Life and politics
It was pretty much an average, typical Thursday around here, with my work from home, Gin's swim lesson and pizza night ('cos I'm not even trying to cook a meal after we get back from swimming).
Munch has a field trip tomorrow to the Columbus Zoo. It works out perfectly, because we were supposed to go to the zoo this summer, but my schedule and budget never allowed for it. She's a fanatic for giraffes, so she's super excited to get to go. And she gets to eat a packed lunch and ride on a bus. For her, those are special treats.
I watched the vice-presidential debate tonight. I hope all of you Americans out there took the time to watch it, too. Personally, I'm not a supporter of this early voting drive that's going now. I think people should take the time and effort to learn as much as possible before making such an important decision, and frankly, we haven't learned it all yet. Get through the debates and listen to the candidates THEMSELVES - not the pundits - on ALL of the issues, THEN choose the one you want in office. I know, I know - a lot people have their minds made up and nothing said will change them. So I suppose my plea is going out to the undecideds. Learn all you can, and don't trust anyone else to tell you what's going on. Find out for yourself.
Can I say one thing though? How is it that so many of the folks who support intervention in places like Darfur, where tens of thousands of people were systematically murdered by their own government, seem to forget that the same thing was happening in Iraq under Saddam Hussein? The oppression of women, the denial of education, the suppression of political dissent - under penalty of death - these things somehow have been forgotten. I don't get that. That said, I opposed the unilateral invasion of Iraq from the beginning. I thought it was a dangerous precedent to set.
But anyway ...
There's an interesting website (<--click here) I stumbled across the other day. It's a tax calculator that estimates how each candidate's CURRENT STATED tax plan will personally affect YOUR (American) individual tax liability and refund. Granted, it's not exactly accurate, basing a lot on assumptions (for example, it assumes an annual income increase, and SOME OF US work for CRAP COMPANIES that haven't given raises in the last FIVE YEARS and won't offer any pay raises anytime soon). But still, the basic calculations are sound. At my income level (which, I believe I mentioned before, is CRAP), it looks like I'll get a bigger tax refund under Obama than McCain, assuming either gets the tax plan implemented that he wants.
Let's not forget, too, that it is Congress that makes the laws, so we've got to take that into account. Why don't people pay more attention to the Congressional races? Senators are elected every six years and members of the House are elected every two years. Do you know who's running in those races? Do you know what THEY stand for?
Munch has a field trip tomorrow to the Columbus Zoo. It works out perfectly, because we were supposed to go to the zoo this summer, but my schedule and budget never allowed for it. She's a fanatic for giraffes, so she's super excited to get to go. And she gets to eat a packed lunch and ride on a bus. For her, those are special treats.
I watched the vice-presidential debate tonight. I hope all of you Americans out there took the time to watch it, too. Personally, I'm not a supporter of this early voting drive that's going now. I think people should take the time and effort to learn as much as possible before making such an important decision, and frankly, we haven't learned it all yet. Get through the debates and listen to the candidates THEMSELVES - not the pundits - on ALL of the issues, THEN choose the one you want in office. I know, I know - a lot people have their minds made up and nothing said will change them. So I suppose my plea is going out to the undecideds. Learn all you can, and don't trust anyone else to tell you what's going on. Find out for yourself.
Can I say one thing though? How is it that so many of the folks who support intervention in places like Darfur, where tens of thousands of people were systematically murdered by their own government, seem to forget that the same thing was happening in Iraq under Saddam Hussein? The oppression of women, the denial of education, the suppression of political dissent - under penalty of death - these things somehow have been forgotten. I don't get that. That said, I opposed the unilateral invasion of Iraq from the beginning. I thought it was a dangerous precedent to set.
But anyway ...
There's an interesting website (<--click here) I stumbled across the other day. It's a tax calculator that estimates how each candidate's CURRENT STATED tax plan will personally affect YOUR (American) individual tax liability and refund. Granted, it's not exactly accurate, basing a lot on assumptions (for example, it assumes an annual income increase, and SOME OF US work for CRAP COMPANIES that haven't given raises in the last FIVE YEARS and won't offer any pay raises anytime soon). But still, the basic calculations are sound. At my income level (which, I believe I mentioned before, is CRAP), it looks like I'll get a bigger tax refund under Obama than McCain, assuming either gets the tax plan implemented that he wants.
Let's not forget, too, that it is Congress that makes the laws, so we've got to take that into account. Why don't people pay more attention to the Congressional races? Senators are elected every six years and members of the House are elected every two years. Do you know who's running in those races? Do you know what THEY stand for?
Comments
It is amazing how few people have no idea who their Representative is (or where Iraq is on the map for that matter).