What Issues Are Important To You This Election?

I was over at the Project for Excellence in Journalism website today and saw a shocking statistic. Did you realize that last week, during campaign convention coverage, only 2% of the coverage touched on the issues?

2%! (that wasn't cussing there - - that was true surprise)

Being the news/political junky that I am, I'm researching the issues of both political candidates. I thought it would be fun to find out what is important to all of you. My plan is to take the top 5 issues based upon the poll results, research those items from now until the election and post what I find here.

This poll will close on Sunday 9/14.

The Big Dog on the Block

Will this be a Marine's best friend?



Occasionally, the museum displays experimental weapons, air craft or vehicles. If they ever park an EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) out front or in Leatherneck you can be sure I'll post about that.

Let me introduce you to "Big Dog", a robotic quadruped designed by Boston Dynamics and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

It reminds me of the All Terrain Armored Transport used by the Empire in Star Wars:






According to the information from Boston Dynamics, Big Dog can run at 4 miles per hour and can carry a 340 pound load. 4 mph is actually pretty slow when I think about it. The goal is to create robots that can handle rough terrain and go where humans and animals can go. As far as a military application, well, its kind of loud, so not sure if this is something that you'd want when you want to keep a low profile. However, I'm sure over time, this could be improved.

The retired Marines at the museum commented that the Marines should just use pack mules, they are quieter and can carry heavier loads. Big Dog is powered by gasoline. Maybe a solar powered Big Dog would be more practical or battery powered.

From a technical stand point. I think its pretty darn cool. Below is a video showing test scenarios.



Here is a scene from Star Wars and the AT-AT in action. Its facinating how these movies when we were kids helped spark our imaginations to actually create functional technology. Even though the Big Dog is impractical now, it excites me about what the future might hold.

NFL Championship or Sex?

Some survey polled men to find out if they would be willing to give up sex for an entire football season if their team would be guaranteed the NFL Championship.

Now, I have been looking all over the internet for this survey - - even the news channel that aired it, for the stats. I think I heard that 16% of the men polled said they would give up sex for the entire football season if their team were guaranteed the Championship.

They asked Washingtonians what they thought - - if they were men - - would they be willing to give up sex? One man said, sure, if his team winning were a done deal.

One women commented "I don't think men could make it a whole season."
I think she was right.

Its going to be an interesting election season

All I gotta say, its going to be an interesting election season.

The whole "Fight" theme at the end of McCain's speech was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

This is by far the best I have seen of McCain. He's never been a dynamic speaker. But by the end of this speech - - if he were a Tony Robin's client - - he had tapped into his power center. Man, he sounded like he was rallying the troops before going into battle. (Actually reminded me of a General Patton speech) And I suppose that the battle does begin now.

After hearing Palin last night, she is a pit bull, I don't think she's going to be the push over in debates with Biden that analysts thought she would be.

Well, now that all the feel good and motivational speeches and the dog and pony show are over - - its time to really look at the issues. Man, I wish I had more time to be able to do that.

One thing that I have a personal stake in is the use of contractors to fill positions once held by DoD civilian employees or actual military personnel. Congress has really been getting all in a twit about this lately. My company specifically has been targeted as, I think, all of or majority of the civilian procurement staff at the Pentagon are contractors with the company I work for. The Washington Post had an article months ago about how it was like having the Fox guarding the hen house.

The Democrats typically cut defense spending (at least Clinton did - - a lot) so an Obama win could adversely impact the types of projects I work on. And no matter who gets elected, there will be an impact on the appointed civilian leadership across the entire government.

Yep, its going to be interesting all around.

What/Who Will be Palin's Final Authority the Constitution or her Husband?

That was essentially the question asked in commentary by Rev. Susan Brooks.

This is based again on another interpretation of Ephesians 5:22. This interpretation being that following it literally would mean that Palin should seek her husband's counsel on all things and that his decisions are to be what she follows. Under that interpretation, Brooks states that the Republican Party should be vetting Todd Palin -- since he'll really be the one pulling the strings.

What?

I also want to know why everyone is so sure that McCain is going to die while in office and Palin will be President. Reagan was 74 when he ran for his second term.

But anyway, back to husband and wife relationships in the White House. I'm sure every President has sought the counsel of his spouse. In the case of Woodrow Wilson, his wife Edith pretty much ran the nation toward the end of his presidency. I'm sure Hilary had Bill's ear all 8 years - - and I'm sure if she were to ever be President - - Bill would play a big part.

I'm sure Todd Palin will act as a sounding board - - but I am sure, Sarah Palin, in terms of her job, would make the decisions. Now, doesn't Brooks remember that we women don't want our husbands to solve all our problems? - - we want them to just listen.

Evangelical Women are to Be Submissive To Their Husbands

I almost jumped up and screamed at Sally Quinn when she said this as she was beig interviewed on CNN yesterday.

Now, Ms. Quinn knows a thing about religion as she founded and moderates a blog on the Washington Post called "On Faith".  However, it really makes me mad when people keep twisting Ephesians 5:22 - 33.  Basically, everyone stops at Ephesians 5:24.  Men seem to turn their ears off at verse 25 where it states "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..."  When you look at it this way, we women just need to respect our husbands, our husbands need to love us and be willing to give up their lives for us. 

Palin's Pregnancy Problem

I'll be honest, I bristled at this verse for years before I had some really good Bible teaching on what God really meant by it.  I recommend the book Love and Respect for an indepth look into this verse and what it means about relationships.  I'm not going to get into a theological argument on what this verse means - - other than to say I know it does not mean women are less than men.  I know it does not mean that women must subservient to men.  At its base, we are suppose to be respectful to the men in our lives and men are to be loving to the women in their lives.

Now where the heck am I going?  Sally Quinn pretty much stated on CNN that Palin's priority should really be in the home especially in her current situation with a special needs baby and a pregnant daughter.  Quinn said something along the lines about how Palin was so different from Evangelical women in that she works outside the home.  As an Evangelical woman, I was really insulted by that.

Why do so many people think that, if you are a Christian woman, your place is to be married, in the home with a bunch of children?  Why do some people think that if you are a Christian woman, that you shouldn't have a successful or powerful career?  Why do people think that the only way a Christian woman can be fulfilled is to be married with children?  God doesn't call all of us to be wives and mothers.  God doesn't call all wives and mothers to be 'stay at home'.  Take Deborah, one of the Old Testament judges - - God even punished a man for not stepping up and taking the 'lead' as God intended men to do (Judges 4:4-10).  Read Proverbs 31, a Queen is instructing her son, a prince, a future leader, on the type of woman he should be looking for.  She tells him to find a woman that is a good manager, financially responsible, someone who can buy and sell her own property, invest her earnings, run a business, is charitable, kind, and supportive of him.

So many of the critics of Palin and her mothering ability talk as if she is a single mom.  She's married and her husband is the stay at home parent.  Her husband plays the roll that most women play.  A role reversal.  Not the norm.  But the children aren't neglected and running amuck. 

My best friend from Smalltown, Ohio, is an executive with a large U.S. corporation.  She has always made more money than her husband.  Her husband, a college graduate with an Econ degree, decided after several years in corporate America that it wasn't for him.  He liked being outdoors and building stuff.  BF realized that her husband was much happier not working 9-5 in some office.  A happier husband made for a better marriage.  They decided, and she supported his choice.  Her family back in Ohio had a hard time with this - - especially when they decided to have a family.  BF's hubby is a stay at home dad.  He loves it.  Would my friend like to stay at home with their kids?  Of course she would, but that isn't how things were to be.  Feminism gave my BF this opportunity, it gave them the freedom to reverse the rolls.

As an Evangelical woman, I can tell you, for me, Palin's motherhood/grand motherhood is not an issue for me.

 

Thoughts on Palin's Daughter's Crisis Pregnancy

First of all, I agree with Barak Obama on this, it is not a reflection on Palin's ability to be Vice President.

I've read some comments from both ends of the spectrum - -

A comment on Youtube:

I guess Sarah Palin's stance on not teaching sex education in school is really paying off. Her abstinence stance really helped out in her family. This is classic!!

A couple comments on an article on Christianity Today.com:

The Palins are an embarrassment to the evangelical community. Its not just the daughter's pregnancy. Its also the husband's DUI arrest, the governor's "less than truthful" account of her stand on the bridge to nowhere, and overall her lack of policy smarts. After all the work that Rick Warren and others have done to convince the nation that we evangelicals are intelligent, cultured people who walk our Christian talk, we get the Palin soap opera.

Posted by: Bill at September 1, 2008

What a blessing this truly is! Thanks for proving that so-called christian leadership is hypocritical and bankrupt, and doesn't work. There has never been a better time to reject christians.

Posted by: Nicholas at September 1, 2008

First of all, most of you know I am a Christian, those of you who don't know that - - you do now. Being a Christian doesn't mean I don't sin - - believe me I do. I screw up on a daily basis. As a Christian, I am so very thankful that Jesus died for my sins and by simply accepting his sacrifice, I am not cut off from God. There are no other requirements from me. Yes, as a Christian, I should want to "walk the talk" out of gratitude that my past sins and my future sins are forgiven. But God knows I'm frail and I can't live out the rest of my days sinless. This relationship I have with God is one of me screwing up, going to Him acknowledging what I did wrong asking him to forgive me, Him extending that forgiveness and me accepting it freely - - I don't have to do any acts inorder to get it. Even though I'm forgiven and accepted by God, doesn't mean there aren't consequences to the sin I've committed. I mean you put your hand in a fire and get burned, you have a painful burn for a little bit until it heals. You may even have a scar and a memory. The next time you encounter another fire, you will know better than to stick your hand in it because you remember the consequences from the last time.

Now, since I'm not a parent, I have NO experience in the area of parenting. However, I am a child and I have experience of being parented. I know my parents told me not to do things and set boundaries for me because they loved me and didn't want to see me get hurt. Did I always listen to my parents? No. Is it a direct reflection on my parents and the type of people they are that I didn't listen to them? No. It shouldn't be. When I made my decision to do things counter to my parents teachings - - they weren't there (except in what they had taught me) and I knew I was in direct rebellion to what they had taught me. Yes, I have had to deal with consequences. Luckily they weren't too life altering or life ending.

The attack on Palin and her stance on teaching abstinence - - o.k. that isn't NO sex education, its including another form of birth control. Even if teens are educated on the proper use of all the birth control methods out there -- doesn't mean they are going to follow through and use any of them. They make that choice, they know they are making that choice, if they are a willing partner, some may suffer the consequences with either an sexually transmitted disease or an unwanted pregnancy. I've had this abstinence arguement with adults who think its a horrible thing to teach kids -- and I've asked, so you are o.k. with your 13 year-old having sex? And they counter with "There are worse things they could be doing and I'd at least want them to know how to protect themselves." My next question to them is, "Do you always wear a condom or insist your partner wear a condom?" That is usually met with some stuttering and a "Yes, all the time". My next question is then, "Has it ever broken or come off?" And then the final follow-up -- even if you use everything properly, none of it will protect you 100% of the time from STDs or pregnancy. I have several married friends who got pregnant while on the pill and/or using condoms.

The Person commenting that the Palin's are an embarrassment to the Evangelical community. One word for you "Pharisee".

Are you so caught up in the "law"? Do you follow it perfectly? Are you sinless? And whatever happened to Grace?

Now, the Palins are sticking to their beliefs. They taught their daughter, she rebelled, she and her family have to live with the consequences - - sin doesn't usually hurt one person, they are going to love her and support her (much like our heavenly father does for all of us). I think that should be commended.

Embarrassment and hypocrisy would be the Palin's encouraging their daughter to have an abortion. In all honesty, I can deal with a flip flop on the bridge to nowhere more than I could on a flip flop on Palin's pro-life stance. How many people are pro-life but then change because its all of a sudden not convenient for them?

And Todd Palin's DUI charge when he was 22 - - Are you KIDDING ME? Is that the best you can dig up? McCain cheated on his first wife,Bill Clinton cheated on Hillary, that is a heck of a lot worse in my book because it has to do with integrity and trust. And if we can all get dinged on stupid stuff we did when we were young and NOT in political office or in a leadership position - - or get dinged for stupid stuff our spouse did when they were dating us - - heaven help us all.