| CARVIEW |
Giving a critical look at the world and the issues
This is getting some play in the media and I think the Associated Press quote down below gives it best in a nutshell:
“A Chinese astronaut on Saturday performed the nation’s first-ever spacewalk, the latest milestone in an ambitious program that is increasingly rivaling the
Really? Is
After all, both
Do you know what burns my bacon? I’ve seen Christmas advertisements already and it’s not even September.
Really, are stores that desperate for the all mighty dollar that they keep pushing back the Christmas Season? Whoever the marketing “genius” is who thought this up needs to have a Nutcracker in his Christmas balls.
Advertising for Christmas when it’s still summer time makes about as much sense to me as shaving Santa Claus’ beard off and putting him on Weight Watchers and changing his name to Don Knotts!
To continue, please click here.I can’t believe this actually happened. A 20-year-old
You know, this reminds me of the time that I visited my old high school, while new additions were being built onto it. I was given an impromptu tour by an old teacher and he showed me and my best friend, who was with me, one of the new classrooms.
The classroom had such a hideous color painted on its walls that my mind has prevented me from truly recall what the color was. I think it might have been a combination of black, purple and charcoal black, if it’s possible.
To continue, please click here.
This burns my bacon and it has nothing to do with someone driving a huge SUV.
At the end of June, it was reported that scientists believe that the ice caps on the North Pole will melt away by this September, according to National Snow and
But this week The Times of India ran a story about a professor from the
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Body Language Experts Should
Zip Their Lips On Candidates
Do you know what burns my bacon? People who put too much attention to insignificant things like a presidential candidate’s body impression.
Body language experts believe that presumed presidential nominees Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are strong characters because of how they carry themselves.
For example, because McCain “stands firmly and holds onto the sides of a podium,” he represents stability, according to these experts, while Obama’s casual walk shows that he’s a strong leader.
But for all we know, McCain is hanging on to that podium for dear life because we all know that old people break their hips as often as they take bathroom trips during the middle of the night.
And Obama’s easy stroll? Of course he walks that way. A fast moving politician makes people nervous!
Women Having Sex With Teens? No Big Deal!
Do you know what burns my bacon?
Angela Honeycutt, which sounds like a bad Bond girl’s name, is charged for allegedly exposing herself to teen-aged boys at a sleepover and having sexual contact with them.
So, yes, we can all see how this would scar a young, strapping male teen with raging hormones.
Now, let’s say Ms. Honeycutt allegedly did what police are charging her with. I can tell you now the police didn’t find out about her little Show-And-Do because Little Johnny woke up screaming in a cold sweat from a nightmare over the incident.
Just like many teen-aged boys, Little Johnny, or in this cases Johnnies, bragged about having some type of sex with a 38-year-old woman from Lower Makefield,
No Mercy For Killers
Let that sink in for a second. He’s worried that his headache medication would affect the lethal injection. I figure the lethal injection would be more effective in ridding his migraine headaches than his medication.
To continue, please click here.Do you know what burns my bacon? Media sensationalism just to sell a few newspapers and extreme Christian groups that try to suck the fun out of life; so yeah, there’s a double-bonus of bacon burning in this edition’s column.
First, the headline from the
Granted, Black Canary does dress in leather and fishnet stockings, so it’s really not a real S&M look she has, but more of a biker-stripper look going on. This may not ease a lot of parents, but considering that Wonder Woman has been parading around in her star-spangled panties for more than 65 years, Black Canary’s outfit is an improvement and covers more.
To continue, please click here.Voting Goes To The Dogs
Do you know what burns my bacon? Idiot voters who only support a candidate for stupid reasons.
For example, an AP-Yahoo! News poll found that pet owners support presumed Republican Presidential candidate John McCain because he has two dogs, a cat, two turtles, a ferret, three parakeets and a lot of fish. I believe this is known as the Noah Complex.
But on the other side, the poll said that non-pet owners, or also known as “liberators” according to PETA, favor the assumed Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama because of his lack of fuzzy beasts.
What really burns my bacon is what Janet Taylor of
“I think a person who owns a pet is a more compassionate person ― caring, giving, trustworthy. I like pet owners,” she stated.
Who can make that giant leap of illogic? McCain has seven children. In my book, having children trumps having pets. You would think that caring for small human beings would make you more trustworthy and compassionate.
Muslims Outraged Over Puppy?
Do you know what really burns my bacon? Diversity.
Let me clarify that. I hate how we’re told we’re supposed to be accepting to other people’s cultures, but these same cultural people don’t do the same.
Over in jolly old
The Times Observer Has Moved . . .
The Times Observer has moved to a new address, with a new look. It is no longer hosted by Blogger, but find out the reasons why.
The new address is at:
www.thetimesobserver.com
Who’s Killing The Newspapers?
With many newspaper companies closing their doors, it makes one wonder what will happen to our society.
Because it is newspapers that normally make the national news because of their investigations. Most local TV news stations, or even CNN, do not bother with investigative journalism much. They do reaction coverage of events as they unfold, but it’s usually the newspaper reporter who digs in the mud to uncover corruption.
And while many newspapers are finding a home on the Internet, for many it has become too little, too late to do so. Many newspapers did not embrace the power of the Web and now they are paying a heavy price for it.
But the Web cannot be the sole murderer of your friendly, neighborhood newspaper. A bigger co-conspirator is society itself. Many people polled from different surveys claim that they do not have the “time” to pick up a newspaper and would not care if their local daily or weekly folds.
It’s interesting that for a society that does not have “time” to pick up a newspaper or just log onto their local newspaper’s Web site that many people do find the time to text-message their friends, download some new songs or engrossed themselves with mind-numbing reality TV.
And while the Web is an excellent tool for newspapers, sadly, it does not have that “in-your-face” presence that newspapers have when they are found in your local Wawa or on the street corners.
So, when the last newspaper publishes and corruption from politicians goes unnoticed but its effects are felt, just remember that it was society that put the American watchdog to sleep.
Where have I been?
Sadly, I have been too busy with work, family and being sick to update The Times Observer as much as I want.
However, I have also been very busy with it at the same time. I am recreating The Times Observer and it will find a new home in the near future.
Yes, I am being very cryptic, but you will soon find out. So, please keep visiting because I will make my final announcement on here as to where you can find the new Times Observer.
How He Got Here
Many will say that it took too long for a minority to become the president of the United States of America. But it’s better late than never, as others will say.
President-Elect Barack Obama will become the first bi-racial black and white man to hold the office of Commander-in-Chief.
Many black, and even white, Americans suffered from the racial injustices of evil men of both colors. Many black Americans dared to dream of a better life and some, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., paid with their lives for having such dreams of freedom.
And in so many ways, Obama is the embodiment of that dream of Dr. King’s. His mother was white and his father was black and many Americans voted for him because of his character. Dr. King would have been so proud.
And now, Obama is one of the few Americans who has the power to become a racial bridge of equality and will hopefully establish a more color-blinded society. A growing society that will live up to the dream that Dr. King envision:
That people are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
More Freedoms Needed
For Independent Voters
There is a growing minority in our country and it’s not a racial one, but a political one.
This political minority believes in the actual plans that politicians have for our country and have little to no interest for partisan loyalties and near-propaganda speeches. In fact, this minority do not even belong to a political party.
These people are independents and many of them have the true American spirit, more so than Republicans or Democrats who blindly tow their party line. Independent voters want to have their voices be as equal as the two major parties.
But sadly, independent voters are shunt away by Republicans and Democrats, both the elected leaders and the voters themselves. Many independents in many states in this past presidential race could not participate in the election like their Democratic and Republican counterparts.
Many of them were not allowed to vote in the primary elections, robbing them of their rights to express their opinions and beliefs by voting.
However, both Democratic and Republican leaders are all too eager to use independent voters -- swing voters -- to help them win elections.
But there are many organizations and groups who fight for independent voter rights. They work hard to get legislation passed so independents can enjoy the same freedoms as Republican and Democratic voters.
For example, the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, Inc. works tirelessly to have politicians to commit themselves to work on behalf of independent voters. In fact, the organization has a free conference on Sunday, Jan. 25 in
It’s important that all American voters, despite their leanings, have an equal voice in our system of government. If we do not grant these voters the same rights as others have enjoyed, than we would be guilty of discriminating against a political minority. And that is truly un-American.
The Calls We Didn’t Hear Regarding
Israel’s Battle Against Hamas
For the last few days we have heard in the news of the
But why haven’t we heard more calls from these groups to support
Hamas is allegedly a major political party and has a lot of seats in the Palestinian National Authority’s elected legislative council. But many of its members are still terrorists who are bent on destroying
In fact, if Hamas was any type of decent political party, they would not have broken the truce that started this latest round of chaos.
Dealing with terrorists like Hamas only results in more bloodshed. They cannot be reasoned with or trusted.
And of course
However, some restraint should be shown towards the innocent Palestinian people, even though it seems doubtful that they will condemn Hamas for starting the aggression.
But the world needs to realize that Hamas is not serious about a truce, cease-fires or even peace talks.
It is time that the world starts putting the blame on Hamas and starts finding real solutions in stopping them from constantly breaking the brief relieve between battles that
India’s Attacks Reminds
Us Of Terror War
As India is in a literal grip of horror, their living nightmare should be a reminder to us all that we are still at war with terrorists.
Just because the death toll is currently not as high as it was on Sept. 11 or the destruction is not as devastating, this heinous act by alleged extremist Muslim terrorists should not be brushed aside.
While these coordinated attacks are centered on areas populated by foreign tourists, especially Americans, according to CNN, it is a grim reminder that no one is safe from these heathens.
President-Elect Barack Obama must make the terrorist threat his highest priority, in addition to a crippling economy. Just because America has been bless with no further grand terror attacks on its soil does not mean that the threat has quietly gone away. That type of ignorance can be very deadly.
Increased military action against terrorists and those who harbor or aid them and better communications and open dialogue with some extremist Islamic governments, but are seeking peaceful relationships with the West, are just some of the methods that can be used to combat the danger that has gripped the world.
Tomorrow, many Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving and be grateful for what they have in their lives. Let our prayers also be with those suffering in India and pray for a peaceful resolution.
Tis The Summer Season …
Tomorrow is the official day that summer begins. And there are many signs of summer, such as men fishing, kids swimming, women sunbathing, and the nice warm weather.
But we also see some seasonal creatures, such as fireflies, mosquitoes, and global warming alarmists.
Yes, very much like a bastardized version of Punxsutawney Phil, as soon as it gets hot, these people poke their heads out and scream that it’s man’s fault for a heat wave. Never mind the fact that it’s summer and it’s common.
While we don’t see these alarmists during the winter months when it is 20 degrees and a foot of snow outside, we do hear their counterparts saying how cold it is. Fortunately, for us we don’t hear the winter moaners blaming man for the snow and ice. Yet.
Stupid Teachers Strike Again
Last month, school officials at El Camino High School and highway patrol officers decided to use their lack of collective wisdom and lied to students that several of their peers died in car accidents.
Several students at the
Their grief turned into outrage when they discovered the idiotic ruse when their “dead” friends did a Lazarus impression.
Obviously, school and police officials are defending their thoughtless actions and students and parents are outraged.
And instead of driving home how dangerous drinking is, these idiots furthered the popular teen belief that adults can’t be trusted.
Stereotypes And Hypocrisy
Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II wrote a great little column today about race and misunderstandings in The Politico today. He says that there should be more open discussion about something that is quite taboo in not only political circles, but in most of our professional lives.
Because for the most part, when we talk about race, we talk about stereotyping. And we all know that stereotyping is wrong, but there is truth to it. Yes, it’s a generalization that has some truth to it.
Here’s a popular stereotype: The Mafia. There. It’s said. Now, how many of you thought of Tony Soprano? The movies “Godfather” or “Goodfellas” pop into anyone’s heads? Sure they did. It’s a popular stereotype that Italians and the Mafia go hand-in-hand like olive oil and wine, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra or a snitch and cement shoes.
It’s ingrained in us to think of Italians when we heard “mafia.” If we’re forced to think of any other nationality, we always hear: The Russian Mafia or the Chinese Mafia. Because the fact is, when we hear “Mafia,” no one thinks of Eskimos.
What Does An Obama-Clinton Ticket Mean?
According to recent news reports, the junior
And now, people in Hillary Clinton’s camp are saying that she is considering to “withholding a formal departure from the race partly to use her remaining leverage to press for a spot on the ticket,” according to the Associated Press.
How well will this settle with Americans, particularly the Democrats? Some Democrats have despised
And with the never-ending attacks between Obama and Clinton during the campaign trail, it would be a hard sale to Democratic voters and Republicans, who are not pleased with presumed GOP nominee John McCain, by these two juggernauts.
After all, how believable would it be for these two to tell
Hating Reality TV
When the “reality” TV show “Survivor” came into our lives in 2000 and similar shows followed, I told a friend that I couldn’t wait for this fad to be over with.
After all, these are just game shows with drama. With a lot of heavy editing, maybe creating drama that isn’t there such as a producer tells Contestant A that Contestant B said she was fat, and catching the right moment when someone burst into tears (and they always burst into tears), all this allegedly makes good TV, especially when you add the ingredient of excitement.
And most are just game shows, because there is a prize to be won. Even like “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette,” where you can win love and a fellow human being in only a matter of weeks while millions watch.
But now most of the major stations have their own variety of reality TV. Over on E! we have “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which is about the supermodel and her family.
Here’s something interesting. Because of a great many Freedom of Information requests to the
Some of these cases were just misidentified commercial airplanes or others. But there are some truly interesting cases that defy Earthly explanation. Such as this case:
In 1984, at around 4 in the afternoon, “a bright circular object, flashing different colors” was seen by two experienced British air traffic controllers at a small airport.
“Everyone became aware that the object was unidentified,” the report stated, as reported by the Associated Press. “SATCO [codename for a controller with 14 years’ experience] reports that the object came in ‘at speed,’ made a touch and go on runway 27, then departed at ‘terrific speed’ in a ‘near vertical’ climb.”
It certainly doesn’t sound like the planet Venus or swamp gas too me.
To read more, please click here.Dems Using Religion
To Shift Focus
Today is the day Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama discover how much their mudslinging and negative ads will help them in the
And Obama supporters, particularly the elected kind, have been trying to help the
There is John Hagee, who said that God brought Hurricane Katrina as a punishment to the residents of
And that’s not all of the things these men of God have preached.
To read more, please click here.A Real Misspoken Moment
While Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was giving a speech at
And not only did Ashcroft got a lot of moans of shock and awe from the students at the liberal arts college, he is getting it over the Internet as well. The real misspoken moment happened when he was speaking about the Patriot Act.
“All I’m saying about the Patriot Act,” Ashcroft began, “is that the elected representatives of this country, including Osama ...” He then quickly recovered and corrected himself and apologized after the audience was shell shocked.
Now, this is a true case of misspeaking, not like a few weeks ago when Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton “misspoke” to an audience about being under sniper fire but really wasn’t when her plane landed in
Honors Student Suspended Because He Bought Candy
Once again, school officials are not as bright as they appear to be.
Sheridan Communications and
It wasn’t because he was caught with a bottle of Jim Beam or doing drugs. He wasn’t even caught fooling around with a pretty, young female teacher, which seems to be a very popular after school activity nowadays. Sheridan simply bought candy from a fellow student.
Yes, apparently there is some asinine-militant wellness policy that bans candy sales on school grounds since 2003 and young
Folks, when kids get into the real world there is going to be a lot going against them from the word “go.”
And with what some of these kids are doing today, from drugs to creating their own little hit lists of who they’re going to shoot, you would think common sense – a wise, unused teaching tool it would seem – would have prevailed in this case before it became national news.
Well, it didn’t but thankfully after a meeting with the superintendent, the school principal and the student’s parents,
