Month: August 2011

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As of today I’m unemployed

This is a mixed blessing, and a long time coming.

I wasn’t going to go in until next week. But I noted that a paper check had been cut paying me a lump sum for my vacation, and unused holiday time. So it’s convenient and profitable for me to drive down there to hand in my shit.

It’s also a nice form of closure I will no longer have anything that I have to be responsible for and with few exceptions the company and I will be done with each other.

In hindsight, I took the position for all the right reasons. There was no way I could have known just how screwed up the project would become. Bad management is as likely in one industry as it is in any other. That there is a concentration of crappy management in the aerospace industry shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

These people have existed within a culture of obscene overruns for decades. Most of them have the attitude that no matter what, they can always go back to the government for more money and in many cases they have built systems and procedures where that assumption is integral to any project they bid.

The movie Pentagon Wars was a comedy. Sadly, it is also surprisingly accurate in it’s depiction of how government projects work.

It’s a real pity that the bureaucratic red tape necessary to become a government contractor is so arduous that many companies simply refuse to even try. I think that it’s time for the government to reduce the bureaucracy in favor of better, more modern, less expensive goods and equipment.

The old guard contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop, Raytheon, and TRW need a good solid kick in the pants in terms of competition. Lessening the red tape and allowing new players and new ideas into contract bids would serve the nation well.

That’s just my opinion.

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Is it me or just that Republican candidates are really bad this election?

I can’t just sit idly by and not comment on this.

Michele Bachmann won the Iowa Straw poll.

GOD HELP US ALL!

Got this from a friend this morning it’s a Meet the Press piece with Michele Bachmann.

In the piece they play a segment of a speech she gave in 2004 where she describes being Gay as bondage, and Gay people as  despairing and enslaved, presumably she means enslaved to sexuality…

Uhhh Every single human being is enslaved to their sexuality and has been since before the beginning of the human species.

Wars have been fought, Cities built … and destroyed, technological advancement, wealth, hunting prowess, sports, the advancement of human civilization can ALL be laid at the feet of our sexuality.

Because we humans will do damn near anything to FUCK!

We as a species have done all these things to impress the objects of our desires. We’re  hoping that (she or he) will notice us, find our accomplishments notable and attractive. The goal is (she or he) will want to get to know us, ultimately ending in sex then hopefully love.

Every single human being on the planet is wired this way. Watch a bunch of pubescent boys and girls sometime. The clothes, and the tools used to impress each other may have changed but the dance they’re doing is as old as our species.

If that’s not enslavement to our sexuality I don’t know what is… it’s a normal human state.

The despair she speaks of is 100% INDUCED by hostile ignorant bigots just like her! How could Gay people not despair in this country?

Despair is absolutely normal when you create an underclass who is not represented fairly and equally. History is full of examples, ever heard of The Civil Rights Movement Ms. Bachmann?

Christianity as practiced by fundamentalists like Bachmann and Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist church all but demands that gay people be hunted down and exterminated. We won’t even begin to talk about Islam…

Simply announcing that they’re gay strips BASIC American rights away from the individual.

Gay people in this country can be beaten, murdered, robbed, and bullied with relative impunity. There are statistics that show crime against Gay people is rising. I personally lay the blood of those folks at the feet of hateful bigots like Bachman and her ilk.

Who do gay people turn to for justice? Politicians? Police? Religions?

Well it’s become painfully obvious that Gay people and perhaps the American People cannot expect to see Justice, social or otherwise, from a “President Bachmann”or for that matter a “President Romney”.

If these people are the “Best” the republican party can produce we all better settle in for 4 more glorious years of Obama.

Rick Perry? Still too soon to say… Stay tuned.

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The Santorum follies continue

Santorum is obviously clueless and probably out of his mind.

As if this guy hasn’t done enough harm to his political aspirations already, he’s continuing to blather on about gay marriage.

I’m sure that his handlers wish they could shut him the hell up and keep a script in front of him at all times.

Thus far he’s pointed out that a napkin is not a paper towel (making the point that gay marriage is not marriage)

He educated us that water is not beer and calling water beer doesn’t make it so.

Now he’s astounded us all by telling us that a cup of tea is not a basketball.

Clearly a politician is not a politician just because he’s running for president. Right now the least of anyones worries in this country are gay ANYTHING!

What does he propose to do to stimulate the economy?
Address the banking mess or the foreclosure issues?
How is he going to deal with the wars we’re fighting and what does he propose to do to increase our safety without accruing yet MORE enemies?
How does he feel about apologist politicians?

His handlers need to tell him to stop beating a dead horse or he needs to drop out of the race NOW and give his campaign warchest to a candidate that actually has a grasp of what the president should be doing.

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Pledges and Candidates

Sadly… Also a demonstration of the sad state of our political process and the more or less poor quality of our political candidates.

It’s pretty well known that our politicians are out of touch with the “common man” What’s surprising is that three of our presidential hopefuls are also out of touch with the Constitution.

There was an article yesterday in which NOM (The National Organization for Marriage) was crowing about Bachmann, Romney, and Santorum having signed a pledge stating what these candidates will do in office if elected. I have another name for NOM but will refrain from putting it in print.

The summary of this pledge is below, the full text is available here on NOM’s website

  • Support and send to the states a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman,
  • Defend DOMA in court,
  • Appoint judges and an attorney general who will respect the original meaning of the Constitution,
  • Appoint a presidential commission to investigate harassment of traditional marriage supporters,
  • Support legislation that would return to the people of D.C. their right to vote for marriage.

I’ve got some questions about this.

I was under the impression that STATES Rights were supposed to supersede federal power, particularly in the cases like marriage. Isn’t this why individual states can vote to allow same sex marriages even though the federal government doesn’t recognize them?

DOMA? I think that everyone agrees this is a toothless act and should have been struck down a long time ago. Why do our politicians insist on wasting time on dead horses like this? It was poorly written, poorly executed, and has cost us millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars in paper, time, and the salaries of congressional aids, and other government workers. I’d think the president of the United States would have better things to do with their time than screw around with a meaningless act.

When they talk about the “Original Meaning” of the constitution… WHICH ORIGINAL? If you mean the constitution pre amendments then black folks can’t be married or free. Women can’t vote, in fact no-one except landholders would be allowed to vote. Sorry, all you renters you’re now ineligible. And Ms. Bachmann shouldn’t be out campaigning for office… she should be home, making babies,  regarded as chattel  waiting to serve the Master of the house. Don’t forget divorce is right out of the picture too.

The appointment of a presidential commission to investigate harassment of marriage supporters… I wholeheartedly AGREE with this one. Organizations like NOM, The Westboro Baptist Church and others SHOULD be investigated for their continuing harassment of supporters of marriage. For example all those gay folks who have tirelessly campaigned for Equal Treatment and the ability to marry. It cuts both ways, gay folks trying to get married are by definition supporters of marriage.

Supporting legislation that allows the people of Washington DC to vote on Marriage? Well folks, which is it that you want? At the top of your pledge, you’re talking about making Marriage a Federal matter, now you’re saying you’re going to give the District of Columbia individual rights?

The saddest part of this for me is that these politicians are supposed to be leaders and well educated. On it’s face, this pledge is pointless, puerile, unrealistic and frankly insulting. Unfortunately, it will swing votes toward these candidates as well. There are far too many people who have bought into religious fundamentalist viewpoints regarding gay people.

Lets think about this a bit.

Latest polls say that around 50% of  “Average Americans” don’t really give a shit about same sex marriage one way or another. Most of them don’t see a problem.

I’ve never understood how Same Sex Marriage is a threat to Marriage in general. You’d think that more people getting married would re-affirm the institution not harm it.

Some of the fear mongering spouted by organizations like NOM say that churches will be forced to perform marriages when they don’t philosophically agree with same sex marriage.

Really?

What makes them think that same sex marriages would be ANY different from a situation when a Minister or Priest refuses to marry a couple that has not been through couples counseling, or someone that has been divorced but who hasn’t had their previous marriage annulled?

It’s unlikely a divorced Catholic couple with no annulment is going to demand to be married in a mosque.  It’s equally unlikely any same sex couple is going to choose to get married in a church where they are surrounded by hate. It’s simply a non-issue, yet another red herring from NOM like their dark scary clouds commercial.

Marriages don’t have to be performed in churches. Regardless of WHERE a marriage is performed it confers spousal rights and privileges the minute it’s registered.

It’s those rights and privileges that same sex couples are seeking to secure for themselves, not the destruction of Western Civilization.

I personally think it’s time for NOM, the so called “Family Protection” , and other ultra conservative religious organizations to get off the opposition to same sex marriage bandwagon.

Perhaps they should use their millions upon millions of dollars to set up food banks, homeless shelters, and pay for medical services for the needy in their communities.

Same sex marriage is a non-issue for at least half of America, but unemployment and hungry families are big issues to every American.

NOM, would you and your ilk please go do some good for a change?

I have to thank NOM for one thing though, It just eliminated three candidates from my voting pool.

I may be a conservative but I’m not a complete moron. Bachmann, Romney, and Santorum are no longer even on my personal radar except as candidates to be avoided at all costs.

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One of the ways I relax

Took a long drive yesterday This was my first time on hwy 2 since it reopened.

The road was partially closed for 4 or 5 years. At it’s highest point it’s about 7000 ft. One very bad winter, the snow, ice, and rockslides caused a large section to slide down the mountainside. CalTrans opened as much as they could in the Summer but it wasn’t open to La Canada.

I used to take it home sometimes from work. It’s not as fast as the Freeway (well come to think of it, in rush hour traffic… it might be faster!) but the scenery is beautiful and if you’re someone that likes to drive, it’s a great road to forget about the work day on.

I took a few pictures but it really was the wrong time of day to get nice shots. I couldn’t resist a picture of the road, it’s new and smooth.
This is the kind of road my car was built for.

Drove all the way to La Canada from Wrightwood, it was a great drive! I had the top down, the road to myself and it was sunny & beautiful.

Coming back from La Canada right at the base of hwy 2,  I watched a young deer saunter across the road.

He was at least a 4 point buck, once he crossed the road he paralleled it for a bit. I drove by slowly, keeping an eye on him.

My concern was that he might panic and dart back into the road ahead of me then both of us would have a bad day.

I don’t think California lets you keep what you kill… the image of a deer strapped across the front of my car is amusing. The further thought of the cost to repair the inevitable body damage is not!

As I got even with him, he started to panic a little… when I realized he was trying to get ahead of me, I accelerated away. He disappeared into the trees a second or two after I passed him.

I wish I’d been able to grab the camera and snap a few pictures of him, he really was beautiful. But paying attention to the road took priority.

Seeing that deer made my day. Between him, the drive, and the sun on my skin I returned home very contented.

Gotta do stuff like that more often.