Last week, George Bush said that this election was about “Peace and Prosperity”.  I tried to disagree with him but found my self agreeing that in fact, this election is about peace and prosperity.  

What I disagree with is the idea that the Republican party nominee will deliver that to America.  

Over the past few years I have been trying hard to learn about race and how various ethnicities view each other.  One of the things I have learned more about is racism.  My motivation for learning this is that I have a daughter who is Asian.  I started to try to figure out what life will be like for her, and what I will need to do to help prepare her for dealing with her growing up a minority in this country.

I will readily admit I have some blind spots.  I will never know what she will go through.  I can only hope to prepare her for what ever her life is going to be.

I saw a little blurb on a news show a while ago that scared me.  The story essentially said that Russia wants to be the arms dealer to the world.  Oh, great, just what we need, more arms across the world.  In a quick Google search, I discovered news articles about Russian arms being sold to Jakarta, Iran, Venezuela, India, Algeria and Syria.

This is more scary than any terror organization.

We all think we know about racism.  We are used to seeing overt hate and violence associated with racism.  Groups like the KKK, and other white supremacists are notorious for this kind of violent racism.  But there are more subtle types of racism.  

I will note that racism is a emotionally charged word.   An accusation of racism will often bring up strong protests from the person being accused.  I have been accused of racism.  It struck me to the core.   To the credit of the person making the charge, it opened a conversation that would not have happened if that charge were not made.  

I am not a sociologist.  I am only a guy trying to figure out the world.  This is my way of wrapping my brain around what I am seeing.

I think there is racism where it is not seen, and just as often no racism where it is accused.

I got my first troll rating today.  I called someone out as being intellectually dishonest about being a bigot.

i was going to write a long detailed analysis of the war in Iraq compared to other wars, and how Iraq cannot  be compared to WW1, WW2, or Korea, and how none of those countries can act as a model for re building the war torn country.  This was all in response to a blog conversation I had with some one who thinks maybe the rebuilding of Japan can act as a model for rebuilding Iraq.

OK, I will readily admit I really dislike big box stores including but not limited to Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, and more and more often the jumbo grocery stores.

I was at Home Depot the other day looking for a way to replace a wall sconce lamp with an outlet.  Standing in the electrical area fiddling with odds and ends of electrical stuff I was witness to some really really bad customer service.

Here are some questions I want all the candidates to answer.  In writing, with the promise that if they are caught lying, or cheating on the answers or putting them into action, they will resign immediately

GBCW

Oh, you thought that was good bye cruel world.  Sorry to disappoint.

I mean Great Big Chocolate Wonder.

I know I know it just doesn’t have that ring to it, but darn it, we need a good chocolate diary.  

Yup, ya missed a lot.

While you were shmoozing with Wes Clark, glad handing Mark Warner, meeting people you've known for a long time for the first time, you missed out on a lot of life.  

I heard on NPR yesterday that Fred Phelps was planning to "protest" at Coretta Scott King's funeral.  Here is an excerpt from NPRs website:
As Atlanta readies for Coretta Scott King's funeral Tuesday, police brace for Fred Phelps and members of his Kansas church. Phelps has exploited funerals for virulent, anti-gay protests. The controversial preacher says state efforts to neutralize his protests violate his First Amendment rights. Frank Morris of member station KCUR reports.

I was asked this question on a right wing blog when I defended saying Happy Holidays, and derided the persecution complex of the religious right.  That whole conversation is completely different than what I am writing about here.  But I need to answer the question.  

With all the talk of bad intelligence and lies, no one is talking about the doctrine that got us here in the first place.  All of the evidence that the Bush administration either was duped, or lied to get us into a war in Iraq also shows how wrong the policy of pre-emptive strike is.  This is akin to sentencing someone to death with only a single witness to say how awful a person he is.