I am in the process upgrading theslowbleed site to a new look and feel.
It is possible the site will be offline over the next 72 hours but I know you are going to love the changes!
See you soon!
Please Let the Elections End…
I give up. I am done. Please don’t show me any more.
I voted on Friday. I have never voted early but, frankly, the idea of waiting another week and paying attention to all the $%@! being said by candidates (and their supporters) was getting beyond aggravating.
I have tried to expose misinformation on both sides of the aisle. I give up fact checking debates, television advertisements, and mailings – I can’t keep up with the inaccuracies and blatant lies. I have seen intelligent people manipulated to no end – just because they see something in print. I have seen bloggers, who preach practicing an open mind, delete any comments they don’t want to read regarding an opposing view or candidate.
The only thing I wonder now is “how did we get here?” Have elected officials moved so far off the reservation the simple truth is no longer needed or can they just not tell the difference? Is it just about printing blatant lies on the front page and apologizing on page 24 later where no one will see it?
There are not enough people out there seeking the truth anymore and I believe this election is the political version of Jumping the Shark (which is fittingly enough a term reserved for when sitcoms start their downhill slide).
Gone are enough free thinkers who expose half-truths and gone are candidates that seem to know the difference between right and wrong.
In a lot of ways this election brought out the worst in our election process (negativity, racism, money spent, division, manipulation, etc). Don’t get me wrong; there are a lot of people impassioned by this election – perhaps one day they will help put things back on track. But that will only work if in addition to wanting to vote they also want to know the truth and never accept what is said at face value.
With that said, I am done covering anything related to the election on my site (except for a comment on the outcome). It has been fun, aggravating, challenging, and maddening.
My last thought on the subject: Listen to the candidates, seek the truth, and vote with your heart and mind…
Cell Phone Celebrates 25 Years…
“Can you hear me now?” “I can’t get a signal!”
It is hard to believe the everyday cell phone is celebrating its 25th birthday much to the dismay of dependent users everywhere. That right, sometime shortly before October 1983 millions of people had to either a find a payphone or simply hold topics of conversation for the dinner table (gasp).
The first cell phone was the Motorola DynaTAC. It weighed in at a stealthy 2.5 pounds and had a $4,000 price tag. 25 years later, phones such as the Apple iPhone hit the market with GPS, music, and games.
How far have we come?
In 1984 there were approximately 12,000 subscribers. Today (in the U.S.) there are about 262 million cell phone users and nearly 50% of children between 8 and 12 years old have cell phones.
In 2008 apparently talking to someone became more annoying than texting someone. Earlier in the year the average person sent and received 357 text messages while only making and receiving 204 phone calls.
It seems you can’t go to a public area without seeing at least a quarter of the people talking on a cell phone. In Covert-Ops fashion, many of them have a Bluetooth earpiece, which can often confuse them with crazy homeless people speaking to themselves.
I love the conveniences of a cell phone (and I do find the iPhone dreamy) but I could do without the rest of the drama. Picking out a minute package at your local provider is more confusing than picking a meal at Cheesecake Factory.
I think I want to go back in time and visit Bob Barnett (president of Ameritech who made the first call) and kick his inner child in the ass.
Then again, maybe I will just text him instead…
Don’t Answer the Phone, it is a Robocall!
They ring at all hours. They know when you eat dinner. The will never stop calling…well, at least not until after November 4th.
Candidates are using robocalls more and more this campaign. If you live in a battleground state such as I do, it is not uncommon to get as many as 12 calls a day.
McCain launched 12 robocalls in the past six weeks. The Obama campaign launched four themselves. Neither is looking to stop anytime soon.
Robocalls are today’s SPAM. The recorded calls are not regulated in that the information on the call is never really accurate and certainly misleading. Many of the issues brought up on the call are already considered “False” as a result of fact checking – it doesn’t matter to the candidates.
However, these “out of context calls” just may sway voters who have enough time (and patience) to bother listening to them. – but not in the way people think. Many voters are turning away from McCain who has already been getting flack about negative advertisements and personal attacks (versus the issues). It is all part of a $70 million Republication blitz of calls, mailings, and door-to-door visits.
Obama, still leading in the polls, can certainly take the higher ground since he is not trying to play catch up. Ironically enough, Obama’s latest robocall slams the fact McCain is making robocalls. Go figure…
Look, I watched the debates and read enough. I will be glad when this election is over. I don’t need you calling me every hour to tell my some BS of what the other guy is doing. Neither of you are playing fair – and by “fair” I mean “telling the truth about the other guy.”
Want off the list?
Don’t think the Do Not Call Registry has your back. You need to go to the National Political Do Not Contact Registry (www.StopPoliticalCalls.org) – Tell ‘em the Godfather sent you!
Internet Crashes Resulting in Productivity…
At 12:25pm EST the World Wide Web (also known as the Internet) crashed for 43 minutes resulting in productivity throughout the nation.
People were forced to go outside and see what was described as “a big ball of fire in the sky.”
Clarence Milford said, “I wasn’t sure what to do at first. I just stared at the blank screen. Then it occurred to me, I needed to mow the lawn.”
Tommy Bindman cried, “It was the worst time of my life…I had to actually talk to people in person.”
Sarah Krigowski said, “There he was…he just came out of his room.” Referring to her teenager that was reported missing in 2007.
The Internet resumed just after 1:00pm (EST) and, within minutes, order in the universe was restored.
Are They Fit for Office?
Today was the day for full medical disclosure for the final four. Where do they stand?
Barack Obama –Obama checks out medically with the exception of his difficulty in quiting smoking. At this point he seem seems to be sticking to his Nicorette.
John McCain –McCain released medical information (over 1000 pages worth) last May but has refused to let his doctors clarify anything since. Hey, he is 72-year-old cancer survivor; what more do you need to know?
Joe Biden – Biden got a clean bill of health. He is so healthy I expect to see him competing in the next Olympics.
Sarah Palin – Palin refuses to give up her medical records. Must be some weird Alaska Moose-and-Foot disease she doesn’t want anyone to know about.
