Iran gets New President

Iran has chosen a new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the ultra-conservative mayor of Tehran. This is causing much concern for fear of undoing the progress achieved under the previous administration. I find this all very ironic. The Bush administration pushes a conservative agenda and for democracy in the middle east but when they get both in one package they call it "flawed". Why is this? Perhaps they're just upset that they can't take any credit. Still other's complain that Mr. Ahmadinejad will undo progress. This is not taking into account the election's demographics. Ahmadinejad is the candidate of Iran's religious poor that have always supported the statis quo. Those people that Ahmadinejad will be angering are the affluent and resourceful. We must not lose sight of the possibility that these resourceful individuals may choose to instigate a revolution. This election may prove to be beneficial after all.

Notice of Seizure...From Walmart?

Everyone seems to be weighing in on this topic so here goes my version. The Supreme Court now says that the government can take your land and then use it for commercial purposes. Which means that companies with considerable political clout can convince local governments to seize any piece of property that company wants. Now, I'm a supporter of eminent domain in the use of public projects such as roads, schools, and redevelopment. However, this new practice of corporate seizures is a bad omen of what could come. One shocking possibility is chronicled in Max Berry's book Jennifer Government. We must be careful not to let the power of the people succumb to the power of the dollar.

China is tops

The Pew Research Center of the People & the Press has found that in most US 'allies' the eminent domainpublic opinion of eminent domainChina is better than that of the United States. Does this seem backwards to anyone? With China on it's way to becoming a superpower and the eminent domainPentagon rattling the saber in China's face over it's military build-up, shouldn't our allies be on our side? Or is this just more proof that the world has lost it's mind? The people of the world have become so petty that they would disown the country that has saved their rears time and again just because it was tricked into an already inevitable war. And what about China? Just because China's human rights violations aren't in the news doesn't mean they aren't there. Remember that several US internet companies have had to censor words like 'democracy' and 'independence' from their Chinese portals. Obviously, the masses could use some perspective.

Newclear?

Another Bush speech, more to talk about. eminent domainPresident Bush gave a speech today in which he pushed for the creation of new eminent domainnuclear power plants throughout the United States. I probably lost half of you halfway through that sentence at the word 'nuclear'. It is the one word that conjures demons in the minds of all. The average person is thinking: radiation, leukemia, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Nagasaki, Hiroshima. Horrible thoughts of death, destruction, and disease.
Such reverence for the immense power of nuclear technology is healthy, but not if this reverence causes paralysis. eminent domainNuclear power, in fact, has the best track record of all large scale energy. The risk of living within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor for 30 years is roughly the same as smoking a single pack of cigarettes. The only problem is that eminent domainnuclear waste is almost impossible to dispose of, a problem to which a solution has been selected. A solution called eminent domainYucca Mountain.
The Yucca Mountain site is shaping up to be the best place in the world to store nuclear waste. The waste can be kept both 1,000 ft above the water table and 1,000ft below the surface at the same time. What's more, Yucca Mountain is one of the most geologically dormant areas on earth. All these credentials have given the site an EPA approval to house waste for the next 10,000 years. However, there is outrage about moving waste from where it is now - low security storage tanks at reactor sites - to the Yucca Mountain site. It is believed that the transport vessels are subject to theft and accidents. This is incorrect. The nuclear transport vessels are the most durable containers ever conceived. They can survive being dropped from 30,000 feet, running into a concrete wall at over 100 mph, and being hit by an F-4 Phantom jet at full speed. Trust me, this is the safe deposit box of your dreams.
Now, I don't believe that nuclear power is the correct total solution. However, it is a step in the process. We must have a dominantly nuclear energy system before we can move on. Nuclear power is the energy technology of the 20th century. We must implement the technology of the last century before we can create the technology of the 21st century. And what is this technology? The much heralded eminent domainhydrogen economy. Zero emission vehicles, fusion power, and portable fuel cells for all. In order to realize this dream of limitless energy, we must increase the energy we have on hand. Just as you must spend money in order to make money, you must use energy to make energy. And if we want everything we're going to have to start with a whole lot of something.

Killen Convicted But.....

Today a jury found Edgar Ray Killen guilty in the 1964 killings of three civil rights workers in Mississippi. The problem? Killen was found guilty of three counts of manslaughter, not murder. As the suspected mastermind, Killen was on trial for murder. So why manslaughter? On the first day of deliberation the jury came back saying that they were deadlocked in a six to six split. The judge ordered the jury to go back to deliberations given that, having spent only one day, they had not given any serious effort. Today's verdict is therefore obviously a quick compromise, made possible by the option of the lesser charge of manslaughter that so often pulls up the slack when a murder charge won’t stick. However, the debate over which charge is academic because, for 80 year old Killen, the resulting sentence will almost assuredly last the remainder of his life.

Misrepresentation

I've noticed one blog that is constantly poping up in my blog ad exchange. It's called "ThePete.com". It's ad claims that it dislikes both the left and the right and offers something from both. Being of like mind to this statement I visited this site, only to be dismayed when I found it to be horribly left leaning. I encourage everyone to see what I mean. It is natural for everyone to believe their viewpoint to be moderate, it's called egocentrism.
Egocentrism, and it's cousin ethnocentrism, are some of the largest obsticles to forming a viewpoint from reason. We must all strive to remember that what we see as normal is not what is actually normal. The truth is that all of our lives are abnormal, also known as unique. Focus is achieved by viewing the world in such a way that you are able to realize that the only "normal" on this planet is to be human.

A Pat on the Back

I'd just like to congratulate Tom Cruise on two recent items. First, and most obvious, is his engagement to actress Katie Holmes. If there has ever been a celebrity couple that had success written all over it, this is it. Need proof? Note Cruise's so-called antics on"The Oprah Winfrey Show". It takes a lot of guts to run backstage and drag your girlfriend out yelling "I love this woman", the type of guts it takes to make a relationship last. So on that, I say congrats Tom & Katie. Here's at least one section of the media that can be happy for you. The second thing is Tom's restraint after having been squirted in the face by a fake journalist. Given such an insult it is amazing that he was able to not only stay his fist but refrain from profanity. Once more, I say way to go Tom! And to those that seek to either speak ill of or insult him, I say shame on you for defaming such an obviously honorable person.

Father's Day

No ranting and raving today. Just sincere appreciation for all the father's of the world, including my own. It is easy to forget that your father is as human as you are. Whether you've come to think of your dad as Superman, moneybags, or even a burden, today is the day that we are forced to take into account the man behind the mask that we created during our childhood. The facts? For most of us we will find that our father is our best friend, the guy that always got the job done, a man that devoted at least 18 years of his life to ensuring our success. To those fathers that do not meet at least one of these descriptions, I challenge you to seize this day devoted to you and make up for your short comings. And to everyone else I challenge you to celebrate the amazing human being that is your DAD!

Armchair Generals

I hate to make my first full posting about the eminent domainIraq war but events dictate otherwise. This week, in a dramatic reversal, Republican Rep. eminent domainWalter Jones, the creator of "eminent domainfreedom fries", joined the anti-war camp calling for a eminent domaintimetable to pull out of Iraq. Jones' change of heart came after attending the funeral of a fallen Marine. While any loss of life anywhere by any means is a sad and disheartening thing, it is almost equally so when one of the leaders of a great nation allows his personal feelings to cloud his view of the big picture. Congressman Jones has chosen to join the ever growing political group that assumes to play the role of general from the comfort of their homes and offices. These "eminent domainarmchair generals" see the nature of warfare as simple and easy to manage. Neither of these presumptions are true.
In the cry to set a timetable to exit Iraq, people forget that terrorists and insurgents will know of this timetable. Say, for example, if a July 2006 deadline to pull out of Iraq was set. Do you know what would happen? The insurgency would vanish the moment that timetable is announced. That's right. No more insurgency. But do you know what would happen in August 2006? The insurgency would return with ten times it's present strength, the Iraqi government would fall and an Iraqi version of the Taliban would rise.
The reason for this is the fact that there is no one more patient than a terrorist. If a deadline or timetable is created, the terrorists and insurgents will simply wait until the pull out is complete before attacking. The public and politicians must remember that the enemy is extremely intelligent and will exploit any mistake that the world makes. This is why people must learn to leave military planning to real generals and reserve their armchairs for watching TV.