I was surprised to hear on the radio that there is a big uproar over the fact that Michelle Obama touched Queen Elizabeth on the back in a warm gesture. I know that there is a social etiquette rule in place that no one is supposed to touch the queen, but from what I understand, Queen Elizabeth started the touching by putting her hand on Michelle Obama’s hand in a warm gesture, and then later put her arm around Michelle Obama’s waist. I find it very interesting that the general public spends so much time obsessing over what Michelle Obama does – baring her arms, putting her hand on the Queen’s back; isn’t there more important issues “out there?” Or are we so tired of dealing with the issues that we are finding respite in being so nit-picky in criticizing the First Family?
Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category
Fireworks have been illegal in this state for as far back as I can remember. I saw an article in the local paper that the State is going to consider whether to legalize them. At this point, the only “fireworks” anyone can legally buy and use in this state are those lame “sparklers.” As far as I’m concerned, sparklers are dangerous because the sparks that fly off of them when the kids are waving them around burn people in close proximity to the kids! Even though fireworks are illegal, throughout the tourist season I hear fireworks going off almost every weekend night – being lit by tourists who are celebrating their vacation. I can’t get a good night’s sleep on the weekends because they go off until midnight or even later!
I agree that fireworks are dangerous, and the commercial fireworks that you can buy in other states tend to be really expensive and fairly lame, and that the towns put on good fireworks displays. However, I don’t go to the town displays because I don’t like dealing with the crowds late at night trying to get home. If fireworks were legal here, I’d probably buy some and save them for really special occasions – like setting them off at 5 in the morning after one of our neighbors was setting his off until 1 am. They like to share their love with me, and I’d love to return the favor!
This is a question that has been bothering me for the past couple of weeks. I was talking to an engineering student that goes to Princeton about the price of gas, and the need to find alternative fuel because of the ever increasing price of oil. He told me something that I had not heard before – he told me that the US government is subsidizing the big oil companies! He said it was complicated and he didn’t have time to explain it to me, but that he has learned at school that the US Government is subsidizing them! But that is one of the biggest reasons that alternative fuels have NOT been aggressively pursued!
WHAT ON EARTH????? If that is true, I think it is high time THAT stopped! George Bush had the gall to stand up in front of audiences and say that the only cure for high oil prices is for us to drill more for oil here in the US, but we are subsidizing the oil companies???? They make such a huge profit and pay their executives obscene amounts of money! The oil companies say the high price of gas is because of supply and demand! I think that we should stop subsidizing them and spend more money on alternative fuels, which would reduce the demand for oil, which would then reduce the price of oil.
This state that I live in is supposed to be such a clean and pristine state, but it has a horrible toxic rain (and snow) problem because of the toxins pumped into the air from factories from other states that drift downwind into our state. I can see the effects of the toxic rain on the cemetery headstones. The rain just eats away at them! I get aggravated over how the folks “upwind” have the “right” to pollute the air of those of us who live “downwind.” My aggravation grows when I am reminded of how the government has relaxed emissions standards to allow for more air pollution. When I was a kid it was safe to eat snow, now that we have this toxic rain problem, I shudder to think about the kids in the area eating the snow! And yet, I’m sure that they do it!
I was reading an article on Time.com about how a disgruntled reporter in Iraq threw two shoes at President Bush this past weekend during a press conference, exclaiming “This is a farewell kiss you dog!” Wow! I understand that is just about the worst insult you can utter in that culture over there! I read that the reporter has been retained by police. I wonder what will ultimately end up happening to him, I wonder if he will get jail time or just a fine. I watched a video of the shoe-throwing and I saw that Bush avoided being hit by the shoes. I was surprised that he wasn’t behind some kind of bullet-proof glass! It seems to me that almost everywhere I see him out in public he is behind bullet-proof glass! Very strange! Anyway, if YOU are ever planning to kiss ME, please don’t kiss me like THAT!