Time to Make Sure You’re Registered to Vote
Category: News and Politics

Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote at your current place of residence. Many counties will confirm this on the Web.

Now is the time to make sure you are signed up for that absentee ballot.

Now is the time to make sure you know where your polling place is if you're not voting absentee (and get this information from your county's election office--do not trust
random mail addressed to you).

Now is the time to make sure you have scheduled enough time to vote if you're not sending in an absentee ballot (Vote early! Many polls will be jammed with newly registered voters and may not have the capacity to serve everyone!)

Note: the address in the screenshot is not your polling place. It's my polling place. It's also a confirmation that the election commission for my county has the right information. For me. This is not confirmation for you. You need to get your own confirmation. Now. Just in case.

Coming soon: Voter Suppression Fun Facts!

6:55 AM - 24 Comments - 24 Kudos - Add Comment

Quick Notes on the Debate, and More....
Category: News and Politics

I've read a bunch of great stuff lately, so I'm not going to blog, so much as spit out a few thoughts on the debate and then link to some good stuff, in case you're eager for good political reading.

On the debate:

Wait, McCain is still claiming that he suspended his campaign to help put together the bailout package? Apparently not enough people have seen this or are aware that his campaign ran 1300 commercials that day. (Oh, and about the bailout - from AIG to the bailout being all about commercial paper - I'm just going to leave it alone for now....)

And what's this about McCain's "across the board spending freeze"? Is McCain crazy? I thought we were trying to put confidence back into the economy, not freak the crap out of investors.



Other terrific blogs of late:

Mighty Rex's last half-dozen or so blogs, starting with Why You Should Vote For McCain

H's blogs on Health Care and Religion (send her a message with a friend request so you can read them)

Karsten's quick and poignant thoughts on the last debate

Daggatt's Obama Factoids (highlight: 93% of Obama's donations have been amounts of $200 or less)

Open Secrets' publicizing of the fact that overseas troops gave six times more money to Obama than McCain

4:42 AM - 21 Comments - 23 Kudos - Add Comment

About that whole bailout thing...
Category: News and Politics

First, it's somewhat similar to the S&L bailout, as many people have pointed out (think Keating Five).

Comparison: The U.S. taxpayers at first were on the hook for 3.4 billion dollars. But the eventual cost to the taxpayer wound up being nearly $125 billion. I hope the same markup won't apply to the $700 billion we're about to cough up (850 with extras).

The dollar comparison, though, isn't really as relevant as McCain's history of irresponsibly deregulating the lending process.

Meanwhile, Obama introduced legislation in 2006 "aimed at ending home loans based on fraud, abuse or excessive risk." He has also been aware of the increasing number of foreclosures since early 2007.

My position: Obama is the candidate best able to handle the U.S.A.'s credit problems.

4:11 AM - 39 Comments - 39 Kudos - Add Comment

Which Candidate Can Acknowledge and Understand Complexity?
Category: News and Politics

Which Candidate Can Acknowledge and Understand Complexity?

Obama

Obama frequently mentions specific details that lend credibility to his position.

Obama is quick to point out how singular issues are related to other phenomena, how things are connected in a complex way.

Obama isn't afraid to talk about specifics related to the issue at hand, nor is he afraid to compliment opponents in areas where they are in agreement--he talks about the issue and stays focused on the issue.

National Security? Obama acknowledges how our relationships with other nations affect our national security.

Osama Bin Laden? Obama wants to target him more specifically with special strikes.

The War on Terror? Obama thinks it can be fought more effectively if we shift the war's geographic focus while at the same time improving our understanding of Middle Eastern tribal customs and history.

Plan for ending the war in Iraq? Over sixteen months, pull out of Iraq, shifting responsibility to the 400,000 Iraqi personnel we've trained there.



McCain

McCain frequently zeros in on one aspect of an issue.

National security? Iraq.

Osama Bin Laden? Iraq.

The War on Terror? Iraq.

Plan for ending the war in Iraq? Win it (whatever that means).



Biden

He can tell you who voted on what bill, and why. He can tell you the motivation behind the vote, whether it be political or personal. He can cite data that supports the Obama-Biden ticket's positions. He can cite references in both parties' plans and explain why the Obama-Biden plan is better.



Palin

She can't seem to answer a question.



My conclusion

Obama and Biden are more likely to create realistic solutions that take the complexity of an issue into account.

6:28 AM - 56 Comments - 44 Kudos - Add Comment

The Bill, be it Bailout, Rescue, or Sweet Love to Asset Owners Given Freely by U.S. Taxpayers
Category: News and Politics

The bailout bill is old news. Now it's called a rescue bill. And the new one does seem to have a few provisions that I think are decent, while in essence carrying out the general shmuckus of handing over tax payer money to whomever.

Nevertheless, while I'm still trying to understand the new bill, we can talk about the old bill(s)--and I'll be quick to say that I never felt comfortable with the old bill, and suspected treachery, perhaps just because that's what I've come to expect.

However, after days of asking questions and poking around and reading a bunch of stuff, Kendra finally forwarded me an opinion that my instincts agreed with.

Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer, by Jeffrey Miron

I'll quote the really good stuff:

"Bankruptcy means that shareholders typically get wiped out and the creditors own the company. Bankruptcy does not mean the company disappears; it is just owned by someone new (as has occurred with several airlines)."

"If financial institutions cannot make productive loans, a profit opportunity exists for someone else. This might not happen instantly, but it will happen. Further, the current credit freeze is likely due to Wall Street's hope of a bailout; bankers will not sell their lousy assets for 20 cents on the dollar if the government might pay 30, 50, or 80 cents."

I was particularly never satisfied with anyone's positive reviews of the bailout plan just because not one person that I encountered had the time or knowledge to adequately explain how it would be a good thing. I'm glad I ran into someone who could adequately explain why it was a bad thing.

Now, hug your children or child-substitutes tight. The credit will flow eventually, one way or the other.

1:26 AM - 50 Comments - 29 Kudos - Add Comment

Economy: Obama Wins
Category: News and Politics

Remember how yesterday McCain was racing to Washington to save the economy? Remember how he suspended his campaign because the economy was about to collapse?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjkCrfylq-E

A summary of the video: Letterman's peeved because McCain canceled his appearance on the Letterman show, but while they were taping the show, they found out McCain was actually still in town (not even 1000 foot steps away, probably), doing an interview with Katie Couric.

Of course, it would only be fair to report that McCain's interview was on the economy. But if you read the transcript of the interview, McCain admits that Obama was the one to boost attention to the financial bailout issue by calling McCain to set up a joint statement about it.

And then instead of making that joint statement, McCain "suspended" his campaign so he could "race back to Washington" and save the U.S., but on the way he stopped by the CBS studio for an interview. Apparently, as McCain stated in the interview, "now is not the time for statements. Time is now to act." And his first priority response was apparently to get an interview with Katie Couric. That's just not a good plan for saving the economy, in my opinion.

My position: Obama's economic plan makes a heck of a lot more sense than McCain's.

6:22 AM - 61 Comments - 36 Kudos - Add Comment

McCain’s Gambit, Obama’s Invitation, and Bush’s Plan that Makes No Sense
Category: News and Politics

Odd Events Have Occurred

First, McCain suspended his campaign to head back to D.C. and "broker a deal to save the financial industry".

Obama decides to continue his campaign, claiming that "this is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsible for dealing with this mess." (Same source as above.)

McCain's move is an obvious ploy to appear as if he's strong on economy, as all the analysts are saying that his slip in the polls was due to U.S. citizens feeling like Obama was better equipped to handle the economy. And while it's an obvious ploy, it's a good one.

Oh, but wait, the president invites Obama to the White House to help solve the crisis. Hm. Voluntarily suspending the campaign or being asked by the president to help solve the crisis.... It's a toss-up.

Of course, to cap off the evening, Bush summarizes the financial crisis and asks the nation to support his bill that makes no sense.

The summary as I understand it: Banks are having problems because people can no longer afford to buy all the condos that went up. Bush's solution: give money to banks! That way, we can have a bunch of empty condos and banks can stop worrying about the bills, while the population continues to struggle to find adequate housing / jobs / and more.

If it makes sense to you, please explain it to me.

6:55 AM - 34 Comments - 26 Kudos - Add Comment

War: What Else are Presidents Good For?
Category: News and Politics

My current position: Obama is more likely to deal with potential and current military conflict in a way that I approve of.

No other issue is more directly related to the presidency than war.

Presidents rarely enact major health care reform, radically improve the economy, or even impact education. If they do, they do it with Congress's help (among others).

But out of 43 U.S. presidents, 17 of them have been at war, while virtually all of them have ordered military intervention of some kind.* Truly, out of all items on a candidate's platform, we should vote for a president with the ability to know when to go to war, when to order military intervention, and when to use diplomacy. Historically, that's the main job of a president.

In choosing a president for this ability, I want to answer these questions:

Which candidate is most likely to effectively use diplomacy to avoid military conflict?

Obama has said repeatedly that he would be willing to meet with leaders of Iran, North Korea, Syria, and others. He also showed initiative by taking his campaign to foreign countries. Clearly, he is serious about forging positive international relationships.

McCain prefers to rely on a "multilateral pressure" strategy, which as nearly as I can figure out has consisted of a bunch of countries getting together and deciding not to talk to those nations who oppose the United States' demands (no source on this, as I can't find a clear statement of what these countries' strategy is).

There is a lot of Internet buzz about the word "Unconditional" and the phrase "without precondition" but I've ignored that part of this because it's stupid and juvenile. I would think that anyone getting on Air Force One would think for more than two seconds before they accept an invitation to meet with a friend OR foe. The main points to me are that Obama keeps talking about meeting with people, and McCain keeps talking about carrying on the current strategy which thus far hasn't resolved anything.

If military intervention is necessary, which president will choose the most effective strategy for success?

McCain's choice of strategies is pretty clear. He's been vocal in supporting the way the war in Iraq is currently being handled. johnmccain.com states that McCain "advocates continuing the successful counterinsurgency strategy that began in 2007."

Obama has pledged to end the war in Iraq. He has also introduced legislation for that purpose, demonstrating his intention.

I might have time to go into war in more detail later, but for now this should help clarify your position on this issue, depending on how you feel about the way the war in Iraq is being handled, and what you think about how to handle the brewing potential conflicts.



* This is hard to document with one clear source, but you can start here, and then add in wars with Native Americans.

6:03 PM - 97 Comments - 41 Kudos - Add Comment

Mainstream Media Fails To Cover Election; Only Bloggers Can Save the World, Now
Category: News and Politics

I'm taking a pledge: I will only blog about the election until it's over.

Why? Because the mainstream media have failed to report crucial, relevant details about the current presidential race.

What does this mean to you? You'll find relevant information about each of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates right here on this blog.

If you have a blog, or if you've always wanted to start one, I hope you'll take the following pledge with me, and pass it on to others. Together, we can report on this election as the mainstream media should.



The Pledge

Until the end of November 4, 2008, I will only post blogs that are relevant to the U.S. election.

I will use facts without distortion, and cite sources for those facts.

I will present events, issues, and candidates as fairly as possible.

I will not report on gossip or irrelevant squabbles.

When I have a position on an issue being discussed, I will make that position known while focusing the discussion of that position on a fair representation of the relevant facts.

6:23 AM - 66 Comments - 43 Kudos - Add Comment

Fake Assignment: You Do Not Do This One
Category: Parties and Nightlife

Really, this is just a test. Do not follow these directions.

1. Get comfortable.

2. Readjust your level of comfort.

3. Get re-comfortable.

4. Watch "Indicator" at PorkFilled.com.

5. Name one thing that happened in the bathroom.

6. Determine what color of underwear the Space Bear is wearing.

7. Visit Seattle Untimely and press play.

8. Go back in time and answer number 6.

9. If you still have money left, save it.

10. Go to SketchFest. I'll be there on Wednesday, September 24th (not as a performer, though--as an exaggerator).

11. Say hi.

12. Suddenly realize that those links are connected in some way. Or not.

13. Watch Intro 3 here.

Success!

Now you're a tomato.

3:33 AM - 40 Comments - 30 Kudos - Add Comment

A light in the sky in New Mexico (Documentation)
Category: Travel and Places

I was staying with a cousin in New Mexico, not far from Truth or Consequences but still well away from civilization.

To get there, my rental car climbed an unpaved, winding slope to a ranch with no neighboring houses in sight. A dog greeted me at the car and instantly peed on my suitcase.

When it was time for bed, I turned out the light in the guest room and was greeted by darkness that comes only from a complete absense of artificial light. Even after ten minutes of adjusting, my eyes could not see the walls, the window, the sheets--not anything.

I was drifting off to sleep when I sensed light behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes. There was light coming from outside the window.

The light was bright, but I couldn't see what was making the light because of the fog. It just hung there in the sky, never moving.

I watched it for what seemed like an hour, but was probably more like five minutes. Then I got bored and tried to go back to sleep.

Soon, the light went out. I knew this because I was still awake when I sensed darkness seize the space in front of my eyelids.

I opened my eyes. I couldn't see anything.



The next morning, as I carried my newly-washed suitcase out to the car, I looked for a very tall post with a powerful light on it. There was nothing there.

I didn't ask about the light. I didn't want to bring up a potentially embarrassing feature of living there. Besides, my cousin was already embarrassed enough about the dog peeing on my suitcase.

2:40 PM - 63 Comments - 46 Kudos - Add Comment

I’m not hot, but people want to do me, implies Facebook application
Category: Web, HTML, Tech

According to the Compare People application on Facebook, here are some statistics:

0 of 11 thought I had a better body than a random friend.

20% thought I was sexier.

20% thought I was more attractive.

31% thought I was cuter.

40% thought I was hotter.



Yet, 80% would rather sleep with me.

Explain.

5:53 AM - 76 Comments - 53 Kudos - Add Comment

Will and Alexander eat me
Category: Friends

Once upon a time, Will and Alexander decided to eat Aaron Dietz, who happened to be in season at the grocery store. Yum!




They cooked Aaron Dietz for the requisite number of minutes at just the right temperature. Kazam wow!




And then, they added the condiments. Shwah hoy ole!




Oh, so good! Never the sleep befall the joy, as you can see!

5:27 AM - 60 Comments - 50 Kudos - Add Comment

U.S. Citizens: It’s time to sign up for that absentee ballot
Category: News and Politics

A quick Google search including your state and the words "absentee ballot" should get you there. For most states, you can print out a PDF form, then send it in and you're gold. They will mail you the ballot and you don't have to go to the polls.

Why you should get the absentee ballot:

1. It's time. Soon the deadlines will start happening that make it impossible for you to get one for this election.

2. If you're like me, you don't like to stand in line.

3. In many counties, there are simply not enough resources available to allow everyone to vote on election day.

4. In some states, it's the only way to ensure that there is a paper record of your vote.

5. If enough people do it, so-called news agencies like Fox will not be able to call elections based on inaccurate or fictitious projections. The outcome of the election will depend on the absentee ballots getting counted.

2:46 PM - 66 Comments - 51 Kudos - Add Comment

I has a music page cheeseburger now
Category: Music

I have a music page.

It's here: myspace.com/aarondietztheband

I also had long hair once. That was pretty funny. People called me Jesus or expected me to sell them weed. Or both.

Now they just ask me where stuff is. Apparently, people think short haired men know where stuff is, while long haired men sell drugs.

2:50 PM - 51 Comments - 38 Kudos - Add Comment