Friday, June 15, 2007

Friday random thoughts...

• You might not be aware of it, but the Tracy Press' own columnist, the Rev. Mike McLellan, is a candidate for president. Here's his platform and declaration of candidacy. Seriously. When 2008 rolls around, give him a vote or three.

• Random thought of the week: "Let's agree to respect each others' views, no matter how wrong yours might be."

• Heat like Thursday's 104 makes me wonder how so many people lived in desert cities like Las Vegas before energy-consuming air conditioning and the rampant overuse of far-away water resources. Oh, that's right. They didn't.

This story in Thursday's Tracy Press makes me wonder and worry: if you're arrested for something, wouldn't it be nice to know why police think you're guilty of what you're charged with?

• While most of the global focus is on Iraq, a civil war has been taking place in the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian government has been dissolved. Seems that one Middle Eastern powder keg just isn't enough.

• Flag day came and went June 14. In memorial of that holiday, I think it's fitting to remember that it is the ideals the flag stands for, not the cloth and dye of the flag itself, that really matter.

• Sometimes, I just want to crawl into a corner, curl into the fetal position, and hide.

• Calvin and Hobbes quote of the week: "Finding consensus and common ground is dull. Nobody wants to watch a civilized discussion that acknowledges ambiguity and complexity. We want to see fireworks! We want the sense of solidarity and identity that comes from having our interests narrowed and exploited by like-minded zealots. ... Nothing gets solved, but we're all entertained."

••• Alert readers: Thanks for making this blog a place for real discussion instead of debates that become shouted rage. Keep on posting in good health and good faith. •••

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I, too, appreciate the civilized discourse that tends to appear here. Let’s keep it up.

Having reviewed Thursday’s Tracy Press, including all the blogs (some of which went on forever regarding Iraq and various political beliefs), there was no mention at all from any part of the political spectrum about the importance of Flag Day. I wonder what that says about both the conservatives and liberals in the TP blogosphere who try to bash themselves silly day after day? Congratulations for commenting on the true importance of our national symbol.

As a smoker, I think I’ll start hiding the knives so you can uncurl an rejoin the world.

“Slow Children at Play” --- Hmm, I wonder how I should interpret that.

Erdos56 said...

Love that Calvin and Hobbes quote. But why do I get so tired and feel less and less entertained by those fireworks over time? Jaded, I guess. My son has been asking for the $150 C&H collection. Man, it is nice, but definitely out of his price range!