Afghanistan Revealed

Not much going on here worth writing about, so I'm expanding my horizons.

Photog. series from Big Picture.

I don't usually get into the world politics mud-slinging that occurs so commonly here, but I feel like this deserves a post.

This is a series of photos from Afghanistan during the recent turmoils there. Some of the best photography I have ever seen. Just wanted to share.

Food Democracy Now

Stolen from my brother's blog, which found it on BoingBoing:

If the quoted text (below) sounds like something you might agree with, we recommend going to http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/ and signing the petition. There are some significant figures whose names appear on it already. Join the movement.

Dear President-Elect Obama,

We congratulate you on your historic victory and welcome the change that your election promises to usher in for our nation. As leaders in the sustainable agriculture and rural advocacy community we supported you in record numbers during the caucus, primary and general election because of the family farm-friendly policies that you advocated during your campaign.

As our nation’s future president, we hope that you will take our concerns under advisement when nominating our next Secretary of Agriculture because of the crucial role this Secretary will play in revitalizing our rural economies, protecting our nation’s food supply and our environment, improving human health and well-being, rescuing the independent family farmer, and creating a sustainable renewable energy future.

We believe that our nation is at a critical juncture in regard to agriculture and its impact on the environment and that our next Secretary of Agriculture must have a broad vision for our collective future that is greater than what past appointments have called for.

Presently, farmers face serious challenges in terms of the high costs of energy, inputs and land, as well as continually having to fight an economic system and legislative policies that undermine their ability to compete in the open market. The current system unnaturally favors economies of scale, consolidation and market concentration and the allocation of massive subsidies for commodities, all of which benefit the interests of corporate agribusiness over the livelihoods of farm families.

In addition, America must come to understand the environmental and human health implications of industrialized agriculture. From rising childhood and adult obesity to issues of food safety, global warming and air and water pollution, we believe our next Secretary of Agriculture must have a vision that calls for: recreating regional food systems, supporting the growth of humane, natural and organic farms, and protecting the environment, biodiversity and the health of our children while implementing policies that place conservation, soil health, animal welfare and worker’s rights as well as sustainable renewable energy near the top of their agenda.

Today we have a nutritional and environmental deficit that is as real and as great as that of our national debt and must be addressed with forward thinking and bold, decisive action. To deal with this crisis, our next Secretary of Agriculture must work to advance a new era of sustainability in agriculture, humane husbandry, food and renewable energy production that revitalizes our nation’s soil, air and water while stimulating opportunities for new farmers to return to the land.

We believe that a new administration should address our nation’s growing health problems by promoting a children’s school lunch program that incorporates more healthy food choices, including the creation of opportunities for schools to purchase food from local sources that place a high emphasis on nutrition and sustainable farming practices. We recognize that our children’s health is our nation’s future and that currently schools are unable to meet these needs because they do not have the financial resources to invest in better food choices. We believe this reflects and is in line with your emphasis on childhood education as a child’s health and nutrition are fundamental to their academic success.

We understand that this is a tall order, but one that is consistent with the values and policies that you advocated for in your bid for the White House. We realize that more conventional candidates are likely under consideration; however, we feel strongly that the next head of the USDA should have a significant grassroots background in promoting sustainable agriculture to create a prosperous future for rural America and a healthy future for all of America’s citizens.

With this in mind, we are offering a list of leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to the goals that you articulated during your campaign and we encourage you to consider them for the role of Secretary of Agriculture.
The Sustainable Choice for the Next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

1. Gus Schumacher, Former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Former Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture.
2. Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director, Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, NE.
3. Sarah Vogel, former two-term Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of North Dakota, attorney, Bismarck, ND.
4. Fred Kirschenmann, organic farmer, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Ames, IA and President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY.
5. Mark Ritchie, current Minnesota Secretary of State, former policy analyst in Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture under Governor Rudy Perpich, co-founder of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
6. Neil Hamilton, attorney, Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law and Professor of Law and Director, Agricultural Law Center, Drake University, Des Moines, IA.

Upon further review

Once I again I forgot to change my voter registration to Democrat. I am currently unaffiliated. In Maryland, that means I get no say in the Primaries. But I'll be sure to vote in the election, come November.

Those of you who took my false lead and voted, good for you. For most of us, voting is the only way to give back to the "government of the people" that we enjoy so much. That, and paying taxes. But if you think about it, all that tax money you're paying is actually coming right back to you, albeit indirectly. Theoretically, the more taxes we pay, the better our schools, police and fire departments, transportation systems, etc. are. Wouldn't it be great if it really showed a noticeable difference?

I won't pretend to know how the government works, or how trustworthy it really is. But if we can't trust the government to do what is in our best interest, then our country is absolutely screwed. And I'd much rather enjoy my ignorance than worry about my future in this regard.

And besides, how can you fault a government that allows things like this to happen in one of our finer states:

Ex-Florida prison boss: Drunken orgies tainted system. Talk about a headline that jumps out and grabs you.

Apparently, the Florida prison system had modeled itself after the petty thuggery that the mafia introduced to the US so many years back. Beatings, drunken orgies, and shady dealings highlighted the career of a corrupt boss who is now serving time in a federal prison himself.

What, you ask, was the focal point of all this crime? Yup, you guessed it. Company softball leagues.

"Corruption had gone to an extreme," [new boss James] McDonough said, saying it all began at the top. "They seemed to be drunk half the time and had orgies the other half, when they weren't taking money and beating each other up."

Any warden, guard, or other employee of the system who could hit was treated like a movie star. Those who didn't play and didn't attend the games were beaten or ignored on the job.

It's kind of like The Longest Yard, except no Adam Sandler.

Politics Galore

I'm not political by any means. I am capable of having strong opinions, but when it comes to government and politics, I usually let it run its course without me. I got my first taste of true politics (on a very small scale) while helping my dad with his Mayoral campaign in Annapolis. It was an interesting experience, and one that I wish I had been more involved with on the whole.

I know that it is my right as an American to vote, and I've always enjoyed that right. It's harder to think of it as a privilege, because I've never known any other way. When you view voting as a privilege more than a right, it makes the Democratic process a little more significant.

Now, with all the primaries and campaigning going on, I am left--as usual--cramming all the information I can about each candidate in to my head so that I can make an educated choice. For the rest of you who would like to vote but don't know a thing about your candidates, there are a ton of sites out there designed to help you.

Votegopher.com (thank you, Mom) has a decent breakdown of each candidate's background, controversies, etc. Worth a look for a pretty good summary of your options.

If you're like me, you'll enjoy a site like this one because it is a little more personalized and hands-on: Politicalquiz.net offers a survey. According to your answers, it analyzes your political preferences. The percentage by each candidate shows how closely they match your answers.

My results:

Conservative/Progressive Score - 7 - Social Moderate
Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist Score - 9 - Social Capitalist
Libertarian/Authoritarian Score - 4 - Libertarian-leaning
Pacifist/Militarist Score - 3 - Moderate-Pacifist
You are a Democrat.

John Edwards - 96%
Barack Obama - 94%
Chris Dodd - 88%
Bill Richardson - 83%
Joe Biden - 81%
Mike Gravel - 81%
Hillary Clinton - 79%
Dennis Kucinich - 73%
Ron Paul - 65%
John McCain - 63%
Romney, Huckabee, Brownback, Thompson, Giuliani, Hunter, Tancredo range from 63%-31%.

I think I'm happy with that result. I've been leaning towards Obama without really knowing much about anyone. I think his lack of experience won't be as big of an issue as people are making it. He will have so many experienced Cabinet members and advisors to make sure he isn't being an idiot. Most of the people whose opinions I trust are prO-bama (I've coined a new catch phrase right there, by the way). He is spiritual and religious, but according to his bio, he studied all of the religions before deciding on which one best matched his ideology, and I can respect that. I am not religious by any means, but I can make that claim with conviction because I have studied all of the major world religions and can confidently say I disagree with most of them. Buddhism is the closest match for me, but I wouldn't dare call myself a Buddhist.

Back on track, I have decided to involve myself a little more in the political process. I might as well enjoy the privileges of being a US citizen as much as I can.

On another, government-control related note, the new smoking ban is phenomenal. I completely understand people's issues with the government controlling private business practices, but at the same time, I am all for abolishing people's right to smoke. It may be the most ridiculous habit imaginable. I am usually good at understanding why people do the things they do, but smoking will always baffle me. It isn't mind-altering. There are no benefits. It makes everyone and everything around you smell horrendous. If anyone can explain to me the purpose, I'm open to suggestions. But for now, I'm going to openly applaud the government for stepping in on this one. It makes my bar experience infinitely more enjoyable.

So, anyone who takes the quiz and wants to post their results, feel free. As always, I want feedback. It's nice to know people are reading.