Dinosaurs and Nukes – What they didn’t teach you in Civics

After watching Matt Damon bash Alaska Governor and candidate for Vice President, Sarah Palin, my brain had to take a break or it would have short circuited. Watch the video, you will understand.

Before we dive into the non sequitur that are Matt Damon’s comments, let’s get personal politics out of the way. My vote is still undecided, but Ron Paul will probably be my write-in choice. I want a small federal government with a balanced budget, so that knocks the current Republicans and Democrats out of the running for me. How do I come to this conclusion? Simple, look at the history of our country, our government, and the reasons we were founded in the first place. “No taxation without representation” sums it up well.

Now, for the real issue. Matt Damon, an actor, critiques Palin on a few things, but the one that stood out was the issue of dinosaurs and nuclear weapons. Damon stated, “I need to know if she really thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. That’s important… I wanna know that, I really do. Because she’s gonna have the nuclear codes.” What? How is there any kind of correlation between her personal beliefs on evolution and nuclear weapons politics? Is he implying that he believes Palin thinks dinosaurs are still around and she is going to nuke them? At the very least, Damon’s comment is a logical fallacy and completely unnecessary. The truth is, it does not matter what her beliefs are regarding when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, what matters is her understanding of foreign politics and the issues at hand in this country. If personal beliefs are so important to the left, then Obama’s association with Reverend Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers should be just as important. If there is a correlation between dinosaurs and nuclear weapons as Damon suggests, then there has to be a correlation between the black liberation movement and nuclear weapons or at least the Weathermen and nuclear weapons. The latter actually blew things up.

To be honest, I do not know why I am getting so worked up over this, it does not matter, people are so engrained in their idea of what is normal and acceptable that Damon’s words are simply more fuel for a fire that has been burning for a while. The idea that there are correct and incorrect ideas is fine, but the notion that someone’s beliefs make them crazy and unacceptable are outside the bounds of what we tell ourselves we stand for. The side that touts equality and rights for all bashes others for what they believe, and imposes their own “correct” beliefs. If similar accusations were made toward a Muslim running for President, something like “I need to know if he really thinks 72 virgins is the reward in heaven. That’s important… I wanna know that, I really do. Because he’s gonna have the nuclear codes.” there would be an absolute uproar in this country. Neither the Palin attack by Damon, nor the statement about virgins is appropriate or even relevant to the issue of who is going to lead America, if they were then the whole ideal of our nation being a melting pot would vanish, leaving behind a dusty, dirty mess.

The best we can do is ignore people like Damon when it comes to politics and focus on what he does well, movies. Now step away from YouTube and watch the Bourne Identity one more time. I’ll try to tackle the market issues in my next post.

We escaped to Austin to do laundry

Thursday morning Jessica and I decided to pack up our dirty clothes, which smell of charcoal, sweat, and trees, and drive to Austin to her parent’s house. We have enjoyed the power, the internet, and television and ended up celebrating our 2 month “anniversary” at Primizie during lunch yesterday.

Our house is still without power but we are heading back today so that Jess can prepare for work on Monday and I can plan the next few days as far as repairs go.

We appreciate everyone’s kind words, thoughts, and prayers. The days and nights have been stressful but knowing that people care makes it bearable.

Hurricane Ike – Day four without power

We are on our fourth day without power and though the lack of light does not bother us, the everyday things that we take for granted, like a blowdryer or coffee grinder, are sorely missed. It is a longing for “normal” that fills our day.

Our neighbors are in good spirits and keep us company when the days drag on. What an odd set of circumstances to set in motion the meeting of neighbors.

I think the nerves of some area residents have worn thin. We hear reports of people pulling knives at gas stations and threatening people while waiting for ice, though we have not witnessed such an occurrence. Our frustration with Centerpoint Energy has grown but we understand that their task is daunting.

The roof is in the first stages of getting fixed. If the recent beautiful weather, which has been a blessing, stays the roof may be finished in time for Jess to return to work.

That is all for tonight from a candlelit porch in the hurricane weathered town of Houston.

Hurricane Ike update

We do not have power so I am making this update from my phone. Jessica and I are fine but had a tree fall on our garage and make it unusable, thankfully neither car was in it.

I think we will head out today to try and find some more ice but I am guessing it will be a futile search.

The unmistakable cone of ignorance

Every year the Gulf Coast prepares itself for hurricanes, the people here having weathered them for centuries. But every year the forecasters and news teams seem to become even more over the top than the the year before. This year is not any different.

Hurricane Ike has created havoc in Haiti and Cuba and has set its sights on Texas. The newscasters could not be more thrilled. The city news has not actually shown happenings in the area in the last week, instead opting to show nothing but forecasts of Ike. Maps like the one below have flooded (no pun intended) our television screens.

Hurricane Ike Forecast

Even before that image was taken, the forecast “cone”, or “cone of ignorance” as I like to call it, was massive, stretching from Florida to northern Mexico. The meteorologists on T.V. call it the “cone of uncertainty” which I think is their way of conceding that they I have no idea where the hurricane is going.

So, Houstonians will do what they have always done, purchase some canned goods and hunker down for a wet weekend.

Continental cuts London-Gatwick and adds flight to Heathrow

Continental, my most common travel provider, has announced today that they will stop serving LGW from both Houston and Newark and instead add a flight to Heathrow from Newark.

The news is a little bittersweet for frequent travelers to London. Gatwick is a much better alternative to Heathrow in terms of room and passenger loads, losing it means arriving at a much more congested airport and clearing immigrations with a larger number of people.

Mango Inflation 2008

We live down the street from a very large farmers’ market and there is a fruit stand nearby that sells mangoes. Outside of this mango stand is a large, white sign that gives the current price for half-a-dozen mangoes. Last month the price was $4 for six mangoes, over the past few weeks the price has risen to $5, and as of yesterday, the price is now $6 for six mangoes. Jessica and I have this a mass media name of, “Mango Inflation 2008”, but we could have gone with something more along the lines of “The Great Mango Inflation of 2008”, which is a little more classic and a throwback to the 1960’s and 70’s.

We’re back and we’re married!

A little over two weeks ago Jessica and I were married in the company of our friends and family. The ceremony in downtown Austin was perfect, with a fantastic reception following. I wanted to say thank you to everyone who was able to make it and share in our day.

We are also back from our honeymoon in San Pedro, Belize. The water, beaches, and resort were wonderful and Jessica and I had an amazing time. I will be posting pictures from both the wedding and the honeymoon as fast as I am able to edit them.

There will also be some changes on this site and the http://stephanandjessica.com site, hopefully for the better.

Continental announces service to old routes

Continental airlines has loaded the schedules into their reservation system for a few new routes and one that they have not flown in a long time.

They will fly EWRITH, EWRMDT, EWRAVP, and they are bringing back EWRPHL.

The announcement is great news for the smaller markets and a welcome relief from US Airways customers in Philadelphia. And while this move looks great for the customer it’s partially a strategic move so that Continental secures their take-off and landing slots at Newark.

Nickeled and Dimed Out of Flying

A state of flux has come over the airline industry. The CEOs are panicking about the price of oil and the necessity to keep their respective companies afloat, and even profitable. They are moving to tactics such as charging customers to check a bag or pay for a soda on the plane.

These tiny charges do not seem like much on the surface but over time the irritation level of fliers will grow. People will start carrying as much as they can on the plane, then bags will have to be checked on the jetway. It is ineffective to try and nickel and dime people to stay out of the red. The airlines should temporarily reduce capacity and raise fares to make up the difference. They will go out with fuller planes and a better profit for each.

All of these charges are coming at the same time as a reduction in frequent flier benefits permeates the different programs. US Airways is the most obvious offender, taking away a lot of the benefits of being a frequent flier with them and potentially driving away the only group of people that can help them stay out of bankruptcy, business travelers.

The only real perk of lots of flying for a business traveler are the miles and elite status that comes with them. If airlines devalue the status and the fact that a customer has been loyal, they are bound to lose that customer. Airlines should be doing all they can to cut costs without passing them along to the customer outside of the price of a ticket. If they can do that, they will stay in business and keep a base of frequent fliers.