Flee Ike

At one point in my life I lived in Beaumont, Texas. I learned to surf long-board in Galveston and spent countless summer hours waiting for the Shrimpers to come back in with the day's haul. There's nothing quite like Surfing, fresh Shrimp and a cool beverage to have a perfect summer day.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the residents of Galveston and the Texas coastal communities. From what I've been able to read Hurricane Ike will continue to be classified as a hurricane as far inland as Dallas/Fort Worth. Batten down the hatches and head the warnings.

From CNN:

Warning: Flee Ike or face 'certain death'

Residents living in single-family homes in some parts of coastal Texas face "certain death" if they do not heed orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike's arrival, the National Weather Service said Thursday night. full story


Hurricane, Hurricane Ike, Galveston, Beaumont, Texas

Get out and Vote

It doesn't matter what your political affiliation is but what does matter is that you get out and vote. If you're old enough to vote go exercise your right. Don't let some old fart determine your future. The decisions that are made in elections are made by a scant few and impact so many. It's up to you; do you really want someone you've never met and may not share the same ideas as you deciding on what your future is going to look like?

Here are some helpful links:

Get Out The Vote
Democratic Party Info
Republican National Committee
Independent American Party

Educate yourself; learn about the candidates, there stance and the party platform. Read the information that your State, County and City Governments publish. Watch news shows - no not the evening news that's filled with soundbites tailored to meet the networks needs and NOT yours - real news - check out your local PBS stations - do the research it's well worth it. Make America count you - VOTE.

Vote, elections, political

World Views

Views from around the world:

An interesting read from the UK: This cynical choice has left McCain’s honour in shreds. It speaks loudly about how much of a farse the American political process has become.

The following Quotes can be found on: News.com.au Australian Internet News Source.

"I am amazed that the Republicans are trying to twist this silliness into a supposed sexist attack on their candidate. What exactly are the Republicans hiding about Palin? She still has not given an interview. They cannot wrap her up in cotton wool forever."

Posted by: Hunter of Sydney 4:33pm today

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"To Tazzz comment 5, "Americans are smarter than Australians" are you absolutely mad? Obviously you have never been to the US. While mostly a friendly lot, smartness is not a virtue you see a lot of and voting in Bush not once, but twice is total proof of their utter stupidity. Bush has changed the world in a profoundly negative way and severly tarnished America's image."

Posted by: Loxy 4:32pm today

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"According to the right wing lunatics, anyone who says something critical about this woman is apparently sexist. Maybe every time a conservative says something critical about Barack Obama we should call that person a racist?"

Posted by: Steve of Perth 4:32pm today

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The following Quotes can be found on: The Times On-line, UK

Excerpt from the Times On-line dated: 9/10/08

Sarah Palin, the pastor and the prophecy: judgment day is not far away

"Since Mrs Palin’s nomination as John McCain’s Republican running-mate 11 days ago, her social and religious beliefs have become subjected to intense scrutiny. As a supporter of the teaching of Creationism in schools, an opponent of abortion – even in cases of rape or incest – and a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, she threatens to reopen the culture war that has scarred American politics for a quarter of a century.

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America was hit by 9/11, Katrina, Gustav etc.. Are these God 's acts against the sinners? No. These religious nuts sent Bush to the White House rather than McCain last time. He is now playing the religious card through Palin. He wants to be president at all cost. 'county first' slogan is hollow.

Posted by: gary smith, LONDON, UK

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"The constitutional separation between church and state is not designed to keep religion out of politics. In fact, it meant to keep politicians out of religious freedoms. To understand it the other way around is to actually violate the UN declaration of Human Rights on religious liberty."

Posted by: Tom Price, Chertsey, UK

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"Ms Palin is playing the role she was chosen for: coaxing the Ev Protestant Right and the Jews to vote for McCain. It's come down to Protestant vs Catholic again with Biden & the Kennedys vs Palin & McCain with race as a sideshow. God help Obama: Daniel in the lion's den of US presidential politics!"

Posted by: Dr David Green, Athens, Greece

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"So the Republicans have chosen a creationist for VP. It is good to see that they still value the ability in their leaders to dismiss the evidence and ignore the facts in favour of their personal beliefs. That tendency took Bush into Iraq. Where will it take McCain-Palin"

Posted by: John, Brussels

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And our status in the world continues it's decline.... sigh....

Political BS

Is this really what American Politics has come down to? Lipstick on a Pig... oh, for Christs sake! There are more important things to talk about, like; education in America, the declining job market - or conversely the rising unemployment rate, the failing, if not failed, housing market and the associated banking industry, the reliance on foreign oil, the reliance on oil at all!, the US position in the world or the decline thereof... or hey, how about that Supercollider under the Swiss-Franco border that's going to eat the world from the inside out? (not really but that's what the town criers believe).

Obama and McCain both need to start getting real. One of them needs to stand up and have a pair of balls - tell the public what the hell they are going to do to fix (or try to) this country and how they are going to do it. They both need to start realizing that the voting public is just a tad bit smarter than they are giving them credit! Lipstick on a Pig - WTF! First off, the McCain campaign is freakishly stupid if they believe that they are going to win votes that way - "but Obama said...." - Hey how about a little cheese with that wine! The Lipstick on a Pig quote is the same damned thing as saying "You can polish a turd... but at the end of the day it's still a turd." It's not calling anyone a pig (turd) it's calling someone out on something that's stupid.

Obama, enough rah-rah. Quit worrying about how many fans your last concert drew and get to the issues and what YOU are going to do. Stop telling us what John McCain isn't going to do - he can do that on his own. Screw John, address US, it's OUR vote that you are trying to win. You've said that the American public is tired of the same old same - but here you are giving us the same old same? That's a big WTF to you... your response? hmmm just as I thought.... "but John said...." - Hey, how about a little cheese with that wine.

All this does is look like Politics as usual - Political BS.

Both politicians need to take the lipstick off the pig and address this country - after 8 years of bullshit politics by GWB and his Neofreaks someone needs to "man-up" ... wait, a thought just occurred to me... maybe that's the problem, maybe it was time to "Woman-up" after all.