than model and date great looking guys? Sharing food on a date? I kind of like that, it's I guess a bonding sort of thing.

Why did I enjoy college? Let me see: I had low expectations of what college and college life would be like. It also reflects in my GPA.

In an hour: a blog on my reflections on the 2013 elections.

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