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NEXTopia
Welcome to NEXTopia, a Web diary in which NEXT writers — and readers — share their evolving thoughts on a variety of issues. The opinions you read below are those of the individual writers, not necessarily those representing The Seattle Times.
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January 26, 2005
| Bush's puppets |
In these times of incessant cries against the "liberal media," it will be interesting to see if the phenomena of journalists being paid by the Bush administration to promote its agenda will open conservative eyes to the reality that much of the mainstream media is Bush's puppet.
The latest revelation is just another desperate indication of this administration's willingness to unethically win at all costs.
Are liberals the only ones bothered by state-sponsored journalism, or better yet, propaganda? I have to wonder if this even hits the Limbaugh and O'Reilly radar.
Better yet, for all those conservatives out there, if your policies and ideals are so great, how come your party is reduced to bribing people to sell their ideas? Soul searching can hurt, but maybe it's about time.
Respond to John
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| Posted by John Hieger at 02:31 PM |
January 25, 2005
| Re: Gregoire: Give us more money |
Chris Collins' criticism of the embryonic stages of the Christine Gregoire governorship signifies the unfortunate continuation of partisan bickering that has come to define our contemporary state.
While Gregoire states the obvious that misappropriated funding has led to a lack of resources to support important programs, particularly homeland security, Collins rushes to throw daggers.
Give her time. She hasn't screwed up anything yet, and if you have any "new and creative ways to make state programs self sufficient," I'm sure we'd all like to hear. Offer constructive, specific advice, not general rhetoric that sounds great.
We can't all live in a George Bush inauguration speech. It's time to come back down to earth and deal with reality.
Respond to John |
| Posted by John Hieger at 04:59 PM |
| Re: Another potential Gonzales motivation? |
A reader responded to a recent blog of mine:
"Just what government post is it that Karl Rove holds. Aw he doesn't hold elective or appointive office. Guess we can't put him on trial for violating any Federal Codes eh?"
Wasn't Rove appointed as Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President by Bush? But perhaps that doesn't count.
More importantly, I think the response is a sad indication of Republican political views these days. The reader is not concerned with whether Rove or Bush actually did anything wrong, but only laughing because we supposedly can't do anything about it. Ha ha, they won, so what if they cheated.
At some point, however, the GOP power players should ask themselves if all this grabbing of power and wealth by any means, including numerous ethical and legal violations, is actually good for the country or their party. And the Democrats should check themselves now before they lower themselves any further to the Republicans' level.
Or do politicians even care about that? I mean, I'm not naieve, I realize that public service is actually a very small piece of a politicians' daily business, but have they foresaken even that small piece? Have they become so obsessed with getting more power, so tunnel-visioned on acheiving narrow conservative and extremist Christian agendas, that they've forgotten what that power is supposed to be used for? Forgotten they are supposed to represent a diverse nation, not a narrow group of donors and ideologues?
Ultimately, their eroding of our democratic processes, our checks and balances, and our civil rights in order to ensure total control undermines the intent of our Constitution, and endangers the freedoms and future of our country.
Luckily, we can always just vote them back out of office. It's just going to be a long two years before we get our next opportunity.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 03:19 PM |
| Gregoire: Give us more money |
As Christine Gregoire introduced herself to the nation by giving the Democratic reply to Bush’s weekly radio address, she signaled her priorities: Give us more money.
The AP reported:
"Gregoire cited homeland security, transportation, health care and education as areas where federal mandates are heaped on the states without a corresponding flow of money and help.
"In the war on terror, she said, ‘Candidly, there is too much talk and too little action coming out of Washington, D.C.
"‘The federal government is imposing new security requirements on our cities and counties, without providing the necessary financial assistance to local law enforcement — cops and firefighters whose resources are already stretched too thin.’
"She complained that Congress has been unable to pass a highway appropriations bill at a time when the states are desperate for jobs and for better roads."
Instead of outlining new policies for the federal-state relationship or offering new and creative ways to make state programs self-sufficient and with less government funding, she basically says: We want more money.
Not a very constructive request considering Democrats and many Republicans are concerned about the federal deficit at this point.
Let’s hope this isn’t the trend for next four years under Washington’s new governor.
Respond to Chris
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| Posted by Chris Collins at 03:13 PM |
| Between Napolean and God |
Here's what I got out of last week's inaugural speeches and fanfare. George W. Bush sees himself as somewhere between Napolean and God. He actually thinks he was elected president to free the world from tyranny.
Not only does that sound expensive and far fetched considering we can't even free little, old Iraq from car bombs, but it has a particularly hollow ring to it.
Why talk about an end to injustice when you only plan to enforce these words at your convenience? I've yet to hear Bush call out Vladamir Putin or the leaders of China, where human rights violations reign supreme. Instead he calls out pint-sized nations he thinks he can bully.
This is even more ridiculous considering that Iraq is far from a success story, given that we're sacrificing on average two dead Americans per day.
Instead, Bush seeks to expand upon the miserable venture that is Iraq by issuing threats to the Arab world, with the notable exception of Saudi Arabia.
And to think, this is the party that used to tout itself as fiscally responsible. Now it's the party of neurotic foreign policy that's hell bent on bankrupting the republic.
Onward Christian soldiers!
Respond to John |
| Posted by John Hieger at 03:08 PM |
January 20, 2005
| Our election scandal |
You know, I admit it is pretty bad that felony lists were exploited, that some counties were cheated out of votes, that military votes were messed with, or that anyone associated with the election might be the type of person that would register dead people.
But really, why rehash Bush's 2000 tactics?
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 03:43 PM |
| Freedom and liberty for all |
Remember when I suggested the likely requirements for a Bush speechwriter last week? Well, in case you thought I was joking, here's Bush's inaugural address.
Amazingly similar to the hollow calls for unity, promises of progress, and all that as his first speech. And we know how well he followed through on that one.
Number of times he uttered the word "freedom" in his 30-minute speech? 27. He almost achieved a freedom a minute! Wow!
He did mix it up a little this time though, also using the word "liberty" 15 times.
Freedom and liberty. Liberty and freedom. Indeed, the attributes that define the Bush administration in my mind.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 03:40 PM |
January 19, 2005
| Another potential Gonzales motivation? |
Why, many people wonder, would Bush want people reminded of his administration's involvement in the Abu Graib scandal by recommending Gonzales to replace Ashcroft as Attorney General? After all, Gonzales wrote those memos dismissing the Geneva conventions and supporting torture.
Well, the obvious answer is that America doesn't seem to care too much about Bush's scandals, but the hoped for increase in Hispanic votes will serve the entire Republican party for many elections to come. And of course he'll loyally follow Bush's lead.
But another answer may be here, one of the 34 scandals of Bush's first term listed on Salon.com:
"The scandal: In early 2001, chief White House political strategist Karl Rove held meetings with numerous companies while maintaining six-figure holdings of their stock -- including Intel, whose executives were seeking government approval of a merger. "Washington hadn't seen a clearer example of a conflict of interest in years," wrote Paul Glastris in the Washington Monthly.
The problem: The Code of Federal Regulations says government employees should not participate in matters in which they have a personal financial interest.
The outcome: Then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, spurning precedent, did not refer the case to the Justice Department."
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 04:29 PM |
January 18, 2005
| Re: Window of opportunity |
While Americans aren't the most popular folks on earth, the stereotype of the drunken, obnoxious American tourist that Anne Kim wrote about in her Sunday piece on the NEXT page was very much out of step with my recent experience abroad.
I found the opposite to be true, as far as general labels go. Every American I met was keenly aware of his or her deflated status and popularity and acted accordingly in public, drunk or not.
I met a couple of girls from Bainbridge Island who I had to persuade to drop their English accent. Other people I know pretended to be Canadians. If anything, the modern American tourist is extremely sensitive to our international disposition.
The Aussies and the English, on the other hand, inherited the obnoxious fury that so many wish to label the Americans with. Without failure, every time I awoke late at night to hear some drunken moron screaming in the streets. It was almost always somebody with an English accent.
The Americans know their role and for the most part have adapted. The world Anne Kim perpetuates is from ages past, a tired cliche.
As for belligerent Aussies and what not, if Anne travels abroad I can guarantee she'll find her share. When it comes to traveling to Europe, its cool to be anything but American; this is fairly obvious and I sincerely doubt there is any measure for gauguing the amount of hooliganistic activity derived by young American travelers of late. That trend probably died about the same time we invaded Iraq.
Respond to John |
| Posted by John Hieger at 02:15 PM |
| Revote |
The Republicans want a revote? Uh, yeah, sure, because all the problems with our voting system have been miraculously fixed. Obviously, there were errors in this election, but there are in every election, in every state.
The difference here is that the Republicans are actively hunting for them, and doing a good job of painting the outcome of the recount as a conspiracy of some kind because the outcome was so close.
But the recount was monitored by Republicans, every ballot that was counted was checked by Republicans during the recount, and the election results were certified by Republicans.
Gregoire has already called for electoral reform. That is what is needed. It is the process, not the candidates, that was at fault for any problems. But the Republicans aren't really concerned with the election process. Or at least, they wouldn't be if they had won the final, legal recount. They are only concerned with winning. As would be the Democrats if the situation were reversed no doubt.
Further, some Republicans go on about the discovered King County ballots as if they were conjured up just to help Gregoire win. But again, any ballots that were counted were checked for legitimacy by Republicans before being counted.
And the very reason those ballots were finally counted was because many other counties had already added additional ballots that they had discovered, many of which went to Rossi. The state election officials therefore decided that they couldn't throw away the King County ballots because they couldn't also go back and figure out which of the ballots already counted in other counties had been new and throw those out also.
And most importantly, those votes were legitimate and therefore deserved to be counted. There is no conspiracy here.
The thing I find the most sad is the way that Rossi actually ran an ad exploiting our troops in Iraq. The ad is definitely emotionally compelling, well done. And I agree that if any military votes had been missed in the original counts, but had been discovered in time to be included in the final recount, they should have been included.
But it turns out that the military ballots were in fact sent out in time by King County. And further, in spite of the emotionally manipulative advantage of focusing on the troops, this issue applies to all voters whose votes were missed, whether somebody's son in Iraq, or the fry cook at Dennys. Again, this is a process issue, not a candidate issue.
I also think Gregoire should have gone on less about the fact her daughter already had a gown for the inaugural ball and more about these facts when talking about why we should accept the results. And she should now address the issues important to Republicans and demonstrate that we can move forward with focusing on our state's many problems, not on the GOP power struggle.
It is the election process, not the candidates, that are at fault for any errors. What will be gained by a revote? More errors? More debates? More uncertainty and recounts and millions of your tax dollars spent? Further partisan bickering?
If you are really upset about the election, then spend all that energy and money being wasted on deepening the divisions and manipulating the emotions of Washingtonians on fixing the problems of our election system before the next election.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 02:06 PM |
| Bush's challenge |
I don't like our current president for many reasons. That's no secret. He's done many things wrong with our environment, our economy, our troops, our trust. But he isn't all bad.
Yet even when he occasionally tries to do something right, all his other actions makes it an uphill battle.
For example, rumor is that he is looking at further increasing Pell grant maximums. This is a great thing.
Sadly, the grant system is $4 billion dollars in the hole already. And our nation is over $7.5 trillion in debt. Republicans love to fall back on the fact that the economy was falling apart before Bush took office, or point to September 11.
But such excuses kind of get old after four years of massively increasing debt and deficits, of deep cuts to vital programs and taxes, yet increased spending. Our current problems were not inevitable.
In addition, Bush has already placed heavy demands on schools without providing the funding to back it up. He'll have pressure to find that money now. And his "tax breaks" were really just a shell game that shifted the burden of supporting social, education, and infrastructure programs further onto the states and thus back onto the taxpayers, while saving the wealthy a lot of money in federal taxes on their capital gains and other income.
So now Bush must try to find money that he's already burned to pay for promises he's ignored for far too long. Even if he did want to actually be compassionate now, he's been fiscally un-conservative for too long to do so easily.
Conspiracy theorists might also point to the fact that the financial industry loves Bush, supports Bush, and Bush loves them right back. And who profits when students don't get grants, or get inadequate grants? Who do students have to go to for loans or credit with all that juicy interest?
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 01:26 PM |
| No need to delay election |
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman offered an educated and basic argument against postponing the Jan. 30 Iraqi elections. His basic point: How will that help us? He frames the election pessimists’ argument first and then rebuts it:
"Their main argument is that an Iraqi election that ensconces the Shiite majority in power, without any participation of the Sunni minority, will sow the seeds of civil war.
"That is probably true -- but we are already in a civil war in Iraq. That civil war was started by the Sunni Baathists, and their Islamist fascist allies from around the region, the minute the U.S. toppled Saddam. And they started that war not because they felt the Iraqi elections were going to be rigged, but because they knew they weren't going to be rigged.
"They started the war not to get their fair share of Iraqi power, but in hopes of retaining their unfair share. Under Saddam, Iraq's Sunni minority, with only 20 percent of the population, ruled everyone. These fascist insurgents have never given politics a chance to work in Iraq because they don't want it to work. That's why they have never issued a list of demands. They don't want people to see what they are really after, which is continued minority rule, Saddamism without Saddam. If that was my politics, I'd be wearing a ski mask over my head, too.
"The notion that delaying the elections for a few months would somehow give time for the "Sunni moderates" to persuade the extremists to come around is dead wrong -- literally. Any delay would simply embolden the guys with the guns to kill more Iraqi police officers and to intimidate more Sunnis. It could only convince them that with just a little more violence, they could scuttle the whole project of rebuilding Iraq."
Friedman is talking straight. There’s already plenty of tensions and ethnic conflicts in Iraq. Trying to turn the Iraqi election into a public relations campaign for peace among religious factions that have fought against each other for centuries on end is neive at best.
A much better idea would be to push through with the elections in a well-planned manner and confidently uphold the results.
Respond to Chris |
| Posted by Chris Collins at 01:21 PM |
January 12, 2005
| Dinosaurs and WMDs |
The United States has officially declared an end to its search for WMDs in Iraq.
In a related news story, scientists for the EPA were stunned to discover that the world is not flat.
Experts fear that administration officials inside the Bush camp may be disheartened by this recent series of set backs, but sources close to the president indicate that Mr. Bush is expecting a large morale boost sometime soon with the release of his long-awaited report expected to claim that dinosaurs went extinct because Noah didn't let them on the ark.
For any further clear ups on historical innaccuracies or general common sense issues, please consult Scott McClellan at the White House dot gov.
Respond to John
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| Posted by John Hieger at 03:28 PM |
January 10, 2005
| Brad and Jennifer split |
Today I’m going to indulge in analyzing some celebrity gossip. Brat Pitt and Jennifer Aniston are going to separate after more than four years of marriage.
This is a reminder that marriages are fragile. The common statistic reported in the media nowadays is that one out of every two couples will divorce. My roommate and I were talking about this, and we said, “This might mean that either you or me will divorce.” What a scary thought!
No one marries expecting a separation or divorce. No one wants a divorce, yet they seem more common than ever.
The Brad and Jennifer case is a perfect example. They’re separating despite their multi-million dollar income, beautiful mansions, top-notch careers and shall I say, genetically gifted appearances.
The deterioration of their fairy-tale marriage reminds me of the ugly realities of separation and divorce.
Respond to Christina |
| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 12:38 PM |
January 07, 2005
| No opportunity left behind |
Apparently, the Bush administration is using tax money to create phony "news" from psuedo journalists about the benefits of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Apparently, the only good news Bush can get on his social agenda has to be paid for.
Respond to John |
| Posted by John Hieger at 03:55 PM |
| Fit or fat? |
“Seattle has been named the fittest city in the United States in the February issue of Men’s Fitness magazine,” says the Associated Press.
First, it’s exciting that Seattle tops one of these “city ranking” lists for something other than highest cost of living.
But, I wonder, if Seattle is supposedly the fittest city in the U.S., what are all the other cities like? What are Houston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis and Chicago, the five fattest cities, like?
It’s a bit scary to imagine, because many Seattleites lead far-from-healthy lifestyles. There are non-exercisers who’ve never run along Greenlake or taken advantage of all the incredible outdoor opportunities. There are fast food joint regulars. And there are obese people here, just as there are in every other city in America.
Even America’s “fittest” city has its problems with obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. This says something about the poor state of our nation’s health.
Respond to Christina |
| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 12:38 PM |
| Bush's speechwriter |
Hey, Bush's lead speechwriter is quitting, so there's a job opportunity for a gooderest writer out there. Here's a few criteria you'll likely need to meet:
Can you fit the words "freedom" and "evil" 15 times into two sentences?
Can you spell out all big words phonetically, and provide definitions in the footnotes?
Can you write lame apologies (oh, wait, sorry, that was for Clinton. Besides, Bush would never apologize because, you know, he's never wrong).
Are you comfortable suspending reality and writing what Karl Rove wants you to?
Are you good at repetition and repeatedly repeating talking points?
Can you take complex issues and present an extremely narrow view worded in simplest terms of good and evil, black and white?
If so, you may have a good shot.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 12:34 PM |
January 05, 2005
| Got blankets? |
By the time I got from my car into the nice warm office this morning, I had no feeling in my nose. Then I imagined what it would be like not to have any place warm to be rushing into, to be stuck out in the cold all night tonight. And it's only going to get colder. And wet.
If you have old or extra blankets, coats, sleeping bags, gloves, hats, sweaters, etc. see what you can do to get them to the homeless. Even if you just go to the nearest likely homeless spot and hand them out yourself. Or you can take them to a local mission or homeless shelter.
Temperatures are dropping below freezing, as I'm sure you noticed. So make some space in your closet and perhaps save some lives at the same time.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 03:17 PM |
| Desperate parenting |
The latest Nielsen ratings reveal that "Desperate Housewives" is a huge hit ... with the 9- to 12-year-old age demographic.
ABC is expecting a frenzy of protests from the Parent TV Council, the socially conservative group responsible for the lion's share of protests against the Monday Night Football fiasco and Janet Jackson's half-time debacle.
The PTC's motto is "Because our children are watching" which is strange, because you have to wonder, if these people are so concerned about children
watching objectionable material, why would they let them watch "Desperate Housewives"?
Instead of having the federal government pursue mandatory Power Rangers re-runs 24-7, why not place a little emphasis on responsible parenting? Instead of deciding what everybody should watch, the PTC, the FCC and everybody else should place the blame at the parent's feet. Kids shouldn't be watching that crap, and it's a parent's job and obligation to know what their 10-year-old is doing and watching.
If your kid is sniffing paint thinner, is it the FDA's responsibility or is it the parents? C'mon now.
Social conservatives should look at themselves and not expect the government
to do their job for them. "Because our children are watching" doesn't cut it for me. They shouldn't be watching in the first place, and on a greater scale if parents took more interest in their parental duties, a host of social ills would go by the wayside. But I guess responsibility is just too unrealistic at this point.
Respond to John |
| Posted by John Hieger at 03:12 PM |
| Different views of the tsunami |
I found this article interesting. It discusses how victims from different religions are dealing with the tsunami, and the questions and challenges that the devastation and death raise. A powerful example of why humans developed religion -- to give meaning to such random, tragic events, and to find comfort or distraction to help us cope with the overwhelming mental and emotional strain.
I also always enjoy articles like this that allow us a glimpse of the world through others' eyes, that remind us that people from other cultures hold views that are different not just on the surface, not just in terms of political or economic systems, but in the fundamental way they view and interact with the world and each other.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 03:00 PM |
January 04, 2005
| Eat, drink and be merry |
Hey, while we and future generations pay down the debts and clean up the environmental messes Bush leaves behind, we can look forward to Social Security benefits that were cut by 25-54%.
Oh, but if we're lucky playing the market, we may make some of that back.
Come on, Kozmo.com! Hey, it's a sure thing! I mean, ice cream and a movie anytime I want! Brilliant! I'm going to be a millionaire!
Personally, I think it is all part of Bush's clever plan to stimulate the economy. You see, if we know we are going to be totally broke and ill in the future, we will make sure to get out and spend spend spend now while we can. And that will stimulate the economy, see. And then Bush can give more tax breaks to the wealthy maybe. Genius.
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 04:41 PM |
| Meditatin' on the medicatin' |
It seems there's a trend lately of "discovering" that medications might cause harm as well as cure illness. Vioxx, Prozac, blood pressure meds, all are in the news.
The newest development? There's a very high chance that painkillers like aspirin and Ibuprofen can cause serious damage to your small intestine.
Next thing you know they're going to tell us that cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol aren't good for us! Where will it end?
You know what might help with many of those digestive problems, pain problems, even mood problems if you're an adult? Marijuana. Oops, never mind, it's illegal. So do not use it folks. 'Cause, you know, it might possibly cause minor side effects.
But so do medicines, you say? True, but the difference between approved and illegal is very easily understood. Just consider the side effects, like the professionals do. Destroyed intestines? Approved. Liver damage, violence, loss of self control, and car wrecks? Card them. Heart disease? Only with doctor's prescription. Cancer? Hey, no hip camel billboards, but okay. Munchies and temporary loss of motivation? Woah! Hold on there. Better make that illegal.
See? Makes perfect sense.
Okay, sure, if it were legal like Vioxx or Ibuprofin it would be cheap and undermine the pharmaceutical companies. And true, even if it were monitored like alcohol, legalizing it would cut funding to some powerful government agencies. And yes, hemp could then be legal, and that would threaten billions of dollars in corporate interests.
But honestly folks, marijuana's illegal because it might possibly cause minor side effects in adults, and is harmful if used by children or teens. And we would never allow anything like that on the streets.
What? It is on the streets? Well, okay, at least it's not legal, controlled and taxable like alcohol, or easily available to those it could actually help. Phew!
Respond to Randy |
| Posted by Randy Henderson at 04:37 PM |
| Quit whining and run |
I hope I'm not the only person annoyed by Shaun Alexander's latest whine fest. I'm begining to think there's not enough room in this state for both him and Chris Vance, considering the collective amount of steam both men have been blowing of late.
Shaun "it's about me" Alexander's latest tirade comes after his team clinched their division title ... not exactly the time to be whining but apparently personal stats trump team energy. Go figure.
Alexander was poised to win the rushing title (most yards by a running back this season for those of you who hate sports blogs), but after losing yards on several attempts, the coach called for a QB sneak that resulted in the game-winning TD.
I guess the whole playoffs thing doesn't matter though because after the game Alexander caughed up this selfish sentiment, "I was stabbed in the back."
Poor Shaun didn't get his stats to gloat over nor did he get that extra clout that may have come in handy during his expensive free agnecy hearings which will follow this season. Too bad.
The Seahawks are in the playoffs, somehow, and Shaun could use a little perspective on the disenfranchised city that he represents. Let's just hope he doesn't use this as an excuse to dodge big hits and run half-hearted. This is still a contract year and he still hasn't won every fans' heart.
Respond to John |
| Posted by John Hieger at 04:32 PM |
January 03, 2005
| Facebook fad |
Many UW students, who live in dorms, Greek houses or apartments, either use or have heard of the Facebook. It’s an online, interactive yearbook-type website that’s quickly becoming an object of both love and hate among college students.
Love, because it allows students to find profiles of random people from their high school, join random groups like “I Am Fond of Biscuits and Scones” or “Dorks At Heart,” and contact other online “friends.”
Hate because it’s slightly based on appearances, it’s a slightly stupid concept to keep visual lists of friends and it’s an annoying trend, as if so many things weren’t already on the Internet already.
Humorously enough, some Facebook groups include “Facebook Prevents Me From Doing My Homework,” “Why Am I So Addicted to Facebook,” “I Hate The Facebook” and “I Hate Facebook But Joined Anyways So I Could Be Socially Significant.”
Personally, I think the Facebook gets a little old after the initial novelty fades away. Perhaps, the trend will end soon -- and students can get back to their homework.
Respond to Christina |
| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 03:50 PM |
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