Willem

An Evening on Willem Falls

My phone usually rings when Thursday arrives. I'm on the couch reading. I listen to Jeremy Long expel something sounding a little like a frustrated whine and an early morning groan into my answering machine.

He says my name. I wait. He tells me to pick up the phone. I comply.

Jeremy tells me it's Thursday and Thursday is boat night.
We gear up.

Willem is loaded, but backward. We untie, reverse the situation and re-tie somewhat properly, but this time we remember the motor. The necessities are packed and all we need now is some boat beer.
Jeremy buys a 12-pack of Coors Light.
We shove off.

The bay resembled a smooth sheet of glass. The weather felt cool. We slowly motored through Naples.
Pee time arrived.
We headed for the dock.
Another boat filled with friends bobbed with our wake upon our return. They were drinking boat beer too.

Conversation of drunk excursions to Catalina and water polo consumed the minutes between pee time and our second outing.
At one point I found myself drifting from the dock because I forgot to hold on.
We shoved again, but this time we followed a bigger vessel.

The problem with alcohol is that it runs out. We decided on Tantalum for a refill.

Mike Almquist apparently can cut rug. He's dancing with Rachel.

This is Jeff Craver. He's watching Mike dance with his girlfriend Rachel.

But Mike isn't in need of anyone to dance with.

He simply needs a floor he can stand on.

When we left I almost fell in the water with my camera. So I stopped carrying it.

Owning a smaller boat allows maximum entertainment when speeding through the wakes of bigger boats. But one small con appears out of so many pros. While speeding through wakes in a 9.5 ft. plastic dinghy you tend to end your evenings with a wet ass and water up to your ankles.

Though...I'll do it again.

Money, the real political motivator

Another editorial published in CSUF's Daily Titan newspaper on Oct. 20

Ideas about politics and voting have begun to trickle into the minds of America's younger generations.

Political events, like the tumultuous winding down of a dubious presidency and the brawl between democrats and republicans, both equipped with people geared up to change history, have helped clutch the attention of young voters. Then we read stories about voter registration fraud and we think, "Why bother?"

According to a Los Angeles Times article written by Evan Halper and Michael Rothfeld in Saturday's California section, voters are allegedly being tricked into registering as republicans while signing petitions they believe are focused on real issues, such as strengthening punishments for child molesters. Unsuspecting signers will arrive at their polling places and be handed republican ballots.

The people reportedly offering these fraudulent petitions are from a firm hired by the California Republican Party called Young Political Majors. According to the sources in the article, these people are gathering signatures in public places such as outside of supermarkets and are operating throughout the country.

Apparently, people are also led to believe that in order to fill out a petition they must register as a republican, but then are reassured their affiliation is secure. Later they find out they were lied to.

Maybe we should be questioning ourselves. We've been told not to trust strangers since before we were shoved from the comforts of our home to make our first solo jaunt to school. Are we forgetting the little lessons in life? Our society needs to slow down, mellow out and read the fine print.

This is not an isolated incident. This dirty political scheme is a cyclical situation and needs to be stifled. Democratic signature-gatherers have been accused in the past also. According to the article, the FBI is investigating the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for filing false voter registrations in a number of states. Also, eight ACORN members pleaded guilty in April to turning in doctored registration cards in 2006.

These deceiving actions are prime examples of why we shouldn’t sign anything without reading the small text. Or at least they offer a solid justification to madly dash past people bombarding us with reasons to release our signature.

The Times article reported the YPM firm had been accused of this tactic before, but have denied the accusations. A republican party spokesman said it had never been charged with a crime.

The initial response to this situation was to blame dirty politics, but when the Times reporters followed the money it became clear that these people, if they are indeed duping the public, are reaping $7-12 for each registration. Of course, it may only be about money. These people might not care if Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama is elected. They may only care about a buck.

We have enough criminals in the world. There's no reason to pollute an already sketchy system. Leave the democratic process alone. At a crucial point in time when politicians have the full attention of the young, the country cannot allow political deviance to deter these potential leaders. If we fail to keep them interested, then we are truly the dumbest animals on Earth.

Jeremy's 32nd Birthday

Web Classy

Fred is my teacher of history in anthropology.
Fred is a Marxist.

Faux Palin

I wrote this editorial for CSUF's Daily Titan newspaper on Sept. 29.

The comment regarding Russia's proximity to Alaska made by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin could have simply been a situation puffed up and blown out of proportion by the media and "Saturday Night Live."

The now infamous comment by Palin originated in an interview conducted by Charlie Gibson, which aired Sept. 11 on ABC. Gibson inquired about national security and since they were in Alaska he asked about Russia first.

According to transcripts from the interview, Gibson asked, "What insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state give you?"

Palin responded, "They're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

Obviously the remark became immediate fodder for the SNL crew. On Sept. 13, Tina Fey magnified the statement by saying, "I can see Russia from my house."

Unfortunately, in an interview with Katie Couric on CBS, which aired Thursday, Sept. 25, Palin failed to clarify her remark. Instead, she began repeating a version of the answer she gave to Gibson then fell into stutters and throat groans. One could actually see her furiously back-pedaling – desperately searching for a way out of the mess she created. Then Palin used a popular plan B – she blamed reporters.

"It's funny that a comment like that was...uh...kind of made to...um...(throat groan)...charact...(throat groan)...I don't know, you know...reporters."

By the end of Palin's incoherent rambling, before she said "reporters," Couric helped her think of a word.

"Mocked?" Couric said.

"Yeah, mocked. I guess that's the word, yeah," Palin told Couric.

Couric immediately gave Palin another chance to clarify her statement by asking her how the geographic nature of Russia and Alaska enhances her foreign policy credentials.

Brilliantly, she responded, "It certainly does. Because our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They are in the state that I'm the executive of."

Is she serious?

We're situated directly across the street from a Christian college, but we are far from versed in Biblical studies.

This Palin situation would make more sense if the Republican party admitted that their vice presidential choice was solely a tactic to sway Hillary supporters. It seems like they chose her simply because she exhibits strong Republican attributes and not for her ability to help run a country. Of course there are the pluses, like she's a pit bull in lipstick, she resembles a wise librarian and she believes in "small town" values, but she doesn't know what she's talking about. Palin should give up this facade of understanding issues she isn't schooled in.

Toward the end of the presidential debate Friday, Sen. John McCain mentioned he wouldn't need on-the-job training if elected president. Maybe that's true considering his age and his experience in government, but after each interview it becomes quite clear Palin is far from prepared.