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Bush appeals to citizens to give money

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I just watched a video of Bush talking about the situation in New Orleans on the BBC.

At the end he encourages all the people who want to help that what is most needed right now is money to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. It struck me that in my conversation with a very conservative friend that this is exactly how he thinks this sort of thing should be done. No government forcing us to give our money, no forced benevolence.

I guess I just think maybe Bush should have done the same thing with the war in Iraq. You know, if there was a real need for more funds to support that effort, why didn’t Bush do a press conference and ask us to send our money?

To me it seems backwards. If we need to give money for the relief effort after Katrina then by all means take some of our tax dollars to do it. In my opinion, if you need money to relieve people in Sudan, SE Asia, Niger, and Iraq, please take billions and commit billions to care for the needs of those people. But please don’t take our money to buy bullets and missiles and land mines and kill people. Please don’t.

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Nashville on a Friday Night Bike ride

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What I saw on my Friday night bike ride:
-the last five seconds of a dinner concert at Belmont (I think for the new freshman)
-the Vanderbilt Girls soccer team beating some other team 4 nothing before half
-The beginning stages of some frat parties
-The Parthenon without much of anything going on
-Lot’s of live music on Broadway
-two college age guys having dinner with two gentleman who appeared to be homeless
-a gentleman handcuffed outside a bar while another was being written a ticket by a police officer.
…and that’s about all I had time for.

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What was he thinking?

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This morning I was driving in traffic and I noticed the gentleman behind me in my rearview mirror. He was probably in his late 40’s, white, dressed in business attire, and in a nice car. Outside the window there where 4 teenage boys, African-American, dressed in throwback jersey’s, baggy and sagging pants, on their way to school.
The gentleman in the car was starring intently at them obviously contemplating something in his head related to the scene before him.

What was he thinking?

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Where is the outrage?

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Can somebody please explain this?

I’ll speak to my war supporting Christian brothers and sisters. I hear lot’s of “support our troops” from Christian organizations, and pulpits and the rest. Rarely do I hear a straight-forward acknowledgement of the fact that what we are “supporting” them in is often the killing of other human beings in the act of war.

That being said, I think there is also a proper and necessary place for a support of justice in regard to murderous abuses like the ones we know about here. Tell me please what your response is.

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Dual monitors

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So, it’s official I’ve got two monitors. I saw a friend with two monitors hooked up once, and I thought it would be cool to tryout.
Anyways, I found a guy giving away a free monitor and I picked it up on my way home from work. And now here I am, dual monitoring it up.

Now I just have to figure out how best to utilize the space. It’s great for web design and people like me who like having a lot of windows open at once (ask my wife).

For those who have a second monitor check out this program.

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Newsweek huh?

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Newsweek link

Okay, I’ll be honest the real reason I’m posting this is to see how Technorati works along with Newsweeks tracking of bloggers. Supposedly, When a blogger links to an article and writes about it there’ll be a link on the Newsweek site, so sorry if you had to hear that when your looking for my thoughts on the article!

So, Wheaton College gets the “Hottest Christian College” award. I mean, I went there and I felt I got a good education, so I don’t want to knock it too much. I guess maybe we are a lot better then some as far as Newsweeks standards go for a good college. I guess it just that as Christians I don’t think the world’s standards should be what we are focused on, but it seems like that is constantly what it is. We call ourselves the “Harvard of Christian Colleges,” we boast our #1 food service, we pride ourselves on being in the top tier of the US News and World Reports college listings, and every orientation is not complete till we hear the average GPA, SAT and ACT scores of the incoming freshman.

Okay, I’m done talking about Wheaton, I just wish our standards and our focus where on other then being prestigious in the world’s eyes.

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Google Talk, you knew it was coming

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So in google’s continued attempt to take over the world (and if they do I don’t know if I’ll mind), they’ve just launched an Instant Messaging program called Google Talk.

I just downloaded it, but until some other people do the same we can’t really test it out. It has a talking feature, so with a microphone and speakers you can chat with probably just about anyone. This would be great to talk with friends overseas I bet.

I have been impressed with just about everything that google does. I know some people don’t like the ads that are based on your personal searches, etc. But I’d rather have those then big, bright banners that don’t relate at all to what I’m searching (for example, I am married, and I have no need for an online dating site).

Is anyone with me? IM me once you get it at ariahfine@gmail.com (I guess that’s how you’d find me.

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Back to education

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So, considering my last post concerning education generated a bunch of comments I figure it’s something I should come back to addressing. For those who want to make personal attacks, grammar corrections, etc. Please direct your comments to me in an email, that would just help the comments section to be a little more constructive.

I guess I’ll just start by saying somehow I’ve ended up with a whole bunch of friends that are teachers, in a wide range of schools, all over the coutry. I’ll do my best to share stories and situations that I hear from them.

I guess the question I have in my mind right now is whether or not people actually want public schools. I have to say Stephen’s comment sort of floored me. Do most republicans think there isn’t any really justification for public schools? Do a lot of people think there is no reason why education should be “equal” or “fair.” I guess I’m eager to hear some responses.

Wow, I mean to even hear some of the comments that were given before, it’s just scary to me:

“I’m not certain where in the United States Constitution it says that all public schools have to be equal.” -Stephen
“They say nothing about using taxation to establish “equal” ends in education.” -Anonymous
(This seems to imply you don’t think they should be equal, is that true?)

“Sometimes I laugh because you all don’t know how to frame the debate at all. ” -Anonymous
(It’s not a debate, but I appreciate your response to Stephen’s comment)
“Look, we’re an advanced industrial nation. There’s no reason that our literacy rates should be so low; there’s no reason that our kids shouldn’t excel. We’re wealthy and industrious, and it’s a crime that any child should languish with inadequate preparation for the industrial 21st century!” -Anonymous